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March 25, 2025

From Founder to Thought Leader: How to Position Yourself for Panels, Podcasts, and Press

polishedpublicity / Uncategorized /

You built the brand. You’ve got the story. Now it’s time to become the face of your brand.

In 2025, being a founder is about more than creating great products—it’s about sharing your voice, your perspective, and your expertise. Whether it’s a podcast interview, a panel appearance, or a quote in a major magazine, establishing yourself as a thought leader elevates not just your personal brand but your business as a whole.

At Polished Publicity, we specialize in helping founders transition from behind-the-scenes creators to sought-after experts. If you’re ready to step into the spotlight, here’s how to do it with polish and purpose.

1. What Makes a Thought Leader Today?
Being a thought leader doesn’t require having the biggest following or fanciest title. It’s about having a unique point of view, being clear on your values, and being willing to speak up about the issues that matter—both in your industry and beyond.

You don’t need to be everywhere, but you do need to be intentional. The most magnetic founders are those who lead with authenticity, strategy, and consistency.

Polished Tip: Focus on 2–3 core themes you want to be known for—whether it’s clean beauty innovation, brand-building as a woman of color, or empowering natural hair journeys.

2. Craft Your Signature Talking Points
If you’re serious about becoming a go-to voice in your space, you need crisp, compelling talking points that position you as an expert. These should go beyond your brand’s products and touch on:

  • Your founder journey and purpose
  • Your take on key trends or challenges in your industry
  • Lessons learned, and advice for others

These are the soundbites podcast hosts and journalists are looking for—make sure you’re ready to deliver them with confidence.

Polished Tip: Practice your 30-second personal intro. It should be warm, polished, and leave them wanting to know more.

3. Media Training 101
Once the opportunity comes, are you ready to deliver? Media training is the difference between a good interview and a great one. It’s about learning to:

  • Stay on message
  • Handle tough questions gracefully
  • Speak in quotable, energetic soundbites
  • Show up with presence and poise

At Polished Publicity, we guide our clients through mock interviews and talking point prep so they feel confident in any spotlight moment.

Polished Tip: Your tone matters just as much as your words. Be warm, clear, and conversational—not robotic or rehearsed.

4. How We Pitch You to Podcasts and Panels
We don’t wait for opportunities—we create them. Our team strategically pitches founders to podcasts, panels, summits, and media outlets based on their expertise and vision. We make sure your media kit is top-tier, your bio is memorable, and your message is magnetizing.

Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or just getting started, we tailor every pitch to spotlight your unique story and value.

Polished Tip: Panel organizers and podcast hosts are always looking for fresh, diverse voices. Positioning yourself early gives you a competitive edge.

5. Real-World Results: The Power of Visibility
We’ve helped founders land features in top-tier publications, secure speaking opportunities, and build personal brands that open doors beyond their products. One founder went from “accidental influencer” to published author and panel speaker—simply by owning her story and allowing us to amplify it.

And you can do the same.

Are You Ready to Be Seen, Heard, and Remembered?
If you’re ready to go from behind the scenes to center stage, Polished Publicity is here to guide your transformation. We don’t just build brands—we build legacies.

👉 Let’s work together to make you the voice your industry needs. Book a strategy call today.

January 22, 2025

2025 Beauty Trends: What’s In and How Your Brand Can Shine

polishedpublicity / Blog, Uncategorized / beauty, branding, cosmetics, publicist /


This year, beauty is all about authenticity, innovation, and sustainability. Consumers are ditching complicated routines for minimalist products that multitask and deliver clean, effective results. Here’s what’s trending:

  • Natural and textured hair care: Empowering products that celebrate diversity are taking center stage.
  • Clean and sustainable beauty: Brands are going green with eco-friendly packaging and clean formulations.
  • AI-driven skincare: Personalized routines based on your unique skin needs are now a reality.
  • Bold but wearable makeup: Think glowy skin, soft glam eyes, and lips that pop with confidence.

Want your brand to stand out in this vibrant landscape? Whether it’s through buzzworthy PR campaigns, influencer partnerships, or securing magazine features, Polished Publicity has you covered.

Let’s create a custom strategy that gets your beauty brand noticed. Book your consultation today!

skincare routine
December 18, 2017

Are You Using the Right Skin Care Products for Your Skin Type?

polishedpublicity / Blog / beauty, cosmetics, skincare /

This article was submitted by Cosmetology & Spa Academy. Located in Illinois, CSA is a beauty school with over 30 years of experience in the cosmetology, esthetics and beauty industry.

It’s important to know what type of routine to use on your skin type before you start using products that are not compatible for you. Some creams and gels won’t work on everyone because they made with specific types of skin in mind. What works for one won’t work for someone else. Here, we will discuss skin types and how to properly formulate your own routine based on your individual skin type.

Many Variations of Skin Type

You should be careful of any information that you may receive from estheticians, magazines or television experts.

They all are trying to sell more products to you. You might not get the whole truth from them regarding which skin types are best suited to each product.

Starting with a base skin type of dry or oily is good, but it does not help the many other people who have more diverse ranges of skin types. Most people do not live on the extremes of oily or dry skin.

People tend to fall in between these extremes. Think about all of the people who suffer from acne, eczema, rosacea and sun damage. Their skin types don’t fall within the rigid categories of oily and dry.

Don’t forget about how skin types can change! Hormones, environmental and biological stresses and even weather can affect your skin. You will need to find the right formulation for your individual skin type.

Educating yourself about the nuances of each skin type is the first step to finding the right treatment for you. You can learn the intricacies of each type of skin from an esthetics program. This way, you will know how to treat your skin when its type alters due to factors like the incorporation of a new medication, changes in your diet, picking up a smoking habit, hormonal changes, sun exposure etc.

Some Skincare Products May Cause Problems

You should be aware that certain skincare products can actually make your skin worse. Lots of products are formulated to treat just one specific skin type. Some of these will contain ingredients that will irritate other skin types and produce a brand new problem for you.

A lot of people have never been able to properly determine their actual skin type because products they have been using had ingredients that cause problems related that they thought were natural to their skin type.

Be sure to carefully read the ingredients list on your skin products to see what you are really applying to your face and body. Try out products slowly to see how they react and behave with your skin before making any drastic changes or additions to your routine. Beware of troublesome ingredients like thick emollients, abrasive scrubbing agents, pore clogging waxes, organic and synthetic irritants, menthol, alcohol and citrus.

Determine Your Skin Type

It is likely that your will have a combination of skin types. Oil is produced from the glands at the center of your face so you will likely have more clogged pores in this area. Start by taking a shower, applying a gentle cleanser and using a toner with antioxidants and ingredients that repair skin. Leave it alone for a couple of hours to see how your skin reacts. This will help you determine your true skin type.

  • If your skin has excess oil or oily areas combined with dry areas after you’ve waited 4 hours after cleansing your skin, your skin type is “oily”.
  • Those who experience moderate breakouts during hormone cycles have “acne” or “blemish-prone” skin type.
  • If your skin appears flaky and tight, your skin type is “dry.”
  • Those who experience redness with or without bumps but no acne likely have a “sensitive /rosacea” skin type.
  • Individuals with reddish skin or dry flaky patches that itch, swell or burn have eczema.
  • If you experience fine lines and/or discolorations, your skin is likely sun damaged.
  • Those with lines around the cheeks, mouth and eyes have aging/wrinkled skin.
  • Normal skin is characterized by no indications of dryness or oiliness.

Starting a Treatment

After figuring out what type of skin you may have, it’s time to select the right treatment and formula for your skin. Each skin type can find benefits in certain ingredients present in a wide variety of skincare solutions. Some ingredients in skincare products are meant to treat a specific skin type. For example, those who suffer from acne will need to treat their skin with benzoyl peroxide.

In general, creams, serums and lotions work best on dry skin. Liquids and gels work best on oily skin or skin that is prone to blemishes. Combination skin types can be treated with all types of skin care solutions but for powders and creams. Individuals with sensitive skin / rosacea can treat with all skincare types but for powder based solutions.

Those who suffer from aging skin with wrinkles or sun-damaged skin will be best served by avoiding liquid and powder based skincare products.

Those with normal skin often benefit the most from serums and light lotions but they can use just about any type of skincare product without significant worries. It is important to point out that most people have different skin types on the face.  Therefore, it is prudent to use specific skincare products in each unique section of the face as appropriate.

Beautiful Brands
September 1, 2017

Is Your Beauty Care Line PR Ready?

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As a beauty publicist and overall product fanatic, I come across brands daily that are interested in getting the word out about their products but are frustrated and confused as to why they can’t seem to emerge from the sea of similar product lines like some of their peers have. Through my experience, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are four essential components that make a beauty care line ready to gain the desired attention by the media and consumers.

Quality products: This goes without saying. Your product is the foundation of your business, so it’s important to invest in quality ingredients. This goes a very long way with customers.

Great packaging: Invest in quality containers and labels. The last thing you want is your logo and ink smearing when your products are used in the shower or by wet hands.

High resolution photos: Hire a professional product photographer to capture images of your products. A professional will know the best angles and backgrounds to use to make your products look more appealing. Also, products should be photographed in a way that can easily translate to the pages of a magazine or blog. Editorial teams will sooner choose to feature anther brand with hi-res photos (though your product may have actually been better) than to spend more money to have it photographed appropriately.

Nice, clean website: Your site doesn’t have to be fancy, but it must be appealing to the eye, easy to navigate, and it must make the purchasing process quick and simple!

Yes, these four components cost money, but remember that the key word is investment. You’re making sacrifices in the short term in order to achieve your long term goals: continued exposure and support, credibility, and increased sales.

Now what?

If you already have all of these necessary components, yet still struggle to expand your brand awareness, the final step is to hire a publicist with the right connections to top tier beauty editors, influential bloggers, radio show hosts, and more. If you’re ready to take your beauty care line to next level of exposure and sales, contact us at [email protected] to set up a consultation.

 

Beautifully Yours,

Shari

Magazine-Collage
August 17, 2017

How to Get Your Beauty Products Into Holiday Gift Guides

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Hi, beauty mavens! As you may or may not know, most national magazines are preparing for their holiday gift guide issues right now! (Yes, we know it´s August). Magazines work anywhere between 3 to 6  months into the future.  With this in mind, you are probably brainstorming on how you can get your beauty products into the the coveted annual holiday gift guides. Don´t get left out this upcoming season. There is still time to be considered for gift guides in print and on the online entities of your favorite glossies and influential websites and blogs. Keep reading to learn how to prepare and position your self for holiday press!

Make a wish list. Make a comprehensive list of your favorite websites or blogs that you would like to see your products featured in. Search for “holiday gift guides” and collect as much specific contact information as you can find for the publications you’d like to target. Be sure to also find the right contact to send your pitch. Gather that contact’s email address, phone number, and social media handles.

Reach beyond your typical customer base. Sure, pitch the editors of the magazines or websites that regularly review and recommend products like yours, at your price point. But remember that at holiday time, lots of people who wouldn’t ordinarily be your customers are looking for gift ideas—and they may splurge. For instance, Woman’s Day readers may not be interested in your guy-oriented tech gadget nine months out of the year. But if you position it as a “gift for Dad” or “what to get for the husband who has everything,” you may be a perfect fit.

Tailor your pitch. Target each pitch you send out to the readership of the specific publication you’re pitching. Make sure to include: a one- to two-sentence product description with colors and sizes, if applicable; the price at holiday time; and how-to-buy information (most likely your website address).

Include images. Holiday gift guides almost always include lavish photos. “Make sure you have high-resolution artwork ready.  If you’re scrambling to get pictures from your photographer, an editor doesn’t want to wait for that. They’ll pass and go with someone else. Distribute artwork via a downloadable link, not an attachment.

Be ready to send samples. Before you begin pitching to outlets, be sure that you have product in stock set aside for editors and bloggers that can be sent out as soon as they take interest and submit a request for samples.

Get creative. Think about how these gift guides are organized. Often they are grouped into lists such as “ items under $25” or “gifts that give back.” Suggest ways that your products can fit into those categories and you will greatly increase your chances of being included in the round up.

Were these tips helpful? If you are interested in having your brand included in gift guides but are overwhelmed by the process or just lack the time, contact us at [email protected] to inquire about our short-term yet highly effective project-based PR campaigns.

 

Beautifully Yours,

Shari

Beautiful Brands
August 2, 2017

The Value of Publicity

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Usually when I consult with potential clients, they are skeptical of PR and/or have a very limited understanding of the PR process and its incredible value.  I often hear variations of the following three questions:

1. What’s in it for me?

2. How will my business benefit from gaining publicity?

3. Is publicity really worth the monetary investment?

First, the main purpose of publicity is to increase brand awareness. In even simpler words, its purpose is to create infinitely more exposure and “buzz” about your brand, preferably to your target consumer and the media (magazines, blogs, radio and televisions shows, etc.) they consume.

Now I will share with you 5 benefits of publicity and its value:

1. Social proof (credibility) – When potential consumers see that reputable magazines, blogs, etc. have featured your product or service, they are more likely to trust your brand and make the decision to invest in what you have to offer.

2. Building your email list – Potential customers may not be quite ready to buy from you when they are first introduced to your product via a media mention, but all is not lost. Many times, they still desire to keep in touch until the point where they are willing and/or able to purchase. This is where your email list comes into play. Be sure to employ a newsletter signup option on your website to capture the email addresses of future customers. This way, you will continue to provide them with great information about the goings on of your brand until they are ready to purchase.

3. Traffic to your website – When your brand is featured in the media, a potential customer’s initial action is to visit your website. Some will be ready to purchase immediately, while others will need to be courted for a while before they commit to purchasing. This is where your newsletter sign up option comes into play.

4. Social media likes – Don’t underestimate the value of social media likes and mentions! Social media is a type of microblogging. A simple “unboxing” photo or 15-second Instagram tutorial can send loyal followers, brand ambassadors, and customers your way.

5. Increased sales – Once you become a brand that consumers first know then trust, the decision to purchase again and again becomes almost inevitable. Exposure + credibility = increased revenue.

Now what?

If you are interested in increasing your brand awareness but don’t know where to start, the next step is to hire a publicist with the right connections to top tier beauty editors, influential bloggers, radio show hosts, and more. If you’re ready to take your beauty care line to next level of exposure and sales, contact us at [email protected] to set up a consultation.

Beautifully Yours,

Shari

Beautiful Brands
August 1, 2017

Welcome!

polishedpublicity / Blog /

It is with great pleasure that I introduce or re-introduce Polished Publicity to you! Polished Publicity was birthed from my obsession with beauty and lifestyle products coupled with my skills as a trained communicator. Throughout the years I’ve developed a passion for helping brands with products I love get noticed by the media and by their target consumers. Time and time again I’ve encountered brands possessing the recipe for media success: quality products, great packaging, and a nice, clean website, scratch their heads at why they weren’t receiving the media attention their peers were. This is where Polished Publicity steps in. We leverage our numerous relationships to strategically and creatively present brands to the media with a polished flair that is sure to get them noticed.

We take brands from struggling to gain publicity and increase sales to lying alongside household names in top tier magazines and multiplying their bottom line. My ultimate joy is to see brands succeed at what they love to do and get the recognition they desire and deserve! Thank you for stopping by our new website and supporting us. If you are a beauty or lifestyle brand owner who is ready to take your company to the next level of exposure, send an email to [email protected] for a consultation.

Beautifully Yours,

Shari

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Recent Posts

  • pexels-george-milton-6953672 (1)From Founder to Thought Leader: How to Position Yourself for Panels, Podcasts, and Press
    March 25, 2025
  • 2025 Beauty Trends: What’s In and How Your Brand Can Shine
    January 22, 2025
  • skincare routineAre You Using the Right Skin Care Products for Your Skin Type?
    December 18, 2017

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