In short
The Vault Unlocked: Episode Summary
Episode Title
From Unknown to Unstoppable Host: Kayvon Kay Guest: Jill Lublin, Publicity Strategist and Author of *Guerrilla Publicity*
Episode Overview In this episode, Jill Lublin shares actionable strategies for entrepreneurs to build credibility and attract clients through effective publicity without relying on large advertising budgets. Drawing from her extensive PR experience, Jill emphasizes the importance of perception and storytelling in gaining visibility and trust in the marketplace.
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Key Concepts and Discussions
- The Importance of Publicity
- Definition of Publicity:
Publicity is described as the act of getting known, being seen, and building trust. It differs fundamentally from marketing and sales as it is typically earned rather than paid for.
- Publicity as a Strategy:
Jill explains that publicity serves as a powerful tool for building long-term trust in the marketplace and can result in prospective clients, speaking engagements, and increased visibility.
- Authentic Storytelling
- Using Personal Stories:
Entrepreneurs are encouraged to leverage their unique stories that resonate with their target audience, highlighting relatable elements such as ethnicity, personal challenges, or significant events.
- Consistency vs. Flexibility in Messaging:
Jill teaches that while a strong and consistent message is crucial, adapting narratives to fit different opportunities (e.g., aligning a story with relevant national awareness days) can widen the reach and attract more prospects.
- The Role of Perception
- Perception is Key:
Jill emphasizes that perception shapes how audiences view a brand. Authenticity is important, and business owners must remain true to themselves and their missions.
- Avoiding the Trap of Inauthenticity:
She warns against the dangers of creating a false persona, which may lead to short-term gains but ultimately erodes trust and credibility.
- Practical Publicity Tactics
- National Awareness Days:
Entrepreneurs should utilize resources like nationaldaycalendar.com to identify relevant national days that can be tied to their narratives for publicity opportunities.
- Local Media Engagement:
Engaging with local press can lead to national recognition, as local stories often attract broader interest. Jill advocates for reaching out to local newspapers and media outlets to build a foundational presence.
- Free vs. Paid Publicity
- Earned Media vs. Paid Media:
Jill distinguishes between earned media (which is sought after and free) and paid publicity (which often lacks credibility). She encourages entrepreneurs to focus on getting featured in traditional media outlets rather than relying solely on paid placements.
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Actionable Takeaways
- Develop a Compelling Message:
Craft a strong, authentic message that resonates with your target audience and is consistent across platforms.
- Utilize National Days:
Identify and plan campaigns around relevant national awareness days to gain media attention and connect with broader themes.
- Engage Locally:
Start with local newspapers and media outlets to earn your visibility and build a credible profile that may lead to national coverage.
- Plan Ahead:
Publicity efforts should be planned well in advance (3-6 months) to maximize chances of success.
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Conclusion In this enlightening episode, Jill Lublin provides invaluable insights into the world of publicity, emphasizing authenticity, storytelling, and strategic planning. Entrepreneurs seeking to enhance their visibility and build trust can take actionable steps to leverage publicity effectively.
For more insights, listeners are encouraged to check out Jill's resources and offers at [Jill Lublin's Website](https://jilllublin.com).
Final Thoughts The episode encapsulates the idea that in today's digital landscape, publicity is a vital tool for brand growth and credibility. Authentic messaging, strategic engagements, and leveraging opportunities can set entrepreneurs on a path to becoming unstoppable.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:09You're listening to The Vault Unlocked, where the real secrets of success are revealed. Every episode, one founder, one confession, one strategy that created income scale and unstoppable growth. The code is cracked. The vault is open. Today we have Mrs. Publicity herself, Jill Lublin. How are we doing today? I'm doing great, Kayvon. Great to be here with you. Yeah, I'm really excited to have you here. I love all things publicity. I think we're living in a world where everything is about your brand and getting attention and publicity is all about that. So please tell us a little bit about, you know, a little bit of who Jill is.
0:47How did Jill get to this spot? You know, what do we need to know about publicity? Why is it important? All of it. Well, thank you. So I got to this point. I actually wrote a wonderful book, Guerrilla Publicity, and that kind of really catapulted everything. I used to own a PR agency, so I'm really big on how to get things done. I took all that PR agency experience where people paid me a lot more than what I charge now. Why? Because my heart's with the entrepreneur. And I wanted to create ways to get publicity done without spending a fortune. I do that now in what I call my media mastery intensives and my small group programs, just really letting people get publicity done, like no kidding, no nonsense.
1:32So that's been a lot of fun. I actually started my career in the music business. And if you want to talk, yeah, how to get out there. Wow. The music business is all about perception. So that's really where I learned my chops, so to speak, in the music business. And now I use this with entrepreneurs and small business owners to really get your word out there and do it in smart, simple ways. Well, you just said something to me, which I love that. You said is perception. that's a big word and i know what that means but i want to dig deep i want to go in that a little bit but before we do uh i jen i want to make sure people understand the difference because there's a massive difference between publicity and marketing and and or sales and uh and whatever there else might be i want to i want them to really understand like when we say publicity What is publicity to you?
2:30What does that mean to you? Yeah, well, first of all, publicity happens from the minute you walk out your door. What am I saying? I mean, in the Zoom room. I mean, for a cup of coffee. I mean, at the airport. You're always doing publicity. You are representing yourself, your business, all that, you know, is important to you in making a living. So let's do it right. Let's do it smart. That's really what I want you to do with your publicity and get it done well. So, you know, is publicity going to get you sales? Yes, it will. Will it get you prospects and clients? Yes, it will. Will it grow trust in the marketplace so that people say, I've heard of you somewhere?
3:11Oh, yes, it does. You know, so it's really about getting known, being seen, being heard and getting paid and using publicity as a strategy to do that, which is free. in this like really earned media. So that trust factor is really huge. Meaning people see an interview of you like we're doing here today, we're laying down foundation, giving people value and benefit. That goes a long way to creating trust in the marketplace. So let's give some benefit for someone. If someone was sitting there and they don't even, they're going, what? Like publicity. I've always wanted publicity, but how do I get onto the Forbes?
3:50How do I get on the stages? How do I get seen? How do I get on the top 10 lists and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, all that stuff? I don't have a budget. What can someone do when it comes to publicity, specifically publicity for their brand that gets them seen, like you said, that gets them known, that gets them to build the trust? What are some of the things that you teach people doing in that regard? So one of the things I'm big on is getting or creating a message, a strong message that people care about that's consistent and persistent in the marketplace. Like, who are you and what problem do you solve in the marketplace?
4:27That's a biggie. So I love helping people with that. It's actually a talent of mine to find the right message that matters. Because the truth is, it's not always just about your business. It could be a story. It could be something you've been through. It could be something that's part of your life. Like, for instance, I have a business communication coach and we're doing great stories about how to communicate more effectively in business. Yes, and she's a black woman. When Black History Month happens, we completely switch her story to how to be a powerful black woman in today's times and communicate well.
5:07That's the story that got her into Essence Magazine, into Black Enterprise. I call this use everything you've got. This is where you use your ethnicity, your religion, your story. Like my business consultant, she is a business consultant. She has a son who's autistic. We utilize National Autism Month to talk about being a mom, raising an autistic son. How do you do that? That's another conversation, but here's what's interesting. It always drives people to your website, to what you want them to do and make such a big difference. So I heard something in there that I was wondering because you said the message is all about consistency and persistency, which I love that.
5:54But then in there, you're saying that you change up the narrative and or the story depending on the opportunities you have, which I love. utilize all take what is your fortress and turn it in your fuel i love it okay but in in this case changing you know from business coach to business coach specifically for i'm just you know for the black community let's say isn't that changing up the consistency part of your messaging what it is this is it's uh widening your net so you can actually catch more people in it prospects people who relate to you people who think whoa you're interesting i want to know more That's really what we want to get to.
6:36The I want to know more part, the trust factor, the oh, yeah, you're somebody interesting. Yes, I want to do business with you because that's going to lead to conversations, connections, and frankly, clients. And that's what publicity does. It gets you clients. It gets you prospects. And in today's marketplace, it gets you trust. And that's important. Well, this goes to the perception. so i believe that perceptions you know perception is everything and what you can perceive yourself to be is completely different than who you might be who you might be and who you really are now do you find that you have better success with let's say business owners whoever it might be people who are looking to be looking to build their brands their businesses that are in more in congruency with who they are versus in kind of disalignment with the perception they're uh they're perceiving ask me that question a slightly different way so i'm just wondering because percent we know perception is everything right and how many people do we know i'm just thinking about all the fake influencers out there that are making themselves look like they're like they're king you know king tut have all this money have all this freedom but they have nothing it's all fake.
7:56Like, I mean, there's, I know that there's people that are renting. Now they're buying like storage units, turning them into making them look like they're in a, what do you call private jet charging business owners, 10 grand a session to come in and get videos to make them look like they're on a private jet. They, you can get like a la carte. You want the girls with the, okay, we'll get the girls. You want, like, you can fill out the menu of what you want to buy. so you can give the perception that you're someone you're not, which I'm where I'm going in my life. And the things that I kind of value is like, I don't see how that works long time.
8:36Like, I don't know. That's not authentic. And that's not resonant. The things I'm always teaching and absolutely my clients and I insist on is be authentic to your message, who you are, what you, you know, who you are. you know that's that's scamming and my clients don't scam you know but I think it's important to think about who are you and what do you offer and stay aligned with that listen I have introverts who are a little afraid you know oh my gosh I don't know what to say and you know what I give them a script and now they're prepared because the truth is your message needs to be prepared I think it is important that you have a message that's powerful, connected, that it's who you are really in your soul spirit.
9:25And, you know, be that. Be that. Yeah, be authentic. As far as getting to, alluding to it, is that. So it's interesting because as you're talking and you're saying, I help people with their messaging, let's just say that, and helping them find maybe that message, the one-liner. What is it you do? X, right? I look at that and I want to hear your thoughts because I would love to learn more. I look at that more as branding. There's branding, there's your marketing, there's your sales, there's your publicity. It seems like you help people a lot with their brand as well as their publicity. Because when we think publicity, I think publications, I think Forbes, I think a book, I think getting on radio shows and podcasts and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
10:13yeah and that is publicity getting in forbes being on podcasts exactly what we're doing now giving good information to people that's publicity knowing what to say is publicity it's a message it's not exactly a brand but let me just say there's a big tree called marketing and in the tree called marketing there's a there's a branch a very important branch called publicity, which is free, which generates and excites people, which connects people. And by the way, this whole wild thing with AI, guess how AI is finding people? Through their publicity. I'm reading article after article about this. It's fascinating to me.
10:55Tell me a little bit more about this because I want to understand that AI is finding people through their publicity, meaning they're through their... Yes. No? Through... Through getting name recognition. So if you're featured in Forbes, guess who's going to pick you up? Yeah. AI. Guess who's going to pick you up? Your clients. Guess where you're going to walk into a client meeting, whether it's again on Zoom or live, saying, hey, I was featured in Forbes. Let me just tell you, you're going to the front of the line. You just are because people trust publicity because you're not paying for publicity.
11:28You earn it. That makes a big difference. Okay. So here's the, okay, because there is pay. This is why I'm interested in here because there is paid and then there's earned publicity. And I'm convinced that most of this publicity that we're seeing from people is all paid. It isn't actually. When you're watching TV, radio, listening on what's called terrestrial radio and most podcasts, most people are not paying to be on. I'm not paying to be on today. You're not paying to be on today, but some of the top podcasts, they charge their guests to get on those shows. well unfortunately that's true now they are um and there's still a lot of free stuff so i focus on the free stuff listen my book guerrilla publicity we're all about get yeah i love it what are let's give let's give the audience a little bit if it's okay a little bit more uh knowledge on like what are what are so let me ask you this what are free modalities for publicity that people can use i would say obviously less outside of your typical your social media platform.
12:38So if we're not talking about my own social media platform, what are some free publicity modalities a business owner can start utilizing right now to create that perception? Yeah. Let me just say, social media is not publicity. Please. You are not doing your publicity if you think you're doing social media. You just aren't. So let's just cancel that. I love that. And let's start. I love it. Let's go. Here we are. We're getting to the good stuff now. Yeah. And let's start with the fact that your publicity, like I want you to look at nationaldaycalendar.com, great resource free, and take a look at what holidays would be perfect for who you are and what you got going on.
13:22Right. And how can you fit in? Like, here's a great example. I've got a book, The Prophet of Kindness. Well, World Kindness Day is November 13th. Excellent. We can focus efforts on that. But I'm going to tell you, I also go out for Random Acts of Kindness Month, it turns out. Well, it's actually week. Random Acts of Kindness Week in February. And you know what I say? I get contrary. I say, to heck with Random Acts of Kindness, let's practice a conscious act of kindness every single day. That's a contrary message. It fits in both places, by the way. And so that's a little bit of use everything I've got.
14:01That's a demonstration of that. and that all came from nationaldaycalendar.com. So I definitely want you all to start there. It is a great opportunity to connect quickly to a wonderful place that fits. Okay, so just saying, that's a great thing. So again, I always say if I don't understand it, other people can't understand it because I was always the one that was in the bottom half of the class and made the top half perfect. So I get what I'm hearing. what I'm hearing is go to the website and then you can see all the days, all the national days, all the type of whatever you want to call them. Holidays.
14:42Holidays, thank you, that are in the calendar year. And then you find the ones that are in alignment. So we're talking about being in alignment, right? We're finding the ones that are in alignment with you. So now let's say, for me, ADD, Mr. ADHD, right? I find the ADD, ADHD day, right? And I'm going to attach myself to that day. hey, what am I doing now? Or what am I using? Or how am I taking that day and being able to promote myself and use publicity without - So one of the things I want you to do is do it in advance and don't wait till the day to get started. Like very much in advance. So make sure we know that.
15:20I'm talking probably six to eight months in advance, but yes. Yeah, yeah, honestly. And sometimes less, by the way, because sometimes people just need somebody right on the spot. so um but please don't wait to you know i had one client she goes oh tomorrow's whatever whatever day and i'm like no no no let's go for next year yeah um occasionally you might get very lucky but hardly yeah so yeah you want to plan in advance and and i say three six nine months it tends to be the time frame to to look at um typically you can put together a press release or like a what I call an easy pitch could just be an easy pitch like, Hey, I'm the ADHD guy.
16:00And, and on May 1st, it's, it's that celebration. I'd love to come on and share not only my journey, but three great things that people with ADHD couldn't do to feel better and to, you know, not feel as scared of it. You know, I totally get what you're saying. Yeah. So then you, so, okay. Okay, so then the step is you find the day, you find the organization, and you reach out to the organization to see how you can actually be part of that day in that community. Right, that's definitely one way. I also, I'm a big believer in local. You know, so wherever you are in the world, go local. Go local.
16:43I got a woman in the UK, got into London, you know, BBC, which of course is huge, by going local. So I'm really big on go local. That means your local newspapers, your local business journals, your local ABC, NBC, CBS, and so on and so forth affiliates. Why? Because funny enough, when you're in local, you get picked up national and international because they're looking. They got producers scanning all kinds of resources, and they are looking for you, experts who are featured in different places. I could tell the wealth of knowledge, obviously, from your experience. I love it. So how do you work with your clients today?
17:25Like if someone is like, man, I got, I want some publicity. I got a messaging problem. How do they work with Jill? Well, they definitely can come in. I, what I'd love to tell you about, I have a great way that you can get connected really quick. And, and that is my free gift to you, which is an action guide. I've got more great tips. You like these, you're going to love them even more. And then that also includes a wonderful interactive, no kidding, class with me, live with me where you get to ask great questions. And we're going to go deep on actually some of these other topics. So check that out.
18:03It's Jill Lublin.com slash guide, G-U-I-D. And that's an opportunity to come in and really get to the next step. I love that. I love that. So we're at that point in the show where my favorite part is the pitch me. This is where you get to pitch me and my audience the elevator pitch of what you do and seeing how we can make it better, perfect it and make it something that's powerful. So Jill, in the context of our show, of podcasts, of our listeners, I know they love this part. It is your chance to pitch me. Wonderful. Well, I'd love to tell you about the opportunity for you to get more visibility quickly.
18:43I actually have a media panel. Imagine this, you in front of a media panel, just like we're doing right now. Oh, my gosh. Telling the media who you are, what you're up to, and why they should care. And they're going to be there, right there at the Media Mastery Intensive to listen to your pitch, to also tell you what works in the media, what's hot, what's not, and support you with getting better and, frankly, giving a better pitch in a very safe environment where you can be seen and heard and corrected as need be, right? And I think that makes such a big difference. And so that's all done in the media mastery intensive.
19:20It's simple, it's fast, it's effective, and it's interactive and live with me the whole time. So lots of breakouts and lots of chance to actually practice. What do you think? Well, I think it was a lot. And I think we can definitely shorten it for the elevator pitch. because again, for me, an elevator pitch isn't trying to sell the product. It's just trying, in publicity, trying to get their attention, the quickest way of attention. So what I heard in that, because I've done this enough, is one of the greatest gifts you actually have in your product is this media panel, aka, I'm assuming they're, I'm not going to call them producers, but they're people who can get you onto media.
20:06Yeah. Is that correct? Right. Yes, it is. Well, people with actual shows yes so like you come here and if you're good like you have an opportunity to actually get on shows and when you get on one you get on 10 it's about getting on the right one so you get access to that that's massive do you understand that that that that is what i call is access and you don't get access to these people unless you know these people and you know these people because you have 20 30 40 years in this space these are your personal contacts these are the people you pick up on the phone. So if you're getting into your environment, that means you believe in that person.
20:45And that means that person has a chance to actually change their perception and their actual business and their life. Because one yes from one of these media panelists, this could change everything for them. But here's the thing. That's not what we're saying. Do you know how four out of five businesses struggle to get on major public platforms such as NBC, Fox News, blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, what I do is I actually curated a panel that allows people like you to pitch to them and get you in quicker, faster, more effective. Done. Because what happens now? What's my next question? How? That's all you're looking for.
21:25So I would work on, that was quick off me, but I would work on getting couple, what I call these wow statements. These are wow statements you in publicity i'm sure you know wow statement right like what four and five try and they can't cut through i don't want to be that four or five now you know what i mean or did you or it's either it's like did you know or as a result of right so did you know four out of five four or five business professionals who try to cut through the media fail and it all comes down to one thing comes down to access they don't have access to the people they don't have access to the resources, and they don't even have access to the knowledge of how to get to the people.
22:05Well, what I do is I give them access.
22:12Done. Done. How do I sign up? Bing, bing, bing, bing. I love it. Okay. Well, Jill, that was fun. I almost feel like we can go on forever here, but I love it. I think we live, I said in the beginning, I think we live in a world today where your brand, your publicity is everything. It's going to be more important than ever. And if you're struggling with it or if you're having hard times with it, it seems like there is access right here, right in front of you. Someone who's willing to open their doors, give you free materials. We'll have that in the show notes for you. And we'll go from there. So Jill, again, to the world of publicity, to the world of getting seen, to getting heard and building trust, I just want to say thank you so much for being on the show.
22:53And that was another episode of The Vault Unlocked, where proven builders real strategies and unstoppable growth happens subscribe now the next unlock could be your success the code is cracked the vault is open
From the publisher
In this episode of The Vault Unlocked, Kayvon Kay is joined by Jill Lublin, internationally known publicity strategist and bestselling author of Guerrilla Publicity. Together they explore how entrepreneurs can build credibility, attract clients, and get seen, without spending massive budgets on ads or pay-to-play media.
Jill draws from decades of PR experience to explain why perception is everything and how business owners can use authentic stories to connect with audiences. From leveraging national awareness days to mastering local media, she shows how simple, strategic publicity creates trust and consistent visibility.
You'll learn:
- Why publicity builds more long-term trust than marketing alone
- How to repurpose your story to fit different audiences and opportunities
- The truth about free vs. paid publicity (and how to land real earned media)
- Why local press often leads to national coverage
- How a strong message attracts prospects, clients, and speaking invitations
For founders who feel stuck chasing social media algorithms or struggling to stand out, this episode breaks down a practical roadmap to get noticed. Jill reveals her system for creating a message that resonates, turning publicity into a lead-generating tool, and opening doors to opportunities most entrepreneurs think are out of reach.




