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The Savvy ScribeAuthor: Janine Kelbach
The Savvy Scribe, a podcast for savvy nurse writers and creatives who want to grow a profitable freelance writing business. Hear some stories about life and entrepreneurship from your host, Janine Kelbach RNC-OB, and her guests. Each episode is jam-packed with actionable tips in growing your business, goal planning, freelancing, productivity, life tools, and many more! Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Health & Fitness, Medicine Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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EP356: Fearless Pitching: Writing Cold Emails That Actually Get Responses with Zach Schleien
Episode 356
Saturday, 29 August, 2026
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we’re switching gears a little. Instead of pitching yourself as a freelancer to land clients, we’re talking about PR pitching, how to get your ideas, your expertise, and your story in front of journalists and media outlets.As a nurse writer, you’re not just selling writing. You’re building a personal brand and positioning yourself as an expert. Getting quoted in an article or featured in the media strengthens your portfolio and gives you something powerful to share on LinkedIn and across your website. It puts you in front of potential clients too.Pitching a journalist and pitching a potential client actually have a lot in common. You need to know exactly who you’re talking to, give them a reason to care, make your value clear, and get past the fear of hitting send.My guest today is Zach Schleien, a fractional CMO, entrepreneur, and founder of Press Pitch AI. We talk about how to pitch yourself and your expertise, get noticed, and use PR as another tool for building authority as a freelance nurse writer. Zach also walks us through Press Pitch AI, a tool that automates the research and outreach process and helps keep your email domain safe, which matters a lot if you’re doing any amount of cold pitching. The last thing you want is to get flagged or banned after a big pitching push.About Zach SchleienZach Schleien is a Fractional CMO and the former CEO of Filteroff, the video speed dating app that raised over $2.4M and was acquired by Spark Networks.He led Filteroff from idea to exit, scaling a global community that hosted more than two million video speed dates and hit #1 on Product Hunt. His work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, and ABC News.Zach’s path into tech and marketing began with Top Romp, a dating publication he built and sold before launching Hinge’s official subreddit, helping grow its early online community. Today, he helps founders turn scattered marketing into predictable growth as a Fractional CMO.When he’s not building brands, Zach’s usually traveling the world, exploring new coffee shops, diving into saunas and cold plunges, or dancing salsa and playing pickleball.Writing Cold Emails That Actually Get ResponsesIn this episode, you’ll learn:Why your pitch should focus on the journalist’s audience, not on youHow to use current events and trending topics to make your pitch stand outWhy niching down (subject matter expert angle) beats a generic pitch every timeSmart follow up strategy, and why one short follow up often works better than twoHow to protect your email domain while sending cold pitches at scaleWhat it actually costs (in time and money) to land press the old fashioned way vs. using a tool built for itLinks & Resources:Press Pitch AIFollow Zach Schleien on LinkedIn for more marketing and business growth tipsIf you’ve ever had a client ask you if you know anyone at a media outlet, this episode is for you. Building even a small list of media connections is incredibly valuable, both for your own visibility and for the clients you serve.Welcome to the Savvy Scribe Podcast, I'm so glad you're here! Before we start the show, if you're interested, we have a free Facebook group called "Savvy Nurse Writer Community"I appreciate you following me and listening today. I would LOVE for you to subscribe: ITUNESAnd if you love it, can I ask for a
