http://www.savorthesuccess.com/member/melissa-cassera/blog 2010-03-03T12:36:00Z Melissa Cassera en http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/how-to-pitch-lucky-magazine Many of you refer to Lucky Magazine as one of the ‘Top 10 Outlets I want to be Featured in.' After dispelling plenty of advice to entrepreneurs on how to pitch top magazines, I thought it was time to take action and go right to the source. I had the pleasure of interviewing Elise Loehnen, Editor-at-Large at Lucky Magazine on the best way to pitch the magazine. Check out the amazing insight she provides for all of you fabulous ladies!Melissa:  When is the best time to pitch you?Elis... 1729 2010-03-03T12:36:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/how-to-pitch-the-experts-part-3-jene-luciani This week we have some amazing insight on how to pitch Lingerie and Style Expert Jené  Luciani! http://www.jeneluciani.com Jené Luciani is a trusted source in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries and a strong presence in television, print, and web media with hundreds of bylines and production credits to her name. As a recognized expert and authority in the field for more than a decade, she can be seen regularly on television news outlets nationwide inc... 1712 2010-02-25T12:46:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/how-to-pitch-the-experts-part-2-jennifer-jolly Jennifer Jolly (http://goodideagal.com) is on a mission to give busy people in a busy world, simple, solid, good ideas they can use right now to make their world a better place to be. She and her tight-knit team cut through the daily clutter of choices to help people save money, save time, better use technology, get happier and stay healthier. Jennifer was kind enough to share some insight into what kind of TV segments she does (and she does A LOT) and how she likes to be pitched! This infor... 1703 2010-02-22T18:18:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/the-1-way-to-get-your-products-on-tv One of the biggest gripes I hear from entrepreneurs is the difficulty they have getting their products on morning (or evening) television news shows. If you can't secure a whole TV segment on just you and your product - how can you get your product on TV? One word. EXPERTS! Media "Experts" are those sunny personalities that appear on many news programs presenting a slew of products under a specific topic (example: Five Items to Organize your Life). These people have worked hard to build a n... 1695 2010-02-18T20:58:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/how-i-blew-an-audition-for-qvc-and-how-you-can-learn-from-my-screw-up Sigh. As many of you know, I'm darn near obsessed with being a QVC guest host. If you didn't know, here is an excerpt from an earlier blog: I grew up in what I refer to as the 'QVC Household.' This means my mom was obsessed with QVC. She set the VCR to tape the silver show or southwestern style. I hurried home from school each day to hide the little brown packages under my bed so my dad wouldn't see (3-4 every day...I kid you not). We also owned the QVC host Christmas CD and played it every... 1653 2010-01-28T16:06:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/grow-your-business-by-training-like-an-olympian The 2010 Winter Olympics are right around the corner, and I decided to take a little time to research how these spectacular athletes can devote their life to win those coveted medals. What I found is that most of their training and principles parallel those of an entrepreneur. Check out the specifics below to see if you're falling short of the gold this year. Planning and ProductivityPlanning those four-year intervals is a huge part of Olympic training - much like we develop our long-term an... 1601 2010-01-05T21:32:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/it-takes-a-village-to-make-a-melissa Alternate headline: It Takes a Village to Make <insert name here> After several months and plenty of contemplation, it's finally here. The proof that hard work, dedication and an entire team of people can create something fabulous. That something fabulous is my new website: http://www.melissaslifelessons.com Now, don't mistake this blog post for shameless self promotion (although, yes, there is a little bit of that here as well). The point of my posts, as with all the others, is to te... 1578 2009-12-21T18:03:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/how-treating-life-like-an-encyclopedia-will-increase-success You might be thinking - 'Life like an encyclopedia?! Has she lost her mind?!' That's right folks - treat life like that dusty old set of Britannica's you had years ago and you'll ultimately increase your success. So, how does this work? To explain this concept, let me back up a bit and share a story... I recently enrolled in a great spokesperson/hosting workshop to help fine tune my craft and to get critical feedback on my performance as a TV spokesperson. Our exercise for the past two... 1560 2009-12-11T13:30:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/what-are-your-new-year-s-resolutions Tis the season to vow to make 2010 a better year. Whether you're wanting to whittle your waistline or get a grip on your finances, we all make at least one resolution. I often struggle with resolutions because I have trouble keeping them and then, at years end, I feel incredibly defeated if I didn't accomplish what I wanted to. But a good bit of reflection this morning helped me come to this conclusion. My resolutions sucked. Yes folks, you heard it right. The whole reason I couldn... 1547 2009-12-04T13:25:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/how-to-wake-up-on-the-right-side-of-the-bed We've all heard the old adage about waking up on the wrong side of the bed. You feel grumpy, stressed, miserable, distraught - and the excuse that it's all because you 'woke up on the wrong side of the bed.' Believe me, I've used this excuse hundreds of times. Unfortunately (for me), if you have dogs and simultaneously a dog trainer as your husband, waking up on the wrong side of the bed just isn't an option. You see, when you own a dog and marry someone that's trained to study human an... 1526 2009-11-24T13:05:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/tell-your-life-story-in-60-seconds In the hopes of one day landing my coveted spot on QVC (ahem....are you reading producers??) - last night was the first night of my on-camera spokesperson and hosting class taught by none other than someone who helps cast for QVC :)  Our first exercise was to stand in front of the camera and tell our life story in 60-seconds. There was no timer and no one saying 'cut.' Your job was to get the story out in 60-seconds. So, I comfortably offered to go first, rambled on for a bit about drea... 1513 2009-11-20T15:50:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/how-detours-lead-to-happiness There's nothing like driving in NYC - no matter what day or time of day I'm visiting it seems like 12 yellow cabs try to share one lane with me and usually the path that I choose to take to the Lincoln Tunnel to head home to New Jersey is detoured - yet the signs don't tell you where the detour is nor does my navigation system, which annoyingly shouts ‘rerouting - rerouting - rerouting' over and over again. Finally I find my own way through the tunnel and breathe a sigh of relief as I m... 1490 2009-11-03T00:36:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/5-ways-to-write-a-better-blog As some of you know, I've recently headed down the path of lifestyle blogger with my new venture www.melissaslifelessons.com I started the blog with the purpose of finding my voice and, at first, didn't do a whole lot of promotion to make it public. But surprisingly it's served as the catalyst in helping me book 15 television spots in two months, and one of those spots was solely highlighting my blog! Before I launch into my tips for better blogging, I have to preface this by saying a lot of... 1450 2009-10-28T17:49:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/6-things-you-must-know-before-being-on-tv So you've finally booked your first TV appearance - chances are if you've listened to me or to one of the wonderful media trainers here on Savor (like Jennifer Flaa) you are no doubt practicing in the mirror, thinking of all the things the host might say and maybe feeling a little nervous. Truth is, preparation is key, but there are always things that happen right before a segment or during a segment that you can't control, but need to act like it's no big deal. Here's my list of the 6... 1431 2009-10-15T00:30:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/why-you-should-act-like-a-kid-when-running-your-business As we grow older, we grow wiser. But being wise also can mean growing a cynical mentality. You know, statements like:"I'm not trying that, I'll get hurt.""I'm not going to that event, no one will talk to me.""I'm not exploring that opportunity, it will never work out."These statements are reflective of past events. Maybe one time you tried a yoga class and hurt your back. Now you assume every yoga class will result in an injury. Maybe you attended a networking event to find everyone broken of... 1387 2009-09-28T19:21:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/5-ways-to-form-a-better-relationship-with-your-publicist-or-client *or marketing firm, graphic designer, copywriter or other creative service professional Over the years I've had several people contact me with complaints about their current *publicist. After a bit of prying, I often find that the problem isn't with the *publicist's work ethic, but rather a flaw in the *publicist-client relationship. As someone that hires creative service professionals, and a publicist that is hired by clients - I've been fortunate enough to examine these relationships from ... 1353 2009-09-16T15:06:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/there-is-no-shortcut-to-success One thing I've learned from living with a tennis pro is that they get really aggravated when you don't work hard. I've listened over the years to my husband become irate over kids whose parents pay thousands of dollars for lessons - then they come, swing their racquet half-heartedly and refuse to run for the ball. Yet these same kids dream of playing first singles and eventually winning grand slam tournaments like the US Open. Maybe it's my husband's influence, but I also become ag... 1340 2009-09-09T01:14:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/when-to-stop-working-and-give-it-a-rest This week marked my one year anniversary. One year of getting disgustingly sick, that is. I may get the occasional stuffy nose or headache, but for the most part I remain a pretty healthy gal. But every year, I come down with something. And that something turns into a week of tossing my cookies, fighting a high fever, a terrible sore throat, a throbbing headache and just about every other ingredient you can imagine that turns into a truly awful existence. The worst part of my yearly illness... 1308 2009-08-27T00:26:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/4-reasons-why-you-should-daydream-more-often I'll admit it...I'm addicted to daydreaming. I can't count the number of times my husband caught me in a daze and asked me 'what were you just thinking about?' As I'm snapped back into reality, I answer "nothing." In reality, I'm thinking about a lot of things. Walking onstage to a screaming audience as I host my own TV show. Getting a call from QVC to tell me I need to be their new host. Getting a call from Kellogg's to tell me they need to have me as their new spokesperson. Sipping cocktai... 1250 2009-08-09T15:27:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/feeling-the-energy One reason I love my bootcamp class is the positive energy that radiates from our group. This is also the same reason that it's so difficult to explain to other people why they should join the class. To anyone that isn't physically there - it just sounds like some crazy class where we all get sweaty and extremely dirty and push our physical limits at a disgustingly early hour. But if they just gave it a try, I know they would walk away every morning feeling truly amazing ... 1225 2009-08-03T13:15:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/create-your-happy-kit When we have a cut, bruise or scrape we reach right for the first aid kit to get our obligatory band aid and ointment. But what do we reach for when we have a bruised ego? When something cuts right into our heart? When we feel like we've been scraped across the coals? Wouldn't it be great if we could all have our own First Aid Kit for Happiness? I decided to take matters into my own hands this weekend and start creating my own personal Happy Kit. Now on those days when I desperately need so... 1203 2009-07-27T13:22:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/how-i-got-on-fox-news-and-check-out-the-video One thing I always encourage entrepreneurs is to get booked on local TV. Not only will local TV give you exposure to your hometown, it's key in building your reel (clips of your media segments packaged in a nice 3 minute video). Reels are essential for pitching national TV shows like Good Morning America and the Today Show, and if you're lucky enough to reach a producer there that likes your pitch, the first thing out of their mouth will be - 'send me your tape.' I've recently been... 1133 2009-07-15T16:07:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/why-quitters-often-win Did you ever start something and then feel so hell bent to persevere because quitters never win? I did. When I took my first corporate job out of college I was determined to work my way to the top. In only 6 months I was promoted (which was practically unheard of there) and I was top of my division and the right-hand gal to my boss. Most likely I would have been next in line for her job. The problem? It wasn't what I wanted to do. But the popular belief in the office was that you'd be crazy ... 1109 2009-07-09T17:04:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/why-failing-is-the-best-thing-for-you "I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game's winning shot...and missed. I have failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan In the latest issue of Success Magazine, publisher Darren Hardy tells a story of his father teaching him that not only is it "ok to fail, it is proof you are improving." Is it possible that the more we fail, the more we succe... 1082 2009-07-02T13:38:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/trying-something-you-always-thought-you-hated Today I'm going to tell a story. A story of something I always wondered why people would spend their hard earned money on. Something I would always read about and think was, for lack of a better word, bullshit. Something I swore I would never need in a million, bazillion years. Luxury Skincare. I've always been the Dove soap girl. I would wash my face twice a day with Dove soap, and my skin looked just fine. Once in awhile I would get crazy and buy the CVS brand of Oil of Olay and wash my f... 1057 2009-06-25T21:54:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/a-secret-i-was-too-embarrassed-to-share-until-now Today I’m going to share a secret with you. This is something I’ve kept secret from most people in my life (except my husband and immediate family) because of the sheer embarrassment that saying it out loud brought me. But I’m done with that – and I’m no longer ashamed. I can’t ride a bike. As a young child, I vaguely remember having a little bike with training wheels, but I can’t remember why those training wheels never came off. I started notici... 1040 2009-06-19T13:31:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/what-10-weeks-of-boot-camp-has-taught-me-about-life 10-weeks ago I felt sluggish, uninspired, and honestly...a little sad. Not sure if it was the winter blues or that I hit a personal plateau, but something just wasn't gelling. That was until I made the leap into a boot camp class that surprisingly changed not only my physical state but my entire outlook on life. I've had a lot of support from the Savor community during my journey, and listened to feedback ranging from 'you're inspiring' to 'I could never do something like tha... 1027 2009-06-13T20:31:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/don-t-be-afraid-to-suck If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly - G.K. Chesterton I have a confession to make. I really hate not being able to do something. And I hate it more when I'm not able to do it right. This week I took my boot camp instructor up on his offer to do some personal training on the 'off' days of our morning class. Our focus was working the upper body, and about halfway through the workout he mentioned working my shoulders. Unfortunately while I can do bicep curls all d... 997 2009-06-04T19:03:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/ready-fire-aim One of the things I love most about my morning bootcamp is how quickly we maneuver from one exercise to the next. So quickly, in fact, that I start doing something and before long I can't believe I'm actually doing it. For example, one day my instructor told us we'd be doing pull-ups. Instant panic ensued. I have never done a pull-up in my life. My high school fitness tests always listed ZERO next to the 'how many pull-ups can you do' section. As I approached the bar I hesitantly put up... 966 2009-05-26T21:56:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/when-was-the-last-time-you-gave-someone-a-compliment My husband and I were out to dinner a few weeks ago and we had an excellent experience. The food was amazing, the service impeccable and the ambiance delightful. As my husband handed our waitress his credit card he asked "May I see the manager?" The waitress looked at us in wide-eyed horror and said "was everything OK sir - were you unhappy with your food or service?" "No," my husband said. "People are always quick to share their complaints but rarely do they share their compliments. I want ... 844 2009-05-10T13:47:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/five-ways-to-feel-happy-now I'm having one of those days. I first felt like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Then I felt I didn't push hard enough in my morning workout. Then a slew of 'really no big deal' work catastrophe's have led me to feel...well...pretty crappy. And it's only 2pm. Following the sage advice of my therapist that 'the only person responsible for my happiness is me' I decided to take the next 30 minutes to achieve my goal of getting happy. My mission? To make a list of five things to do immed... 800 2009-04-29T18:06:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/how-to-wipe-that-scowl-off-your-face About 8 years ago I was in acting class performing a yogurt commercial on camera. I remember feeling so proud that I memorized the whole thing in about 10 minutes. My diction was perfect. I kept my head still and stopped my funny eyebrow twitch. I emphasized all the important words and delivered the last line believably right into the camera. After I stepped off the stage I felt I delivered the best yogurt commercial in the world, and that everyone would want to buy my yogurt, and that every ... 771 2009-04-21T00:14:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/how-physical-challenge-can-make-you-stronger-mentally In my quest to be nice to myself (and to my body) I decided to take on a new physical challenge. My original plan was to take up pilates at a local studio or take a spinning class. One day I was combing through my township recreation brochure and found a 10-week Boot Camp class. The small blurb promised that we would get a full body workout, 3 days per week, at 6am. Outside. In all weather. I immediately signed up so I wouldn't back out and thought 'how bad could it be?' I run 5 days a ... 760 2009-04-17T20:20:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/kick-ass-pr-resources-you-may-or-may-not-know-about Media Bistro For only $55 a year, you can join this amazing website and get access to editorial calendars, forums, media contact info and my favorite part - the 'How to Pitch' section. The media bistro folks interview a new media outlet each week and spoon feed you information on how to pitch and who to pitch at top outlets like USA Today, Glamour, Family Circle, Pregnancy Magazine and more! Oprah Producer Blogs Looking for the names of Oprah's producers? Want an exclusive look behind the ... 712 2009-04-04T13:54:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/trust-your-gut Yeah...I really wish someone would have posted this kind of blog entry when I was old enough to read so I would never forget this. Unfortunately there weren't blogs then, and even if there were I probably wouldn't have been mature enough to listen to the advice. But I digress... If I had just trusted my gut, I probably wouldn't have made half of the business mistakes I've made. And I've made some doozies. I'm now a big believer that instincts are often right and first impressions often... 676 2009-03-25T21:47:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/one-step-closer-to-success Circling back to my original goals in writing this blog and my 'self challenge' I thought I'd give a brief update to the many exciting changes that are happening and hope some of you can help me celebrate your 'changes for the better' by commenting below! QVC In my ongoing quest to get on this show I'm VERY excited about my plans for this Monday. I will be filming a few videos with a professional team and one of them will be a mock segment for QVC! I've planned everything out with a script,... 653 2009-03-19T19:49:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/stories I never thought that storytelling would become such a pivotal part of my life. I loved stories as a child. Then I loved acting out stories working as an actress for 15 or some odd years. Now I shape people's stories into something the media will want to hear. Through this journey I never realized how much I liked telling stories until now. As most of you know I love talking....in public. In fact I would probably never stop talking if it wouldn't annoy the bejesus out of everyone. But I ... 630 2009-03-11T23:29:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/writing-it-down I've always been a 'list' girl - there's something about writing down a 'to-do' item and crossing it off that makes me feel...well...exhilarated. Several years ago when I packed on 10lbs working at my first desk job, my saving grace was writing down every morsel of food I put into my mouth and its corresponding calorie and fat content. It was only then that I realized those 540-calorie cafe mochas from Starbucks were killing my brutal hour-long workouts and that those small slices of Montere... 600 2009-03-03T01:41:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/hate-mail I always try to prepare my clients before embarking on a PR campaign what to expect - last minute deadlines, sending samples overnight, tough interview questions, etc. The one element I often forget to mention is dealing with'hate mail.' Once you start putting yourself out there in the public eye, people take notice. Which is typically the intention with publicity - spreading the word about your product/service/business through the use of mass media. What you're also doing is opening a 'can ... 571 2009-02-21T12:37:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/some-good-news I don't like to be braggy, but some exciting things are happening here that I need to share with someone besides my husband (I think his head may explode if he has to hear anymore) I was named Woman Business Owner of the Week in a local Philadelphia weekly. I sold seven eBooks last week (my redesigned site went live last Monday and I still haven't even "Officially" announced it! Oh yeah - I finally relaunched my site with a new design and a stronger focus on my speaking engagem... 562 2009-02-17T22:26:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/my-challenge-update-and-it-s-not-pretty So...for some reason I felt heavily inspired by Jenna Fischer's SELF Magazine challenge and decided to take action by creating my own 10-day challenge. I started Jan 27th and the last day was yesterday...blurg. Here are the results of my challenge and...well....I embrace them! Hey - it says a lot when you promise to do something in a public online forum and then vow to be honest about the results. So...here it goes. For One Day - Don't BlackberryOK...this almost happened. Last Sat... 541 2009-02-06T18:40:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/group-dynamic-why-some-groups-flourish-and-others-fall I've been a member of many networking groups over the years. Some shaped how I do business and fostered amazing connnections and others were, to put it bluntly, a waste of time. Last night I was called in to help an association create ways to increase membership and get current members more involved. My first thought was 'what do members want from this group that they aren't getting?' After dissecting the dynamics of the group and the benefits to members, I started to think about what I look... 537 2009-02-05T12:53:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/pitching-off-topic I've participated in numerous events over the years to learn how to pitch the media. After every teleconference or panel discussion one item always prevails - Don't Pitch Off-Topic I'm sure we've all read the 'Five Rules of HARO.' Some of you may have read the bad pitch blog. Some of you may have participated in #journchat on Twitter and read the weekly gripes from reporters about this very topic. My question - why do people pitch off topic? Granted, everyone makes mistakes. I'll bet some ... 531 2009-02-03T23:46:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/top-three-pitch-ideas I find a common misconception among those starting out in PR (or even sometimes those that have been at it for awhile) is that you should always pitch your product/service to reporters. Unfortunately, this often comes off as a glorified advertisement to the media. Back in the days when I worked freelance for a newspaper and local magazine, I would trash press kits and pitches on a daily basis because they often looked like marketing brochures. Where was the story? Mailing me a brochure f... 517 2009-01-29T00:30:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/the-melissa-challenge I'm a huge Office fan - and much to my delight Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesly) was on the cover of my favorite magazine SELF this month. Even more exciting, she put herself on a 10-day SELF challenge. As I curled up in bed reading the feature I thought - 'I wonder if I could handle a 10-day challenge?' Hmmm.... In the spirit of reaching my goal, I decided to pick eight challenges that would put me closer to my goal, and that I would have ten days to complete. Some of these are work relate... 508 2009-01-26T22:13:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/melissa-cassera/welcome-and-who-is-melissa-of-cassera-communications Hello STS! I'm so excited to become an official blogger here. I've already connected with so many wonderful women here and I look forward to letting you all take a peak into my life as a publicist, entrepreneur, speaker, author, model/actress and future QVC spokesperson (more on that later) This is me: Who is Melissa and why is she here? I started acting and modeling at the age of 5. I'm a very extroverted person and loved nothing more than being on stage or in front of a camera. I also... 504 2009-01-24T19:32:00Z