Reading · Aly Walansky's Newsletter

Last night, I went to the most fun of events with the most fun of friends, and I was really excited.

I had been invited to celebrate Marilyn Monroe’s centennial with a screening of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, followed by Piper-Heidsieck Champagne (which we all know was Marilyn’s favorite, and also one of mine!), hors d’oeuvres, and a reception honoring one of Hollywood’s greatest icons. It was exactly the kind of New York evening you don’t say no to.

I invited my friend Lisa as my plus one.

Lisa owns the incredible RPZL salon, which is located very close to where the event was held, so we decided to make a night of it. Hair. Makeup. A little glamour before celebrating perhaps the most glamorous woman to ever walk the earth.

But as anyone who lives anywhere along the east coast knows, NYC and a lot of the places around it have been hella stormy of late. And yesterday was no exception. The skies opened, and it was not “oops, forgot my umbrella, oh well” kind of rain.

But we’re talking biblical, build an ark, rain. Flash-floods. Thunder. Wind. The kind of weather where your weather app starts sounding legit concerned for your well-being. Like literally Notify NYC was sending out ‘STAY HOME, STUPID HEAD” text alerts.

But we had big plans, and approximately one mile to travel.

And Lisa’s fab stylist Destiny had just done all that work on our hair as her makeup artist Daniela got our makeup Marilyn-ready. So naturally, we put shower caps on our heads and walked out into the streets of Midtown Manhattan.

I’m not kidding.

The funny thing is, this isn’t actually the first time I’ve done this.

Years ago, I wore a shower cap in public with such regularity, I ended up on the front page of the New York Times Style section.

Apparently, history repeats itself.

But as ridiculous as we looked—and trust me, we knew exactly how ridiculous we looked—we also knew something else.

People were expecting us. The event organizers (one of my VERY favorite PR teams for many years!) had extended an invitation.

My incredibly busy friend had blocked off time in her day and evening. I had traveled during said biblical storm from Brooklyn to get to her salon in the first place so we could do this event. We were expected, we owed this to each other, and there were relationships involved.

Basically, commitments had been made, and we were going to honor them, come hell or (very high) water.

So we protected the hair, laughed at ourselves, and went anyway, and had an incredible time at an incredible event.

Here’s something I’ve noticed about the people who build long careers in this business: We don’t let every obstacle become an excuse. Not every inconvenience is a reason to cancel, not every complication means the day is over. We honor that people put a whole lot of time and effort into this event and included us as a part of it, and we respect that and make that work.

Sometimes professionalism looks less like perfection and more like walking out into the courtyards of Rockefeller Center wearing a shower cap because you promised someone you’d be there.

I think about this in PR and media relations all the time. Maybe the interview gets delayed, maybe the images arrive late, maybe your train gets stuck or your flight gets delayed or you get caught in traffic, maybe your internet goes down. Maybe there’s a literal flash flood and biblical thunderstorm happening outside your window.

Life is going to life, it always does.

Professionalism isn't about having perfect conditions. It's about honoring your commitments anyway.

The question isn’t whether something unexpected will happen. The question is whether you’ll find another way to get where you’re going. Sometimes that means rescheduling or modifying the agenda. Sometimes it means asking for help. Sometimes it means changing the plan. And sometimes, it means embracing the fact that you look completely ridiculous for twenty minutes because there’s something more important than looking polished for every minute of the experience.

(Ironically, the shower caps kept the polished look intact and maintained the integrity of our hair, and made us look perfectly fancy cocktail party-ready.)

I don’t think resilience is always dramatic. Sometimes it isn’t climbing mountains or overcoming impossible odds. Sometimes resilience is just refusing to let a thunderstorm have the final say. Sometimes resilience is choosing to wear the shower cap.

Honestly, that’s a pretty Marilyn Monroe lesson, too.

P.S. If you ever see me walking through Manhattan in a shower cap again, mind your business. Know I have my reasons.

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Upcoming travel: I’ll be in Dallas for a few days in October. If you want to try to meet up for a drink or coffee or have a client you are hoping I can check out (or general recommendations) - drop me a line! (Note: Thanks so much but where I’m staying is all set!)

Work with some of my dearest of dear friends! BrandBomb PR is hiring a full-time PR Coordinator to join their award-winning agency. If you’re ready to gain hands-on experience pitching local and national media, supporting red carpet events and working with an exciting mix of clients across hospitality, entertainment, healthcare, lifestyle and more, they’d love to hear from you. Candidates must have 1-2 years of PR experience and either live in Las Vegas or be willing to relocate. (Side note: I love these ladies so much and anyone who work with them will have a THRILLING experience.)

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

I can join your team on Zoom, a phone call, or in-person and do a team Q&A and answer any of your questions about planning events, mailers, trips, pitching, followups, etc — giving you a very necessary media perspective. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com if you are interested in chatting more and setting something up :)

We can switch it up in any way you or your team needs. While most of my calls do end up being virtual, I just did one where we did our session over a martini lunch! I’m available for whatever your team prefers. Lets chat.

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m writing a wide range of lifestyles topics: check out my author profile to see some of my most recent pieces! (This is updated daily - usually multiple times daily - so you’ll want to keep checking it out for new content!)

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July is holiday gift guide "high season,” and that makes right now the time to share new products and services with editors and writers of national publications for consideration of their popular December lists. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database of relevant market editors and more in food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor, Amy Flurry, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is just $195 and absolutely packed with value.

I partnered with Pitchcraft to be able to share a special offer just for my readers: Use code ALY200: new users will get $200 off their first month of the monthly PR Membership or code ALY400: This one offers new users $400 off their first year of the annual PR Membership. This is a great network to join because it’s a community of both PR professionals and journalists working together to find better ways to work together and share opportunities, and you know how much I believe in all of that

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she launched her new course, Affiliate Marketing & Performance-Based PR for Publicists - It’s built specifically to help PR pros and agencies add affiliate management as a core capability, something we all know is completely essential in today’s media landscape.

Since people are often asking about the status of stories from a while ago, and I only share stories in this newsletter that were published or updated in the current week, I have created a list of my author pages at various publications to which I contribute. Bookmark it and make your life a bit easier.

Yahoo Creators: Check out my author profile (I have several new stories a day across the lifestyles umbrella, so that’s the best way to stay updated!)
Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New $2 Seasoning—And Now I’m Putting It On Everything
Yahoo: A legendary Nashville hotel just opened up the city’s first music-inspired spa, and I’m obsessed.
Forbes.com: 11 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Chicken Wings
Forbes.com: 30 Delectable Ways To Appreciate Caviar
Southern Living: 5 Store-Bought Salad Dressings Chefs Always Keep In Their Kitchens
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Business Traveler, and I Found 6 Comfy Airplane Outfits That Still Look Put Together—From $8
Apartment Therapy:The 18 Best Prime Day Travel Deals, Vetted by Pro Travelers (Starting at $8!)
Travel & Leisure: This Plane Seat Cushion Is My Secret to Arriving at Destinations Pain-free
Food Network: 25 Little Treats You Can Score for Free on Your Birthday
Travel & Leisure: I Travel for Work, and These Are the 5 Genius Hacks That Save Me From Luggage Messes and Spills—From $4
Travel & Leisure: I’ve Been Solo Traveling for 25 Years—12 Mistakes That Cause the Biggest Headaches, and How to Prevent Them
Forbes.com: 20 Great Variations On The Classic Martini
Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New Marinated Mozzarella Balls—Now I’m Using Them In Nearly Every Meal
Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And This Cruise Hack Gets Me An Empty Pool, No Buffet Lines, And A Better Vacation
Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time
Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb
Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed
Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights
Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026
Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money
Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares! Please remember to tag @alywalansky and the outlet.

Wednesday: When things are at their stormiest, always remember you have a shower cap.

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