Ms. Toni

What’s in a pitch? 10 steps for effective pitching

What’s in a pitch? A lot.Effective pitching can separate a good publicist from a great pulicist. What separates the two? Well, the devil is in the details. In 2007, I completed a public relations internship at a boutique agency, with a focus in beauty and lifestyle PR. Though, I didn’t get much hands on training as I’d hoped for, except minuscule list building assignments, putting together press…

If there’s one thing we should all learn from the disturbing Dove campaign, seemingly depicting women of color as “unclean” is that, diversity is essential in marketing. It is essential in the way people, especially people of color are represented. Dove’s Facebook ad, which the beauty brand later apologized for, further illustrated why it is important for people of color to have a seat at the…

Starting a Blog? 5 Things You Should Know [eBook Teaser]

On May 5th, I announced that I’m officially shutting down the Cotten Kandi blog, exactly nine years since launching the site. In that time I’ve learned so much about digital media and marketing, even launching my career as a full-time Digital Content Marketer. Now, I’d like to share that knowledge with all of you. On June 1st, I will be releasing my first eBook, ‘Starting a Blog? 5 Things You…

It Always Seems Impossible Until It’s Done: Reflecting on Self Growth

Weekends are often the time when we either regroup from a stressful work week, prepare for the week ahead, complete projects, tasks and reflect. While reflecting is very important, it’s also a time when we can be hard on ourselves. Did we accomplish all that we could of done this week, this month, today? And with the new year a little more than one month away, this time of year can be even more…

Do Only What You’re Passionate About

If you’re still trying to find your purpose, here’s a clue, do only that which you are passionate about. Not somewhat, but totally intrigued with, so much so, that you’d even be willing to do it for free. We’re often pressured onto going into a field or profession, we think, will guarantee a hefty salary or job security. What we fail to ask ourselves, is whether we see ourselves working…