That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast

That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast

That Solo Life: Co-hosted by Karen Swim, founder of Words for Hire, LLC and owner of Solo PR Pro and Michelle Kane, founder of VoiceMatters, LLC, we keep it real and talk about the topics that affect solo business owners in PR and Marketing and beyond. Learn more about Solo PR Pro: www.SoloPRPro.com

Episodes

June 16, 2025 29 mins
That Solo Life Episode 304: The Powerful Insights Learned From Going Back To School Episode Summary

Join hosts Karen Swim, APR and Michelle Kane as they welcome Veleisa Patton Burrell, an accomplished PR professional and educator. Together they explore the twists and turns of Veleisa's career—from solo entrepreneurship to agency life, and now as an adjunct professor guiding the next generation of communicators. This candid conversa...

Mark as Played

That Solo Life, Episode 303: The Folly of AI First Strategies

 

Episode Summary:

In this episode of That Solo Life, co-hosts Karen Swim, APR  of Solo PR Pro and Michelle Kane  of Voice Matters explore the growing trend of adopting an “AI-first” strategy in business and marketing. While artificial intelligence has proven to be a valuable tool, Michelle and Karen argue for a balanced approach that prioritizes human expertise and th...

Mark as Played

Episode Summary: What’s it really like to hop the fence between corporate life and solo entrepreneurship? Join co-hosts Michelle Kane of Voice Matters and Karen Swim of Solo PR Pro in this lively discussion about the contrasts between these two worlds. From navigating corporate protocols to enjoying the streamlined, impactful decision-making as a solo pro, they explore the lessons learned, the unique challenges, and the joys of cre...

Mark as Played
Episode 301 - The Need for Thoughtful Engagement in an Age of Clickbait 

Podcast Hosts: Karen Swim, APR & Michelle Kane 

Release Schedule: New episodes every Monday 

Episode Summary:

In this thought-provoking episode of That Solo Life, Karen and Michelle take a critical look at the current state of social media and the challenges of thoughtful engagement in a world dominated by clickbait culture. They discuss how the drive for ...

Mark as Played
That Solo Life Podcast, Episode 300 Episode Title 

How To Manage Sticky Situations In PR

Episode Summary 

Welcome to the 300th episode of That Solo Life! 🎉 Karen Swim, APR, and Michelle Kane reflect on their podcasting milestone before tackling a topic every PR professional can relate to – dealing with "sticky situations." From unscripted comments in interviews to inappropriate client behavior at events, Karen and Michelle share e...

Mark as Played
That Solo Life Episode 299 Episode Title 

The Can Do Spirit of PR Practitioners Crosses Generations

Episode Summary 

The hosts, Karen Swim, APR, of Solo PR Pro, and Michelle Kane of VoiceMatters, discuss key findings from the USC Annenberg Global Communication Report for 2025, focusing on Gen Z’s growing presence in the workforce and what that means for public relations professionals. 

Key takeaways include:

  • Read more
Mark as Played

That Solo Life, Episode 298: PR Potpourri: A Look Back at Q1 2025

This podcast episode explores the challenges that PR professionals face in the current media and communication landscape. The discussion covers several key topics:

  • The struggles with PR tools and technologies, which often fail to keep up with the rapidly changing industry. This leaves PR practitioners having to "hack together" soluti...
Mark as Played
April 28, 2025 36 mins
That Solo Life - Episode 296: The Big Idea with Jess Sato Episode Summary 

This episode of That Solo Life dives deep into the world of business growth, messaging, and creating meaningful impact. Co-hosts Karen Swim, APR of Solo PR Pro, and Michelle Kane of Voice Matters are joined by special guest Jess Sato, a business growth and visibility strategist. Jess shares powerful insights on how purpose-driven entrepreneurs and thought le...

Mark as Played

In This Episode

What exactly do Solo PR Pros do, and how do companies find and engage with them? Many businesses are on the lookout for talented professionals to help with marketing, communications, and PR, but they often don’t know where to start. This week, Karen and Michelle unpack how Solo PR Pros can make themselves more visible and connect with companies that need their services. From networking tips to leveraging LinkedIn an...

Mark as Played

That Solo Life, Episode 294: National Days and Awareness Months and How to Manage in 2025

 

Summary:

This podcast episode discusses the abundance of "national days" and how PR professionals and marketers should approach aligning their client initiatives with these events. The key points are:

  • There is an overwhelming number of these "national days" which can become diluted and ignored by the public....
Mark as Played

That Solo Life, Episode 293: Why It's Time to Advance AI Discussions in PR

In This Episode 

Join Karen Swim, APR and Michelle Kane  as they discuss how PR professionals can leverage AI to enhance productivity while maintaining ethical practices. From practical applications for tasks like research and content creation to addressing AI's challenges, this episode offers valuable insights into how professionals can integrate AI tools t...

Mark as Played

That Solo Life, Episode 292: Utilizing Zero Click Content for Better Engagement

In This Episode

In this episode of That Solo Life, co-hosts Karen Swim, APR and Michelle Karen discuss zero click content, a concept that is gaining traction in digital marketing and public relations. 

As the hosts explore zero click content, they discuss how this approach shifts the focus from merely driving clicks to fostering genuine engagement with ...

Mark as Played

Episode Summary: 

Cybercrime is advancing at an alarming rate, impacting both personal lives and professional industries—including public relations. Karen Swim, APR of Solo PR Pro and Michelle Kane of Voice Matters explore the latest tactics scammers are using, from phishing emails to fraudulent links, and how PR professionals can protect themselves and their clients in this evolving digital landscape. 

 

What You’ll Learn: 

    <...
Mark as Played
Summary:

Words have power, and as PR pros and marketers, we know just how to wield them. But what happens when wordplay goes awry? Join Michelle Kane and Karen Swim in this enlightening and entertaining episode as they break down the dos and don'ts of clever messaging. Discover how the right wordplay can resonate with your audience, when it’s best avoided, and how intention matters more than you might think.

Key Takeaways:
Mark as Played

That Solo Life, Episode 289: The New Challenges in Managing Brand Reputation

Summary

This episode of "That Solo Life" podcast explores the challenges PR professionals manage when brands are faced with crises, particularly serious situations like allegations of child abuse. The hosts, Karen Swim, APR and Michelle Kane discuss the importance of building trust with audiences, maintaining authenticity and integrity, and providing nuanc...

Mark as Played

That Solo Life Episode 288: Combatting Ghosting In The Professional World

 

Summary

In Episode 288 Karen Swim, APR and Michelle Kane discuss strategies for dealing with being "ghosted" by potential clients or employers. The key points of the episode are:

  • Avoid situations where no response is expected, like applying to job postings or responding to RFPs without any prior interaction. Try to force hu...
Mark as Played
In This Episode

In this episode of That Solo Life, co-hosts Karen Swim, APR and Michelle Kane discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by solo PR practitioners. The key points in this episode include:

  • Solo PR professionals can sometimes struggle with imposter syndrome and lack of confidence when comparing themselves to larger PR agencies.
  • However, solo practitio...
Mark as Played
In This Episode

In this episode of That Solo Life, co-hosts Karen Swim and Michelle Kane dive into the evolving landscape of public relations and marketing for solo professionals. With the job market in flux, is starting a Solo PR Pro business realistic in 2025? Karen and Michelle tackle that question as they discuss the opportunities and challenges of making the leap to a Solo PR Pro career. 

The co-hosts discuss the various facto...

Mark as Played
February 3, 2025 15 mins

That Solo Life Episode 285: How to Find Joy and Make an Impact in PR

 

In This Episode

 

In this episode of "That Solo Life," co-hosts Karen Swim, APR and Michelle Kane dive into the chaotic start of the new year, reflecting on the challenges faced by solo and small agency PR professionals in 2025. The year has kicked off with an overwhelming amount of information and events happening both in the United States and global. As chaos ...

Mark as Played
That Solo Life, Episode 284: How PR Pros Can Use an Audit to Unlock Social Media Success In This Episode

Today’s podcast discussion focuses on the importance of conducting social media audits and targeting specific audience personas when developing marketing and communications strategies. Key takeaways from this episode  include:

  • Conducting a social media audit can provide valuable insights to help...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club

    Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!

    24/7 News: The Latest

    The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.