That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast

Episode Summary

If you've read one burnout wellness listicle, you've read them all — sleep more, take a walk, set boundaries, breathe. Karen and Michelle aren't repeating any of that, because you already know it. Instead, Episode 350 treats burnout as a business risk: something that shows up on your profit and loss statement before it shows up in a therapist's notes. Industry surveys show 91% of PR professionals reported poor...

Episode Summary

Michelle opens with the question a lot of solo PR pros have been quietly asking themselves: if I call myself a communications generalist on my website right now, am I costing myself money? Karen's answer is immediate — not 'am I?' but 'you already are.' What follows is a data-driven, practically grounded conversation about the specialization economy: the growing body of research across the freelance and indepe...

Episode Summary

Muck Rack's State of PR 2026 report surveyed 971 PR professionals. Only 18% were solos. The rest were mostly from agencies and in-house teams — which means that when the report says 66% of PR pros rate their stress above five out of ten, or that 55% worked more than 40 hours last week, those numbers were never really measuring a department of one. Karen and Michelle decided to build the solo column themselves....

That Solo Life Episode 347: Why Senior PR Pros Should Focus on Development Not Decline

Episode Summary

Are you in the later stages of your Solo PR career?  Today’s episode of That Solo Life is one of the most grounded, research-backed, and genuinely useful conversations the show has had about what it means to be a late-career practitioner in an AI-dominated landscape — and why the narrative telling experienced pros...

That Solo Life Episode 346: Why Independent PR Firms Are Outperforming Holding Companies Right Now

Episode Summary

It's the week after the Fourth of July, and Karen and Michelle are talking about a different kind of independence. It turns out that the future of PR looks a lot like its past: closer to the work, the relationships, and the accountability that got lost as holding companies scaled. Karen and Michelle walk through the da...

That Solo Life Episode 345: The New Rules of Trust but Verify

Episode Summary

Every solo PR pro has heard the same directive for the past year: show up in AI search. Get cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, and the rest. But Karen and Michelle pose a different question: when AI mentions your client, does anyone actually believe what it says? New research says visibility and believability are two distinct jobs, and most practitioners have only...

That Solo Life Episode 344: The Secrets that Filmmakers Know About Marketing That Most Business Owners Never Learn with Jake Isham

Episode Summary

Jake Isham describes himself as an accidental marketer. He went to film school, realized he wasn't going back for a grad degree, and spent his 20s learning to build a business the hard way. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Creative Minds, a creative agency rooted in filmmaking and st...

That Solo Life Episode 343: What Solo PR Pros Need to Know About IP, AI Legal Risk and Building a More Valuable Agency

Episode Summary

Most solo practitioners have contracts. What they don't have is a strategy. Sharon Toerek, founder and principal of Legal+Creative | Toerek Law, and an intellectual property attorney whose entire practice serves independent marketing, advertising, PR, and creative services agencies, joins Karen and ...

That Solo Life Episode 342: What the 2026 USC Global Communications Report Says About PR Today

Episode Summary

Karen and Michelle open with a question that lands before the intro music fades: When was the last time a client approved a statement without pushback? The answer tells you everything about the communications environment right now and so does the report they spend this episode unpacking. The USC Annenberg Center for Public...

That Solo Life Episode 341: The Leap, the AI Edge and Authentic Leadership

Episode Summary

Kara Ryan spent 20 years of her career navigating corporate communications in some of the most regulated industries in the world - financial services, healthcare, and medical devices. In April of this year, she closed that chapter and opened Klyr Strategies, a solo communications advisory built upon the high-stakes moments that her clients fa...

That Solo Life Episode 340: Why Right Now Is Your Moment as a Solo PR Pro

Episode Summary

In this episode, Karen and Michelle deliver a timely reminder that periods of disruption are not just a challenge for solo PR pros — they are an opening. As larger agencies navigate layoffs and major brands question whether their big agency retainers are actually serving them, seasoned independents are uniquely positioned to step in with...

That Solo Life Episode 339: Why Smart Solos Are Watching These Five Trends Right Now

Episode Summary

Karen and Michelle are back with one of their favorite formats — a roundup of what's happening in the world right now and what it means for solo and small agency PR, communications, and marketing professionals. From the growing opportunities in internal communications to a telling shift in how and where people place their trus...

Episode 338: One PR Pro Shows There is Purpose in the Press 

With Candice Smith, MEd, Founder & Chief Strategist @ French Press Communications 

Episode Summary

Running an independent public relations business requires more than just excellent communication skills. You need a solid strategy, a growth mindset, and a commitment to continuous learning. In episode 338 of That Solo Life, hosts Karen Swim, APR and Michelle ...

That Solo Life Episode 337: How AI Impacts PR Agencies and Solos with Chip Griffin

Part 2 of a crossover episode. Part 1 aired on Chip Griffin's podcast, Chats with Chip.

Episode Summary

In this episode — Part 2 of a special crossover with returning guest Chip Griffin — hosts Karen Swim and Michelle Kane take a frank look at what the current landscape really means for PR, communications, and marketing pros who work inde...

That Solo Life Returns with New Episodes

Episode Summary That Solo Life hosts, Karen Swim, APR, and Michelle Karen return from a much-needed hiatus to kick off a brand-new season of That Solo Life! In this episode, they discuss why taking a pause is vital for solo practitioners and how you can better care for yourself. The hosts explore what it means to be a solo business owner right now and why we must look at our lives holistical...

Episode 335: Navigating Public Information Campaigns and Crisis Comms with Cyndee Woolley Episode Summary

In this episode of That Solo Life, hosts Karen Swim, APR, and Michelle Kane are joined by Cyndee Woolley, MBA, APR, President and Founder of C2 Communications. Together, they dive deep into the nuanced world of public information campaigns and crisis communications for local communities. While national headlines often grab the ...

Episode Summary

In a world increasingly driven by data, frameworks, and efficiency, are we losing the human element in public relations? This week, hosts Karen Swim and Michelle Kane tackle the critical need for brands to prioritize people over processes. They explore how the over-reliance on analytics, scripts, and rigid systems can lead to poor customer experiences and stifle professional growth. From the frustrations of automate...

Silent Risk: How Corporate Citizenship Navigates the Storm of Social Upheaval Episode Summary

In today’s polarized and fast-moving world, organizations often struggle with determining when to speak up and when to stay silent. In this episode of That Solo Life, Karen Swim, APR and Michelle Kane tackle the complex issue of corporate communication during times of social unrest and public crisis. They explore the critical differe...

That Solo Life, Episode 332: Why AI Search Optimization Matters for PR Episode Summary

In this episode, Karen and Michelle are joined by Doug Simon, CEO of D S Simon Media, to explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the public relations landscape. Doug shares invaluable insights on how AI is fundamentally changing content discoverability and why PR professionals, especially solo practitioners, must adapt to ...