I'm back in New York. Here's How to Connect with Me.

Did I miss your email? Here's how to catch me.

Hi friends,

After 32 days of travel, I flew in from Jakarta yesterday, and I’ve been up with jet lag since 2am. Oy! I specifically flew back in time to attend the Smart City Expo today and tomorrow. It’s back-to-back 10-hour days of nerdy learning about what creative cities are doing around the world regarding infrastructure, AI, climate change, public health, transportation, sustainability, and equity. If you’re here with your destination, please say hi (I may be dozing off in the corner)!

The pic above is from a 17th-century mosque I visited in Yogyakarta, Indonesia last week. While Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, many of its really old mosques (like this one) have Hindu influences. Though I’m not Muslim, I LOVE traveling during Ramadan and Indonesia was the fourth Muslim-majority country I’ve visited during Ramadan (I’ve also been to UAE, Jordan, and Egypt, where I spent several weeks researching a Fodor’s Egypt guidebook during Ramadan in 2022). If you rep a Muslim-majority country, get at me about Ramadan 2025, as I’d love to visit.

Happy hump day and Eid Mubarak!

Cassandra

P.S. Funny (not funny) story: I have several what I call “Ramadan dresses” to wear to mosques, and the one above is a new one I bought at a mosque in Abu Dhabi on my way to Bhutan last month. Last week was the first time I wore it, and it didn’t go too well. The slit in front came up to my knees and the gaps between the clasps were so significant that I had to physically hold the front of the dress together to avoid flashing people in the mosque. Silly foreigner.

---

Here’s How to Connect With Me

Having been gone for over a month (and getting ready to leave again next week to visit my mom), my inbox is absolutely overflowing with unread messages. My trash is also pretty full, as I had to delete hundreds of unread emails just to maintain my sanity during the trip.

I’ve also received dozens of press trip invites for this spring and numerous requests to meet in person for coffee, attend product showcases, or speak on expert panels at conferences across the country this spring. If you didn’t receive a response to your email (or if you got a quick “sorry, I’m over capacity” response), here’s the best way to get in touch with me: live calls (Psst….I’m holding one this Friday!).

Here’s what to expect:

These live calls offer an opportunity to ask me whatever you want, but here are some topics we normally discuss:

• Face-to-face intros: I start every call by going around to meet all attendees personally. This helps me put a face with a name and to learn who you rep and what you’re working on. It’s like a mini virtual networking conference.

• Live pitch review: Haven’t received a pitch response and want feedback on it? You can share it on the call, and I’ll give immediate feedback on how to improve it (and I’ll tell you if it’s something that I think would be a fit for outlets I write for).

• Pitch tips: I sometimes (anonymously) share really bad pitches I’ve received and explain how to improve them.

• Success recaps: My recent contribution to TIME’s 2025 World’s Greatest Places came from a destination that pitched me on one of these live calls and I shared the good news on my last Ask Me Anything before I shared it on social.

• Industry trends: I’ll share who is commissioning what right now, who has pitch freezes, and what to expect in the coming months.

• Destination updates: I usually share upcoming travel plans and destination publicists often like to share a bit about who they represent and how they may be able to fit into my upcoming travel schedule.

• What I’m working on: Often, attendees simply want to learn what I’m working on and whether their clients are relevant. Given the overwhelming number of pitches in my inbox, I’m increasingly relying on a Private Pitch Call List instead of mass pitch calls. Because these Ask Me Anything calls are a manageable way for me to discuss and get input on upcoming assignments, I sometimes mention current assignments here (and destinations/brands that could be a good fit), that I haven’t blasted out to thousands of publicists on my newsletter. In other words, these intimate group calls give you an edge over the usual inbox pitching.

---

April 4th Ask Me Anything Live Q&A

Want to join a mini meeting with me without having to fly to (and pay for) a media conference? Join my next Ask Me Anything live Q&A session this Friday. These calls are the only time I block out to talk with publicists each month, and they are, arguably, the most valuable benefit of having a paid subscription to my newsletter. Join me!

Date: Friday, April 4th, 10 am PST/1:00 pm ET

FREE with a paid subscription (which is only $9 for the month, or $70 for the year). If you prefer to buy a ticket outside the Substack platform, it only costs $20 per ticket or $15/person for agencies with multiple attendees (email me if you want to go this route).

RSVP at the link below the paywall, and you’ll receive a link to the April 4th Zoom call. You can also drop questions in the RSVP form.

Wondering what these calls are like? Here’s what previous attendees have to say:

“I appreciate Cassandra’s time and the opportunity to hear directly what she’s looking for and get her feedback. I think it’s invaluable for us get have this access and get to know the writer and other publicists better.”

- Kristen Montag, Senior PR & communication manager, Meet Minneapolis

“I joined my first AMA with Cassandra today and loved the intimate feel and engaging discussion on a variety of topics. I took away a lot from the conversation – not only Cassandra’s insights but also hearing from fellow publicists. This almost felt like a workshop or deskside and I am looking forward to the next one.

- Jennifer Sweeney, Principal, Jennifer Sweeney Communications

---

Here’s the link to register