Tired of being your industry’s best-kept secret? In this episode, we sit down with KJ Blattenbauer, PR powerhouse, brand strategist, and author of Pitchworthy, who reveals the playbook for founders and experts ready to stop flying under the radar. With nearly 30 years in the game, working with titans like Lifetime Fitness and Iron Man, KJ proves that visibility isn’t about doing more—it’s about being unmistakable. Discover her philosophy on how PR is less about vanity metrics and “spin,” and everything about strategic credibility transfer, transforming you from someone with an offer into an indispensable authority. Learn why waiting for perfection is costing you opportunities and how you can start architecting your authority from the ground up today.
Music courtesy of Dealer’s Choice Sound Recordings, Inc.
Music artist: djezi
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The PR Playbook For Experts With KJ Blattenbauer
Crafting Stories That Gain Attention & Build Authority
I am Dr. Sylvia Morris with my co-host, Dr. Angela Walker. We have a guest who’s spent nearly 30 years making sure that the right people get noticed for all the right reasons.
She’s a publicist, brand strategist, and the Founder of Hearsay PR, a firm built for founders and experts who are exceptional at what they do, ready to stop flying under the radar. She’s worked with powerhouse brands like Life Time Fitness, Ironman, Athleta, Kendra Scott, and Lorna Jane. Her clients have landed in Forbes, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful Incorporated, and Fast Company, often simultaneously.
She’s the author of the newly released book, Pitchworthy: The No-Fluff Playbook to Publicity That Pays Off. If that’s a title that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about how she operates, this conversation will. Her philosophy is simple. Visibility isn’t about doing more. It’s about being unmistakable. Before we get to KJ Blattenbauer, Angela, talk to me about how you’re feeling.
I am good. I think protecting my time has been better in terms of when to say yes, when to no, when to sit down, just to sit down and be still. I’m feeling good. I had a couple of instances, and it was with family members, where I just had to say “I will get back with you. But right now, I have to complete this task. If somebody needs me, I’m available, if it’s family. There are times, even when there certainly are not emergencies, if you’ve already set that tone, people are expecting.
We teach people how to treat us.
Realizing that you say that and it’s accepted. Like, “Okay, alright. Just call me back.” I think I’m feeling good because I’ve had a couple of instances like that. Tell me about you protecting your time.
I originally agreed to do something and about four days before, I realized that I did not have the bandwidth to do that. So, I respectfully called it off. I was like, “I will now be unavailable.” I just left it alone. Of course, it took care of itself. I felt super proud of myself that I was able to rein things back in. Because you’re right, my instinct is just to certainly be available and to say yes. KJ talks about her self-care regime as being in alignment. Sometimes, things seem like they’re in alignment with me. It turns out, actually, a month ago it was, but right now it isn’t, so let me readjust. That’s what I’m doing.
Sounds good. I think she gives excellent examples of doing just that. We can’t wait for you to read all the wonderful things that she brought to us. Things that we continue to ponder on, we’ll talk about in our pearls and gems at the end. Without further ado, we’d love to welcome KJ Blattenbauer.
KJ Blattenbauer, welcome to Boss Leap.
Thank you so much for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here.
We are so excited to hear all about you, your story, and all the wonderful things you have done and are doing. To go back to the very beginning, as we were just speaking, we know you grew up in North Dakota. There’s something about the roots in the Plains States. All the wide open spaces we hear about that, I guess, shapes how people see the world and how they tell their story. We’d love to know how growing up there shaped you. You’re now a strategist, a storyteller, and an author. How did you first realize you had a gift for getting people to pay attention?
Like you said, I grew up in North Dakota, a flyover state, middle of nowhere, middle of the country. Growing up in a small town, you learn very quickly. Everyone knows your business and you have to spin it in your favor. If you’ve done something and haven’t thought, it’s going to get back to your parents before you get home. Good, bad, or ugly. Are you going to get in trouble? Are you going to be like, “It wasn’t me. It was Bobby.” Those sorts of things.
I’m the only girl. I’m the middle child. I have an older and younger brother. Even little things like, “What are we having for dinner?” I’m going to manipulate those two. I’m going to use the power of persuasion to get what I want, which is usually pizza or tacos. I think early on I learned that. Growing up in a flyover state, you’re not the East Coast. You’re not the West Coast. You’re not thought of as artistic or a creative, or a hotspot. You have to learn that substance matters and that no one is really impressed by the noise.
North Dakota, in particular, is a place where you earn credibility through consistency, not flash. It’s helped shape me deeply. It helped me to not buy into the hype. I think positioning needs to be rooted in the truth. I realized very early on that you can get people to lean in, not because I was loud, not because I was flashy, not because I was this fashionable person. I was not growing up. But because I could frame something in a way that made it click for people.
You don’t have to buy into the hype. Positioning needs to be rooted in the truth. Share on XIn college and early in my career, I was always the one rewriting the bios, the pitches, the brand statements. I could see the thread that made someone interesting, that made people catch on or want to learn more. That’s always been my competitive edge, helping people articulate what’s powerful about them in a way others can’t ignore. I feel like I came from a boring place when you look at it compared to other huge cities that have lots of things to offer.
We’re not going to disparage Fargo. That’s the only state I know.
Oh, no. I love it. I love where I came from. I love the people. But I think if you ask anyone all over the world to name amazing cities in the U.S, they’re going to give you New York. They’re going to give you LA. They’re going to give you Miami.
Yes.
Fargo, North Dakota does not have that flash, but it is an amazing city. Great place. I wouldn’t trade where I grew up for the world. I think coming from somewhere where they underestimate you, it teaches you to articulate what’s powerful about you in a way that others cannot ignore. That’s why I love where I grew up.
That’s fantastic. Certainly, when we talk about PR, public relations, we have a general sense of what we think it is. We think of media, publicity, and spin. I’m going to use your word. I like that word a lot. You’ve been in PR for nearly 30 years. How would you define it? What does it mean at its core?
Foundations Of PR & Credibility Transfer
At a core for me, public relations is just credibility transfer. It’s strategic alignment between your expertise and a trusted platform, usually the media, that validates that expertise. It’s not publicity, or getting press, or getting attention, or red carpets for vanity metrics. It’s borrowing trust to help you be more trustworthy with your target audience. When done correctly, public relations is going to accelerate your authority. It’s going to move you from someone with an offer, to someone of consequence, to someone who knows what they’re talking about, to the go-to in your industry. For me, public relations is about shaping perception intentionally, so that the market sees you as you actually are at your highest level.
You gave us a little backstory in terms of how you grew up and how you had to make your wishes known and strategically spin things. How did you even know that this is what you wanted to do, though, this line of work?
I had no idea this was what I wanted to do. It wasn’t even on my radar that it was a thing. Public relations was not talked about. It was not in the mainstream. There were no shows dedicated to doing it. I think I had a communications segment in all of my college courses that maybe lasted seven days. I don’t even think it was a full week of class learning about it.
I thought I wanted to go to law school. Graduate early, take a semester off, go to law school. I hated my law school classes. I can talk but I cannot argue like lawyers can argue. I have no interest in it. It’s shenanigans to me. But, I love talking about people. I love their stories. I had an internship. It was with a radio station. The promotion of everything, the finding the stories of the people. They’re telling their stories. They’re seeing how lives change when they get a little bit of the right attention. I fell in love with that. My first public relations internship just blew my mind.
How you can take the bakery down the street, an artist’s work, something an interior designer is doing, and how just putting them in front of the right people in the right way can change their lives. It can grow their business. Or sadly, if something bad happens, it can ruin their business. The art and science of that drew me in.
You’ve worked with massive brands like Life Time Fitness, Ironman, and Athleta. All brands that I respect. That’s super serious horsepower you have there. What made you take the leap from working with these household names to focusing on what I believe you do now as founders and even some under-recognized experts? What did you see in that space that made it worth the jump, or what we call, the leap?
Helping Founders & Underdogs Build Authority
I think when you work with household names, it’s amazing. You’re exposed to so many incredible things. But their machine is already built. The awareness is there. My role was more amplification or being responsive. When you work with founders, startups, unrecognized experts, the $0-to-six-or-seven-figure earners, the transformation is so much more profound.
Public relations is about shaping perception intentionally so that the market sees you as you actually are at your highest level. Share on XI see brilliant people every day. They’re smarter. They’re more ethical. They’re more visionary than many celebrities and household names that you know. But they’re being overlooked simply because they don’t know how to position themselves or promote themselves. I feel like working with the $0-to-six-or-seven-figure people, the unknown underdogs, that’s my calling.
I love a good underdog story. I realize I don’t just want to amplify visibility. I want to help architect authority from the ground up. I want to learn from the people who really know what they’re talking about, whether it’s fashion, food, or film, whatever it may be. For me, that’s far more strategic and far more satisfying, to take someone who’s unknown and make them iconic.
Certainly, all of those people, the unknowns, the up-and-coming, they have the catch-22 of, “I’m building my company, my brand, my own personal visibility. I’m using all of my resources to do that. But I seemingly can’t yet afford top-notch PR services.” How do you make the pitch to that budding entrepreneur or the person on the rise that says, “Hey, you really do need to invest in PR now”?
PR As An Actionable Investment & Opportunity
Twofold. First, I want to make it very clear. The first investment you need to make in PR is the investment where you realize you just need to know enough about what you’re doing. You don’t have to hire a person. You don’t have to hire an agency. You don’t have to hire a publicist. Get a book, watch some YouTube videos.
Public relations is a wonderful vehicle to promote yourself, your business, your brand, because it’s free. You’re using other people’s lanes. You’re using the media, which is free, whether it’s the news or a local newspaper. You’re going on other people’s podcasts which are free. You’re going on the local TV station. You’re guest posting on other people’s blogs. None of those things are anything you should be spending a dollar to do.
It just takes your time and a little bit of scrappy effort to be reaching out to those people. I think many founders say, “I’ll do PR when revenue is higher” or “When I can hire a publicist” or “When the brand feels more polished.” PR is not a reward for success. It’s often the catalyst for it. I think the real cost of waiting is opportunity cost. Media cycles move really fast. Industry narratives are getting claimed all the time. Your competitors are going to step into the thought leadership space you want if you don’t move fast enough.
I don’t think you need to be perfect. You don’t need to spend any money. You don’t need to be super well-positioned. If you wait until you feel ready, which, let’s be honest, how often have any of us ever truly felt ready, right? Someone else is going to become the go-to voice in your industry. That is not going to feel good.
I don’t just want to amplify visibility. I want to help architect authority from the ground up. Share on XSay that again. That is so very true. As Sylvia would always tell me, “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Just go ahead and step out there.”
People want to see you succeed. They want to cheer you on. But first, they have to know your story. You founded a brand. You created a business. You have a product or a service. You did it because you saw something missing in the marketplace or a loved one needed something. You created that from a place of service. It is almost selfish to keep that in. It’s not bragging or boasting to promote what you know, or what you offer, or what you have, or what you’re really good at. You’re helping other people.
You can’t help those people if they don’t know you exist. You can’t feed people if they don’t know you have a restaurant. You can’t clothe people if they don’t know you have a boutique. You could be the person that has the store, which helps a woman get her groove back. You could be the person that has a service that helps a person finally take the leap and start her first business. They won’t know about you if you don’t promote yourself.
If you just googled your name, KJ, you’re obviously a big deal. I would love to know. When did you realize it? How do you walk that out day in and day out? What does it look like right now for you?
It’s very nice of you to say that. I still don’t think I realize I am a big deal. I’m still that little girl from North Dakota who just wants to help everybody. I don’t want anyone to feel left out, or they can’t do something, or that they have to shrink themselves to fit into a room. For me, I don’t think there’s been a fireworks moment. I think it’s quieter than that.
When I look back on decades of work, decades of shaping narratives, building brands, placing people in rooms that they once thought were out of reach, but that I know that they deserve. I think that shift for me doesn’t feel like ego. It feels more like ownership. “I really do know what I’m talking about.” I think walking it out daily for me in my 40s, and it took me a little bit to get here. That means I don’t shrink in rooms where I once would’ve. I don’t cower behind the fact that I wasn’t from LA, I wasn’t from the New York scene. I wasn’t classically taught public relations, I taught myself.
I charge appropriately. I do not apologize for my prices. I speak very clearly. When I have an opinion about my industry, what someone should be doing, how someone is being treated by someone else, I say it ten tones down with my whole chest. I speak very clearly about how I feel. I’m not worried any longer about repelling the people who aren’t meant to be in my circle. I want to track the people who are meant to be there. I’m no longer asking permission to take up space as a strategist in the room. I think that’s how I walk it out daily.
If you wait until you feel ready, someone else is going to become the go-to voice in your industry—and that is not going to feel good. Share on XI love all of that. That is so in keeping with what we do here at Boss Leap. Thank you for embodying that and reminding us all that we are all a big deal. To stand ten toes down with what we represent and how we serve.
I think it’s really important. If you’ve created a business, you have an idea for a business, whether you’re at the start of your business, or you’re the messy middle, or you’ve succeeded, sold, and moving on to the next thing.
I think it’s important to take a step back and just look. Little KJ would be blown away by all the cool things that Big KJ gets to do. All the things we’ve accomplished, all the cool people we’ve met, people that want to spend time with us that we used to look at in magazines, or see on TV shows.
I think we all need to take a moment, whether it’s once a week, once a month, at least once a year, and think. “Look how far I’ve come. Look what I’ve done. Did I ever think when I was 5, 6, 12, 20, that this is where I’d be?” I think most people would just be blown away if they took five seconds to sit in gratitude about where the journey has taken them.
I love that sentiment.
Gratitude. Exactly right about that. Thank you. Definitely, every career has that moment that changes everything. Maybe it was a particular client, or a phone call, or even a failure. What was yours? How does it shape the way that you show up for your clients today?
That’s a good one. I think the moment that changed everything for me was realizing I was the common denominator. I had a week where I had a series of successful launches and media wins. It was literally at least three things every single day for a two-week stretch. It wasn’t luck. It was timing. It was strategy. It was literally a phone call from an editor at a publication that said, “I can’t feature your clients anymore because people are complaining about favoritism.” I thought, “Okay, I get it.”
Once I understood that what I carried was replicable and teachable, it was working. I saw the machine. I knew it worked. In that two-week span, when every single one of my clients was crushing it every single day,and blowing up. One of them was even complaining, “I’ve had to pay my website person every day this week to make updates to my press page.” I’m like, “You’re welcome?”
That’s a good problem to have.
It wasn’t just the press page. I had a client have a huge article come out in a publication she’s wanted to be in her whole career. It came out on Monday. By Friday, her waitlist for her services had grown to six months. Then it was twelve months. She was doubling her prices. When you use visibility the right way, that happens.
I think once I understood that what I cared about was replicable and teachable, I stopped operating like the behind-the-scenes technician. I stepped forward as, “I am an architect of authority. I can do this for me. I can do this for you. I can teach you how to do it for you so you don’t even need me.” I think that shift changed how I show up for clients. I don’t just pitch my clients. It’s not just PR for me. It’s not just press hits. It’s about building frameworks around what their goals and dreams are. Helping amplify their authority in an easy, breathable, not burnout way that makes sense, but also makes them money.
That is the bottom line, isn’t it?
I like things.
Yes, as we all do. Tell us how AI plays a role. We know that it’s changing the way the stories get pitched, placed, positioned. Where do you think the human touch becomes important more than ever now in a world where anyone, really anyone, can generate content at the push of a button? What are your thoughts?
The Human Touch In An AI World
I think I have a very love-hate relationship with AI. I think it’s made generating content and creating content easier but it hasn’t made discernment easier at all. I think anyone can generate a press release. They can create a pitch. They can write a blog post or an article. They can have a website done in five minutes. They can position themselves as authority, whether they are or not. I think editors are drowning in templated outreach, in AI, em dashed copy.
What stands out is still specificity, relationships, nuance, I think, now more than ever, especially on this side of the pandemic. With all that’s going on in the world, human touch matters more than ever in three areas. Taste, timing, and trust. AI can draft content for you. It can help you with deep research. AI cannot read a room for the life of it. It cannot sense when a cultural shift is brewing. It can’t build a long-term relationship with your customers, with the media, that’s going to lead to repeat invitations anywhere. In a world of infinite content and tons of noise, I think judgment becomes a differentiator. I think what’s going to steer you through that, no matter what new AI thing comes and goes, is the human touch, the human story. It’s what we’re all craving at the end of the day.
We still need people. People are really important in every industry. Let’s talk about your book Pitchworthy: The No-Fluff Playbook to Publicity That Pays Off. Tell us. What was the impetus to writing the book? When people finish reading it, what do you want them to take away? Certainly, please let us know where we can purchase your book.
Thank you. I wrote Pitchworthy because I was tired of watching brilliant founders and my friends underprice themselves, under-position themselves, and overwork without recognition. Whether they’re trying to climb the ladder in corporate America, or they’re trying to grow their Etsy store, this book is for the expert who knows they’re good, they’re smart, and they are capable. But their work isn’t just going to speak for themselves. They need to step out fully into the spotlight and be seen. They need to promote themselves.
When someone finishes the last page of Pitchworthy, I want them to feel clear and not overwhelmed. I want them to feel confident, not hype-driven. I want them to feel ready to pitch, ready to claim their space, and ready to move from invisible to in-demand with a strategy that I know really works. I’ve tested it for three decades. I don’t want to leave them guessing.
In fact, I loved it so much that while I was on the book tour, the feedback I received from people was “Love the book, can’t wait to finish reading it but I need more exercises.” Literally two weeks after I launched Pitchworthy out there, I created Pitchworthy: The Workbook. It’s the company book that goes with it. It’s step-by-step, going to walk you through every single exercise I put clients through. Not only can you understand PR with the original Pitchworthy, you can put it to action for yourself with the workbook version. Those are available on Amazon and anywhere books are sold.
For the budding entrepreneur, the person that has their idea. They have their marketplace, the audience that they want to speak to. But they’re fleshing out the details of what they want to put out there, their product. Is PR the right time? Maybe you’ve touched on this. Do you already have your finished product before you start with PR? Is there such a thing as being too early?
PR For Founders: Timing & Accessibility
I don’t think there’s such a thing as being too early. I truly don’t believe there’s anything as being too late. I think wherever you are, it’s time to insert it. For me, public relations is at the top of the funnel. No one can fund your startup, support your idea, use your services if they don’t know that you exist. I think when you’re looking for your URL, when you’re incorporating your LLC, when you’re trying to figure out if those social media handles are all going to match, or you got to change the name, that’s the time to start thinking about public relations.
It’s not just press hits. It’s the public’s perception of you. How do you want people to think, talk, speak, remember, and interact with your product or services? It ties right into all the branding. It ties into all of your marketing. The first rule of public relations is you’re going to succeed if you’re clear on your messaging. Who you are, what you offer, who it benefits, and why right this second.
If I was starting a business, even if it was a side hustle, I wasn’t going to be making any money. I would be getting my book. I would be learning what public relations was. I would be using all of those free channels before I would ever pay a dime for any other promotion for my business. I’ve been in business for fourteen years, I’ve never run an ad. I’ve never had to because I’ve used all the free channels available to me. I don’t understand why other people don’t want to use free channels.
Free is good. What would you say to your younger self? Your KJ, who was just finishing college. What would you say to her, your best advice?
I would have said, “Slow down. You didn’t need to graduate early. There were more than enough years left to work and pay taxes.” I would have been like “Be in school.” That’s what I told KJ about finishing college. Honestly, I wish someone had sat me down and said, “You’re perfect how you are. It’s none of your business what other people think of you. Who cares what they say? You know you. You know your values. You know who you are. You know what you’re capable of. Don’t shrink yourself to fit in any room. Find the rooms that accept you. Find the rooms that challenge you. Find the rooms that help you grow.”
I wish I would have had that conversation or someone would have had that conversation with me in the beginning. I think it would have saved me a good decade of trying to figure out who I am and where I want to be. I appreciate the trials and tribulations that got me here. It’s made me who I am. I think there is something about being a teenage woman and a young woman in your 20s where you’re supposed to be seen and not heard. You can speak, but you can’t speak too loudly. You can have an opinion, but not too many opinions. You can rise up in the ranks, you’re never going to be the leader.
I think, even in our friendship circles, we don’t want to hurt our friends’ feelings. We shrink ourselves or dim our lights because we don’t want to dull someone else’s shine who’s not ready to go as hard as we are towards a goal. I think there’s room for all of us. There’s space for all of us. The human heart has a huge capacity to love and understand. I think that we’re all very capable. If we tell our friends and family where we need them to meet us, our people will show up for us. We have to set that standard. We have to know ourselves first. I think younger KJ could have learned those lessons faster. A little guidance there would have been helpful.
Sage advice. Thank you. For you, running a PR firm, writing a book, and actually this is your second book, advising founders. All of that is a lot to carry in all that you’re doing. We’d love to know what your self-care regimen looks like. How do you protect your peace, your energy? How do you renew that energy on a regular basis?
Self-Care, Structure, & Alignment
Self-care for me is structure. I love structure and I need it. I need clear boundaries around calls. I need protection for my thinking time, my creative time. I do a lot of walking. I touch a lot of grass outside. I love reading things that have nothing to do with business. I spend time every morning, the first thing I do is I don’t check a phone. I don’t have a phone call, no social media, none of those things. Spend time with my husband, take my dogs for a walk. Time with them, most important thing. Time offline with my friends, laughing, love that.
I also think the biggest form of self-care is alignment. I no longer say yes to misaligned clients or rooms that drain more than they energize me. I also make room for therapy. I think if there is anything we can do for ourselves, whether you’re an entrepreneur or not, is a good therapist. It will literally change your life. You got to talk things out with someone who’s not emotionally invested in you. It’s made a huge difference for me. If I’m going to ask my clients to show up powerfully, I have to model that standard for myself first. It’s structure, it’s alignment, and it’s a really good therapist.
The biggest form of self-care is alignment. Share on XLove that.
When we think about books, you just mentioned books, it’s what is top of mind for me. Is there a book that we should be reading out in addition to Pitchworthy?
The book that I love the most, whether you’re an artist or creative or not, one of them I think that just blew my mind in 2025. Well, two of them. There’s Unreasonable Hospitality, which has made me completely look at customer service and how I treat clients. How I show up for anyone that I interact with, it has changed my mind on that completely. I cannot remember what man wrote that. I can tell you the book’s yellow but I can’t tell you who wrote it.
Another book that I think every person needs to read, no matter what you do for a living, is We Need Your Art. It’s by Amie McNee. You can get that one on Amazon. I highly recommend that you get the audiobook version because she is either British or Australian. It is the greatest pep talk for stepping outside your mind, overcoming doubt, sharing your gifts with the world, but then, also the most amazing accent. By the time I got done with that book, I would have run through the wall like the Kool-Aid man like, “Yeah, you tell me, Amie. How are we doing this today?” It’s just fabulous. I can’t believe that that book is not preached everywhere.
We have loved all that you have shared today. You’re definitely inspiring, to say the least. What would you love to leave our audience with in departing? Anything that you want to share?
I want your audience to know that visibility is not vanity. You have gifts, they are amazing. Share them with the world. It’s not bragging. It’s not boastful. It’s not you trying to one-up the person next to you. It’s you serving others and helping them, either with your gifts, or inspiring them to show the world theirs. Be visible, use your voice, promote yourself, please.
Visibility is not vanity. Your gifts are amazing—share them with the world. Share on XHow can people get in touch with you? Anything that you’d like to share?
To learn more about my products or services, you can visit Hearsay PR, which is my website. I am always down for a good chat on Instagram and it’s @KJBlattenbauer.
KJ Blattenbauer, thank you so much for coming on Boss Leap and talking with our audience. We appreciate you. May you be well.
Thank you so much for having me.
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KJ’s conversation was everything real, strategic, and genuinely inspiring. She has a gift for making people see that their story matters and that the world deserves to hear it. For everyone reading, if you are ready to stop being the best-kept secret in your industry, pick up Pitchworthy. It’s out and head over to HearsayPR.com to learn more about working with KJ and her team. KJ, thank you for taking the leap with us, for reminding all of us that the best stories don’t just get told, they get positioned. Sylvia, tell me what you got out. I know there’s a lot, but in terms of our tips and pearls, what resonated with you?
First and foremost, KJ said that we are fierce. I love that. I love that reminder. It dovetails into a chapter in her book, Pitchworthy, that talks about “You’re a big deal.” Being reminded that we are a big deal individually, collectively is important because as she talked about, we do a lot of wonderful, awesome, amazing things.
Because we are constantly moving forward and thinking about the next thing, sometimes, we don’t celebrate all our wins. When she said you need to sit for a moment and to take in all of your fierceness, that’s my word, so that you can be reminded of your 18-year-old self. Before we started the show, we were dreaming of starting a show, right? Now, this is Episode 66, so I am patting myself on the back. I’m patting you on the back. We are fierce. What did you take home from KJ’s conversation?
Definitely, all of that. I loved her take on self-care, that self-care equals structure. I think that on so many levels. If you don’t schedule it, it’s not going to happen. If you’re not intentional about it, it’s not going to happen. You can say what you want to do. When that day rolls around and you haven’t planned it, it doesn’t necessarily happen. I loved the SAT acronym. I put the acronym there but it’s Structure, Alignment, which is my word for the year, and Therapist. All, I think, are valuable and great advice in terms of self-care.
I liked her take on ego. The statement that I heard in terms of PR, positioning yourself, and promoting what you have to give to others is not about an ego thing. It’s about ownership of what you have to share. Something that I heard from the very first coach I had was that you might not have a message that is going to go around the world. But there is always an audience for what you have to share. Same sentiments as what KJ offered is that if you have this knowledge and you don’t share it, then shame on you for not sharing what you have to give. Especially if that’s been put on your heart to do, which is what I feel. Those are my thoughts.
KJ definitely left us with so many things. My light is shining brighter having had our conversation with KJ Blattenbauer. To our Boss Leap community, thank you for showing up, for doing the work, and for never settling for invisible. We’ll see you next time. May you be well.
Important Links
- Hearsay PR
- KJ Blattenbauer on LinkedIn
- KJ Blattenbauer on Instagram
- Pitchworthy: The No-Fluff Playbook to Publicity That Pays Off
- Pitchworthy: The Workbook
- Unreasonable Hospitality
- We Need Your Art
About KJ Blattenbauer
KJ Blattenbauer is the founder of Hearsay PR and the two-time bestselling author of Pitchworthy and Pitchworthy: The Workbook. With nearly three decades in public relations, she is known for helping credible, accomplished founders stop being overlooked and start being recognized as the authority in their space.
KJ has spent her career behind the scenes shaping narratives, securing earned media, and positioning experts for long-term visibility, not fleeting attention. Her clients have landed features in outlets including Forbes, Architectural Digest, the TODAY Show and more, and her PitchworthyTM framework has become a go-to resource for founders who want visibility that actually supports growth, credibility, and sales.
On stage, KJ is direct, strategic, and refreshingly honest. She cuts through PR myths and marketing noise to show audiences how authority is built—through clarity, positioning, and strategic visibility that compounds over time. Whether she’s delivering a keynote, leading a workshop, or appearing on a podcast, audiences leave with a clear roadmap and the confidence to execute immediately.