Publicity can feel like a mysterious world reserved for celebrities and billion-dollar brands. But in a recent episode of The Rundown with Ramon Podcast, publicity and personal branding strategist Lauren Cobello pulled back the curtain on what actually works for small business owners, authors, and experts who want more visibility and credibility.

She shared how she went from blogger and self-published author to national TV regular and seven-figure founder—and how she now helps CEOs and entrepreneurs use strategic PR and books to grow their brands, not just their egos.

Here are a few of the most important lessons from our conversation.

Key Takeaways

• Failing more—and not quitting—is often the real “secret” behind long-term business success.
• Knowing your numbers and what truly drives profit is just as important as getting attention.
• A well-positioned book is a powerful top-of-funnel asset and one of the best tools for personal branding.
• Hiring a PR agency works best when you have realistic expectations, a clear message, and a plan to leverage every placement.
• AI is changing PR: speed, newsjacking, and earned third-party coverage now matter more than ever for search and visibility.

Lauren Cobello’s Journey: From Blogger to National TV and PR Agency Owner

Lauren Cobello did not start in a Manhattan PR office. She started in 2006 with a personal finance blog and a couple of self-published books. Over time, she realized that if she wanted a traditional book deal and a bigger platform, she needed more visibility.

So she went all in on media.

Lauren became a regular guest on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz, and The Rachael Ray Show for about 15 years. During that time, she landed a book deal with major publisher Hachette, presold 17,000 copies of her book, and built her personal finance business into a seven-figure brand before selling it.

That experience is important. She didn’t learn PR from the outside looking in. She used PR as an entrepreneur to grow her own company. Today, she runs Leverage with Media PR, a boutique agency that helps CEOs, founders, and nonfiction authors—especially in health, wellness, and tech—use strategic PR and personal branding to grow their businesses, not just their follower count.

The Real “Secrets” to Success: Failures, Numbers, and Being Known

When I asked Lauren for her “secrets” to business success, she didn’t talk about viral clips or perfect branding. She started with something far less glamorous.

First, she said, success comes from failing more times than most people are willing to tolerate—and getting back up each time. She has cried, stumbled, and started again repeatedly. The difference isn’t that successful entrepreneurs don’t fail. It’s that they don’t quit.

Second, you must know your numbers.
You need to understand:

• What offers are actually profitable
• What activities drive that profitability
• Which products, services, or channels drain your time and money

Without this, PR and visibility can become expensive distractions instead of growth levers.

Third, you need to make yourself known in a crowded space.
Lauren is clear: if other people aren’t talking about you, your customers won’t be either. That’s where personal branding, media, and thought leadership come in. Your name, your face, and your story are what make your company stand out from the dozens of similar offers in the market.

Why Every Serious Leader Should At Least Consider a Book

Lauren is blunt: not everyone needs a book—but every serious leader should at least consider one.

The catch? The book must be aligned with your brand and business.

If you run a tech consultancy and decide to write a fantasy novel “just because,” that’s not a smart business move. But if you write a clear, useful book that speaks directly to the problem you solve and the audience you serve, the book becomes:

• A glorified business card that people keep
• A conversation starter with event planners, journalists, and partners
• A top-of-funnel asset that constantly sells your expertise

Lauren also points out something many small business owners miss:
When you launch a book, the media is paying attention.

Book launches create a natural moment to:

• Go on a podcast tour
• Pitch TV and digital outlets
• Refresh your keynote topics
• Reintroduce yourself to your industry and customers

For companies that feel “stuck” or stagnant, she often recommends that the CEO write a book and use that launch to reignite attention around the brand.

How PR Really Works (and What a Good Agency Actually Does)

Working with a PR agency is not the same as buying an ad.

Lauren’s agency typically works with clients on:

• Strategic positioning and story angles
• Podcast tours and top-tier show outreach
• Traditional media (TV, print, digital outlets)
• Personal brand development around a book or core expertise

One of her biggest frustrations is when someone walks in and says:

“I need to be on Joe Rogan, Mel Robbins, Diary of a CEO, and Jay Shetty—or this campaign is a failure.”

The reality is:

• Even many celebrities can’t get on those shows.
• There is limited inventory and intense competition.
• Those shows may not be the best place to reach your ideal buyer anyway.

For small business owners, the smarter play is to:

• Trust the strategist you hire
• Start with a mix of niche and mid-size outlets where you’re a great fit
• Build a track record with solid interviews and strong clips
• Use that body of work over time to go after larger opportunities

On pricing, Lauren says:

• A freelance publicist often runs $2,500–$5,000 per month.
• A boutique agency with senior talent typically charges $7,500–$12,500 per month.
• Larger firms can range from $20,000–$30,000 per month and up.

Her firm, Leverage with Media PR, charges around $10,000 per month for traditional PR and $12,500 for combined PR + podcast outreach, with a very small client roster so senior people work each account.

For small business owners, this means PR is not a quick hack. It’s an investment you make when:

• You have a clear offer and audience
• You’re ready to show up consistently
• You have at least some infrastructure to capture and nurture the attention PR generates

Don’t Just Get Press. Leverage It.

One of Lauren’s strongest messages is simple: PR on its own is not a complete strategy.

PR’s main job is to build:

• Credibility
• Trust
• Authority

But that doesn’t automatically equal revenue. To turn attention into sales, you have to leverage the media you earn. That’s why her agency is literally called Leverage with Media.

Here’s how she used to do it for her own brand:

• Every time she appeared on TV, she got the clip.
• That clip became a short reel for social media.
• The reel was boosted with ad dollars.
• The traffic went into a sales funnel—email list, offers, and products.

Today, her firm even helps clients chop up podcast and TV segments, track performance, and plug those assets into their marketing.

If you’re a small business owner or expert, you can apply the same mindset:

• Add “As seen in…” logos to your website and decks.
• Turn quotes and clips into social posts, shorts, and ads.
• Use interviews as evergreen lead magnets for your email list.
• Bring media clips into sales calls and proposals as proof of credibility.

PR gives you the raw material. Marketing and sales systems turn that raw material into revenue.

How AI Is Changing PR and Why Earned Media Still Matters

Lauren is also embracing AI inside her agency. Her team uses an internal “pitch bot” system to:

• Scan what’s breaking in the news every day
• Match those stories to their clients’ expertise
• Rapidly draft pitches so they can be first in a journalist’s inbox

Modern PR is often a race: whoever can plug into a trending story fastest, with the right angle and expert, wins the segment.

But AI isn’t just changing how pitches are written. It’s also changing how people find you.

Lauren warns against relying only on “pay-to-play” PR—those offers where you wire money and get guaranteed placement in a big-name outlet or list. They seem appealing because they’re guaranteed. But they don’t always carry the same weight with AI search or credibility.

To show up in tools like ChatGPT and other AI assistants, you want real third-party articles and mentions that treat you as a trusted source, not advertorial content you purchased.

For small business owners, that means:

• Favor earned media over purely pay-to-play mentions.
• Think long term about your digital footprint, not just a quick vanity feature.
• Use PR, content, and AI-powered tools together to stay visible and relevant.