I responded to a HARO* request months ago and it was just published this week. It turned out to be a roundup of general marketing ideas. The tip I sent is was on getting booked as an expert on local TV.

Simple enough.

Here’s my issue:

After my tip, they added this: “If you want a better idea on how to generate press locally, check out our guide…” and included a link to more info on their site.

My struggle is the use of the word “better.” As if my tip wasn’t actually that great. Ugh.

So –

I didn’t know whether to share it. Here are some of the thought that rolled around in my head:

1. It may not further my reputation as an expert in getting publicity in your local market. In fact, I thought it may hurt it.
2. But for those who know me, they will see it for what it’s worth, so…. Maybe?
3. It’s not like it’s a big deal given that it’s not a huge platform like Forbes or Entrepreneur. Should I just let this one go?
4. Should I share it and make a joke of it because if you really think about it, it’s kinda funny. (Yes – I can usually see humor in most things.)
5. I share great content created by others with my list frequently so that’s not the issue. The issue is: Does their added sentence downplay and/or override my expertise?
6. Should I contact the writer and ask her to change their wording? (This is generally not a well-received from the writer and sometimes they have little to no say about it.)

The question I really thought hard about was a question I have asked clients before when faced with various PR issues:

Am I more committed to my ego or sharing my message?

Ouchie.

I really sat with that for a while. A few days, in fact.

I decided that I was more committed to sharing my message. But my message isn’t the tip in the article about booking yourself on TV. Yes, it’s a good tip and I help experts with this every week.

But my message is really about how to go through the struggle of putting yourself out there and dealing with things when they don’t go exactly your way.

Because it’s not all roses and lollipops. If you’re an expert who has been doing this for any length of time, you know this is true. Especially with social media. I mean, it can be brutal out there.

So what you are reading is what I decided to do: Share it with you as a “behind the scenes/case study” of sorts so you can see one of my own struggles, even though it’s a relatively small one in the grand scheme of things. So here are a few of my main take-aways. These may also be applicable to you, too.:

1. Let people in to see my struggles. We all wrestle with various aspects of publicity, visibility, and sharing what we do with others. Why not share more of my own struggles? I certainly have them, too.
2. Keep doing my best. When something like this happens, understand it’s a very teensy tiny blip on the radar. Take a note from a couple of clichés that work very well in this circumstance: Don’t make mountains out of molehills and don’t sweat the small stuff.
3. Keep responding to HARO queries. It’s been a wealth of amazing publicity for me over the years. Don’t stop now.

I hope that sharing this will help you in some way to continue putting your expertise and insights out there, even in the face of unpleasantness. We all have struggles with putting ourselves out there but when you can face them head-on and look for the personal growth lessons that are usually there, not only will you attract the right clients, you will be living your authentic brand for all to experience.

It can feel something like this:

And who doesn’t want to feel a bit of that?

If you’re ready to put yourself out there in new ways, build more visibility and credibility around your expertise and build your personal brand, let’s talk this week. I’m taking on just 3 new private coaching clients in June and July so let’s talk soon.

*HARO is an acronym for Help A Reporter Out – it’s a free service – check it out if you haven’t already.

UPDATE:  I heard from the great people at Fit Small Business and they promptly changed the article. Now THAT’S the way to do business. I’m a fan-girl now. 

© 2017 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing

Meredith Liepelt specializes in helping experts to become more visible through messaging, communication and PR strategies. For insights and inspiration, visit www.RisingStarPublicity.com.

This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included.