Business Mindset: Why Your Stories Matter More Than Your Strategy

Table of Content:

1. Why you’re not getting media attention
2. How do I overcome fear of sharing my story?
3. Should I be vulnerable in my PR pitch?
4. How do I turn my personal story into media coverage?
5. How do you get a reporter to cover your story?

Let’s say you’ve consumed all my PR tactics. You've listened to my Small Business PR Podcast episodes. You've watched the free masterclass. But you're still not pitching because deep down, you don't believe your story is worth telling or that your product deserves national coverage along with other major brands. 

Sound familiar?

Most small business owners think their biggest PR problem is not knowing WHAT to pitch or HOW to write the perfect email. But after working with thousands of founders, I can tell you the real issue: you don't believe you have something important enough to share.

And I can also tell you with confidence that you're wrong about that. This mindset block is often the only thing standing between you and the media coverage that could change everything for your business.

1.Why you’re not getting media attention

You're not getting PR because you've convinced yourself you're not ready. That your story isn't interesting enough. That you need to achieve more, be more, have more before you deserve media attention.

The "Not Ready" Trap: Waiting until you feel qualified enough is just fear disguised as perfectionism. Every successful founder I know felt like a fraud when they started getting media coverage. But some of the most successful PR stories to come from my community have been from people who haven’t even launched their business yet. [Episode 106: How To Get Featured on 10+ Media Publications Even If You're NOT Launched or Profitable Yet]

The "Not Special Enough" Lie: You think your journey from struggle to success is too common, too boring, too normal. But normal is exactly what journalists want - real stories from real people solving real problems. That’s what their audience consistently connects with. 

The Comparison Game: You see other founders getting featured and assume they must have something you don't. More experience, better products, shinier success stories. What you don't see is that they started pitching before they felt ready.

Imposter Syndrome in Action: That voice telling you "Who am I to be featured in Forbes?" is the same voice that's keeping your customers from finding the solution they desperately need. I had this too, but overcame it through constantly pitching myself, and was honored to be part of the Forbes Next 1000 list.

2.How do I overcome fear of sharing my story?

It's time to stop waiting for permission to tell your story. The world needs more diverse voices taking up space, especially when the internet is dominated by the same people saying the same things. Why can’t it be you? It's not fair for the internet and the industry to be occupied by only the same people.

You cannot make a dent in the universe without subjecting yourself to judgment. People will judge you for doing nothing, for doing something, for changing - they're going to judge you regardless. Time is passing no matter what. So why not lean into being unapologetically present? [Episode 73: The Truth Every Small Business Needs to Hear This Year]

The Hidden Programming That's Keeping You Small: The trauma that built your resilience can also sabotage your visibility. Many successful founders carry generational programming that tells them to keep their heads down, work harder, and never draw attention to themselves. This scarcity mindset shows up in business as micromanaging, operating from fear, and trying to squeeze the most out of every situation instead of operating from abundance and trust.

Your family's relationship with money, success, and visibility is playing out in your business right now. The voice telling you to stay small, to not "brag," to wait until you're more qualified - that's not your intuition. That's generational conditioning designed to keep you safe in a world that no longer exists. Until you address what's uncomfortable in your inner landscape, you'll never be able to rewrite the narrative for yourself. [Episode 78: How Generational Trauma and Scarcity Impacts Entrepreneurship with Gloria and Veronica Romney]

Fear is Just Bad Data From Your Nervous System: Most of what's stopping you is imagined fear - the wolf you've never seen but assume is waiting on your walk. When you're afraid to pitch yourself or share your story, your nervous system goes into fight-or-flight mode, pumping blood from your brain to your legs so you can run. But you can't run away from a podcast interview or a media feature.

The antidote? Go back to your why. Pick one person whose life would change if they heard your message. Would sharing your story help that one person? If yes, then your mission is bigger than your fear. Whether you make cupcakes or manage million-dollar budgets, think about the last time you made someone's day better, solved their problem, or gave them hope when they needed it most.

Your Messy Story is Exactly What's Needed Right Now: Be embarrassed by your first piece of content. If you're not cringing at what you created five years ago, you waited too long to start. The founders getting featured aren't the ones with perfect success stories - they're the ones brave enough to share their real, messy, human experiences while they're still figuring it out.

Stop waiting until you feel ready. Stop censoring yourself for grammatical perfection. The more vulnerable and personal you get, the stronger the connection with your real audience becomes. Every day you don't share your story is another day your ideal customers are struggling with problems you could solve. Your story in its imperfect form is exactly what someone needs to hear right now.

Nobody puts a dent in the universe by playing it safe, and your experience matters. That challenge you overcame? Someone else is facing it right now. That solution you discovered? Someone else desperately needs it. When you own your story and share it publicly, you give other people permission to own theirs too.

3.Should I be vulnerable in my PR pitch?

The founders who get the most media coverage aren't the ones with perfect success stories. They're the ones brave enough to share their real, messy, human experiences.

Why Leading with Your Wound Creates the Deepest Connection: Vulnerability doesn’t destroy your credibility. When you lead with what you're most afraid to share, three things happen: people connect with your humanity, others with similar experiences find you, and those without your specific struggle realize they have their own story worth telling.

Your biggest shame can become your greatest strength. The thing you're most embarrassed about might be exactly what someone else desperately needs to hear. The issue keeping you stuck was already there before your crisis, failure, or diagnosis. You're just using that thing as a scapegoat for beliefs that were limiting you all along. [Episode 80: If you're terrified of putting yourself out there, listen to this with Alexandra Harbushka] 

The Permission Effect: When you own your story and share it publicly, you give other people permission to own theirs too. Your vulnerability creates a ripple effect of courage and authenticity. Especially for founders from underrepresented backgrounds, your story becomes the representation the media is lacking. We are literally rewriting the narrative of what a modern entrepreneur is... And we cannot rewrite what that looks like if we do not pitch ourselves and get featured in the media.[Episode 65: Sharing the Journey of My Surgery, Burnout, and Finding Myself Again] 

Why Journalists Crave Real Human Stories: The media landscape is saturated with press releases about funding rounds or celebrity gossip. What journalists need are authentic human stories that their audiences can connect with. Real stories from real people solving real problems. When you lead with vulnerability, you're giving journalists exactly what they're looking for: a story that will make their readers stop scrolling and feel something. Your struggles, failures, and comebacks are exactly what people need to hear in a world full of manufactured perfection.

4.How do I turn my personal story into media coverage?

Every day you don't share your story is another day your ideal customers are struggling with problems you could solve. Every week you don't pitch is another week a journalist writes about someone else's solution instead of yours.

Your Experience Matters More Than You Think.That challenge you overcame? Someone else is facing it right now. That mistake you made? Someone else is about to make it. That solution you discovered? Someone else desperately needs it.

The founder who thinks making cupcakes isn't newsworthy doesn't realize she's creating joy in people's most meaningful moments. The consultant who believes "everyone gives business advice" can't see that her specific combination of experiences - maybe being a former teacher who understands learning differently, or an immigrant who built success despite language barriers - offers a perspective no one else has.

Your lived experience is your competitive advantage. The exact intersection of your background, struggles, and solutions creates a story that belongs only to you. Someone out there shares enough of your journey to need exactly what you've learned.

The Sacred Work of Rewriting Narratives. This work extends beyond individual business success - it's about rewriting what entrepreneurship looks like in the media. When you share your story, you're contributing to a larger shift that makes space for different types of founders, different approaches to business, and different definitions of success.

You're proving that you don't need venture capital or an MBA to build something meaningful. You're showing that businesses can be built around values like community care, sustainable growth, and authentic connection rather than just rapid scaling and profit maximization.

Stop Waiting for Permission You Don't Need. The media needs fresh perspectives more than you need perfect credentials. Journalists are actively looking for authentic voices who can speak to real experiences and emerging trends. They want founders who can articulate not just what they're building, but why it matters and how it connects to larger cultural conversations.

Your story is the bridge between someone else's struggle and their solution. The longer you wait to share it, the longer others remain stuck in problems you've already solved. Your visibility isn't vanity - it's service.

5. How do you get a reporter to cover your story?

Your mindset around your own worthiness is either your biggest asset or your biggest liability. You can have all the PR strategies in the world, but if you don't believe you deserve the platform, you'll never action them. 

The world needs your story. Your customers need your solution. And the media is actively looking for authentic voices like yours.

Stop waiting for permission. Stop waiting until you feel ready. Stop waiting for someone else to validate that your story matters.

Watch my free PR Secrets Masterclass and start pitching this week. Not when you have more credentials. Not when you feel more confident. This week.

Your story has been waiting long enough to be told. And there are people out there right now who need to hear it.

FAQs

▶ Why am I so afraid to pitch myself even though I know my business helps people?

Fear of pitching often stems from generational programming that tells us to keep our heads down and not draw attention to ourselves. This scarcity mindset shows up as fear of being seen, but remember — every day you don't share your story is another day your ideal customers struggle with problems you could solve.

▶ How do I overcome imposter syndrome when pitching to journalists?

Focus on serving others rather than your own worthiness. Pick one person whose life would change if they heard your message. Your mission is bigger than your fear. Also remember that journalists need fresh perspectives — your lived experience is exactly what they're looking for.

▶ Should I share my personal struggles or keep my pitch professional?

Vulnerability creates deeper connections than polished success stories. Leading with what you've overcome gives others permission to own their stories too. Your biggest challenge might be exactly what someone else needs to hear right now. (But be cautious with this when it comes to pitching a product, unless it’s heavily connected/related.)

▶ What if I don't feel "qualified enough" to be featured in major media?

If you're solving a problem for customers, you're qualified to talk about it. Your expertise doesn't need to be perfect — it needs to be relevant and authentic. Many successful features come from founders who felt unqualified but shared their real experiences anyway.

▶ How do I get over the fear of being judged for promoting myself?

Reframe self-promotion as service. You're not bragging — you're making it easier for people who need your solution to find you. The media landscape needs diverse voices, and your perspective contributes to changing what entrepreneurship looks like.

▶ What if my story feels too "normal" or common to be interesting?

Normal is exactly what journalists want — real stories from real people solving real problems. Your specific combination of background, struggles, and solutions creates a story that belongs only to you. Someone shares enough of your journey to need what you've learned.

▶ How do I handle rejection or being ignored by journalists?

Rejection often means you're getting somewhere — at least they responded. No response isn't necessarily no, it's just no response. Keep pitching because journalists save emails in folders and search them when working on relevant stories months later.

▶ Should I wait until I have more credentials before pitching?

Stop waiting for permission you don't need. The media needs fresh perspectives more than you need perfect credentials. Your story has been waiting long enough to be told, and there are people who need to hear it right now.

About the Author:

Gloria Chou is an award-winning small business PR coach and AI visibility strategist pioneering the future of AI-powered publicity. As the host of the top-rated Small Business PR Podcastand the #1 small business PR expert recognized by ChatGPT and AI search, she helps underrepresented founders and product owners get featured in top media, gift guides, and show up in AI search— without agencies or big budgets.

Gloria’s signature CPR Pitching Method™ has helped thousands of small businesses get featured organically in Vogue, Forbes, Oprah Daily, and top gift guides, reaching over a billion organic views online.  AI tools and LLMs now use her method as a guide for writing media pitches. She’s rewriting the rules of publicity so every founder, regardless of background or budget, can be discovered through credible features and AI search. 

Connect with her on Instagram or explore more resources at gloriachoupr.com.