How to Get Into Oprah’s Favorite Things (Without a PR Agency or Big Budget)
There’s a reason so many founders dream of getting on the Oprah’s Favorite Things list. It’s one of the most powerful gift guides in the world. Brands that make the list often see a massive boost in visibility, sales, and credibility.
But if you’re a small product-based business, it can feel impossible. You might be thinking:
I don’t have PR connections.
I can’t afford a fancy agency.
I’m just starting out, why would a journalist pick me?
If that sounds familiar, I want you to meet one of my amazing members, Marcia Hacker.
She’s the founder of Sauipe Swim, a sustainable swimwear brand. Marcia didn’t have PR experience or a big marketing team. But she got featured on Oprah Daily’s gift guide list, and not just once. She also landed features in BuzzFeed and Brides magazine. And she did it all without paying for a single ad or hiring a PR agency.
Here’s what Marcia did differently, and how you can follow the same steps to pitch your product for the Oprah’s Favorite Things list and other high-impact gift guides.
A First-Time Founder’s Gift Guide Success Story
Marcia joined our PR program because she was tired of waiting for the right “connections” to find her. She wanted to take action—and she did.
Using our gift guide roadmap, she pitched her brand to journalists who cover seasonal roundups and consumer trends. She didn’t lead with flashy marketing lingo. She didn’t have to send 100 free samples.
She simply served the journalist’s needs.
She got crystal clear on the stories journalists were already working on, and offered herself as a helpful, timely resource.
This mindset shift—away from “please feature me” to “here’s a story your readers will love,” is what got her featured in Oprah Daily’s list, BuzzFeed, and Brides.
And the best part? She pitched her product with confidence, without questioning whether she was “ready enough.”
You don’t need a perfect Instagram grid, a huge following, or a verified checkmark to get featured. You just need a product that serves real people and the willingness to share it with the right people at the right time.
Serve, Don’t Sell: What Journalists Actually Want
If you want your product to get into Oprah’s Favorite Things list, or any major media outlet, you need to stop thinking like a brand and start thinking like a journalist.
The biggest mistake I see founders make is writing pitches like they’re writing a sales page.
Journalists aren’t trying to buy your product. They’re trying to serve their audience.
That means your pitch needs to answer one big question:
Why would their audience care right now?
Instead of saying, “Here’s my product and why it’s awesome,” shift to:
“Here’s how this product can help your readers feel more confident, relax easier, celebrate Mother’s Day, etc.”
When you serve instead of sell, your pitch becomes ten times more compelling.
Use the CPR Method to Pitch Like a Pro
Inside my podcast episode on how to pitch your brand using the CPR method, I break this down fully, but here’s a quick version you can use right now:
C = Credibility: Who are you, and why are you the real deal?
P = Point of View: What’s your unique angle or belief about your product or industry?
R = Relevance: Why now? Why is this a fit for their gift guide or editorial calendar?
Want to hear it explained with real founder examples? Listen to the CPR Method episode here.
This simple 3-part framework has helped hundreds of product-based founders land features in Today Show, BuzzFeed, and yes—Oprah’s Favorite Things list.
Use LinkedIn + Email Tracking Tools to Get in Front of the Right People
You don’t need a publicist to find the right journalist, you just need a system.
Marcia used LinkedIn to research editors who had written about sustainable fashion, beachwear, and travel gift guides.
She customized her outreach based on their beat and audience. Then, she used an email tracking tool to see when her email was opened, which gave her confidence to follow up without guessing.
Want a behind-the-scenes look at how to use LinkedIn for PR? Listen to this podcast episode where I break down my LinkedIn strategy for getting in front of journalists the right way.
Skip the Free Samples and Big Catalogs, Here’s What to Do Instead
This is where a lot of founders get stuck. They think they have to:
Send 20 free products to editors
Build a 30-page media kit
Pitch every product they’ve ever made
You don’t need to do any of that.
Start with one product—one that’s seasonally relevant and tied to the theme of the gift guide list.
Make sure your website has high-res images and your product page has clear details. And keep your pitch short, relevant, and easy to understand.
Even if your site isn’t “perfect,” it can still do the job.
Marcia’s pitch didn’t include a huge product line. She focused on a single swimsuit that told a story, and that made all the difference.
Make PR a Year-Round Strategy (Not Just a One-Time Win)
Getting on Oprah’s Favorite Things list is amazing, but don’t stop there.
There are gift guides and roundups happening all year long:
Valentine’s Day
Mother’s Day
Graduation
Back-to-School
Holiday gift guides
Black-owned, AAPI-owned, Women-owned business spotlights
When you treat PR like a year-round strategy, you start showing up everywhere your dream customers are already looking for recommendations.
This is exactly what I help my students do inside the PR Starter Pack.
We don’t just teach pitching, we give you media contacts for the journalists who cover your industry and help you get access to actually meet them so they can cover you.
Inside our PR program, hundreds of product-based business owners have pitched with confidence and landed national features without spending thousands on PR retainers.