“Hunch that Makes a Punch”

Sometimes it’s that gut feeling, a flutter of certainty, or maybe it’s just on a whim. Whatever it is. Go with it, because it might just take you further than you’ll ever know.

Founder and CEO of Salt & Pepper Media Inc., Paul Fitzgerald shared a story of experience on following his own intuition in our recent expert panel. “Exposure brings success” is one of the first things Paul said that definitely set the tone for this experienced journalist. He recounted a story about a new mouthgaurd with technology that enhances athletic performance. In the early stages of the PR campaign, a small local newspaper from Massachusetts was intrigued by the product and also wanted to write a story. Paul notified the company in hopes that they would consider this an opportunity, but it looked like it would have to take a little more for them to jump on board.

That’s when Paul’s intuition kicked in. He encouraged the company in taking the offer and advised; like any good journalist and PR practitioner that “any media is good media.” The company finally agreed to work with the smaller newspaper and in the matter of hours after hitting the press, Paul was receiving a call from The Boston Globe! Apparently,  that small newspaper was local to the Globe’s editor who happened to pick up the paper that morning.

After only a few weeks of launching the campaign the story has created a domino effect in the media. ABC News, USA Today and other larger media platforms were picking up the story and sharing it around the globe. In turn establishing the product as the newest “need-to-have it” piece among professional athletes.

Paul definitely showed us that perseverance and intuition can truly pay off in the end. The best decision that Paul’s client did, was hire him. With his in depth knowledge of the industry and how media works plays a huge role in understanding his own intuition and when to follow it. As one that leads with the heart, I certainly agree with Paul and found this quote from Steve Jobs that was resonating. I’ve now just realized that being here was one of my greatest hunches.