IAM2269 – News Booker and Producer Helps Clients Grow From Zero Exposure to Household Names

Ashley Bernardi is the founder of Nardi Media LLC, specializing in earned media placements and media training.

With over a decade of experience in journalism, she transitioned from a producer role at CBS News to public relations, helping clients—including authors, celebrities, and brands—gain media exposure.

Ashley explains how she serves various clients through media relations and training, discussing the value of earned media for enhancing client credibility.

Ashley highlights what sets her agency apart, including hiring former journalists, and discusses her morning routine and the importance of meditation for productivity.

Website: Nardi Media

Other site: Ashley Bernardi

LinkedIn: Ashley Bernardi

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Ashley Bernardi Teaser 00:00

So my firm specializes in placing clients for earned media placements and they pay me to do that.

I also specialize in media training. So someone will come to me and say, I wanna get on TV or I wanna improve my speaking.

I'm not sure how to do it. I need to practice and I help them with media and message training.

So what I do is I help them drill down on what their message is that they want to get across to the media. I train them on how to do that and I get them comfortable in front of the camera.

Intro 00:28

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:53

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today.

I have Ashley Bernardi of Nardi Media LLC. Ashley, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Ashley Bernardi 01:03

Thanks so much for having me, Gresh. I'm excited to join you.

Gresham Harkless 01:07

I'm excited to have you on as well, too. And what I wanted to do was just read a little bit more about Ashley so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing.

Veteran news booker and producer Ashley Bernardi created Nardi Media LLC in 2015 as a culmination of over a decade of booking and producing experience, television broadcasting, satellite media tours, radio tours, media strategy, and logistics.

More importantly than her lengthy list of accolades, which includes serving as a top booker for the early show on CBS News, the senior booker and producer for Energy Now on Bloomberg TV, Washington Post Live, and hosting a cooking show is her passion for publicity.

Her experience is steeped in journalism, which means research is a second language and creating connections with audiences is a close third.

Ashley Bernardi has helped clients grow from zero exposure to household names on the New York Times bestseller list.

She enjoys helping book authors, celebrities, nonprofit organizations, and national brands increase their exposure, credibility, and potential for new opportunities.

Ashley adds, there's nothing like having a client with a message that could change hearts, change lives, or change the world and giving them a microphone. Ashley, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Ashley Bernardi 02:19

I am so ready, Gresh. Let's do it.

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Gresham Harkless 02:22

Let's do it. So first question I had was just to hear a little bit more about your CEO story and what led you to start your business.

Ashley Bernardi 02:28

Yes. So my story, my CEO story actually began when I was a journalist. So as you as you noted, I was a producer for CBS News.

That's where I launched my career here in DC. But then I was promoted up to New York City, where I spent 4 years traveling the country producing breaking news stories for the early show on CBS News.

And then from there I took a job with as a senior producer and producer on Energy Now which was an environmental energy and environmental show that aired on Bloomberg TV.

So before my CEO story really started with the experience that I needed to do what I wanted to do as an entrepreneur and as a CEO.

So it was after my I spent, let's say, I think about a decade, almost a decade in journalism when I decided to cross over in publicity.

And I was always interested in publicity because I had had a lot of journalist friends cross over to the other side for whatever reason people get really burnt out as journalists we're working all the time it's a 24-hour news cycle and I became one of them but I was really interested in keeping my hand in the newsroom somehow.

And I knew that being a publicist was a way to do that in that I could write pitches, have awesome clients, and pitch them to the media.

And I knew exactly how to do that. So I started off working at a small PR firm in DC and I found that I absolutely loved publicity.

I had so much fun doing it. I got to keep my hand in the newsroom. I still got to work with my news folks. I still had, I got to produce or help produce news stories but I was on the other side.

So about a year into doing that, I decided to try my hand at it on my own. And what I did was I took on one client, I took on a book author, and I said, I worked with him for 3 months.

And within those 3 months, I had him booked on over 50 broadcast interviews. And we were only doing broadcast interviews at that point.

And so, I mean, I had him everywhere from CNN to Fox News to local TV to NPR, 50 interviews in 3 months.

And from there, that's when the referral started rolling in. And I founded my company, Nardi Media in 2015. And I will be coming up on my fourth year in early 2019.

So that is my story of how I started my business. And my why is because I won, I think I had that entrepreneurial bug in me from the very start.

I've always liked to kind of march to the beat of my own drum and I love just doing my own thing.

So being a CEO, I got the flexibility that I had always craved. I get to make up the rules. I get to intuitively do what I think is best for my clients.

And usually that is best because I have the experience. I know exactly what it's going to take to get them placed in the media.

So part of my why is I just wanted the freedom and flexibility to make my own choices while also doing something that I love, which was publicity. And I married the 2 and here I am today.

Gresham Harkless 05:26

Yeah, it definitely sounds like you're rocking and rolling, which is something that's definitely awesome.

And me being a journalism nut, I've always looked at the industry and it always needs, definitely fresh ideas.

So it's great that you've been able to have that, that experience, but you also been able to come up, it sounds like with the kind of creative perspective on how you can kind of execute and help out the clients that you're working with.

So I definitely, you know, give you kudos for being able to create that balance, but also being able to execute on that balance for your clients as well.

Ashley Bernardi 05:52

Thank you. Yeah, it's great fun. I have so much fun doing it.

Gresham Harkless 05:55

Yeah, definitely sounds like it. And now I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper. I know you touched on it a little bit, but could you tell us how you're serving the clients and things that you're doing to help support those clients.

Ashley Bernardi 06:03

So from, like a big like umbrella view, I specialize in media relations. But what that means is people come to me so it can be a book author, a CEO, it could be corporate clients, startups, nonprofits, national brands, you name it, anyone who is looking, who has a message that they want to take it to an audience, to the masses.

I help them get there by getting them placed in the media. And what that means is I have, maybe it's a spokesperson or a CEO or a book author.

I have them do interviews on TV, radio, podcast, print, online. They'll have mentions, product placements, you name it. We focus on getting earned media.

And what earned media means is that they don't pay, it's not advertising, they don't pay to get placed on Good Morning America or NPR.

They are featured as an expert along with their book or their product. So my firm specializes in placing clients for earned media placements and they pay me to do that.

I also specialize in media training so someone will come to me and say I want to get on TV or I want to improve my speaking.

I'm not sure how to do it. I need to practice and I help them with media and message training.

So what I do is I help them drill down on what their message is that they want to get across to the media.

I train them on how to do that and I get them comfortable in front of the camera. So two things that I specialize in one media relations, I would say that's probably about 80% of it. And then the other 20% is media training clients.

Gresham Harkless 07:25

That's awesome. And I know, like you mentioned, like you're, book authors or whoever those potential clients are, they're trying to be known for their expertise, they're trying to be seen as an expert.

So one of the ways to do that is, like you said, the earned media avenue where you're actually being seen on, the CNN, the Washington Post, the CBS News, all those places that you work.

And that gives them the opportunity to be seen as the expert, as the go to person. It kind of sounds like.

Ashley Bernardi 07:47

And I mean, the payoff is huge. It builds their credibility. So when a potential customer comes to them and they're considering them versus someone else, I'd rather go for someone who's been featured in Entrepreneur in Today Show and Fast Company and you name it versus somebody who doesn't have any press credibility.

But I also have so many stories of my clients who've been placed in the media. And from that, they have gotten book deals and speaking engagements and have built new connections.

So getting placed in the media has huge payoffs that I have seen for all of my clients. And so from a business standpoint, it's necessary.

I think everyone should be investing in some sort of media relations if they really want to grow their businesses.

Gresham Harkless 08:24

Yeah. And like I always say, the name of the game a lot of times is visibility. So if you have that visibility on some of those great media platforms, as you mentioned, then that, of course, will allow people to be able to call you to reach out to you, whether it be speaking or whatever opportunities that might be out there.

Ashley Bernardi 08:38

Yep, that's it. You're right.

Gresham Harkless 08:39

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce.

And this could be for you or your organization, but what do you feel kind of distinguishes you or sets you apart?

Ashley Bernardi 08:48

I love this question and there's two. So like I'm going to use me, but I'm also going to use my organization.

So Nardi Media, here's the one thing that's unique about us. I only hire former journalists.

So every single one of my staff members are former journalists, most of them former network news producers.

Why do I do this? Because I have found that there is a huge difference between someone who has worked on the other side and has become a publicist versus someone who's just a publicist and has never been a journalist.

So for anyone that's ever looking for a media relations firm, ask them who on your staff or who has worked in the news because somebody who works in the news has an understanding of the news.

They know how the newsroom works. They know how stories and coverage are decided. They know how to talk to journalists.

So that's the secret sauce of my organization for me personally my secret sauce I don't take no for an answer and here's what I mean by that.

I am told no all day long I am passed all day long by journalists I mean and I'm unaffected by the word no, so I am told no and I say okay but for me no means okay not today or maybe not right now.

But it still means a potential yes sometimes and I'm gonna give you a perfect example of that.

I was pitching a client to a national new show a couple years ago and I had received a pass from a producer.

She said, no, this isn't for us. So I was like, you know what? I'm gonna pitch another producer who works on a different hour of that show.

And I pitched him, and they ended up doing a 6 minute piece on national TV. This is a national network news show on that just because I had tried something else I got creative with my nose.

And my secret sauce is that I'm unaffected by the word no and I'm really creative when it comes to people telling me no.

Gresham Harkless 10:27

I love it I love it I love it and that's very necessary to be an entrepreneur and business owner and I also obviously love your secret sauce for Nardi Media.

Because a lot of times you have to know what the people that you're trying to pitch know and then be able to say that they have that experience.

And they've worked in those specific industries that helps give you that overall perspective on how to pitch them, how to basically, make those pitches to those clients that you're trying to get.

Ashley Bernardi 10:49

That's it. If you want to work with me, you have to have a background in the news.

Gresham Harkless 10:53

Absolutely. I love it. And now I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an Apple book or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient as a business owner.

Ashley Bernardi 11:03

Awesome. I love this question as well. And I think it's something that I could talk about all day.

So I have a habit, but also an app that goes along with it. My habit is, and I know a lot of CEOs do this, I wake up early.

I mean, super early. I usually wake up around 5- 5:30 Am because I want to start my day on the right foot as entrepreneurs and business owners I'm sure that anyone can relate I have something called what I call monkey mind and that I can't turn it off.

So I wake up early and I have a morning routine. I wake up and immediately I use my meditation app called Insight Timer and I meditate every single day for 10-15 minutes but I can up to 20 if I find that I have the time that day.

But that really sets my mind in the right place before I go, go, go all day long. In my personal life, I have 3 kids, so I'm managing a household along with managing a business.

And waking up early has helped me set my tone for the day. It helps me define how I want my day to run.

And then meditating, the second part of this, really gets my mindset, my health, and my mental state in the right place to thrive personally and professionally.

Gresham Harkless 12:08

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. I definitely agree with those. Now I wanted to ask you for a CEO nugget and this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice or if you can hop into a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Ashley Bernardi 12:18

Oh my gosh, I love this. So my nugget for anyone that's an aspiring CEO or current CEO is think about what your superpower is.

Like what do you absolutely love doing? For me, I found my superpower. It's booking. It's booking people on TV, radio, print online.

And people have called me a magician for doing that. But I want everyone to feel that the way that I feel. Like you can be a magician. Just find your superpower.

Find out what it is that brings you joy and follow that. And if you're not sure what it is, I've been told to do this. Think about what you did as a child. What brought you joy as a child?

And for me, this is so simple. When I was a kid, I was, I mean, my mom can tell you, I was producing news stories by age 8.

I would take my dad's video camera and I would produce news stories. I would be the anchor, I would produce them and I spent hours and hours and hours doing that.

Then, it's no surprise that I became a national network TV producer turned publicist who now places people in the media.

So figure out what your superpower is, what brings you joy, what you're amazing at that nobody else could do and do that.

Gresham Harkless 13:25

I love it. And I love the idea of how you're able to do that as well too, because often you can look at yourself as a kid, but you don't really care about the money, you don't care about the prestige and all of those things.

You're just doing it just because it's your pure essence of who you are. And you tapped into that, it sounds like, and you've been doing that from the beginning, it sounds.

Ashley Bernardi 13:41

Yes. I'm very lucky to have tapped into that from the very beginning. And I had parents who told me, don't just take a job to take a job, find work that doesn't feel like you work a day in your life.

And I can honestly say that I wake up and I don't feel like I'm actually working because it brings me so much joy.

Gresham Harkless 13:58

I love that. Great reminder for all of us. And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition for what it means to be a CEO.

And we're hoping to have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. But Ashley, I want to ask you what does being a CEO mean to you?

Ashley Bernardi 14:11

This is, I think my, this is the best question. I love this. To me, it means that you are, for me, I am a visionary and a creator and there are no limits. Anything is possible.

So any problem that a CEO comes across, anything that happens, you have an opportunity to create change.

So being a CEO is a very creative process for me. And that's what it means. It means that you're a visionary, you're a creator, you see beyond, you have no limits, anything is solvable.

And that's what it means to me. But also it means flexibility. I work on my terms, not someone else's.

I am not a 9 to 5 type person. I am going to work till the job gets done. I'm going to work my hard, as hard as I can, I'm gonna work my hardest, but I'm not going to let hours define me, like 9 to 5.

And if there are some days that I work a 6 hour day, that's great. If there's other days that I work an 8 hour day, that's also great.

As long as I'm doing my best work and by doing that, it helps me be the creator and a visionary that I want to be and just reminds me that anything is possible when you're a CEO.

Gresham Harkless 15:15

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And like you said, often when you're in alignment with what your passion is and what your gifts are, it never feels like work anyway. So it's great to have the opportunity to be able to do that.

Ashley Bernardi 15:24

That's exactly it. It's really, it's fun for almost every day. I mean, there's always challenges as CEOs and business owners and I face challenges every day, but I learn from those. It's a growing process, and I think it's a very creative process too.

Gresham Harkless 15:38

Yeah, and sometimes that's what makes it very, very exciting. So Ashley, I truly appreciate you for taking some time out of your schedule.

What I wanted to do was pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and our listeners know, and then also how best they can get a hold of you.

Ashley Bernardi 15:51

Oh, yeah. Well, come and find me. My website is nardimedia.com, N-A-R-D-I-Media.com. And I would love to hear from you.

You can email me, ashley@nardimedia.com. And definitely check me out on Facebook as well.

I'm on Instagram Booker Bernardi and twitter on Booker Bernardi too. So come and reach out. I would love to hear from you and have a conversation.

Gresham Harkless 16:13

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. We will make sure to have those links in the show notes and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Ashley Bernardi 16:17

Thank you, Gresh, you too.

Outro 16:20

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO podcast powered by CB Nation and Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community.

Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. Subscribe and leave us a 5-star rating. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless Jr. Thank you for listening.

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