Dear Gawker: You're wrong. Love, Peter.

Dear Gawker:

Happy Monday, guys! Cold, huh? Staying warm? Has the cold taken some of the real news out of commission? Because honestly, that's the only thing I can think of that can possibly justify me being linked to Gawker twice in January. Seriously - Have Ronnie or Paris or Matt or whomever been hibernating this month? Come on. Twice? I'm not even at my marathon weight, yet I'm honored with two mentions this month?

Maybe I should go buy a Powerball ticket.

Now then...

You're wrong.

Re-read the email. It's not about me being in print. Never was. I get enough of that incoming (twice in one month, remember? Powerball numbers 6, 14, 18, 25...) I said source my brain. What does that mean? It means I know a lot of people, and they're newsworthy. They wind up getting quoted in the media anyway, so why shouldn't a reporter get easy access to them? Where in that email am I showboating? Or grandstanding? I'm not. I'm helping. H-E-L-P-I-N-G.

That email was sent around around 7:58am this morning. Have already hooked up reporters at the Journal, Times, Good Morning America, Fortune, People, Us, EW, and others with two clients, but more importantly, seven contacts. People I know. Why? Because I can. Because the opposite of Snarky is Nice. And because it can't hurt. In fact, it only helps.

I DID get, however, one "don't email me again" email. From a producer at Fox News. Out of hundreds? I'll take it.

I'll defend my Good Karma email as long as I have to. This is the fourth year in a row that I've done it, and not only do I have some spectacular contacts from it who have kept in touch with me through several job moves, but I've also made some great friends.

Look - The fact is, until other agencies realize that their job isn't to make their clients happy, but to make REPORTERS and EDITORS and PRODUCERS happy, I'll just keep taking clients away from the big shops the way I've been doing since 1998. Fact is, larger agencies will NEVER do that - because "it's not the way they've always done it." Which again - is fine with me. If I'm keeping the reporter happy, the client is happy by default. This isn't rocket science, guys. It never has been, and it never will be.

So as always, Gawker, thank you for the shout. The irony of my being in Gawker amuses me, though, since like I said, the email wasn't about me getting in the paper. Read it again. I'll send it to anyone who wants it.

And to answer your other question - I don't know who would win in a fight - me or Ronn. But I'll race him around the Central Park loop anytime he wants.

Off to buy a few PowerBall tickets, I remain,

-Peter

PS: The photo where I hit the ground after getting tased is much more flattering to my ass, in my opinion.

Comments

[mvellandi]

Dude,
I read your book and know your Spiel. Individuals, not companies make business happen. Maintaining relationships with them in a friendly and approachable manner is simply good networking. I've carried relationships among different employers (and vice versa) because it's fun and an asset.

[samantha]

WOW.. simply wow... why do huge companies need to make life harder for themselves?

You keep doing what you're doing and continue to steal their clients... that'll show them.

cheers