What The Press Room is

The Press Room is a 90 day DIY PR cohort for female founders, run by publicist Melinda Jackson of Melinda Jackson Public Relations in Raleigh, North Carolina. It starts October 1, 2026, runs entirely online, and is capped at 20 women. It costs $1,500 for the full 90 days, or $500 a month for three months.

It is for founders who need press but are not ready to spend thousands a month on a publicist. Instead of hiring someone to pitch for you, you learn to do it yourself, with me reading your actual pitches the whole way through.

Why this is not a course

There is no video library. Nothing is pre-recorded.

Whether your story is worth pitching depends on your business, your timing, and what that reporter published last week, and no template can tell you that. Somebody has to look at what you wrote and tell you what is wrong with it. That is the entire reason this is a live room and not a login.

What happens in the 90 days

Every week we are on a video call together. Some are teaching calls, where I walk through my 90 day PR plan one piece at a time. The rest are hot seats, where one member puts her real pitch on the screen and I go through it line by line and say what I would change and why. Everyone else watches, which is where most of the learning actually happens.

Once a month there is a coworking hour. One hour, everyone on the call, and we send. No teaching, no discussion. It is the part every founder puts off and the reason most PR advice never turns into coverage.

Between calls there is a private group for drafts, questions, and wins. You get one short email a week with your single action for that week. That is the only email you get from me, deliberately.

The 90 day arc

Month one is getting clear. Your story, your thought leadership, and your talking points. Then a media relevance check, which is the honest question of whether the press is even covering your topic right now, and what to do if the answer is no.

Month two is outreach. You build your media list and send real pitches to real people, then follow up correctly, which is where most founders quit.

Month three is the bigger stuff. Podcasts, speaking engagements, and awards. You also learn the whole system so you can keep running your own PR long after the cohort ends.

Who this is for

Female founders and business owners who want press and are willing to do the work themselves. Service businesses, consultants, therapists, coaches, creators, and product founders have all applied. You do not need any PR experience. Several women in this cohort have never pitched anyone.

You also do not need to be a beginner. If you already have a podcast, a speaking career, or press clips, and what you are missing is a consistent practice, this is built for that too.

Who this is not for

Anyone looking for guaranteed placements. Anyone who wants PR done for them rather than taught to them. Anyone who cannot make a weekly call for three months.

Dates, format, and price

The Press Room starts October 1, 2026 and runs 90 days. All calls are virtual, so it does not matter where you are. The cohort is capped at 20 women.

$1,500 paid in full, or $500 a month for three months.

This is the founding cohort, which means this is the lowest price The Press Room will ever be.

How to join

Fill out the interest form. It takes about three minutes and asks what you are building and what you want press for.

I read every one myself. I am not taking everybody, because in a room this small the other women are part of what you are paying for, and one wrong fit changes it for everyone. If you are a fit, I send you the payment link and your seat is held. If you are not, I will tell you honestly and tell you what I would do instead.