Words of Wisdom from CNN Producer, Jill Chappell

While in D.C., our wonderful professor Stephen Whyte set up some great meetings for us to meet and learn from professionals. One of them was his longtime friend, Jill Chappell. Jill, (as you can see in her description) is the CNN Producer for The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.

It was incredible to listen to her insight and to hear how hard she worked to be where she is today. Jill is not a lady who had her wants handed to her on a platter. She disclosed to us her story of perseverance which has lead her to where she is today...HARD WORK.

Did you know that on average Jill gets over 800 emails per day? Wow. I'm sure if you're a PR professional reading this post, one of those emails could easily be yours. She offered a quick secret to in regards to email pitching:

Less is more. Don't send attachments. Be concise. When writing a headline use her name, title it "Hi Jill," "Hey Jill," If you are trying to get a placement for a client such as an expert with ebola--title it, "Ebola Guest." Also, within the email, be sure to hyperlink a short bio to provide credibility.

Below are some phrases she said that stood out to me. 

• Relationships with others take precedence over your degree. 
• My Rolodex is my bread and butter. 
• No one likes someone who complains all the time.  
• People are still JUST people. These people ARE people! Be Relatable. 

I hope this helps you realize that others, as Jill said, "ARE JUST PEOPLE."