Beat the Economy By Breaking into a New Industry

Episode Summary Some industries are on fire right now, hiring, growing, and spending. And some are bone dry. If yours has gone quiet, you've probably already heard the advice to pivot. Karen and Michelle are not here to tell you that pivoting is possible. They're here to tell you how. Episode 354 is a practical guide to breaking into a new industry when your current one has stalled. This episode is for the practitioner who is sitting in a dry sector right now and needs real steps to take. Karen and Michelle start by busting the myth that skills plus reputation walk seamlessly across industries, clarify exactly what does and doesn't travel with you. The episode is tactical and includes: how to reframe your existing portfolio through a new industry's lens, how to land a flagship project without working for free, four pathways to first opportunities in a new vertical, the mistakes to avoid when you're tempted to cut your rates, a realistic 3-to-6-month timeline with honest caveats, and the one concrete step you can take today. Karen is clear from the start that she is not speaking theoretically; she has had to take some of these steps herself, and the advice reflects it. Episode Highlights [01:22] The Myth That Skills Plus Reputation Walk Across Industries Unchanged: Karen names the belief that gets a lot of solo practitioners into trouble: that PR is PR everywhere, and their skills and reputation can carry them into a new sector without friction. Michelle validates the partial truth that media relations instincts, crisis communications, executive positioning, and messaging discipline, those are your core muscles, and they do travel. What doesn't travel: industry vocabulary, regulatory landscape, buyer psychology, and the media relationships themselves. A healthcare reporter relationship means nothing in fintech. Plan for that rather than hoping otherwise. [02:22] Relationships Don't Transfer — But Skills Do, and That's Enough to Start: Michelle's framing is direct: don't count on your contacts to save you. What saves you is your own capability.  You know how to build a message, craft it with precision, and hold the room under pressure. Karen's practical response to practitioners worried about starting over is that you are not starting from zero. Your portfolio still exists. Your experience and judgment still matter. The task is to reframe what you've already done through the lens of the new audience you want to reach, and to do the same with your LinkedIn, your bio, and your case studies, swapping out PR jargon for the new industry's language. [04:41] The Fastest Credential is One Flagship Project in the New Space: A single flagship project in your target industry outweighs years of history in your previous one. The question is how to get it without working for free. Karen's preferred path is a short-term embedded stint as a contractor with a PR practitioner or agency that already serves the industry you want to enter. You're not responsible for the whole strategy; you're not necessarily client-facing, but you're learning the landscape and building your portfolio at the same time, while getting paid. Karen's second preference is pitching a byline to a trade publication in the new industry. You don't need sector experience to have a point of view on communications and PR. That byline becomes proof of presence in the space. [06:29] Four Pathways to First Opportunities in a New Industry: Michelle and Karen walk through the four most practical routes. First: adjacent industry referrals. Look inside your existing network for one-degree-removed introductions. You are probably closer to your target industry than you think. Second: volunteer with a trade association in the industry. This builds knowledge, visible credibility, and relationships, and for APRs, volunteer hours count toward renewal. Third: offer to ghostwrite for someone already working inside the industry. You gain the knowledge as you write the piece and prove your capability in the process. Fourth: subcontract for an agency already serving that vertical, building your portfolio before going direct to clients. [11:14] Where the Money Is Flowing Right Now: Michelle names the sectors actively hiring communicators in 2026: AI, healthcare, energy, and climate. Traditional retail and some legacy media are not. Karen adds the nuance that even in sectors that are struggling overall — she cites tech specifically — there are portions of the sector where money still exists and is still being spent. The prescription: read financial publications, track where investment is flowing, follow the problems that are predicted and who is positioned to solve them. Broaden your view within sectors before assuming the whole sector is closed. [13:11] The Mistake Everyone Is Tempted to Make: Pivoting on Price Instead of Positioning: When you're new to a space and feel you need to prove yourself, the temptation is to undercut your rates. Karen is direct: do not do this. Clients who find you through price are not clients who value your judgment. What you can do instead is start with a smaller scope of work such as a three-month project, a productized offer, or a focused consultation. In this way, the engagement feels lower risk to the buyer without compromising your rate. Michelle's alternative: develop a sharp point of view on the industry's actual challenges, which signals that you belong there regardless of your history in the sector. Pivot on positioning, not on price. [15:51] Setting a Realistic Timeline and Not Getting Discouraged: Karen's honest assessment is that a realistic runway for breaking into a new industry is 3 to 6 months. In the current market, it could take a year or longer. The economy is moving in windows. There are periods where things open up, then something shifts, and clients pull back. Karen names this from personal experience, not theory. The practical implication is don't try to turn away from your current sector overnight. Work the new industry alongside what you're already doing, chip away consistently, and measure forward progress by inbound interest and repeat conversations rather than by contracts signed. [17:43] Speed It Up With In-Person Networking: Karen's tactical advice for shortening the timeline: if the target industry exists in your local area, find the in-person touchpoints. Local chamber of commerce, trade association meetings, industry mixers, and direct coffee requests to people inside companies you'd like to work with. Karen is careful to say don't use the phrase 'pick your brain' — instead, tell them honestly that you're interested in serving this industry and want to learn more about what they're facing. Follow up with a small, thoughtful thank-you. Face-to-face accelerates trust in a way that digital outreach does not. [19:58] The One Concrete Step to Take Today: Karen closes with a single, low-lift action: pick one adjacent connection in your existing network and ask for an introduction this week. Don't overthink it, don't plan the whole campaign first, don't wait until you've rewritten your website. Take one step. Michelle adds the Solo PR Pro community as a place to practice the pivot; the private forum is full of practitioners who know people across industries and are ready to make introductions.   Resources & Additional Information Sectors actively hiring communicators in 2026 (per the episode): AI, healthcare, energy, and climate communications. Solo PR Pro membership community — Solo PR Pro's private forum is specifically mentioned as a place to practice the pivot, make connections, and get introductions into new industries.soloprpro.com That Solo Life podcast website: thatsololife.com Host & Show Info That Solo Life is a podcast created for public relations, communication, and marketing professionals who work as independent practitioners or microagenices. Hosted by Karen Swim, APR, President of Solo PR Pro, and Michelle Kane, Principal of Voice Matters, the show delivers expert insights, encouragement, and practical advice for solo PR pros navigating today's dynamic professional landscape. That Solo Life was recently recognized as one of the Top 33 Solopreneur Podcasts on the Web by Feedspot. Listen to all episodes and catch up on previous conversations at thatsololife.com. Did this episode inspire you? If you found value in this conversation, please take a moment to leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more solo pros just like you! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.