Katie Kavulla takes the world of parenting online as a regular contributor to both national and local publications such as Red Tricycle, SheKnows and allParenting. In addition, she covers more personal and lifestyle-based topics on Being5, where she is the creator and uses humor and honesty to tell the story of her life raising three young children in the city. Katie has been nominated for various blogging awards over the past two-years, most recently pulling in a third place nod for Best Parenting Blog in KING5’s Evening Magazine Best of Western Washington Awards. When she’s not growing her young career, Katie is man-handling her three children, ages three, five and eight, spending far too much time driving back and forth between Queen Anne and Magnolia, and escaping the city for local getaways whenever she can. In addition, Katie is an alumnus of Seattle Pacific University and grew up in nearby Bellingham.
Q: What’s your favorite story you’ve done in the last week?
A: This Red Tricycle Seattle article on where to cheer on the Seahawks with kids was a last minute addition last week, in light of the playoffs. Wishing those last 30-seconds had played out differently in Atlanta so that we could run this story again this week! Plus, getting to use photos of all of my good looking friends with their adorable kids in an article is always a bonus for me, on a personal level.
Q: What skills do new journalists need?
A: I would still consider myself a new journalist, so this is a question that I put into work every day. The biggest skill you need is one that has to happen naturally, one that you can’t learn — that’s to keep your eyes open for a story during every moment. Everyone I meet has a story to tell and their story can be used to touch the lives of others. Doing it without constantly being in “journalist-mode” is the most important piece of that skill.
Q: If you weren’t working at your current job, what would you be doing?
A: I went to school to be a doctor — I wanted to deliver babies. Sometimes I think about going back to school…
Q: Finish this sentence: “A good PR person is …”
A: … a person first and a public relations person second. I form the best stories from PR relationships that go deeper than a pitch.
Q: What hidden talent or skill do you have that viewers/readers don’t know about you?
A: I have the best parking spot karma in the world and always get a spot right up front. I can’t take credit for this — I inherited it from my dad.
The PR Pro Takeaway: Kavulla has made headway in her short time as a journalist and has quickly built a solid reputation as a blogger. Before pitching her, consider an introductory email to build a relationship. Then, keep the pitch “parenting” focused. Also, catch a ride to glean some good parking spot karma.