Who’s Ed Weirauch?
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When you ask someone to describe me, enthusiastic will almost certainly be one of the first words they choose, no doubt. Then good storyteller, strong writer, maybe good questioner and then I suspect visionary. And that’s why I’m so good at public relations.

In 2005, my job with AstraZeneca ended and I knew the time had come to work for myself. Having done public relations for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and two great hospital systems, it was time for me to step out of an organization’s structure and put my PR skills on the open market. What I didn’t expect was that it would be my bike that would carry me over the bridge to my next phase.

The organizers of the then Wachovia Cycling Series needed someone to manage consumer press for the international race highlighted on the famous Manayunk Wall in Philadelphia. I worked with the team to develop good stories and ran with them.  The result? A feature story appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News every day for a week leading up to the Sunday race.  To mostly sports editors and reporters with whom I had never worked, I pitched stories on Lance Armstrong’s team competing even though he wasn’t (see article), the women’s team (see article), the physical make-up of a bike athlete, a restaurant sponsor and former bike racer (see article), and even a Daily News comparison of bike racers and Mummers. (see article)

Never in this event’s 20-year history had so many stories been placed. “Now this is how to kick off my own business,” I optimistically decided.

Through my communications style, I conveyed enthusiasm for the race by focusing on the “how” and “why” of each story, I envisioned how the story might come together and consistently put myself in the reader’s/ viewer’s/listener’s place. This is the mantra I have used when pitching completely unknown people and topics for feature stories and managing press interest over the years for Mother Teresa of Calcutta, NJ Governors Christie Whitman and Jon Corzine and the birth of a 15 pound baby.

And from time to time I get a little press for myself (see article).

Now I’d like to do the same for you.