Get the right attention.
Without a publicist

Photo of Tracy Samantha Schmidt standing with arms crossed looking at camera.

I'm a former TIME Magazine journalist and University of Chicago marketing professor. I help experts and organizations earn media coverage and book speaking gigs without a publicist.

Join 24,000 following along on TikTok, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

MY CLIENTS HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN

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Proof you don’t need a publicist.

Here are some of my clients’ biggest success stories:

Viral at SXSW


Now main stage at SXSW three years running. 500+ media mentions in a year. Now represented by UTA.

FUTURIST + CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST

New York Times exclusive


Print exclusive for an indie docuseries. No distributor. Almost 1M TikTok views in 4 weeks.

INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER

$2.3 million


Raised on Kickstarter. Fully funded in 24 minutes. Top 0.1% of all Kickstarter campaigns ever.

INVENTOR + FOUNDER

Tier One media


Cracked after years of trying. Business Insider, Chicago Tribune, and Chicago Tonight — twice.

SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCY

Editor’s top pick


Product named Progressive Grocer Top Pick 2025. Featured in The Bump and Good Housekeeping.

CPG FOUNDER

$80k in one livestream


Governor secured for opening remarks. Grammy-winning artists activated. Raised $80k in 2 hours.

MUSIC NONPROFIT

TRUSTED BY PROFESSIONALS AT

Young Presidents' Organization logo
Johns Hopkins University logo
American Library Association logo
The University of Chicago logo
National Association of Realtors logo
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What clients say about my approach

Headshot of Ian Beacraft, Founder and Chief Futurist at Signal + Cipher

Ian Beacraft, Founder and Chief Futurist, Signal + Cipher

“Not only did Tracy help me crystallize my ideas and make them applicable to all audiences, which helped my SXSW talk go viral. On top of that, she helped me leverage my SXSW speech to attract a ton of media coverage that was a game-changer for the growth of our business.”

Headshot of Lauren Wambold Patel, CEO of Keenan Reid Strategies

Lauren Wambold Patel, CEO, Keenan Reid Strategies

“Tracy helped me find a clear message for our company and a communications strategy I could actually execute. It changed how I talk about my business and gave us real visibility to reach more prospects. With Tracy’s help, we were able to get an interview published in Fast Company – a huge win for our credibility.” 

Headshot of Jonathan Domanus, Founder of CardMill

Jonathan Domanus, Founder, CardMill

"Tracy helped me turn my idea into a story people believed in. Her strategy gave me the tools to build momentum, and it directly fueled our record-breaking $2.2M Kickstarter launch. I am immensely grateful to her for her guidance, strategy, and friendship during an incredibly wild ride.”

Headshot of Dr. Justin Gregg, scientist and best-selling author

Dr. Justin Gregg, Scientist and Best-Selling Author

“Tracy was able to find a way to take what I considered my greatest weakness as a science communicator and turn it into my greatest strength. It’s the kind of insight that only a seasoned veteran of the PR industry can provide.”

Headshot of Seth Kravitz, co-founder of Technori

Seth Kravitz, Co-founder of Technori

“Because of Tracy, we were first covered by CBS and then inundated with press coverage. Tracy's PR strategy was a game-changer for our organization and one of the reasons why we grew so fast.”

Headshot of Alex Ruggieri, Commercial Real Estate Broker and Counselor of Real Estate

Alex Ruggieri, Commercial Real Estate Broker and Counselor of Real Estate

“I have looked for ages to find someone who could understand my business, and Tracy got it right from the start.

Headshot of Erica Bethe Levin, Founder and CEO of Globowl

Erica Bethe Levin, Founder and CEO, Globowl

“Although I've always considered myself PR savvy, traditional PR hasn't always felt like it was working. Tracy armed me with the tools I needed to do it the right way, on my own, and it's been more effective than anything else we've ever tried.

Headshot of Dr. Pooja A. Patel, Founder of Aging Together

Dr. Pooja A. Patel, Founder of Aging Together

“Tracy's methodological process helped me define my industry, service offerings, target clients, and long-term vision to create a comprehensive messaging system I could use to better position myself and my company.”

Headshot of Heather Stumpf, Photographer and Owner of Vavoom Studios

Heather Stumpf, Photographer & Owner of Vavoom Studios

“Tracy is the sharpest tool in my toolbox. A true creative thinker, she opens your world and asks you the hard questions that take you to the next level, even when you think you know everything about your business. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my company’s reputation.”

Ready to get the right attention?