People ask me all the time if I have a publicist. While I’ve known many publicists who’ve supported me a great deal, I didn’t officially have a personal publicist until very recently. For a long time, I handled my own public relations. And learning how to promote myself has been hugely beneficial.

You are your own best publicist, especially when you’re starting out. Only you can promote yourself the best way possible. So be loud about what you’re doing. Let the whole world know. That’s the key to good PR work.

Be shameless about self-promotion

When it comes to publicizing your work (and yourself), be shameless. Don’t believe the bullshit idea that you should be embarrassed to promote your work or that people will think you’re pushy and obnoxious. The world is all about social media influencers right now. If you don’t promote yourself, people will never know about you or what you’re doing. So get the microphone out and start spreading the news.

Generate word of mouth

The best type of publicity is word of mouth. No matter where you go and who you talk to, tell people about your story and where you want to go. That’s how I got my start in Hollywood. When I was 18, I was working at a clothing boutique, H. Lorenzo at Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood. A woman came into the store to sell eyeshadow. Her name was Galit Strugano, and her makeup line was called Girlactik. We started chatting, and I told her about my dream to become a host. She told me she had a friend who worked at “Entertainment Tonight,” and she’d pass along my resume. That conversation led to my internship at “Entertainment Tonight,” then at E! Entertainment, and later a job at “ET” where I learned everything that’s helped me create my own company. I talk more about my experience with Galit in the video below:

Imagine if I never told Galit, the stranger who walked into the boutique that day, about my own dreams and plans. My life could have taken a different turn.

Utilize social media

Social media is the most powerful publicity tool available to you. It’s the best and most creative way to tell people who you are and what you’re about. Don’t be afraid to share your mission statement on every social media platform. You never know who will see your page and what job opportunities will come your way if you tell the world where you want to go. Write profile bios that explain exactly who you are and that share the “elevator pitch” of what you do. Those one or two sentences can open so many doors.

Join communities

Join communities and groups that speak your language and share your interests. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people who are in the same line of business as you or who share your goals. For example: If you’re a vegan chef, join groups structured around vegan communities.

Be conscious of your brand

Remember that “PR” stands for public relations. And social media is public. If you’re a doctor and you want people to see you as professional, don’t use social media to share photos of you popping bottles and balling out of control at the club. Your patients won’t be thrilled to see that, especially before surgery. Make your public image consistent with your work.

XO,