From Course Flop to Visibility Powerhouse: How Christina Lenkowski Built Publicity by Christina
Christina Lenkowski built a thriving PR agency by doing the opposite of what she was told. She did not scale fast, she did not chase trends, and she did not try to be everywhere. She focused on one thing: podcast guesting. That singular focus helped her build Publicity by Christina, a boutique agency that has helped entrepreneurs land over 900 podcast bookings. She has also been a guest on nearly 100 shows herself. But before all of that, she launched a course that barely sold.
A Hard Lesson on Selling Without Visibility
In 2018, Christina was ready. She had taken everything she had learned from more than a decade in PR and marketing and packaged it into an online course for tourism regions. She followed the blueprint everyone was teaching at the time: ads, webinars, email funnels, zero personal engagement. And then she launched it.
Crickets.
She sold a few spots. But not nearly enough to call it a win. Her husband raised an eyebrow. She told him to give her time. And then she had a realization that changed everything. She was teaching a course on publicity, but she had done zero publicity for the course itself.
So she went back to what she knew best: pitching.
Christina began reaching out to podcasts, focusing on shows that spoke to the kinds of entrepreneurs she wanted to serve. She got booked. She showed up prepared. And almost immediately, she started getting emails from people around the world. People who had heard her on a podcast and wanted to learn more. People who were ready to buy.
When the pandemic hit and her tourism clients vanished, she leaned all the way in. She began helping women entrepreneurs get booked on shows. And as word spread, she found herself being asked to do the pitching herself. Within months, that offer became a business.
Reinventing the Agency Model
Christina had worked in traditional agencies for years. She knew the pain points. High stress. Last-minute press appearances. No boundaries. Tension between client expectations and what PR could realistically deliver. When she launched Publicity by Christina, she did things differently.
First, she focused exclusively on podcast guesting. No TV segments. No print. No radio. Just podcasts. She wanted a business that fit her life, not one that consumed it. As a mom and a business owner, she knew the value of time, sleep, and boundaries. Podcast pitching gave her the leverage she needed without the late-night drama.
Second, she introduced something almost no other PR agency would dare to offer: a guarantee. Clients who worked with her agency would get a set number of bookings. That changed the dynamic immediately. It created trust, transparency, and accountability. It also set a higher standard for the work her team would deliver.
Today, her agency is boutique by design. They work with about 20 to 25 clients per year. Her team includes four publicists and a dedicated operations manager. It is intentional, high-touch, and known for delivering results.
Visibility Is a Business Metric
One of Christina's most valuable insights is this: visibility is not a mystery. It is a metric. Inside her business, she tracks her visibility just like any other key performance indicator. Her rule is simple. Every week, on average, she aims to get in front of a new audience. That might mean speaking at a live event, teaching in a mastermind, appearing on a podcast, or being interviewed for a media feature. She logs each appearance. Then she traces the impact.
Sometimes a lead will come in six months after a podcast episode airs. Sometimes a client referral ties back to a conversation from the previous quarter. By tracking her visibility data, Christina knows exactly what is working and where her time is best spent. It helps her plan smarter, sell more effectively, and avoid the trap of only showing up for her own audience.
Her advice to other business owners is clear. If you are not regularly getting in front of new audiences, your business growth will stall. Set a visibility KPI. Track it. Adjust it. And use it to build momentum.
Podcasting Is for Introverts Too
There is a reason Christina never started her own podcast. She prefers being the guest. It is low-lift, high-impact, and it allows her to build deep relationships without the pressure of producing weekly episodes.
One of the biggest myths she sees in the visibility space is that podcasting is only for extroverts. Not true. In fact, podcast guesting might be the perfect marketing channel for introverts. You are not standing on a stage. You are not in front of a room. You are just having a one-on-one conversation. Sometimes it is two-on-one. Either way, it is cozy, direct, and authentic.
Christina shared that she still prepares for every podcast she is on, even after nearly 100 appearances. Her process is simple. Within 48 hours of a scheduled interview, she listens to one episode of the show. Not necessarily the latest one. Just one she is genuinely interested in. She listens for tone, flow, and favorite questions. She wants to understand the vibe.
It is not about scripting. It is about showing up with context. That level of preparation sets her apart. And she encourages every client she works with to do the same.
The Real Win Is Not the Interview
Most guests think the goal is just to get booked. Christina disagrees. The real value comes from the relationships built afterward. When she shows up for a podcast, she is not just thinking about downloads. She is thinking about the host, the community, and the long game.
Often, podcast interviews lead to speaking invites, referral partnerships, and consulting work. But only when the guest follows through. Christina encourages every client to share their episodes more than once. Repurpose the clips. Tag the host. Mention it again six months later. Your audience is not watching everything you post in real time.
Visibility compounds. If you treat it like a one-and-done, you lose out on all the long-tail value.
What Comes Next
Christina is continuing to grow her team, but slowly. She is not chasing headcount or volume. She wants a tight, excellent agency that delivers. She is also reintroducing educational offerings for entrepreneurs who are not ready for full-service support. These live trainings offer coaching, community, and support at a more accessible price point.
She dreams of hosting a visibility planning retreat in Palm Springs. Not just a weekend getaway, but a space for women to map out a full year of visibility strategy. She believes every business should have a visibility metric. She wants to help more women track it, understand it, and use it to build powerfully aligned growth.
And most of all, Christina wants to keep having fun. As an Enneagram Seven with an Eight wing, she is driven by both joy and conviction. Her energy is contagious, but her strategy is grounded. She is not guessing. She is tracking. And it is working.
If you are ready to get visible, Christina Lenkowski is proof that you do not need to shout. You just need to show up, consistently and strategically. Prepare well. Follow through. Build relationships. And treat visibility like the business asset it is.
You do not have to do it the way everyone else is doing it. You just have to do it your way, and do it well.
Guest Contact Info
Christina Lenkowski
Founder, Publicity by Christina
Website: https://www.publicityxchristina.com
Instagram: @publicityxchristina
Facebook: Publicity by Christina
Email: corinne@publicityxchristina.com
