Doug welcomes freelance journalist Alyson Krueger, who has written thousands of pieces for outlets including The New York Times, and recently launched the widely acclaimed Substack The Great Conversation. They discuss what modern journalism has become, how freelancing works through pitching and editor assignments, and how voice and objectivity differ across publications, and versus Substack’s unfiltered, direct-to-reader model. Alyson shares her path from international relations and events in London to NYU journalism school, and selling her early Times pieces through networking, coachability, and charisma. 

More of Alyson:

New York Times

The Great Conversation on Substack

Instagram

DM Doug:

@DougMelville

www.DougMelville.com

Doug welcomes freelance journalist Alyson Krueger, who has written thousands of pieces for outlets including The New York Times, and recently launched the widely acclaimed Substack The Great Conversation. They discuss what modern journalism has become, how freelancing works through pitching and editor assignments, and how voice and objectivity differ across publications, and versus Substack&rsquo;s unfiltered, direct-to-reader model. Alyson shares her path from international relations and events in London to NYU journalism school, and selling her early Times pieces through networking, coachability, and charisma.&nbsp;
More of Alyson:
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/alyson-krueger">New York Times</a>
<a href="https://thegreatestconversation.substack.com/about">The Great Conversation on Substack</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/alysonkrueger/">Instagram</a>
DM Doug:
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dougmelville/">@DougMelville</a>
<a href="https://dougmelville.com/">www.DougMelville.com</a>

“DM Me with Doug Melville” is a direct, practical self-help podcast in which Doug Melville answers real questions with clear guidance to help listeners grow and take action on their careers, reputation, culture and life.

&ldquo;DM Me with Doug Melville&rdquo; is a direct, practical self-help podcast in which Doug Melville answers real questions with clear guidance to help listeners grow and take action on their careers, reputation, culture and life.

DM Me with Doug Melville

Modern Journalism, Substack vs  Freelancing, and the Written Word - A Sit Down with Alyson Krueger

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5d15b16a-82a9-4bb0-a514-b49c0060f3f6/transcript

Today on DM Me, Doug interviews Artis Stevens, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, about scaling mentorship through group and workplace programs...including momentum supported by a $122.5 million MacKenzie Scott donation! Artis describes the act of mentorship as a practice coded in human DNA that should be intentional and reciprocal. He explains BBBS’s 120-year origins as an alternative to the juvenile justice system and its reach across over 5,000 communities. They get into misconceptions about the time commitment for "Bigs", and explains how the matches are made, and why early interactions can feel rocky, but often become long-term. The conversation even touches on corporate mentorship, and how that can make a true difference for someone who may not have a way to advance the corporate ladder otherwise.

More of Artis:

Instagram

Artis on the Daily Show with Josh Johnson

BBBS Website

DM Doug:

@DougMelville

www.DougMelville.com

Today on DM Me, Doug interviews Artis Stevens, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, about scaling mentorship through group and workplace programs...including momentum supported by a $122.5 million MacKenzie Scott donation! Artis describes the act of mentorship as a practice coded in human DNA that should be intentional and reciprocal. He explains BBBS&rsquo;s 120-year origins as an alternative to the juvenile justice system and its reach across over 5,000 communities. They get into misconceptions about the time commitment for "Bigs", and explains how the matches are made, and why early interactions can feel rocky, but often become long-term. The conversation even touches on corporate mentorship, and how that can make a true difference for someone who may not have a way to advance the corporate ladder otherwise.
More of Artis:
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/artisstevens/">Instagram</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWNlLywwxwA">Artis on the Daily Show with Josh Johnson</a>
<a href="https://www.bbbs.org/leadership/">BBBS Website</a>
DM Doug:
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dougmelville/">@DougMelville</a>
<a href="https://www.DougMelville.com">www.DougMelville.com</a>

The Value of Mentorship at Scale and Building Your Personal Board - A Sit Down with Artis Stevens, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a5d31245-36db-40da-a58e-b4aa00690de6/transcript

Doug hosts a mailbag episode explaining how to pivot from a corporate career to becoming a published author, answering listener questions about his path to writing Invisible Generals with Simon & Schuster. He stresses understanding the marketplace and your niche category, avoiding memoirs without name recognition, choosing a story you’re uniquely positioned to tell, and constructing a realistic marketing plan focused on selling tens of thousands of copies. He outlines using AI for research and editing but not to write the book or proposal and recommends hiring a book proposal writer and securing a literary agent to pitch the "Big Five" publishers.

DM Doug:

@DougMelville

www.DougMelville.com

Doug hosts a mailbag episode explaining how to pivot from a corporate career to becoming a published author, answering listener questions about his path to writing Invisible Generals with Simon &amp; Schuster. He stresses understanding the marketplace and your niche category, avoiding memoirs without name recognition, choosing a story you&rsquo;re uniquely positioned to tell, and constructing a realistic marketing plan focused on selling tens of thousands of copies. He outlines using AI for research and editing but not to write the book or proposal and recommends hiring a book proposal writer and securing a literary agent to pitch the "Big Five" publishers.
DM Doug:
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dougmelville/">@DougMelville</a>
<a href="https://dougmelville.com/">www.DougMelville.com</a>

How to Write and Publish Your Own Book - A Mailbag Episode

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c28d4f7c-f581-4eee-9753-b4a300675ca0/transcript

Doug interviews Emmanuel Waters, CEO and co-founder of Durham, North Carolina-based Old Hillside Bourbon Company. Launched in 2020 and expanding across the U.S., Emmanuel shares his pivot from a Department of Defense and contracting career to entrepreneurship after a COVID-era “aha moment”. He talks about breaking a state sales record at launch, but not before planning his career exit with his wife by reviewing finances, relying on benefits, and reviewing the spirits industry’s regulation and low margins. Old Hillside’s differentiation is storytelling, using nontraditional packaging and on-bottle narratives to honor Black American history, including early Kentucky Derby Black jockeys and the Trifecta women of horse racing. Emmanuel and Doug discuss product persistence in the spirit market, capital access challenges, celebrity liquor brands, being lumped with other Black-owned labels, and advice on chasing purpose over money.

More of Emmanuel:

Old Hillside Website

Forbes Article

DM Doug:

@DougMelville

www.DougMelville.com

Doug interviews Emmanuel Waters, CEO and co-founder of Durham, North Carolina-based <a href="https://www.oldhillsidebourboncompany.com/">Old Hillside Bourbon Company.</a> Launched in 2020 and expanding across the U.S., Emmanuel shares his pivot from a Department of Defense and contracting career to entrepreneurship after a COVID-era &ldquo;aha moment&rdquo;. He talks about breaking a state sales record at launch, but not before planning his career exit with his wife by reviewing finances, relying on benefits, and reviewing the spirits industry&rsquo;s regulation and low margins. Old Hillside&rsquo;s differentiation is storytelling, using nontraditional packaging and on-bottle narratives to honor Black American history, including early Kentucky Derby Black jockeys and the <a href="https://www.womensbusinessdaily.com/business-news/sipping-through-history-how-three-black-women-rewrote-the-rules-of-horse-racing/">Trifecta women of horse racing.</a> Emmanuel and Doug discuss product persistence in the spirit market, capital access challenges, celebrity liquor brands, being lumped with other Black-owned labels, and advice on chasing purpose over money.
More of Emmanuel:
<a href="https://www.oldhillsidebourboncompany.com/our-founders">Old Hillside Website</a>
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeanettehurt/2026/03/12/old-hillside-bourbon-company-offers-a-history-lesson-in-each-bottle/">Forbes Article</a>
DM Doug:
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dougmelville/">@DougMelville</a>
<a href="https://dougmelville.com/">www.DougMelville.com</a>

Building Old Hillside Bourbon Through Connections and Storytelling - A Sit Down with Co-Founder Emmanuel Waters

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/10e3feaa-2f06-4a34-9d63-b4950094e8e7/transcript

Modern Journalism, Substack vs Freelancing, and the Written Word - A Sit Down with Alyson Krueger

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