Smart PR for Artists & Entrepreneurs
Review

Learn How To Get Press & Media Coverage For Your Business, Art or Brand

Easy
  • Last updated 14/06/2025
by Ryan Holiday

What you'll learn ? Overview

We dove into Smart PR for Artists & Entrepreneurs expecting another generic PR course, but what we found was Ryan Holiday, the marketing maverick behind American Apparel's controversial campaigns and founder of creative agency Brass Check, teaching his unfiltered approach to earning media coverage.

The course packs 12 video lessons into roughly 4 hours, covering everything from defining your message to handling negative press. What caught our attention? Holiday brings real students on camera for live "hot seat" sessions, where he dissects their PR strategies in real time (we found these segments particularly valuable for seeing theory applied to actual businesses).

Here's what makes this different: instead of teaching you to spam journalists with press releases, Holiday focuses on creating newsworthy moments and understanding what makes media professionals tick. The curriculum includes tactical lessons like building media lists, perfecting your pitch, and even writing op-eds, but it's grounded in Holiday's philosophy from books like "Trust Me, I'm Lying" and "Perennial Seller."

We noticed the course targets artists, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who can't afford PR agencies but need to understand how media attention actually works. The material feels especially relevant for anyone launching a creative project, book, or startup where traditional advertising isn't an option (or affordable).

The platform experience on CreativeLive is straightforward, though we should mention the course originally aired around 2015. While some specific platform references might feel dated, the core PR principles, media psychology, and pitching strategies remain surprisingly evergreen.

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Is this course for you?

👉

Prior experience needed

Beginner (No Prior Experience Needed)

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Time commitment

light Light (1–5 Hours/Week)

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Learning style

Self-Paced (Work On Your Own Schedule)

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Goal

Learn A New Skill

Best suited for:

Artists launching exhibitions, entrepreneurs on bootstrap budgets, authors promoting books, small business owners seeking local press coverage, freelancers building personal brands

Instructor

Ryan Holiday

Bestselling Author and Stoicism Expert Legitimacy Score: 9/10
Ryan Holiday is a prolific author, media strategist, and modern philosopher known for popularizing Stoic philosophy through his bestselling books and digital platforms. With over 10 million copies sold and 200 weeks on bestseller lists, Holiday's work bridges ancient wisdom with contemporary marketing strategies, influencing leaders across various fields including sports, business, and politics.
Holiday's career began at 19 when he dropped out of college to apprentice under Robert Greene. He served as the Director of Marketing for American Apparel before founding Brass Check, a creative agency advising major companies and thought leaders. His debut book 'Trust Me, I'm Lying' (2012) exposed vulnerabilities in the media system, launching his career as an author focused on Stoicism and personal development.
• New York Times bestselling author of multiple books including 'The Obstacle Is the Way' and 'Stillness Is the Key'
• Founder of Daily Stoic, a philosophy website and newsletter with millions of readers
• His books have been translated into over 30 languages
• Advisor to NFL teams, Olympians, and Fortune 500 companies
• Creator of 'The Daily Stoic' podcast with over 150 million views on YouTube
• Keynote speaker at Google's Re:Work conference
• Guest on Tim Ferriss Show podcast
• Speaker at SXSW
• Featured in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN
• TEDx talk on 'How to Practice Stoicism in Daily Life'
Holiday cultivates a robust digital footprint, regularly sharing Stoic wisdom and marketing insights across platforms. He posts daily on Instagram and Twitter, curates a popular email newsletter, and hosts 'The Daily Stoic' podcast. His YouTube channel features philosophical discussions and author interviews, garnering millions of views.

Course Details

  • ⏱ Duration1
  • 📶 DifficultyEasy
  • ⌛ Access Lifetime
  • ⏰ Time investmentLight (1–5 Hours/Week)

🧠 Prerequisites

None, designed for complete beginners


💻 Requirements

Computer or mobile device with internet access


💸 Hidden Costs

None beyond basic email and word processing tools


🙋‍♂️ Support Options

CreativeLive community forums, no direct instructor support

Course content

  • Lesson 1: Introduction (3:36) - Course overview and objectives
  • Lesson 2: What is PR? (18:13) - Defining public relations and its role
  • Lesson 3: Determining Your Message (14:38) - Crafting compelling narratives
  • Lesson 4: Developing Media Contacts (25:21) - Finding and connecting with journalists
  • Lesson 5: Building Media Lists (21:56) - Organizing and managing contacts
  • Lesson 6: Perfecting Your Pitch (28:44) - Writing pitches that get responses
  • Lesson 7: How to Make Things Viral (with guest Ian Spector) - Creating shareable content
  • Lesson 8: Conducting Interviews (26:07) - Media interview preparation
  • Lesson 9: Writing Op-Eds (20:38) - Crafting opinion pieces
  • Lesson 10: Breaking Your Own News (20:49) - Self-promotion strategies
  • Lesson 11: Risk - Managing negative press and controversies
  • Lesson 12: Hot Seat Sessions - Live student consultations

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Feedbacks

Overall sentiment

Users consistently praise the course's practical approach and Holiday's candid teaching style. The feedback centers on how the course demystifies PR for beginners while providing actionable strategies they can implement immediately.

Praised points

  • Actionable tactics that students can implement right away without hiring agencies
  • Expert credibility from Holiday's real-world PR campaigns and bestselling books
  • Live hot seat sessions providing real-world application of concepts

Criticisms

  • Content overlaps with Holiday's published books for those who've read them
  • Basic level material that experienced marketers might find too elementary
  • Platform references from 2015 that don't cover modern social media tactics

Testimonials

"Absolutely brilliant course. Very informative and Ryan's words and concepts are highly motivational."

"Ryan's insights and experience give a wealth of information here. The advice to audience members is superb."

"This class is a fantastic addition to any marketer's toolkit."

"This course totally demystified PR for me."

"Actionable advice that I could implement right away."

Social insights

Reddit discussions acknowledge Holiday as a legitimate PR expert, with r/marketing users specifically recommending this CreativeLive course for PR fundamentals. Some users debate Holiday's "media manipulation" philosophy from his earlier work, though this course focuses on constructive PR tactics rather than controversial strategies.

Marketing Analysis

Claim Verification

The promise to teach "How To Get Press & Media Coverage" is educational rather than outcome-based. We verified the course delivers PR fundamentals and strategies as advertised.

Price History

Currently free (limited time), standard price ranges from $29-$49

Upsell Practices

CreativeLive offers optional Creator Pass subscription, no aggressive upselling within the course

Student Success

Multiple verified reviews confirm students learned practical PR skills, though individual media placement results vary based on implementation

Platform & Delivery

Learning Platform

CreativeLive, established platform with 4.6/5 Trustpilot rating from 4,900+ reviews

Content Accessibility

Lifetime streaming access, downloadable PDF resources, offline viewing via mobile apps

Mobile Compatibility

Dedicated iOS/Android apps with responsive web design

Technical Requirements

Standard internet connection, compatible with all modern browsers

Red flags check

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Complaints

We found no significant complaints about content quality or misrepresentation. The main critique revolves around content depth for advanced users.

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Refund policy issues

CreativeLive offers a standard 30-day satisfaction guarantee with no reported issues specific to this course.

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Marketing practices

Transparent presentation with no exaggerated income claims or pressure tactics. The course promises to teach PR skills, not guaranteed media placements.

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Community feedback

Generally positive reception with no controversy around the course content or delivery.

Is this course legit?

Value For Money

At the current free price (or even the standard $29-$49), this course delivers exceptional value. We're talking about learning from someone who's orchestrated major media campaigns and written bestsellers on the topic, all for less than the cost of a PR consultation hour.

Conclusion

After spending hours analyzing Smart PR for Artists & Entrepreneurs, we can confidently say this is one of the most honest PR courses in the low-ticket category. Ryan Holiday doesn't promise overnight viral fame or guaranteed media placements, instead, he teaches the fundamental skills and mindset needed to earn media attention organically.

What impressed us most? The live hot seat sessions where Holiday critiques real businesses' PR strategies. These segments alone provide more practical value than many courses charging 10x the price. Yes, some examples reference 2015's media landscape, but the core principles of newsworthiness, journalist psychology, and pitch crafting remain rock-solid.

For artists, entrepreneurs, or anyone trying to get press coverage without a PR budget, this course offers legitimate, actionable strategies from a proven practitioner. The fact that it's currently free makes it a no-brainer for anyone curious about PR. Even at full price, it's a steal compared to hiring even the most junior PR consultant.

FAQs about this course

Yes, the course assumes zero PR knowledge and builds from the ground up, making it perfect for artists, entrepreneurs, and small business owners new to media outreach.

No direct ongoing interaction, but the course includes recorded hot seat sessions where Holiday provides live feedback to real students, which offers valuable insights.

Released around 2015, the course focuses on timeless PR principles rather than platform-specific tactics. Core concepts like pitching, newsworthiness, and media psychology remain relevant.

No, and Holiday is transparent about this. The course teaches PR skills and strategies, but actual media placement depends on your story's newsworthiness and execution.

Both versions include full lifetime access to 4+ hours of video content, downloadable PDF resources, and all lesson materials. No content is locked behind paywalls.

While there's some conceptual overlap with books like 'Trust Me, I'm Lying,' the course provides structured, actionable lessons and live examples not found in his written work.

Just basic internet access and email. No special software, subscriptions, or technical skills required.

CreativeLive runs periodic promotions, but the free access period isn't guaranteed. The course typically returns to its $29-$49 price point.

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Smart PR for Artists & Entrepreneurs Review
$ 0
Total score: 8,6/10 ⭐
  • Duration1
  • DifficultyEasy
  • Release Date01/2015
  • Format Self-Paced
  • AccessLifetime
  • Time InvestmentLight (1–5 Hours/Week)
  • Payment Options One-Time
  • LanguageEnglish
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Smart PR for Artists & Entrepreneurs Review