Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome back to What is Public Relations, the podcast. I'm your host, Laura Perks. And today we're going to be having a slightly different conversation because up until this point, I've very much been talking to you about the power of visibility, the power of PR, becoming niche famous, being seen, heard, hired and paid as the authority, all the juicy stuff.
But it would be very naive of me to gatekeep what can often happen on the other side of that increased visibility. So my guest today has very kindly said that she would come on and share her experiences because I know from being connected with her on socials and seeing her posts that she does often get a lot of the negative side of being in the press. However, it doesn't stop her.
So without further ado, Maddy Alexander-Graut, welcome to the podcast.
Thanks for having me, Laura. Yeah, I am. I think probably the best way to describe me is the press's favourite sick fluencer. And that comes with a great amount of responsibility, I have to say.
I'm sure.
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Chapter 2: How does Maddie define the term 'Sickfluencer'?
And correct me if I'm wrong, that sounds like a Daily Mail headline.
It is. Well, do you know what? Actually, it was a Telegraph headline to start with. No way. So it all started back in January. So just to give a little bit of context, I'm an ADHD coach. I'm a disability advocate. I'm part of the Disability Power 100. I am a multi-disabled but hidden disability queen. Like I always say that my disabilities are like as long as the Magna Carta.
You just can't see any of them. So therefore, like when I talk about disabilities, people are like, well, you don't look disabled.
Chapter 3: What challenges did Maddie face with increased visibility?
And I'm like, well... Like, I mean, you don't look like a twat, but here we go. Like, it happens. And basically, I do a lot of content on my social media around finances because I'm a money specialist. So I, although I'm an ADHD coach, I specialize in money and business.
So I do a lot of like, here's how you can like apply for a grant that you're entitled to if you're disabled, which is called Access to Work. And essentially, the government don't like people signposting to things that they have to pay for. So I got...
quite a few big videos like quite a few big viral videos which were like oh you scroungers you benefit frauds you thieves like all of these things and it's like well actually um people are allowed to have benefits that that help them in their workplace because it's all about helping people stay in work not it's not about like having people out of work so they claim other benefits right so
so um so i do a lot of content around that and it was early january when um one of my friends sent me a voice note and said maddie are you okay and i was like yes i mean i found a lump in my boob this week but you know apart from that i haven't told anyone about that so you know apart from that yes i'm fine what's going on she said um you're on the front page of the telegraph and i was like
Sing. I am famous. This is fabulous. Why am I on the page of the Telegraph? So I went and had a look.
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Chapter 4: How can negative press be leveraged for business growth?
And I was like, oh, this is not great. Sick fluences. And it was like the rise of the sick fluencer. So essentially, the press's narrative of sick fluences are they are people who persuade people that they are sick in order to defraud the government. Which is, I mean, like, I feel like the definition is slightly flawed there. So that was the first bit. And then I had another friend phoning me.
And she said, Maddy, they're talking about you on LBC. And I was like, okay. As in, like, they're talking about ADHD coaches. They're talking about. And she was like, no, no, no, they've mentioned you by name. For God's sake, what's going on? And it was Nick Ferrari. Okay.
Chapter 5: What strategies does Maddie suggest for handling online criticism?
And I was on a bit of an adrenaline high from the fact that I was being thrown under the bus. So I thought, well, I'm not going to let them talk about me without me being able to have my say. So I phoned in.
um nick ferrari was not expecting what he got from me um as an ex-radio presenter and somebody that is in the press a lot somebody who goes on the radio a lot um i think he was expecting somebody who was going to be like the sick fluencer don't be so horrible to me Whereas instead, I gave him a very balanced argument and I made him look like a total idiot.
He was like, well, ADHD doesn't exist, does it? And I'm like, well, actually, here's the science behind it. And he was not impressed. So that was the start of Sickfluencergate. I decided to fight back. So, of course, any time I was in the press, I used the green screen. I took screenshots. I used the green screen. I would go on. And, you know, there is just caveat on that.
Chapter 6: How can entrepreneurs maintain their authenticity in the press?
You can get fined for screenshotting papers. So don't do it. I'm just risky. I'm like, you know, I'll risk it for a biscuit. Yeah. And yeah, I just would go on and I would talk about my narrative and how they are wrong. And what it did was it bought me a shitload of new followers who were all my ideal clients. I grew my membership. I grew my income. I grew my coaching clients.
And the press were like, we're just going to keep this narrative and we're just going to use it all year long. I have had it so many times now. I have. So last, was it last week or the week before? It was again, one of my friends was like, oh, Maddy, are you okay?
Chapter 7: What lessons can be learned from Maddie's experiences with the media?
Are you all right? I'm like, what's going on this time? And they're like, you're on the Mail Online. You're the top headline on the Mail Online. And I'm like, oh, good. Excellent, fabulous. Right, what are we doing today? And I've just kind of learnt to, do you know what, just ride with it. They say that no press is negative. That's kind of a lie.
You can feel like, as somebody who's got ADHD, like rejection sensitivity dysphoria, justice sensitivity dysphoria, I'm like, I've got all of this ammo and I'm like, they keep throwing me under the bus and like... My dad died recently, so I haven't been in the best mental health. And I think that's why people were concerned. But secretly between me and you now, I'm like, call me a sick fluencer.
If I'm going to be famous, I might as well fucking do it right.
Chapter 8: How can one effectively manage the narrative around their personal brand?
This is it. It's almost like if that is what is attracting my ideal clients into my business, then we can fight the narrative. But if sick fluencer is what is memorable...
Exactly. Exactly. And the weird thing, like I made a T-shirt that said, I'm not a sick fluencer, I'm a disability champion. And I sent it out to a load of influencers. We raised a bit of money for charity. And like, you know, it's how you spin it when you get negative press. Yeah.
then yeah and i think the way the way you've coped with it as well because so many people i think worry that it's going to cause a downward spiral and then they're going to have you know nasty comments online which to be fair is kind of part of the parcel nowadays anyway well let's talk about the nasty comments shall we so um i was always told whenever i got pr don't look at the comments because
And now I go and look at the comments and I screenshot the best ones, which are always the worst. And then I take the piss out of those people. And again, it's a way of generating content. As somebody who is very, very visible, every opportunity, whether it's a negative opportunity, whether it's a positive one, you can use it to your advantage. It's about the narrative that you play back.
um so i have just been like right okay what are the most ridiculous comments here um that i can go and like oh somebody's somebody said oh the youth of today they're like they're such scroungers and i was like i'll reply with um i've been called young for ages thank you for that you just you've just got to roll with it and
yeah and you almost have to bring light to it otherwise it is gonna get worse yes um is is that do you think down to your personality or because I know a lot of people will say you know oh it's a mindset thing or it's your beliefs and your self-confidence but you're spinning it in a way that it's becoming light-hearted and fun is that just an integral skill that you have
No. So I haven't always been this resilient. I have had so many things in my life that have not been particularly great. You know, I was in £40,000 of debt twice. I was homeless. I had cervical cancer. I had postpartum psychosis. Again, by the way, all of these negative things have got me a shit ton of press over the years because I'm really open and I can talk about it.
I think it really does come down to boundaries, I think, with the press. It's like, if you don't want to talk about something, don't talk about it. If you don't want to be seen negatively in the press for a reason, don't talk about it. And I always say to people, I see people in these PR groups and They're like, oh, yes, I'll jump at this chance because I just want to be in the paper.
Make sure it aligns to what you do because otherwise you're just going to get a load of new followers who are not the right people. They're not going to buy from you. You know this because this is what you teach. But, you know, it's very much like... don't do visibility for visibility's sake. Make sure that it's intentional.
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