Karla Ray turned an ‘unprompted job loss’ into a media coaching powerhouse
Some people learn to speak on camera. Karla Ray lived it.
Long before she ventured into the communications side of the business, she was in newsrooms across the United States, chasing stories and anchoring newscasts. At just 19, she got her start in local news, hauling her own gear across dozens of counties as a one‑woman‑band reporter in South Dakota.
Her firm, Unprompted Strategies, which she doesn’t label as strictly public relations, gives clients an edge by focusing on a part of communications many overlook: telling stories both on‑camera and off.
“I don’t really view myself as a practitioner of public relations, but I am a master communicator,” Ray told EIN Presswire. “I’ve been a writer and storyteller for as long as I can remember.”
Unprompted Strategies was born, as she says, “after leaving news unexpectedly in 2024 to help others amplify stories on camera, online or on their behalf.”
The standout service she’s known for is one not every traditional PR shop can pull off: media coaching.
Her areas of expertise are media coaching and media placement, shaped by her extensive newsroom experience and a keen instinct for what reporters look for.
And she’s the ideal person to school you on being interviewed by the media — just look at her background, spending more than a decade investigating, anchoring, and earning Emmy nominations in Florida.
When she was let go from her news role in 2024 — an “unprompted job loss” — everything shifted. What came next wasn’t a backup plan but rather the foundation of the company she continues to build today.
Ray launched Unprompted Strategies to help people and brands show up with clarity, command a camera, and own the room. She ditched the teleprompter to teach others how to think like journalists, pitch with purpose, and deliver when the red light turns on.
In this “Heard on the Streets” feature, Ray shares how she turned a career pivot into a platform, why former journalists are PR’s secret weapon, and what brands get wrong when they wait too long to ask for help.
Q: Tell us a little more about your journey and how you got started.
A: I think I wrote my first ‘book’ at age 4- something ridiculous that’s no doubt in a box somewhere in my parents’ basement. I started on the print journalism track in college but quickly realized that I was better suited for the pace and style of broadcast. I spent 17 years working as a television investigative reporter and anchor, mostly in Florida.
Q: Describe your firm and the industries and clients you serve.
A: I want to teach people how to fish. My goal is to help people learn how to tell their own brand story so well that they don’t need to pay a retainer fee to a PR firm each month. Unprompted Strategies is run on authenticity and audacity, and the authentic and audacious are the clients I hope to serve. I have a full-time 8-5 as a Community Relations Manager at a law firm, so I am only taking on a few clients at a time under Unprompted. This allows me to really focus on their needs and deliver results.
Q: What specific areas of PR do you specialize in?
A: Media coaching and media placement are my calling cards, due to my extensive work history in TV news. I can write a press release, but my placements have come from knowing how to pitch a good story and preparing my clients for their on-camera or quotable moment.
Q: Could you share some insights into the strategies or best practices that have been key to your clients’ success?
A: It’s all about learning to think like a journalist. Once you know how to identify a good story, feel empowered to tell it, and build relationships with the reporters who can amplify your voice, the pitching part is easy. Too often, brands and businesses focus only on the chance to be featured without doing any of the prep work to make sure they nail it when the spotlight is on.
Q: What is one of the biggest mistakes you see brands, companies, or organizations make in the field of PR?
A: Waiting too long to ask for help. Imagine spending all this time creating your brand or business, only for it to flop because you don’t have the right team helping to get your story out! I also find that PR is often the first budget to get cut when times are tough; this is a mistake because without public interest, even the best ideas can die on the vine.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share about the industry you work in or helpful tips?
A: Don’t overlook former journalists. We know what makes a good story, a strong pitch, we understand production, we are deadline-driven and are incredible multi-taskers! Even if we don’t have an APR behind our names, we know how to play the game.