HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TOPIC TO PITCH FOR A GUEST BLOG?

I've written for Fast Company, Forbes, Woman's Day, Men's Health, Parents, Fox Sports, Golf Digest, and many more. In fact, blogging is how I made a huge career shift five years ago from corporate attorney to sports business analyst for ESPN. And it served me again as I decided to start my own business and become a publicist last year.

I had a piece published with Fast Company today, and a follower asked me how I chose the topic I pitched. Great question! In fact, I find that most people are doing the process backward...

First, I keep a running list in Evernote of my blog topic ideas. Here are the typical ways I get an idea to add to the list:

--A client or social media follower asks a question

--I find myself explaining the same thing to clients or potential clients over and over again

--I make a mistake in my business that I learn from

--I have a success in my business that I can share with others by giving actionable advice on how I got there

It's all about being aware of what's going on in your own business and around you. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find inspiration everywhere. My list in Evernote is so long, I'll never write all those blogs!

If there's a topic I feel particularly passionate about, I'll find somewhere to submit it right away. This particular piece was about public speaking, so I did a Google search to see which sites covered public speaking the most often. Entrepreneur, Inc., and Fast Company were all up there, and I ultimately chose Fast Company.

That's where I see people get it backward. They have their eye on a specific site, and then they try to come up with a topic that works for the site. You can do it that way, but I often find my clients trying to shoehorn in a topic they really want to write on a site that just isn't the right.

Your best writing will always come from what you're passionate about, so pick your topic first ... then find the outlet it fits.