On this episode of The Press Playbook, Kendall Aldridge sat down with Briana Trulear, Senior Account Director at BAM, to break down how the team helped Inspiren land Forbes coverage around its $70 million Series C and more than $500 million valuation, plus an additional 50+ pieces of coverage (and counting).
This one is especially interesting because the placement didn't happen overnight. The relationship behind it started more than a year before the story went live.
Below are the key moments and takeaways from the episode, or listen where you please:
Episode Overview
Guest: Briana Trulear, Senior Account Director at BAM
Client Featured: Inspiren
Key Placement: Forbes
Episode Focus: Media relationships, funding announcements, and tailoring stories for different audiences
Key Moments & Takeaways
⏱️ 00:00–02:15 | Meet Briana + Inspiren
Briana gives us a quick refresher on Inspiren, an AI-powered ecosystem for senior living that combines technology with clinical context to help care teams provide more proactive care.
⏱️ 02:15–03:45 | A Huge Funding Moment
Inspiren was preparing to announce a $70 million Series C and a valuation of more than $500 million after a major period of growth for the company.
⏱️ 03:45–06:55 | A Relationship More Than a Year in the Making
The relationship with Forbes senior editor Amy Feldman started at one of BAM's health tech dinners in April 2025.
From there, the team continued building the relationship, eventually connecting Amy and Inspiren CEO Alex on the record and regularly checking in to understand what Amy was interested in covering.
More than a year after that first introduction, the right story finally arrived.
⏱️ 06:55–10:30 | Plating the Full Story
Instead of pitching $70 million in funding and stopping there, Briana's pitch gave Amy the larger story.
She describes three pieces that help make a pitch compelling:
- timeliness
- human interest or a larger industry story
- the actual news moment
The funding was important, but the bigger senior living story gave it meaning.
⏱️ 10:30–12:45 | Turning One Story Into 50+ Placements
After giving Forbes its window of exclusivity, the team changed the pitch depending on who they were targeting.
VC publications got one angle. Senior living trades got another. Healthcare trades got another.
Within four working days, the campaign had already generated around 50 pieces of coverage, with more pending.
⏱️ 12:45–14:00 | Why Preparation Matters
Briana recommends founders give their PR teams at least a month of preparation for major announcements when possible.
The Inspiren team had been discussing the Series C internally since June, even though active pitching didn't begin until late August.
⏱️ 14:00–16:30 | Advice for Founders
Briana's biggest piece of advice?
Relationships.
Don't treat media relationships as transactional. Continue the conversation, learn what reporters care about, and build actual trust over time.
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