In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Cynthia Sassi, founder and publisher of Fabulous Arizona, the digital lifestyle publication spotlighting the people, places and brands shaping Arizona.

Cynthia shares how she built Fabulous Arizona from the ground up, why she went all in on her business without a safety net, and how losing a job days before rent was due became a defining moment. She opens up about expanding into additional Fabulous markets, managing a growing team, balancing editorial integrity with brand partnerships, and staying focused on ROI for clients while protecting trust with readers.

Discussion highlights

• Studying marketing and consumer behavior
• Discovering digital publishing early
• Launching Fabulous Arizona
• Going fully self employed
• Losing a job days before rent was due
• Why pressure fuels growth
• Expanding into additional Fabulous markets
• Managing teams and releasing control
• Editorial integrity vs brand partnerships
• Handling public criticism and improving on camera
• What people misunderstand about digital publishing
• The importance of relationships in business

Cynthia’s episode is an honest look at risk, resilience and building a modern media brand without a safety net.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Michelle Glicksman, a 26-year media veteran and editor in chief behind multiple Arizona publications, including Scottsdale City Lifestyle and Chandler City Lifestyle.

Michelle shares how writing shaped her career early on, why magazine journalism ultimately won over television, and what it truly means to be responsible for editorial judgment under real deadlines. She reflects on pulling a magazine cover just hours before press, selecting stories worth publishing, covering nonprofit and community voices, navigating AI in journalism, and how personal loss deepened her empathy as an editor and storyteller.

Discussion highlights

• Discovering her voice as a writer early in life
• Moving from television to magazine journalism
• Editorial judgment and covering unfamiliar beats
• Interviewing Johnny Unitas without knowing who he was
• Working with her daughter on a fashion shoot
• Choosing nonprofit and community stories
• Covering Arizona food, travel and culture
• Pulling a magazine cover hours before press
• Managing nonstop PR pitches
• How AI is entering journalism
• Personal loss and deeper empathy in storytelling

Michelle’s episode offers a rare look at decision making, pressure and responsibility inside magazine publishing.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

Catherine Anaya is a three-time Emmy Award winning journalist, longtime Phoenix news anchor, and the host of Horizonte on Arizona PBS. With more than 35 years in broadcast journalism, she has interviewed world leaders, built deep trust with viewers, and shaped how Arizona understands its most important stories.

In this episode of Off Deadline, Catherine reflects on the career she built, the moments that changed her perspective, and the personal decisions that allowed her to stay present for the life she refused to miss.

In this episode, Catherine shares:

• How a college editor unexpectedly changed the direction of her career
• The insecurity and constant movement behind television news contracts
• Anchoring live during major breaking news and carrying the emotional weight of the job
• How her work on Buddy Check 12 showed her the real-world power of journalism
• Why she chose to step away from full-time television at the height of her career
• How she redefined success after decades in the spotlight
• Advice for journalists and high achievers navigating career crossroads

This conversation is an honest look at ambition, impact, and the clarity that comes with choosing what matters most.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.

Guest: https://www.instagram.com/catherineanaya

Horizonte on Arizona PBS: https://www.instagram.com/arizonapbs

Host: https://www.instagram.com/melissadflip

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with Karen Dalessandro, a multi-award-winning broadcaster whose career spans more than four decades across Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and Phoenix. Karen shares how a high school radio booth sparked her passion, the advice that pushed her into country radio, and the “radio gypsy” lifestyle that shaped her early years.

She opens up about sitting in all 60,000 seats at Miller Park to raise money for child abuse prevention, launching mammogram parties to help women get screened, meeting Taylor Swift before her superstar era, and becoming only the third woman ever inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame. Karen also reflects on 40 years of marriage, navigating loss, leaning on fitness, and reinventing herself again and again through a constantly changing industry.

Karen can now be heard every afternoon on @1007kslx, where her signature energy continues to connect with listeners across Arizona.

Discussion highlights:

• How a high school radio class sparked her career
• The mentor who pushed her into country radio
• From Detroit to Chicago to Milwaukee to Phoenix
• Radiothons and sitting in 60,000 stadium seats for charity
• Creating mammogram parties and their lasting impact
• Meeting Taylor Swift as a 15 year old “baby artist”
• Becoming the third woman in the Country Radio Hall of Fame
• Surviving the record industry lifestyle in her marriage
• Grief, growth and finding a new dog after loss
• Fitness, certification and staying sharp as a broadcaster
• Why improv changed her confidence and her career
• Reinventing herself for TV and multimedia storytelling

Karen’s story reflects passion, longevity, risk taking and the power of reinvention in media.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo (@melissadflip) sits down with @javiersototv to explore the personal and professional moments that shaped his career as one of Arizona’s most trusted journalists.

Javier shares stories from his childhood as a talkative kid, the internship that changed his life, the mentor who insisted he be hired, and the newsroom experiences that revealed his calling. He also opens up about navigating personal loss, the role his partner plays in grounding him, and the purpose he found through hard seasons.

Discussion highlights:

• Growing up as a talkative troublemaker
• Getting his desk moved into the hallway
• The mentor who pushed for his first big break
• The breaking news moment that marked his career
• Navigating personal grief and rebuilding life
• The partner who keeps him grounded
• Finding purpose, gratitude and meaning in his work
• Advice for young journalists

Javier’s story is a powerful reminder of the resilience, heart and humanity behind local news.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo sits down with @lexyromano, Emmy nominated host, performer and founder of Phoenix Finds Media, the platform spotlighting the stories of local businesses across Arizona.

Lexy opens up about transitioning from performing in NYC to building her own media brand, how she disarms nervous guests on camera, the cringe moment that taught her confidence, and the joy of helping small businesses shine on screen.

Discussion highlights:

• From stage performer to media host
• How Phoenix Finds Media grew from Instagram to TV
• Helping nervous guests shine on camera
• Her “best friend or husband” hosting trick
• The hot air balloon story she’ll never forget
• Covering nonprofits and creating lasting impact
• Phoenix restaurants and real viewer reactions
• The cringe name slip she will never forget
• Small talk as her secret superpower
• Balancing motherhood with building a brand
• Her best advice for aspiring creators: just start

Lexy’s energy, empathy and storytelling continue to shape the way Arizona discovers local businesses.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity for more episodes of Off Deadline.

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

In this episode of Off Deadline, host Melissa DiGianfilippo (@melissadflip) sits down with Catherine Reagor (@cathreagor), senior real estate reporter at The Arizona Republic, who has covered Arizona’s housing market for more than 30 years.

Catherine opens up about the stories that shaped her, the Great Recession’s lasting impact, and why fairness remains at the core of her reporting. She also clarifies what really happened with The Arizona Republic’s recent newsroom buyouts — and how local journalism continues to evolve.

Discussion highlights:

• The story that changed her perspective on journalism
• Covering every housing boom, bust, and recovery
• Balancing empathy and objectivity in real estate reporting
• The truth behind The Arizona Republic’s newsroom buyouts
• Why local journalism still matters in Arizona
• Advice for PR pros on how to pitch stories that resonate

Catherine’s story is a masterclass in credibility, compassion, and commitment to community storytelling.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity
for more episodes of Off Deadline.

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com

In this episode of Off Deadline, host @melissadflip sits down with @nadinebubeck, publisher of Paradise Valley City Lifestyle Magazine, to talk about the heart of storytelling, the balance between motherhood and media, and the moments that shaped her legacy.

Nadine opens up about her most memorable interviews with icons like Charles Barkley and Michael Phelps, what “home” truly means to her, and how she’s built a thriving lifestyle publication rooted in gratitude and community.

Discussion highlights:

• How Nadine turned storytelling into a lifestyle brand
• Balancing motherhood, entrepreneurship, and creativity
• The meaning behind her quote “Home isn’t a place — it’s a feeling.”
• Her favorite celebrity cover stories and what they taught her
• Why community connection drives everything she does

Nadine’s story reminds us that legacy isn’t about fame — it’s about impact.

🎧 Listen now, watch on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow @proofpublicity
for more episodes of Off Deadline.

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proof-publicity
🔗 Check out Proof Publicity → https://proofpublicity.com