Happy 2026—A Letter from AHC's Founder
Reflections from a Year of Building Visibility & Connection
As I reflect on 2025, I've been thinking about the moments that defined our year at AHC.
From big milestones and quiet-yet-strategic breakthroughs to the relationships that continue to remind me why I love this work, 2025 felt different in meaningful ways.
This year, success meant leaning even more intentionally into founder narratives, brand collaborations, and editorial framing designed to meet people where they are living, learning, shopping, and connecting. AHC clients launched a boozy ice cream, were quoted in The New York Times, and took part in magazine launch parties and c-suite retreats.
Still, what mattered most were, as always, the relationships: the editor catch-ups, team brainstorms, big ideas shared among industry friends, and trust built with clients across every stage of growth. These moments set the stage long before any pitches were sent.
As we look ahead, I'm deeply grateful for everyone who played a role in our year, and I am energized by the opportunity to continue helping businesses show up with clarity, relevance, and purpose.
Below are a few moments that reflect how our approach showed up in the world in 2025 through storytelling, access, and experience.
From Practice to Perspective
What our work reveals about visibility, credibility, and connection.
Inside Today's Earned Media Ecosystem
The question today isn't whether brands show up — it's how and where credibility is built.
In an era shaped by AI-led search and discovery, earned media plays a critical role in how brands are surfaced, referenced, and trusted. When stories are thoughtfully framed and supported by strong editorial relationships, coverage doesn't just land—it travels across platforms and shapes broader conversation.
High-quality press today signals authority not only to audiences, but to the systems responsible for discovery itself. This nuanced approach led us to work across both legacy and emerging media, from national magazines to journalist-led substacks and social feeds.
Lifestyle writer Julia Guerra shared in her substack Beyond My Byline that an AHC pitch “was enough to inspire an entire gift guide,” cutting through the hundreds of emails that land in her inbox each day.
Our thinking on this evolution was reflected in Under Embargo by Johnna Muscente, where Allie shared perspective on how brands and leaders can navigate attention, timing, and relevance in today's media environment.
.png)
.jpg)
The Power of Showing Up
The most valuable progress this year didn't happen through a silo of press releases or emails, but in the spaces where relationships and ideas take shape.
This year, we welcomed teams into intimate gatherings, tastings, and summits, reinforcing this essential strategic element: presence.
Speaking of showing up, we're forever grateful for the colleagues and friends who are there year after year with generosity, perspective, and care. We continue to learn from longtime mentors and industry leaders, who consistently model what thoughtful connection and collaboration can look like across communities.
Clarity in a Crowded Landscape — What We're Seeing in 2026
As we look to 2026, a clear connecting line emerges: brands that win attention are disciplined about their storytelling, where they show up, and how they build trust over time. Founder voice, editorial credibility, and real relationships are essential. In a crowded landscape, clarity—not volume—is what allows brands to stand out and sustain momentum.
.jpg)
What follows are a few moments that reflect how our approach showed up in the world through storytelling, access, and experience.
A Digital Leader Expands Beyond the Screen
We supported a top event-planning platform in launching its first physical product: a wedding planner. Coverage in influential wedding podcasts, national gift guides, and trend-driven editorial positioned the launch as both a cultural and brand milestone, giving leadership something tangible to celebrate with investors, platform users, and longtime fans.
.png)
.jpg)
Building a New Kind of Bourbon Brand Through Story and Connection
An infused bourbon brand brought us in to establish national founder presence and editorial credibility. We translated that foundation into high-impact visibility, hosting an intimate editor tasting, securing respected whiskey reviews, and launching a limited-edition boozy ice cream that introduced the brand to new consumer circles.
Introducing What's Next in Eyewear
We welcomed an innovative 3D-printed eyewear company to our roster, supporting the global brand's U.S. market entry through outreach and experiences that engaged editors, industry leaders, and influential voices, including coverage that helped establish the brand in a key market ahead of nationwide expansion next year.
.png)
As the new year gets underway, I'd love to stay connected. Whether you're building something new, thinking about what's next, or simply want to reconnect, I'd be glad to hear from you.
With warm wishes for your own time of reflection in the days leading into 2026, and for a wonderful year ahead,
Allie