She controlled her narrative by revealing her darkest secrets first
She controlled her narrative by revealing her darkest secrets first  
Podcast: Embracing Marketing Mistakes
Published On: Thu Oct 23 2025
Description: Today we speak with Greg Matusky, CEO & Founder, Gregory FCA Public Relations. He talks about being a young PR professional. We learn how Auntie Anne Beiler, founder of the famous pretzel franchise, brilliantly managed a potential scandal by revealing her own past mistakes before they could be used against her.• Auntie Anne grew up connected to the Amish community in Pennsylvania• Her hand-rolled soft pretzel recipe allegedly came through divine inspiration, creating a wholesome origin story• Secured an appearance on The 700 Club with Pat Robertson to share her story• Unexpectedly revealed a scandalous past involving an affair with a pastor and church fraud• Strategically shared her dark past publicly so it couldn't be weaponised against her later• Demonstrated the PR principle that "if you put bad news out, it can never be used against you"• The business now has approximately 1,200 franchises globallyIs your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈Subscribe to our newsletter👉 Subscribe to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube