A new model for PR careers.
Career-change professionals, upskilled workers and entry-level freelancers unite.
The
Academy
Spiral5 Academy is a selective 12-month program designed to initiate you into the business of Public Relations.
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​We train you, connect you to clients and mentor you through your first year as an independent PR pro.​​​
✓ Online Intensive. Learn how to run PR initiatives and manage clients.
✓ Get paid for taking on small clients as part of your training.
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✓ Access to our members-only discussion forum and Spiral5 Guild events.
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✓ Networking with seasoned PR pros and agency owners.
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✓ 10 one-hour mentoring sessions. 1x per month after an 8-week training.
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✓ PR Business Templates, enterprise-level tools & more.
Spring Cohort Begins
February 10, 2026
How it works
1
Application. First step is to fill out our application. Given the nature of the program, it is important that you already have some baseline professional and communication skills. ​Apply for our Spring 2026 cohort.
2
Training. Once accepted into the program, you'll begin our 8-week hands-on training, PR Fundamentals: From Pitch to Placement.
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One-time admin fee: $500. (Also available for self-study outside of the Academy).
I was doing digital marketing and content creation when I joined Spiral5 Academy. The coursework, group sessions
and 1-on-1s gave me a thorough understanding of how to pitch, manage clients, and develop a business. I’ve since placed clients in outlets like Variety, The Washington Post and top-tier podcasts. Spiral5 has continued to be a support, with about 80% of my client referrals the past 2 years coming from Spiral5.​
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Jessica M.
2024 Spiral5 Graduate
“Almost immediately after completing the course, I began working with a client to develop their PR strategy and have also joined a team as a junior publicist. I’m pretty shocked at how quickly all of these things fell into place.”
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Taylor L.
2021 Spiral5 Graduate
3
10-Month Academy.​ After passing a skills assessment, you'll become an official Starter Publicist for Spiral5 and begin taking on clients. You may also get hired by our Guild members for part-time client support.
Membership Fee: $90/month
4
Get paid!​ You'll keep 60% of your client revenue sourced by Spiral5 and 100% of the revenue sourced through your own network.
Some of the press coverage
secured by previous SPs
in their first year.
PR Fundamentals:
From Pitch to Placement
Learn how to identify a compelling story, develop a strategy, pitch the media,
and land press coverage.
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✓ 8-Week Guided Cohort or Self-Study
✓ 5 Modules, 18 Lectures
​✓ Breakout Sessions for Tech, Lifestyle, Impact, Health & more.
✓ Real-World Practice & Connections​​
This course emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world examples.
It requires dedication, patience and a heavy dose of creativity!​ But once you get the hang of it, you will have acquired a new set of skills and tools that we guarantee will add lasting value to your career and life.
✓ Here to launch a PR business? Apply for Spiral5 Academy.
By the end of this course you
will have:
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✓ 20+ earned media strategies in your back
✓ Practice crafting pitches that journalists
will read and respond to
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✓ An organized media list and real-world
experience reaching out to journalists
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✓ A practical understanding of how to
apply our Right Story, Right People, Right Time
framework to any industry or campaign
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✓ How to map business goals to PR initiatives
✓ & more
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Spiral5 came into my life right after college, during a moment when I was trying hard to break into PR but couldn’t seem to get any traction. When I first learned about the program, it honestly felt too good to be true.
The curriculum was fantastic, but the mentorship with Teresa is what changed everything for me. Spiral5 gave me a foundation, a community, and a sense of belonging that I didn’t realize I was missing. After the program, I did land a job at a PR firm, but the environment made me constantly question myself. Spiral5 became the reminder that I did know what I was doing, that I had talent, instincts, and real potential.
And whenever I didn’t know something, there was this incredible network of brilliant, generous PR professionals ready to teach, guide, and support me without judgment. Working alongside the other Spiral5 members helped me secure my first media hits. Over time, I’ve even become a familiar face at my local news station.
Looking back, Spiral5 was a pivotal turning point in my career. The confidence I have today comes from knowing I had people like Teresa and the Spiral5 mentors in my corner. Their support created the conditions for my growth, my opportunities, and ultimately, my success.
Manny P.
2023 Academy Graduate
2026 Enrollment
We're moving to a new platform! The course will be available again for self-study or guided cohort on February 10, 2026.
Pre-Launch Bonus
Enroll before January 16, 2026 and receive 2 x 1:1 mentorship calls.
Enterprise
Training
(beta)
Our flagship course, PR Fundamentals: From Pitch to Placement, is now available for internal team trainings. With the ability to join a cohort or create a customized program, this training gives employees the skills, frameworks, and confidence to execute real media strategies—or collaborate more effectively with external agencies.
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Perfect for:
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✓ Startups scaling their brand presence
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✓ Marketing/comms teams managing PR in-house
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✓ Agencies training junior team members
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Interested in training your team with us?
​We’re currently offering a pilot run for a limited number of partners.
Lead Instructor
Teresa Bigelow
Teresa informally started Spiral5 in 2016 when, as a newly-minted independent publicist, she realized how important it is to have colleagues who really get what you're going through.
In 2020, in the throes of a global shutdown, Spiral5 was launched as a formal community and career platform.
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Since 2011, Teresa’s own PR career has spanned agency, in-house, and contract roles, and has brought her around the world — from eight years in New York City to a one-year stint in Mumbai, and four years in Tulsa, Oklahoma before landing in New Orleans.
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Teresa's diverse experience uniquely positions her to intuitively navigate a wide range of students and interests. She has put startups on the map that have gone on to become billion-dollar enterprises; she has crafted industry-shifting narratives for tricky emerging markets; and has promoted bluegrass legends, hip-hop icons, think tanks, and everyone in between. She was also among the very first PR professionals to work with brands and researchers in the quickly growing psychedelics space.
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Teresa has been featured in Forbes, Thrive Global and Brit+Co. And not too long ago (but also not too recently), she was recognized as a PR News Rising Star 30 and Under.
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