Latest / Black Fridays: Business Growth for Entrepreneurs, Creators & Professionals / Why Your Public Relations Strategy Isn't Working - Ep. 171 w/ Kiana Montgomery

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Why Your Public Relations Strategy Isn't Working - Ep. 171 w/ Kiana Montgomery · Black Fridays: Business Growth for Entrepreneurs, Creators & Professionals

0:00
[SPEAKER_02]: And I always tell people, do not hire a publicist and say I need to be on the news in three weeks.
0:05
[SPEAKER_02]: PR can be something that everyone can definitely take advantage of when they're in the right space.
0:12
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of times people come to work with me and they're like, I want to be on Fox 2 and be on CBS.
0:15
[SPEAKER_02]: They don't have a website.
0:17
[SPEAKER_02]: They don't have a landing page or a place someone can learn more and so you go and fuck to you talk you yeah, you get the social media content and then what how can people find you?
0:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
0:27
[SPEAKER_02]: What's your story?
0:28
[SPEAKER_02]: How do people connect with you?
0:29
[SPEAKER_02]: Is everything that needs to be done done before you can be in front of the camera?
0:34
[SPEAKER_02]: We're partners.
0:36
[SPEAKER_02]: We're not magicians.
0:37
[SPEAKER_02]: And I always say PR is a partnership the same way someone's interviewing me to be their publicist.
0:41
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm interviewing them because I want to make sure you want to show up and be your best self.
1:05
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm a work in professionals, creators, entrepreneurs, I need you out of tap the internet.
1:08
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1:18
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1:26
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1:29
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1:38
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1:43
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1:44
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1:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Now let's go ahead and get back into the episode.
1:50
[SPEAKER_00]: What up, Bill Blackfrab?
1:52
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus Christ.
1:53
[SPEAKER_00]: What up, Bill Blackfrab, a family, welcome back to another installment of the Blackfrab Eighth Podcast.
1:59
[SPEAKER_00]: Before we get into today's episode, I need to hit that like button, subscribe, drop a comment, send some videos to family friends, and love ones so that we can keep this thing going.
2:07
[SPEAKER_00]: Now that I got that business out of the way, I want to introduce you to my guests who has helped in all of us out here have more successful presence out there to the world, through public relations, Miss Keanu Montgomery, how you doing today?
2:20
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm doing pretty good.
2:22
[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for putting up on us on the podcast today.
2:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Thanks for having me.
2:25
[SPEAKER_02]: I've had some great clients come up here.
2:27
[SPEAKER_02]: So I'm looking forward to having my turn.
2:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
2:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
2:31
[SPEAKER_00]: So now that we had a chance to talk to some of your clients, we got to talk to the woman behind the business.
2:36
[SPEAKER_00]: So key takeaways.
2:38
[SPEAKER_00]: Before we get into that, I want you to be able to help the level set.
2:42
[SPEAKER_00]: What is public relations?
2:43
[SPEAKER_00]: And how is that different from communications?
2:46
[SPEAKER_02]: So it all works together.
2:48
[SPEAKER_02]: So I always tell people, public relations is marketing without the admin, right?
2:53
[SPEAKER_02]: So public relations is more and long for him storytelling.
2:56
[SPEAKER_02]: It's more convincing the public.
2:58
[SPEAKER_02]: I would think of it as like Nike just do it.
3:01
[SPEAKER_02]: That's like marketing, that's advertising.
3:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Public relations would be Nike, CEO, sitting down, and speaking to people about how their products are more superior than them do you this.
3:10
[SPEAKER_02]: The history of why he started the business, things like that.
3:13
[SPEAKER_00]: got you.
3:14
[SPEAKER_00]: And what does public relations look like at key takeaways?
3:20
[SPEAKER_02]: What public relations looks like for my business is a little bit more hands-on.
3:26
[SPEAKER_02]: I have so I am five years entrepreneurship and also five years corporate America.
3:30
[SPEAKER_02]: It's all I've worked with.
3:32
[SPEAKER_02]: The biggest PR agencies in the world at the time, Edelman, as far as, as well as the biggest PR firm in Florida at the time, which was sex media group.
3:41
[SPEAKER_02]: And so within that realm, I've learned the corporate way of doing things, but also within five years of entrepreneurship, learning how to take those bigger strategies and tactics and make it more palatable for entrepreneurs.
3:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Understanding that when I was working with Edelman working with Tazoti or C-World,
3:57
[SPEAKER_02]: they had 50 people to help implement our ideas in our strategies versus if I'm working with the restaurant or something like that, they may have 10 employees, right?
4:05
[SPEAKER_02]: They cannot answer my email as soon as possible.
4:07
[SPEAKER_02]: So I had to think through how to make sure people can get the same quality of work, but within their bandwidth.
4:13
[SPEAKER_00]: Very dope.
4:15
[SPEAKER_00]: And for you, when did you did five years corporate five years entrepreneurship?
4:20
[SPEAKER_00]: When did that moment come that you felt it was time to pivot and make
4:26
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, so when I graduated, I told myself, and got out only one of five years, right?
4:32
[SPEAKER_02]: But I got comfy, I got cushy, I was having a ball, working on these big clients, and you know, really enjoying it.
4:40
[SPEAKER_02]: And so at the height of COVID, I moved to Michigan.
4:43
[SPEAKER_02]: I was living in Florida at the time.
4:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Florida was not shutting down.
4:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Florida was still a party in.
4:47
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, Florida was not, yeah.
4:48
[SPEAKER_02]: COVID did not exist in Florida.
4:50
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'm a bit of a germaphob.
4:51
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I packed up, shift myself back to Michigan, and was just working remote from my agency.
4:56
[SPEAKER_02]: And so maybe within a year, maybe you can see emails in me and they're like, hey, just let you know we're all coming back to the office.
5:02
[SPEAKER_02]: You need to move back or we'll have to have a conversation.
5:05
[SPEAKER_02]: So I was like, I'm just gonna coast because I had no plans to move back.
5:10
[SPEAKER_02]: If the world shuts down, I absolutely love Florida.
5:12
[SPEAKER_02]: I have a great friendship community, but I don't have any family there.
5:15
[SPEAKER_02]: So if anything happened, I really wanted to be close to family.
5:17
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I took that as my step.
5:20
[SPEAKER_02]: I had a great severance, and I used that to invest in key takeaways.
5:23
[SPEAKER_00]: very dope.
5:24
[SPEAKER_00]: So we're going to continue down your business journey, but I got an introduction of my favorite part of Black Friday, which you should know about this freestyle Friday.
5:37
[SPEAKER_00]: So do you guys some some key takeaway bars for so far?
5:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
5:45
[SPEAKER_02]: That's not my ministry.
5:46
[SPEAKER_02]: What's that?
5:47
[SPEAKER_02]: What's that?
5:49
[SPEAKER_02]: And show you on the free style and I don't even have that in me.
5:53
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm trying to think of something off the, I'm literally, all of us, it's like flat lines, I'm right there for sure.
5:59
[SPEAKER_00]: So we can do rapid fire questions if that works or so.
6:01
[SPEAKER_02]: That's for me.
6:02
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, but so tell me about one of the funniest PR situations that you've had in recent memory.
6:11
[SPEAKER_02]: See, that's the thing about PR is, it could be funny to other people, but it's stress for me.
6:17
[SPEAKER_02]: Funny you look back on now.
6:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Funny you look back on now.
6:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Client, Timmate, Dance Institute.
6:26
[SPEAKER_02]: I had somehow, or no, the, I had somehow flipped the addresses.
6:31
[SPEAKER_02]: There was a convening and one was one day another was the second day.
6:35
[SPEAKER_02]: I had somehow flipped the addresses in my mind when I was calling the new station.
6:40
[SPEAKER_02]: and calling the new station, they went to the wrong address in the client.
6:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Luckily, it was just so like understanding that this was like high pressure for me.
6:49
[SPEAKER_02]: It was already important.
6:51
[SPEAKER_02]: It wasn't anything of like just
6:53
[SPEAKER_02]: It was just a mistake and I can look back on it now and one be grateful that I have an understanding client and too laugh because how busy are you that you're flipping addresses on your own home?
7:04
[SPEAKER_02]: But it's like things like that happen and it's a good way to slow down because here is a very high pressure there's we're not saving lives but we are taking someone to dream and trying to bring it to reality and to me that's high stakes.
7:23
[SPEAKER_02]: That's it easy answer.
7:24
[SPEAKER_02]: I absolutely love Barcelona.
7:25
[SPEAKER_02]: I tend to go to Europe maybe three months out the year.
7:30
[SPEAKER_02]: and Barcelona, I like to say at least two months of that.
7:32
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's just the food is amazing, the nightlife, the restaurants, the people.
7:38
[SPEAKER_02]: And I enjoy it because I'm like America, I've found that, I can't say all of you are it, but in Barcelona, they don't lead with what they do, how much they have or their car and things like that.
7:48
[SPEAKER_02]: They, are you a good time?
7:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you here to have fun?
7:52
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's really all that matters and those are my type of people.
7:54
[SPEAKER_00]: So Mike came in town from, that's not from Michigan, not from Detroit.
7:59
[SPEAKER_00]: What are you taking them to do for the day?
8:00
[SPEAKER_00]: You got 24 hours.
8:02
[SPEAKER_02]: Detroit Institute of Art.
8:04
[SPEAKER_02]: I love that.
8:05
[SPEAKER_02]: The right museum.
8:06
[SPEAKER_02]: Wow.
8:07
[SPEAKER_02]: I went again maybe three weeks ago and I forgot how powerful it was.
8:12
[SPEAKER_02]: So maybe I flipped that.
8:14
[SPEAKER_02]: If it's only 24 hours right museum and then we'll see DIA towards the end just because it's institutionally it's it's a beautiful museum.
8:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Food wise.
8:23
[SPEAKER_02]: You have to start by parlay.
8:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
8:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Just because you never know who you'll see in there and I think it's a great way to kind of like get the energy of Detroit.
8:30
[SPEAKER_02]: I feel like every type of detraider you can find in Partly.
8:33
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not like to pop in circumstance.
8:36
[SPEAKER_02]: People are just there to have a good time.
8:38
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
8:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Nightlife, or like a bar, I mean, jail examgers.
8:44
[SPEAKER_02]: I kind of forgot about jail examers and they are.
8:47
[SPEAKER_02]: I know they're not like detraid made or homegrown, but I mean, similar to Partly, like that energy in there on the nightlife vibe.
8:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Because I'm not really like a close person.
8:56
[SPEAKER_02]: I love like just a nice bar.
8:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
8:58
[SPEAKER_02]: So, Jalex Anders is beautiful for sure.
9:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, always pop in through a bookstore.
9:04
[SPEAKER_02]: Church, I feel like church is a good way to feel the church right energy.
9:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, my church, um, life application ministry is not shainer like, it's so welcoming.
9:13
[SPEAKER_02]: So if I was bringing someone in and maybe, you know, Detroit sometimes we have bad reputation based on new movies and music and the news.
9:21
[SPEAKER_02]: But, I mean, for the most part, we're really community-based.
9:23
[SPEAKER_02]: And so definitely church if it's like based on a Sunday or Tuesday Bible study.
9:27
[SPEAKER_00]: Nope.
9:28
[SPEAKER_00]: And you mentioned books.
9:29
[SPEAKER_00]: What's a book that you want people to tap into or that you're reading right now?
9:33
[SPEAKER_02]: So I read, I just finished Medusa.
9:36
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm Medusa.
9:38
[SPEAKER_02]: By a writer called Iyana, and I'm blanket on her last name.
9:42
[SPEAKER_02]: Such a great read.
9:43
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a reimagination of Medusa story in the Greek gods or black.
9:48
[SPEAKER_02]: Love it, love it, love it because why not?
9:51
[SPEAKER_02]: And instead of Medusa being non-black her hair originally before it's turned to snakes it's locks.
10:00
[SPEAKER_02]: And so a lot of the imagery is speaking to how beautiful the locks are and things like that.
10:05
[SPEAKER_02]: And so going to school in Florida, up north we call them dreads.
10:09
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you go to the South, I'm a majority of time people are going to...
10:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Correct you that they're locks and this a whole connotation of dreads and dreading things and things like that So I love that book because I feel like to regardless of your race You can really just enjoy a retelling of a story that we often like we know But this getting deeper into personalities and things like that got you and last but not least because public relations is about communication If you're phone calling do one of these functions which won't you prefer video call voice call or text messages don't you?
10:41
[SPEAKER_02]: text message.
10:42
[SPEAKER_02]: I love a voicemail.
10:43
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm a voicemail.
10:44
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like podcast.
10:45
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's like, if I could do a 30 minute voicemail, I would.
10:49
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'll just, yeah, and I'll forget what I'm talking about, but at least like, because everybody's on the go, I tend to not call people.
10:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Because I'm like, what if you're doing this?
10:59
[SPEAKER_02]: What if you're doing that?
11:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Am I phone stays on do not disturb?
11:02
[SPEAKER_02]: I hate the sound of a phone ringing.
11:04
[SPEAKER_02]: So to be able to send a voicemail, they can listen to it whenever they can or whenever they have time.
11:08
[SPEAKER_02]: During a nighttime routine, whenever I got your attention, that's great.
11:12
[SPEAKER_02]: So, text message for sure.
11:13
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm about to start doing it.
11:14
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm about to start sending mini piecats.
11:16
[SPEAKER_00]: You sure?
11:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm about to watch many people appreciate it.
11:19
[SPEAKER_02]: They're like, thank you so much for telling me about your day.
11:21
[SPEAKER_00]: And you can see you listen to it.
11:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Exactly.
11:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
11:24
[SPEAKER_02]: And they can pause it, go back to it.
11:26
[SPEAKER_02]: They can see the transcript of it.
11:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Yep.
11:28
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, whoever invented that, they're my favorite person.
11:31
[SPEAKER_00]: for sure.
11:33
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, thank you for protecting the freestyle Friday.
11:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Even though you didn't, you didn't rap.
11:37
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, thank you for giving me the option.
11:38
[SPEAKER_02]: Not to rap.
11:41
[SPEAKER_00]: So going back into your business journey, I would love to be able to know the five years that you spent in corporate.
11:48
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, you have the opportunity to be able to be like a sign to playing since things like that.
11:53
[SPEAKER_00]: But I'm curious as to when you decide to go out on your own.
11:56
[SPEAKER_00]: How did you build your book of business and what was that journey like for you?
12:00
[SPEAKER_00]: And obviously it's never ended in an entrepreneurship.
12:03
[SPEAKER_02]: So I love talking about this because one is a testament to like Detroit's community.
12:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Every client that I've gotten has been word of mouth or networking.
12:11
[SPEAKER_02]: I've never spent a dime on advertising or social media ads.
12:16
[SPEAKER_02]: I just hired my social media manager last year and they do an amazing job.
12:21
[SPEAKER_02]: And honestly, starting my business
12:24
[SPEAKER_02]: I was out, and I was, okay, taking a step back.
12:27
[SPEAKER_02]: I was in Orlando, living, dipping, doing it, and read this article by the New York Times, 16 black chefs changing the culinary scene.
12:37
[SPEAKER_02]: Just so happens, Chef Max Hardy was in that roundup.
12:42
[SPEAKER_02]: So I DM him, hey, I'm coming in in town because I was already coming in town to my on and I we love visiting black home restaurants.
12:48
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like, I'll be here from these days.
12:50
[SPEAKER_02]: What days will you be on site?
12:51
[SPEAKER_02]: Because I'd love to learn more about, you know, the menu, inspiration, all that good stuff.
12:56
[SPEAKER_02]: So fast for it, I go, I visit him.
12:58
[SPEAKER_02]: It's literally before COVID is announced.
13:02
[SPEAKER_02]: But sex media group, the agency I was with at the time, they do a lot of legislation, worked out, has these in, you know, it's the capital of Florida, literally the office is up the street from the capital.
13:12
[SPEAKER_02]: And they heard the rumblings of virus, something happening, could be coming over.
13:19
[SPEAKER_02]: And we had started telling our clients, like, hey, we don't know what's going on, but it may change.
13:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Max about and he was like, oh, no, the restaurant industry would crumble.
13:30
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, no American history would crumble if the restaurant industry crumbled and so I Like I'm like, well, this is what I'm hearing fast forward.
13:39
[SPEAKER_02]: It happens and I guess he was just like, okay You know what you're talking about and so he was like how can I hire you and it's time I was selling my agency I was like, well, you don't want to have a bloated PR budget from an agency But I know other publicists he was like, no, I want to work with you
13:53
[SPEAKER_02]: So we speak, we talked, we worked together for about four years, often on, and he always spoke very highly of me and he was a trusted voice in self.
14:01
[SPEAKER_02]: And so him speaking highly of me, going out and networking on my behalf, my own behalf, and, you know, creating organic relationships.
14:10
[SPEAKER_02]: I always tell people, when you go out to network, it's not always like pass out to your business card or pitch your business right then and there create organic relationships, create organic ties to people and they'll want to see you in.
14:23
[SPEAKER_02]: My two biggest clients from last year were was a personal connection that I enjoy spending time with this person enjoying it now.
14:32
[SPEAKER_02]: We go to Pilates, we do all these things.
14:34
[SPEAKER_02]: But as soon as she was in her professional circles and someone said they needed to publish this, I was thrown in the ring because of that organic connection.
14:40
[SPEAKER_02]: So I think of networking as more of community building instead of building your portfolio.
14:46
[SPEAKER_00]: And could you tell us what services you provide?
14:50
[SPEAKER_00]: And what does that look like for someone to be on board it
14:53
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so services, traditional media.
14:57
[SPEAKER_02]: So what that looks like is, instead of a commercial, I would pitch you to Fox, CBS, radio, podcast, and send them an in-depth pitch about your story.
15:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Why it matters?
15:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Why it's timely?
15:10
[SPEAKER_02]: and how it aligns with their audiences and their stakeholders.
15:13
[SPEAKER_02]: They would say, yes, no, this is a good time.
15:15
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe in the future.
15:16
[SPEAKER_02]: And then we get you on there.
15:17
[SPEAKER_02]: I'd help prep you before the interview.
15:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Here you're talking points.
15:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Here are the things you might want to stay away from.
15:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Here are the things you want to lean into, and all that good stuff.
15:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Other things we do.
15:26
[SPEAKER_02]: I say we because I do have interns and things like that, we do community engagement where if you're having an event, we do the research to make sure those stakeholders that are actually going to come in and spend money with you.
15:37
[SPEAKER_02]: They're going to be at the event, not just people that are just filling the seats.
15:41
[SPEAKER_02]: We also do media training.
15:43
[SPEAKER_02]: I have a service called the way you show up and what that is is to say you open a business and you don't have time to sit down and train every person that's on your team.
15:53
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of people forget that opening that brick and mortar is great, having that website is great, but once people get in there, if the customer service isn't there, if a customer comes in and then they ask a question and then you're front.
16:04
[SPEAKER_02]: desk people can't tell you why are the ingredients or your history.
16:08
[SPEAKER_02]: More than anything people believe in brands and they believe in stories.
16:12
[SPEAKER_02]: And so if your team member can't adequately communicate that on your behalf, your mission opportunity.
16:18
[SPEAKER_02]: We have other other services of course.
16:21
[SPEAKER_02]: Sometimes I'm pulled into things as actually not my expertise, but I'd really say no to a challenge,
16:31
[SPEAKER_02]: And all of those good things, that can be fun, but also strategic and time consuming.
16:39
[SPEAKER_00]: And you mentioned media training, so I'm curious as to what that would look like, because people will talk about media training and stuff like that, but some people jump in to media opportunities without that, so I'm wondering, what does that look like for you to get somebody media ready?
16:55
[SPEAKER_02]: So.
16:56
[SPEAKER_02]: At key takeaways, media training kind of goes through.
16:58
[SPEAKER_02]: So how we start is we give you a bio questionnaire.
17:02
[SPEAKER_02]: And so a lot of times people don't realize those nuggets that'll actually connect with people.
17:06
[SPEAKER_02]: People are like, oh, open this business 10 years ago, and I do this, and I do that.
17:10
[SPEAKER_02]: That's great.
17:11
[SPEAKER_02]: But did you open this business because these are your grandmother's recipes that she learned from her grandmother?
17:16
[SPEAKER_02]: Did you open this business because you saw a lack in the community, and you were in, you know,
17:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Corporate America and you saw this lack and you wanted to fill this gap.
17:23
[SPEAKER_02]: All of those different nuggets.
17:25
[SPEAKER_02]: That's how people connect and so that's how we start.
17:28
[SPEAKER_02]: We start with the bio questionnaire.
17:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Within that we build Dr. talking points and so within that I kind of teach people how to not speak and it's um and um and um and how to have a presence even when you're not speaking right, giving someone direct eye contact.
17:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Laughing how to pivot when someone asks you a question that you're not comfortable answering and also how to stick to the talking points It's okay to Rear off sometimes, but also why are you here?
17:57
[SPEAKER_02]: This is your opportunity.
17:58
[SPEAKER_02]: You have the cameras and you have the eyes What are those key points that need to be spoken about why you have this opportunity?
18:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think that's super important because I do I've had to pleasure if I have in a lot of people's like first interviews and you definitely like
18:15
[SPEAKER_00]: They'll be proficient in what it is that they do.
18:17
[SPEAKER_00]: And luckily in my case, they've been able to articulate that.
18:21
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel pretty well.
18:22
[SPEAKER_00]: And then I also try to make it my job to make sure we can extract some of that from those conversations.
18:27
[SPEAKER_00]: But then some people will get on platforms and they just, yeah, they just look at it.
18:34
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm here to yapp, and it's like, you have to buy yappers.
18:37
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't hate that, but you got to have some points.
18:41
[SPEAKER_00]: You got to have some takeaway points.
18:43
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and like I mentioned pivoting is is is an art like So many times you have an interview and the reporter could be they want to focus on some else Yeah, that's their prerogative.
18:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, stay present stay cognizant and whatever that is But how do you still tie it back to those important points that we discussed before yeah, and so I do like practice interviews in front of a camera virtually in person
19:06
[SPEAKER_02]: We do a set up with the camera and then they can go back and watch it.
19:09
[SPEAKER_02]: Do you like the way you're standing?
19:11
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you leaned over to chew gum?
19:15
[SPEAKER_02]: All these different ways that people don't understand that they're showing up, but if you can watch yourself back, then we can kind of critique it that way.
19:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if they show in gum door and interview, you know that's tracks line.
19:23
[SPEAKER_02]: No.
19:25
[SPEAKER_02]: And if I'm there, you're spitting it out.
19:26
[SPEAKER_02]: That can't be everywhere.
19:27
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's like, I'd rather talk about that ahead of time.
19:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Then I see you on Fox 2 while I'm at another client event.
19:33
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, what?
19:34
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you got you on our chewing gum.
19:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, I'm asking if you look bad.
19:39
[SPEAKER_02]: Why could you imagine I know, but yeah, that's what and I love media training.
19:44
[SPEAKER_02]: I do because it's PR communications marketing.
19:47
[SPEAKER_02]: All of that is science-based.
19:48
[SPEAKER_02]: I know a lot of people think like, oh, you know, PR is just like shaking hands, kissing babies, going to like cool events.
19:54
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
19:54
[SPEAKER_02]: That is a part of it.
19:55
[SPEAKER_02]: But if there's a reason why a lot of this have degrees in it, it's because it is science-based and research-based.
20:01
[SPEAKER_00]: And in terms of public relations, opportunities for folks, why do you feel like it's important for small businesses to invest in public relations?
20:10
[SPEAKER_00]: It might be a bit of a silly question, but I know that there are a lot of people of the thought process of
20:17
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't have it in the budget, it's not necessarily important, like, why would you say that they should invest in it?
20:23
[SPEAKER_02]: So PR is a luxury.
20:24
[SPEAKER_02]: I will say that.
20:25
[SPEAKER_02]: If it comes between a publicist and getting your brick and mortar, they're going to choose their location.
20:32
[SPEAKER_02]: A website, they're going to choose that because that's that's longevity.
20:36
[SPEAKER_02]: But PR is the long lead, now always tell people, do not hire a publicist and say, I need to be on the news in three weeks.
20:44
[SPEAKER_02]: That's not there's so many different things out of our control and I always say if another public is promised you something either they had a client fall out and then they know that this new station has a slot that that can be filled or they're doing pay-to-play which is nothing wrong with that okay that's just not my arena but
21:01
[SPEAKER_02]: it's it's not professional to make promises like that.
21:05
[SPEAKER_02]: And so PR can be something that everyone can definitely take advantage of when they're in the right space.
21:13
[SPEAKER_02]: So I always tell people and I'm actually getting ready to do some online assets for people to get ready for they hire a publicist.
21:23
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of times people come to work with me and they're like, I want to be on
21:27
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, they don't have a landing page or a place someone can learn more and so you're going to talk you, yeah, if you get the social media content and then what, how can people find you?
21:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
21:37
[SPEAKER_02]: What's your story?
21:38
[SPEAKER_02]: How do people connect with you?
21:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Is, is, is, is everything that needs to be done done before you can be in front of the camera.
21:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
21:46
[SPEAKER_02]: You can hire a publicist, but that's going to take your long lead time even longer, because we have to work together to get that stuff together, or you can do it where you use chat GPT, or you kind of get yourself to a certain point before you hire a publicist.
21:59
[SPEAKER_02]: We're partners.
22:01
[SPEAKER_02]: We're not magicians.
22:02
[SPEAKER_02]: And I always say PR is a partnership the same way someone's interviewing me to be their publicist.
22:06
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm interviewing them.
22:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Because I want to make sure you want to show up and be your best self.
22:10
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't you don't drop your business in my lap and say, hey, go go do this.
22:15
[SPEAKER_02]: It's brain storming.
22:16
[SPEAKER_02]: It's working together.
22:16
[SPEAKER_02]: It's pushing each other.
22:18
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of times my clients will have these great ideas that I'm like, yes, and did you think about this?
22:23
[SPEAKER_02]: And those are just people I love to work with because
22:26
[SPEAKER_02]: they are really looking to leave their market their industry and I'm trying to do the same thing.
22:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
22:32
[SPEAKER_00]: How do you get them game ready so to speak?
22:34
[SPEAKER_00]: So like everything that you had just mentioned in terms of, let's say that you have the foundational structure of your business together, but may not necessarily have the public relation and pieces, which is obviously why they work with you.
22:47
[SPEAKER_00]: But your process, how do you get them game ready to say, all right,
22:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I'm ready to put you on these major broadcasting networks.
22:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so that's multiple layers.
22:56
[SPEAKER_02]: So one is a brand audit.
22:58
[SPEAKER_02]: You can have a website, but is your messaging streamlined?
23:02
[SPEAKER_02]: Is it consistent across paid, owned, and earned?
23:05
[SPEAKER_02]: So does your social media reflect what it says on your website?
23:08
[SPEAKER_02]: When people come into your business, does that reflect within your customer service, in your team, your representatives?
23:14
[SPEAKER_02]: And then when you get in front of the media, are you consistent in concise?
23:17
[SPEAKER_02]: to be able to communicate all of that messaging when the camera comes on.
23:21
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's my job and that's every public says job is before we get you these opportunities to make sure when people do go to your website, you put your best foot forward because a lot of times when people come to support and if the ball's dropped, they're not coming back.
23:35
[SPEAKER_02]: You have one chance to make a good impression on people and so that's my job to make sure you're making the best impression whenever we get these opportunities together.
23:42
[SPEAKER_00]: for sure.
23:44
[SPEAKER_00]: And what's the hell no for you when it comes to potential clients like you like you know I'm what's your deal breakers.
23:54
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't dance around the question I know you know you media training don't don't dance around the question.
23:59
[SPEAKER_02]: I think my hell no.
24:03
[SPEAKER_02]: and this can sound very PR-ish.
24:07
[SPEAKER_02]: My hell know is someone who's just doing it for a quick book and actually doesn't believe in what they're doing.
24:11
[SPEAKER_04]: Okay.
24:11
[SPEAKER_02]: Of course, make money, of course.
24:13
[SPEAKER_02]: That's what we're doing it for.
24:14
[SPEAKER_02]: But if you just create it this thing and you're like, hey, I'm pushing it out.
24:18
[SPEAKER_02]: What can you do?
24:19
[SPEAKER_02]: But you don't really wanna show up.
24:20
[SPEAKER_02]: You don't even believe in it.
24:21
[SPEAKER_02]: How can I get other people to believe in that for you?
24:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Industry-wise, I've been I've worked with a little bit of every, I've worked in the mirror, I wanna industry.
24:28
[SPEAKER_02]: I probably just wouldn't do like,
24:32
[SPEAKER_02]: it's a nice way to put it adult content.
24:35
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
24:35
[SPEAKER_02]: That's not me.
24:36
[SPEAKER_02]: I wouldn't even know the industry or the landscape to begin with for that.
24:39
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's probably about it.
24:41
[SPEAKER_00]: It's kind of is a tough industry to get traction in from like a public relations standpoint, just given a stigma around it, even though it has been legalized in plenty of states and in places.
24:52
[SPEAKER_02]: So when I first worked with in the cannabis industry, it was probably about six years ago.
24:58
[SPEAKER_02]: So it was hard to then because it wasn't legal everywhere.
25:01
[SPEAKER_02]: It's still not legal everywhere.
25:02
[SPEAKER_02]: And so what we decided to do was pivot more in the realm of the jobs that was broken to the community.
25:09
[SPEAKER_02]: The refurbishment, the building that they were getting ready to open was a building that had been left dormant within the community.
25:14
[SPEAKER_02]: It was an I-Sore.
25:15
[SPEAKER_02]: for years and here comes this, you know, quote unquote legal illegal business depending on the community coming in and not only helping the economy but building up, you know, making the landscape better.
25:28
[SPEAKER_02]: So, and that's the thing though, right, when it comes to a publicist as our job to think outside the box, even if it's something that could be a little bit taboo or a little bit different, how do we spend it to kind of reaches many people as possible?
25:39
[SPEAKER_00]: And I got to get them credit because they name be so innovative.
25:44
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's like buzz our room.
25:46
[SPEAKER_00]: Sorry, they don't want to go for it.
25:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Exactly, because you have to make fun.
25:52
[SPEAKER_02]: You have to be memorable.
25:53
[SPEAKER_02]: You can't like marijuana store.
25:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, I mean, the liquor store can do a great.
25:58
[SPEAKER_02]: But like, marijuana, and it's also knowing your audience.
26:01
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of people that are, you know,
26:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Smoking or doing edible is they're looking for a release.
26:06
[SPEAKER_02]: They're looking for a way to relax.
26:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
26:08
[SPEAKER_02]: So making your brand something funny or fun and something people could connect with is definitely great from a marketing standpoint.
26:15
[SPEAKER_00]: for sure.
26:16
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you have any triumphs that you could tell us in terms of customer testimonials, the stories, where it's like, you know, when I started working with you, we had a ball of clay, and then when we got done, we had a pottery.
26:28
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I, oh my clients are triums.
26:31
[SPEAKER_02]: Honestly, I, I am really blessed to
26:35
[SPEAKER_02]: work with some great businesses to be honest.
26:37
[SPEAKER_02]: And I feel like when you ask me that question, I kind of freeze a little bit because I'm like, hold on.
26:42
[SPEAKER_02]: If I name one of them, the other one may get jealous.
26:44
[SPEAKER_02]: So I think so.
26:46
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll do it layered.
26:47
[SPEAKER_02]: So Chef Max Hardy, he passed away.
26:51
[SPEAKER_02]: I kind of took myself out the game for about a year, took a step back, revamped myself.
26:56
[SPEAKER_02]: And this is something I would do with a client to think through how do I want to change?
27:00
[SPEAKER_02]: This was a tragedy within my personal life, professional life.
27:05
[SPEAKER_02]: This was the first person that believed in me, and when I started my business, he was my first client.
27:11
[SPEAKER_02]: And so all of a sudden, that kind of like cheerleader was taken out of my atmosphere, and so I'm getting to your question.
27:18
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I'm taking a step back.
27:19
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I read my website, I read my messaging, I read my imagery, I just kind of just pivoted with myself.
27:30
[SPEAKER_02]: I just started all over, which is fine, and I reached out to Alexa's whole home's push Pilates, and she was, I was asking her something else, and she was like, you're a publicist?
27:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Can we have a meeting?
27:42
[SPEAKER_02]: And so we worked together, and it was just Sympathica.
27:45
[SPEAKER_02]: 30 days, she was on every station, news, we did everything, cranes, we did blogs, her grand opening was,
27:55
[SPEAKER_02]: took a pass at it like it was stuffed we had the first black female mayor fernedale there she did the ribbon cutting we had so much community engagement and it was such a it was not just a professional triumph it was a triumph that
28:11
[SPEAKER_02]: when you do take a step back and redo your own business, you can come back and win.
28:15
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of times people feel like if I stop, if I slow down, I'll lose momentum and no.
28:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Sometimes stopping is the way to get to where you wanna go.
28:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Other client wins, of course, sitting at the noble brand, she's one of my favorites.
28:27
[SPEAKER_02]: She's such a great partner because we love to brainstorm and get creative and think outside the box.
28:32
[SPEAKER_02]: And so with her was this amazing brand of,
28:36
[SPEAKER_02]: home fragrances, and it's the non-toxic realm, right?
28:41
[SPEAKER_02]: So we could have pitched great candles, because it's Detroit-based, by it because of this, by it because, no, by it because it's great for your health, by it because when you are lighting these bath and bodywork candles in these other candles, you are breathing in toxins, and this is quality luxury candles that do not hinder your health.
28:58
[SPEAKER_02]: And so it was just fun to be able to, she was a retainer client and we got some lens in there.
29:05
[SPEAKER_02]: On top of the events, we have wellness fest every year.
29:08
[SPEAKER_02]: We had our grand opening in the summer.
29:11
[SPEAKER_02]: We're getting ready to do another bigger and better location later this year.
29:16
[SPEAKER_02]: And so it's all of these triumphs because
29:20
[SPEAKER_02]: One, the media comes, right?
29:22
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm a publicist, I'm almost 10 years in, the media comes.
29:25
[SPEAKER_02]: But it's not just the media, it's the way we get to pivot and think outside the box and be different and tell the same story in many different ways.
29:33
[SPEAKER_02]: Because when you look at having a retainer client, I can't pitch the same topic every month.
29:38
[SPEAKER_02]: So not only does it have to matter to the community, it has to be timely.
29:41
[SPEAKER_02]: It has to get the producers and the reporters eyes.
29:44
[SPEAKER_02]: They're getting hundreds of emails a day.
29:46
[SPEAKER_02]: On top of the text, on top of the calls, on top of their personal lives.
29:49
[SPEAKER_02]: And so, how am I thinking outside the box to make sure when I am getting their attention, it's something that they want to be a part of?
29:56
[SPEAKER_00]: How do you go about your pitch process to get your clients on different platforms?
30:00
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, that's part of how we met, but curious as to, like, how if you could give us a peak behind the curtain to your process to get the job done?
30:10
[SPEAKER_02]: So as multiple layers, one is not interviewing, researching the outlet, right?
30:14
[SPEAKER_02]: I know you love to tell black stories.
30:16
[SPEAKER_02]: I know you love to tell local stories.
30:18
[SPEAKER_02]: and impactful stories, right?
30:20
[SPEAKER_02]: So I wouldn't pitch someone that's just doing like this random event and then they're going to go back into the the the the ether and never come back and build into the community.
30:30
[SPEAKER_02]: And so doing your research, understanding who you're speaking with, understanding their audiences.
30:33
[SPEAKER_02]: but also timely, right?
30:35
[SPEAKER_02]: So March next month is Women's International Month, or Women's History Month.
30:39
[SPEAKER_02]: So all of these women-owned brands, all of these women-led brands, should be pitching now to get into the media.
30:45
[SPEAKER_02]: All of these brands, I may not be women-owned, but they are supporting women's health, supporting women's mental health, or providing women-focused pot-proclaimed people.
30:55
[SPEAKER_02]: products.
30:55
[SPEAKER_02]: All of that is something that if you take the time to do the research, which is your editorial calendar, you can stagger and line up your stories to make sure that you're able to be impactful and keep the story going as long as possible.
31:07
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
31:08
[SPEAKER_00]: What does your day look like?
31:09
[SPEAKER_00]: Your day-to-day tip you look like as a publicist, because I have no idea.
31:12
[SPEAKER_00]: So like, how do you structure your day?
31:14
[SPEAKER_02]: Every day is different and that's why I chose it.
31:16
[SPEAKER_02]: To be fair, I couldn't do a job that I sit and do the same thing every day.
31:21
[SPEAKER_02]: It just isn't my, it's not where my brain lives.
31:23
[SPEAKER_02]: And so typically how I start my day is looking at the meetings that I have.
31:28
[SPEAKER_02]: If I haven't sent a genders out, like I've mentioned, corporate-american me.
31:32
[SPEAKER_02]: Every time a client has a call with me, we have an agenda.
31:35
[SPEAKER_02]: They also get a full recap detailed.
31:37
[SPEAKER_02]: So that way everybody's on the same page.
31:39
[SPEAKER_02]: Of course, I could say no, it's on there.
31:41
[SPEAKER_02]: hands to do it, but I'd rather be streamlined and have a real partnership.
31:45
[SPEAKER_02]: So, start the day, look at the meetings for the day, make sure I have all the agendas out, then we check email.
31:50
[SPEAKER_02]: If anything's a priority that has to be answered, when I get a new business request, I have a personal promise of myself to respond within 24 hours.
32:00
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, if there's someone asking me about a response from something I pitched for a client looking at all of those in boxes and making sure I'm responding in a timely way, a lot of times producers probably have like an hour window when they're responding to me.
32:13
[SPEAKER_02]: So the first thing I do in the morning after I look at my day is to look at my inbox to make sure I'm not missing any opportunities.
32:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Then from there, I'm looking at the client projects and tasks that I have and prioritizing based on need.
32:24
[SPEAKER_02]: and based on the time.
32:25
[SPEAKER_02]: So if a client has something going on, but one of their events is ahead of another, that one takes priority.
32:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Also checking you with my interns making sure they're doing well and making sure if they have anything that needs to be rearranged based on maybe their personal or school life that I'm able to give them, you know, the area to say, hey, I know I promised you this deadline, but unfortunately I need to push it back.
32:46
[SPEAKER_02]: All of that good stuff.
32:47
[SPEAKER_02]: By the end of the day, I always like to write my to-do list the day before.
32:51
[SPEAKER_02]: So
32:54
[SPEAKER_02]: overthinking the things that need to happen the next 24 hours.
32:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Also pitching is a large part of PR work, but it's not the whole day, a lot of his research.
33:05
[SPEAKER_02]: So if I have a big event, I'm looking to see
33:09
[SPEAKER_02]: person or industry or business did an aligned event in the past maybe two years how media wrote about it who decided to support it who didn't also looking at media if I'm getting ready to pitch a client.
33:22
[SPEAKER_02]: If I'm getting ready to pitch a restaurant but Fox 2 just had three restaurants in the past month.
33:27
[SPEAKER_02]: Do they really want to do a restaurant right now?
33:30
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll pitch them and say hey what about the next month?
33:32
[SPEAKER_02]: Can I have this restaurant come on?
33:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Being able to come from a standpoint of
33:36
[SPEAKER_02]: making their job easier, is the only way to do that is to do your research and do your due diligence.
33:42
[SPEAKER_00]: And speaking of which in terms of doing your research, how do you, I'm interested as to giving us the podcast in space?
33:47
[SPEAKER_00]: How do you source podcasts for your clients and how do you align them to the right opportunities with podcasts?
33:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Because it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, it
33:59
[SPEAKER_00]: broad space and then also I'm more so curious from a local standpoint because I'm like well like what other shows out there may have you sent clients to that you really rock with or whatever the case may be but I'm curious into the podcast and space because I don't think
34:14
[SPEAKER_00]: small businesses and people take enough not advantage but take take to it as much as they probably should because those spaces like can really align to what they're doing if they, you know, choosing the right platform.
34:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so when it comes to recalibration for a client, everybody wants to be on TV, right?
34:30
[SPEAKER_02]: But podcast is the goal.
34:32
[SPEAKER_02]: It is the long form content is where you really get to get deep into your story.
34:37
[SPEAKER_02]: It's also, you know, you all are clipping these interviews up and pushing it out over time.
34:43
[SPEAKER_02]: Whereas Fox 2, you get maybe two to three minutes once they're gone.
34:47
[SPEAKER_02]: It probably lives on their YouTube or their website, but it's not being pushed out regularly.
34:52
[SPEAKER_02]: So I always like to recalibrate with clients and make sure they understand the long lead of PR, and that's being able to tell your story in a way that connects with people.
35:01
[SPEAKER_02]: And so just like after this interview, I'm sure you'll be able to click quotes, and I'll be able to utilize that, right?
35:07
[SPEAKER_02]: And be able to tell my story and be able to market my own business because of that.
35:11
[SPEAKER_02]: So small businesses locally own businesses should always look to uplift and support podcasts.
35:16
[SPEAKER_02]: Sometimes even if I don't have the time to sit in
35:20
[SPEAKER_02]: look at YouTube and watch your episode all the way through.
35:23
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll play in the background while I'm doing something else just because I want you to get the views because if you're getting the views then that is reaching more audiences more subscribers.
35:31
[SPEAKER_02]: when my clients get to come on, there's more people that are already supporting you.
35:35
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's all I look about it.
35:36
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's not even podcasts to Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, all of these places.
35:41
[SPEAKER_02]: I have subscriptions to, because if I'm not supporting them, how am I able to do my job?
35:46
[SPEAKER_02]: Like if I turn around and one of the podcasts is closing, because you didn't have the stories to tell or you didn't have the subscribers, that's our fault, because we're not supporting the people that want to tell our stories.
35:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Are you subscribed to Black Friday or so on podcast and YouTube?
36:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, and your newsletter.
36:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, perfect.
36:03
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, there we go.
36:06
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm gonna talk about I get your newsletter.
36:08
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, oh, who's there?
36:10
[SPEAKER_02]: What also I love our stories?
36:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Like Detroit isn't very very rich.
36:14
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's like you're not just like you don't just have like some wrapper on just because he has a new single coming out like you have
36:20
[SPEAKER_02]: just so many different people, such a variety of stories.
36:23
[SPEAKER_02]: And so that's what I like because one, you never know who I may want to connect with.
36:28
[SPEAKER_02]: And two, I like storytelling.
36:30
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
36:31
[SPEAKER_02]: And you do a really good job out.
36:32
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, I told you last time I was here, I see you on TV.
36:35
[SPEAKER_02]: You don't have your questions written down, it's off the dome, and it's like concise.
36:41
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a story being told where some people will be like, hold on, what was I going to ask you?
36:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Never mind, like, look at my phone real quick.
36:47
[SPEAKER_02]: No, you're like speaking about it.
36:48
[SPEAKER_02]: It's such a such.
36:49
[SPEAKER_02]: I also wanted to ask you don't like That's where it is.
36:53
[SPEAKER_00]: I appreciate that we don't get to it.
36:55
[SPEAKER_00]: It'd be plenty of brain farts To get it right and do the edge on this Yeah, right in first that gun with it, but I appreciate the compliment for sure
37:06
[SPEAKER_00]: So let me see if I speak in a public relations podcast and let me see if I can get some coaching from you and some wisdom.
37:14
[SPEAKER_00]: So situation that literally has happened to me as platform continues to grow and do his thing.
37:19
[SPEAKER_00]: So I've had a couple of instances where
37:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, I come on here.
37:23
[SPEAKER_00]: I have people come on here.
37:24
[SPEAKER_00]: We they shared our stories.
37:25
[SPEAKER_00]: We have great conversations.
37:27
[SPEAKER_00]: But I had situations where people would see one person on the platform and then they will be like, you know, they'll have their own commentary on the back end where it's like, you know, I feel this way about this organization or this way about this person, X, Y, and Z.
37:42
[SPEAKER_00]: So from a public relations standpoint, and then also like if it, if
37:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me start then and I do a part two from public relations standpoint how would you advise a podcast or to handle something like that to handle people having their own opinions on your guests.
37:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, if they're bringing it to you like obviously you can do it on your own in the back end, but if they're bringing it to you like what?
38:05
[SPEAKER_00]: How do you, what's your advice?
38:07
[SPEAKER_02]: I would make them feel heard.
38:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Honestly, that's all people want sometimes.
38:10
[SPEAKER_02]: They don't even want you to do anything.
38:12
[SPEAKER_02]: They just want to know that they were able to get their thoughts out for one.
38:16
[SPEAKER_02]: And for two, it's important to share that this platform is for people to share their stories.
38:21
[SPEAKER_02]: And no one story is...
38:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Scott Freak, I'll put it in that way.
38:26
[SPEAKER_02]: Everybody has something where I'm sure I have someone out there and I was just like, listen, I worked with Alexis for maybe 30, 45 days at the end.
38:34
[SPEAKER_02]: She said, working with me felt like jail.
38:36
[SPEAKER_02]: And she said it nicely, but I still have so many, since so many emails and follow-ups and things like that because that's my corporate background, but I entrepreneur and mother, she's like, why am I always getting these emails?
38:48
[SPEAKER_02]: So there's a way to make people feel like, yeah, I hear you loud and clear.
38:52
[SPEAKER_02]: But my platform is for people to share their stories and that's the story I wanted to tell.
38:56
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
38:56
[SPEAKER_02]: And when it comes to someone not taking ownership of something that they've done in the past, let's hope that they've done the internal work to be able to fix whatever they've done and show up even stronger.
39:09
[SPEAKER_02]: And we're not judge or jury.
39:11
[SPEAKER_02]: So you're just the platform for people to share what's going on in the community.
39:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
39:16
[SPEAKER_00]: So you had
39:21
[SPEAKER_00]: like how dare you work with them.
39:24
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I was getting beat up in the middle of it.
39:27
[SPEAKER_02]: So we fell into that.
39:30
[SPEAKER_02]: But I always tell people the adult team that have now are the team that had us a child.
39:36
[SPEAKER_02]: Imagine that.
39:37
[SPEAKER_02]: But I mean.
39:38
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm sure there's people saying stuff, but the thing that I really work hard on is the good I went about.
39:45
[SPEAKER_02]: And my perfect note, people may have found me on the wrong day and I had to let them know, like, okay, I also as a woman, as entrepreneur, sometimes people try to push and get more.
39:56
[SPEAKER_02]: And over time, I've had to learn to stand up for myself and have boundaries.
40:00
[SPEAKER_02]: And some people may have taken that as she's of this, she's of that.
40:04
[SPEAKER_02]: That's okay.
40:05
[SPEAKER_00]: I know I was coming from a place where I was being my own advocate and not trying to be malicious and that's okay with me so everybody like some people are the heroes and people are the villain depends on who's telling the story for sure how do you I guess protect your what advice would you have for anybody who's doing any type of media could be social media podcast and youtube content whatever
40:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Movies how would how what's the best way for them to be at a protect their brand from the media perspective because I I feel like It's you are more Outward facing like by by design so it's like how do you kind of like you know, maintain your brand image XYZ
40:49
[SPEAKER_02]: So to maintain, so say you have a positive brand image already, to maintain is to always be cognizant of what's going on.
40:56
[SPEAKER_02]: If you see the out in people who are taking pictures, I most likely do not have a drink in my hand.
41:02
[SPEAKER_02]: If I'm tagged in something and maybe someone has a curse word in the shirt or something like that, I know it sounds very traditional, but
41:11
[SPEAKER_02]: The industry is very traditional, and I can't tell my clients to show up as they're best self, and then I don't do the same thing for one.
41:17
[SPEAKER_02]: The other side is someone, if they have a scandal or crisis, and they're trying to come back out into the world, I would always say to state that hit on, so say you have something going on that happened five years ago, misunderstanding or something like that, but then you're coming to me and you want to get on the news.
41:33
[SPEAKER_02]: One, I'll prepare you to be able to answer those questions and how to pivot in that moment or two.
41:38
[SPEAKER_02]: I would say, let's sit down.
41:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's do a podcast interview where you can tell the long story and tell your side or you do it across your own.
41:45
[SPEAKER_02]: platforms, you can do like a blog post on your website.
41:48
[SPEAKER_02]: You can do a newsletter on your website.
41:50
[SPEAKER_02]: You can do a social media reel in which you're talking about this and you're saying, X, Y and Z, X, Y and Z here is how it is.
41:56
[SPEAKER_02]: And in that way, it's not anything that seems like you're running from.
41:58
[SPEAKER_02]: If you do things head on, you seem less likely to be perceived as wrong.
42:03
[SPEAKER_02]: If you can sit in and say,
42:06
[SPEAKER_02]: I did x y and z. I was wrong.
42:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Here's how I plan on doing better for x y and z is said about me, but here's the real situation.
42:13
[SPEAKER_02]: And this is how I'm not actually who they say.
42:16
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, how would you handle a situation where for me.
42:21
[SPEAKER_00]: it's that it it haven't happened much at all and it's been a rarity for me so far but just wondering like someone who could potentially have who who has a checker pass let's say and they would like to come on a platform and be able to like tell their side of the story it's like for me the my journalistic integrity would be interested in telling the story but depending on the
42:43
[SPEAKER_00]: the circumstances and the situation, my personal values would be like, nah, I can't do that.
42:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I can't give you, I can't provide my platform for you to share your thing.
42:55
[SPEAKER_02]: I would say go with what aligns most with your values, right?
42:59
[SPEAKER_02]: So if it's something where someone's accused of doing something and you don't believe them, you think they did do it.
43:06
[SPEAKER_02]: But they want to come to other story.
43:08
[SPEAKER_02]: I think that's okay to say,
43:10
[SPEAKER_02]: No, that's, that's, I can't do that for you, and that's okay.
43:14
[SPEAKER_02]: If it is a situation where you do,
43:17
[SPEAKER_02]: want to lend your platform to them.
43:19
[SPEAKER_02]: I would say, one let them know you have editorial control at the end.
43:25
[SPEAKER_02]: So there's no back and forth of, hey, I don't like that.
43:27
[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, I don't like, well, this is a part of the story, and this is what I plan on telling.
43:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Two, having a creative meeting ahead of time.
43:33
[SPEAKER_02]: And then that way, they can kind of speak to how they want to come.
43:39
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you're feeling like there's no transparency there, or that's not any, the way they want to show up isn't the way your audience would respect.
43:47
[SPEAKER_02]: because you have to keep true to who you are in the reputation that you've built.
43:51
[SPEAKER_02]: And so if you get someone on here lying and dodging questions and all this stuff, and you're like, there's always a point.
43:58
[SPEAKER_02]: What did I just listen to?
44:00
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
44:00
[SPEAKER_02]: And then you're getting people in the comments like, Deso, you didn't pivot, you didn't ask them, Deso, you didn't ask them, yeah, exactly.
44:05
[SPEAKER_02]: Then it makes you look bad.
44:06
[SPEAKER_02]: So I think it's all coming from like their integrity if you can trust it.
44:11
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you're willing to put your name on the line for them,
44:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's somebody that's, it's a, a Detroit figure that has been popping up in the news and media outlets like they've been doing exactly that they've been lying and dodging questions on like what's the point right way, yeah, what's what, what we get what we doing is so yeah, like if, if you don't want to tell the truth or view,
44:33
[SPEAKER_02]: want to dodge.
44:34
[SPEAKER_02]: I would say just sit low.
44:36
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.
44:36
[SPEAKER_02]: Fortunately, people as attention spans are very short and the new cycle is very quick.
44:43
[SPEAKER_02]: But if you're accused of something, you know you did it and you want to dodge.
44:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Just sit this thing out.
44:48
[SPEAKER_00]: Just don't say nothing.
44:51
[SPEAKER_02]: What you don't want is for you to be out here dip in dodge and then somebody comes with the receipts.
44:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Bingo.
44:56
[SPEAKER_02]: And then you're sitting at a couch, sitting on a couch, thinking you're having this great interview and then somebody says,
45:01
[SPEAKER_02]: So tell me about that.
45:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
45:03
[SPEAKER_02]: And then then what?
45:04
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
45:05
[SPEAKER_02]: So leave me out of it.
45:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
45:06
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm good.
45:07
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like sitting out.
45:10
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean depending on what it is like just just sitting out because
45:17
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't want to be a part of any story that is detrimental to not just them but to me, because then, you know, Santa next to someone can take you far or take you down.
45:31
[SPEAKER_02]: So we have to do that courtesy to ourselves and make sure whoever we're attaching ourselves through people we're proud of.
45:36
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you advise your clients against stuff like that in terms of like being mindful of a company that you keep?
45:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, yes.
45:41
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, yes.
45:42
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, yes.
45:43
[UNKNOWN]: I
45:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Especially, some of my male clients, I'm always advocating for Indias.
45:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Because,
45:55
[SPEAKER_02]: you would love to be able to think.
45:57
[SPEAKER_02]: You're just having this pillow talk with this nice young woman, and that, that, that, that, that.
46:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, time, you want to, you want to, you want to medical ass.
46:04
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, you want to go to classes where you are being secretly recorded or, you know, it may be harmless.
46:10
[SPEAKER_02]: You could just be having girl talk.
46:11
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'll switch it.
46:12
[SPEAKER_02]: It can be men too, just having girl talk.
46:14
[SPEAKER_02]: But it could be proprietary information you didn't want to say, and it doesn't have to be salacious.
46:19
[SPEAKER_02]: It could have been something you can write to put in your book.
46:21
[SPEAKER_02]: And you wanted that to be an exclusive, but because you were sharing it with someone, now it's no longer as important as you thought it was.
46:29
[SPEAKER_02]: So I would always say, the company you keep, birds of a feather flock together.
46:34
[SPEAKER_02]: And I would always say, your circle should be aspirational and inspirational.
46:39
[SPEAKER_02]: It should be people who are doing, you know, better than you in some aspects.
46:44
[SPEAKER_02]: It could be people that are on your level, but they motivate you because they're motivating themselves, like, if you do better, you do better.
46:52
[SPEAKER_00]: for sure.
46:53
[SPEAKER_00]: And I always think about coming from a communication background myself, I always think about being able to, if I had someone who could have helped guide the trajectory of my education and my career back when I was younger.
47:07
[SPEAKER_00]: either in college, fresh out of college, high school, maybe being able to get some game and some wisdom from now.
47:13
[SPEAKER_00]: If you could put yourself in those young person and those young people's shoes and be able to give them game on why they should pursue if they're thinking about a career in public relations and what would that wisdom be that you would give to them.
47:30
[SPEAKER_02]: so I have multiple answers to that.
47:32
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
47:33
[SPEAKER_02]: As a certified effort.
47:35
[SPEAKER_02]: One is we're all winging it.
47:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Going into corporate America, going into these offices.
47:43
[SPEAKER_02]: It can feel very intimidating because one is like different jar again and all these things, but everybody is doing their best.
47:51
[SPEAKER_02]: So just go in and have the tenacity one to learn, one to do great things, one to tell stories, that's half the battle.
47:59
[SPEAKER_02]: And your supervisors, the CEOs, they'll notice that, they'll notice that hunger, because a lot of people are just there to get a check.
48:05
[SPEAKER_02]: And a lot of people are just there to go to the great events, and that's fine too.
48:09
[SPEAKER_02]: But the people who want it are always noticed in the room.
48:13
[SPEAKER_02]: The other avenue is, I was just speaking with another colleague, I meet a lot of people that are like, I went to school to for PR and I just couldn't do it.
48:21
[SPEAKER_02]: PR is a rich girl's game.
48:23
[SPEAKER_02]: PR is definitely a industry of connections that can help support you.
48:30
[SPEAKER_02]: And so when I started,
48:33
[SPEAKER_02]: As a blessing, it was in Tallahassee.
48:35
[SPEAKER_02]: The cost of living in Tallahassee is very, very cost effective.
48:39
[SPEAKER_02]: I want to say it's cheap, but it's cost effective.
48:41
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I'm starting this, I started at this agency.
48:45
[SPEAKER_02]: And through college, I was working in a department store.
48:49
[SPEAKER_02]: When I started in the agency, my salary was less than what I was making at the department store.
48:53
[SPEAKER_02]: And so that's what I mean by it's kind of a rich girl game because you'll need, you know, support.
48:57
[SPEAKER_02]: And so within that, if you don't have that support system, go after those grants, go after those scholarships, go after those opportunities that will kind of help you bridge the gap.
49:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Because starting out, it's not always the fluffiest salary.
49:10
[SPEAKER_02]: And depending on the industry, it's so expensive.
49:13
[SPEAKER_02]: Like a lot of people want those internships in New York and in California and those flashy cities.
49:18
[SPEAKER_02]: It's expensive.
49:19
[SPEAKER_02]: So I would say, you know, think through that process, and don't give up if that's really something you want to do.
49:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Because I wouldn't do anything else.
49:26
[SPEAKER_02]: It's something I really love.
49:28
[SPEAKER_02]: And then also as you grow and as you learn,
49:31
[SPEAKER_02]: keep track of your wins.
49:32
[SPEAKER_02]: It's very easy to get into that corporate structure and be like, oh, the marketing team is going to do our case study.
49:38
[SPEAKER_02]: No, keep track of your personal wins.
49:40
[SPEAKER_02]: I have a Excel document of every
49:43
[SPEAKER_02]: article that I've picked not every summer fall through the cracks, but articles I've pitched in the links and who I pitched and all these other things.
49:51
[SPEAKER_02]: The other thing is I have a alert on my Google calendar that says, you are who you think you are a regiarismate.
49:58
[SPEAKER_02]: It's so easy to put your head down and just want to do it, want to do it, want to do it, want to do it and you're like, oh, I'll see another public says, and I'm like, oh, I would love to do a campaign like that.
50:08
[SPEAKER_02]: I've done it.
50:09
[SPEAKER_02]: 10 years and I've done it so but you're so distracted with trying to get the work done and trying to prove your point that we kind of forget so I would say As you grow in your learn as you learn keep track of those wins and also acknowledge that we're all just doing our best nobody has it figured out yeah that's fire and you mentioned that's a rich girl's game I'm curious as if you have any insights on why PR is predominantly one is one man predominant
50:41
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, so I have hypotheses.
50:47
[SPEAKER_04]: Okay.
50:48
[SPEAKER_02]: One, it is connected to, I know you've read the studies on like men are having like a lonely mis epidemic.
50:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Really?
50:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Women, it's a whole thing.
50:59
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know if it's a whole campaign right now.
51:05
[SPEAKER_02]: And the topics are women, we are taught to be relational.
51:10
[SPEAKER_02]: We are taught to be attached and aligned to someone at all times kind of.
51:18
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, I absolutely love the media that I get to work with within this city.
51:23
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm really blessed that Detroit's media is their quality people.
51:26
[SPEAKER_02]: But some of them, I just go out to drinks with them.
51:29
[SPEAKER_02]: I just text them, hey, I saw you blah, blah, blah.
51:32
[SPEAKER_02]: That's just, I think sometimes men can be so like tunnel vision sometimes, that if it doesn't have an immediate way to it, yeah, that they don't want to like pour into that.
51:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Got you.
51:42
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I would say women were just automatically relational.
51:47
[SPEAKER_02]: is what I would.
51:48
[SPEAKER_02]: That's my hypothesis.
51:49
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not research-based.
51:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
51:51
[SPEAKER_02]: The only thing is probably looks PR is very much like a visual.
51:55
[SPEAKER_02]: industry where, you know, in my first agency, I was taught to have a statement piece for every time you were somewhere.
52:02
[SPEAKER_02]: So like something like this.
52:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Like the time, yes, yes.
52:05
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a conversation starter when you walk in a room, if it's a room full of people if I walk in with this, people are like, she's got on a jeweled tie.
52:12
[SPEAKER_02]: But it's a way to kind of like pull the energy in the room towards you.
52:16
[SPEAKER_02]: So you don't feel like you're like drifting through and aimlessly and nobody notices you.
52:21
[SPEAKER_02]: So, I would say it's a little bit of those things.
52:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Why could be wrong?
52:26
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, it could be, I know it's a lot of male publicists that are out here killing the game.
52:31
[SPEAKER_02]: They are, follow them.
52:32
[SPEAKER_02]: But I know you're saying, like, majority is what they're, especially in Detroit.
52:35
[SPEAKER_02]: Yep.
52:37
[SPEAKER_02]: But I would say it's probably because of the relations.
52:39
[SPEAKER_00]: That makes sense.
52:40
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
52:40
[SPEAKER_00]: That makes sense.
52:41
[SPEAKER_00]: So, Keanu, what do you have on the horizon?
52:43
[SPEAKER_00]: What's in your crystal ball?
52:44
[SPEAKER_00]: I know you got some new services that you rolling out.
52:47
[SPEAKER_02]: if it's any new project you excited about you can share with us please let us know what you got coming up yes 2020 six is going to be a big year i keep saying that just because i have these really big ideas and their ideas that i wanted to do in the past when the past i was so busy like trying to prove that i was a great publicist in the city and so some of them will be online assets for people that cannot
53:09
[SPEAKER_02]: of publicists right now, how to get yourself ready, how to be your own publicist, why you still need to tell the story.
53:15
[SPEAKER_02]: Another thing is I will start services within like day of event support a lot of times people reach out to me and they want to work with me and they can't afford me, they just need my support for that day and so I'll have that available soon I need to think through.
53:29
[SPEAKER_02]: what does that structure look like?
53:30
[SPEAKER_02]: How do I meet people where they are in a way that we can both work together within that partnership?
53:34
[SPEAKER_02]: And another thing is leaning more into workshops and speaking and things like that.
53:40
[SPEAKER_02]: I love pouring back into communities and that's one of the reasons I started key takeaways was I was doing great work at these
53:48
[SPEAKER_02]: agencies, but if you didn't, if you couldn't afford $50,000 a month, you couldn't work at the agencies out, you couldn't work with those agencies that I was working at.
53:56
[SPEAKER_02]: And so being able to help support the stories that needed to be told that may not have a bloated PR budget, and that's okay.
54:04
[SPEAKER_02]: So within that, I...
54:06
[SPEAKER_02]: love helping entrepreneurs businesses brands, but how can I help as many people as possible within one instance, and that will be speaking in workshops and helping people get to the places that they want to be, whether they can afford me or not, but they can still have an impactful experience with me.
54:21
[SPEAKER_00]: And are we going to see more of you in front of the camera?
54:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, if it's intentional.
54:26
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
54:28
[SPEAKER_02]: I have to tell myself, just like, I tell my clients.
54:30
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't need to get pretty to get in front of a camera for no reason, but let's, let's deploy it.
54:35
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm here because I know this type of story you like to tell, I know you like to dig deep into businesses, just with the black business tour, all of these different ways that you uplift in your own communications way, right?
54:47
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's why it was easy yes to come here.
54:50
[SPEAKER_02]: But if it's intentional, if it's purposeful,
54:54
[SPEAKER_02]: how I want to show up with 2026.
54:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
54:55
[SPEAKER_00]: So, I'm not just going to catch you, yapping on camera.
54:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Not at home.
55:02
[SPEAKER_02]: I can't do that with drinks or friends.
55:04
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't do stuff.
55:05
[SPEAKER_02]: No, I don't.
55:06
[SPEAKER_00]: We got to have a friend in camera.
55:07
[SPEAKER_02]: No, no, no.
55:09
[SPEAKER_02]: The camera yapping is always intended.
55:11
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, for sure.
55:13
[SPEAKER_00]: So, working to people tap in with you with your website.
55:16
[SPEAKER_00]: Your social media is how they can get connected with you.
55:19
[SPEAKER_00]: If they are looking for publics, some of your services,
55:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Instagram is Keanna underscore the publicist.
55:26
[SPEAKER_02]: My website is keytakeaways.com.
55:28
[SPEAKER_02]: If you know you need a publicist, but you don't know and work a capacity, I do have a quiz on my website.
55:34
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'll kind of ask you questions and kind of steer you in the way of how you can work with the publicist.
55:38
[SPEAKER_02]: Just because some a lot of people here, you need PR, and they don't actually know what that is.
55:43
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's okay.
55:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Also you can connect with me on LinkedIn.
55:47
[SPEAKER_02]: If you see me out in the city, I love to app in person too.
55:50
[SPEAKER_02]: So just come up to me.
55:51
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm never a who are you type of girl.
55:53
[SPEAKER_02]: I love to meet new people.
55:55
[SPEAKER_00]: very dope.
55:56
[SPEAKER_00]: What we appreciate you for pulling up to the platform and sharing you with us about the PR game and it's been great to be able to work with some of your clients that have come on the platform and being able to share their stories and look forward to continuing to work with you in that capacity and then see what what other projects and things that you bring in the life.
56:15
[SPEAKER_02]: Well thank you for having me.
56:16
[SPEAKER_02]: I enjoyed every minute of it.
56:18
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course.
56:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Everybody watching listening, I'm going to tap in which I'll