Speaker 1 (00:02):
This podcast is for PR pros who are looking to discover the best strategies for landing their dream retainer clients and scoring them top tier media coverage. I'm your host, Jen Berson. And I want you to have a fulfilling career in PR that totally lights you up without sacrificing your personal or family time or your sanity. Welcome to the pitching powerhouse podcast,
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Rena. Hi.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Hi Jen.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Thank you so much for agreeing to be on the pitching powerhouse show. How are you today?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I am really good. How are you doing? Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
I'm good. I am so excited to chat with you. We have had like, just a connection for a really long time and always kind of admiring each other's design sensibilities on Instagram. On top of, you know, all of the, all of the business connections we've had. It's always fun to kind of see how you're renovating your house and getting settled in your new house. So it's like, I, I kind of a little stock you for some design INPO I think you and I have pretty similar design style.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Oh my gosh. I stock you too. Didn't you just get your kitchen renovated as well? Oh my gosh. How do we manage all of this? It's just, it's a,
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Lot's a lot. Oh my God. To and to add on to that, I, at the beginning of the summer renovated two bathrooms and a patio on a rental property under the gun, cuz I could only keep the property off the market for a month cuz the carrying costs of not having it rented. So I did that and then I just pivoted and now our patio and backyard and everything here in the outside of my house is under construction too. But it's a lot slower because it's not like in your, you know, cuz you did your kitchen, right? So it's like,
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Yes,
Speaker 2 (01:56):
If they're in your kitchen, it's gotta be fast. But because it's outside, I'm like, eh, take your time. You know, it's not, it's not interfering with my life in any way. So we're on a little bit of a different, uh, timeline.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Oh my good thank goodness. You'll like get to enjoy that hopefully before the summer time's over, although you're you're in California. So it's like kind of always summer. So always summer.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
And I feel like you and I connect a lot on this like busy mom of two, who always has like 10 projects cooking and we thrive on that. Uh, you know, pressure of having a lot of things going, like if I don't I'm a little bit aimless, like what do I do with all this spare time? And I feel like you and I really can right that way.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Oh my God. You're not an Agram three. Are you
Speaker 2 (02:43):
am I, am I, yeah, I dunno how much I believe in all that explain to our listeners what a three is achiever. Oh
Speaker 3 (02:53):
My goodness. Is it you is the achiever. Yes. Um, so I'm totally with you. I mean I think we, we are all, um,
Speaker 2 (03:00):
A little something very,
Speaker 3 (03:02):
A little something, but we're all unique in our own way, but oh my God, when I took that, um, uh, that quiz it's sort of like personality type, but also it's a little bit more, um, you know, it's less about like how outgoing and so forth you are and more on like your strengths and weaknesses that I think is really relatable professionally. So mm-hmm um, yeah, anytime I hear someone who's like, I love to work. Mm-hmm I love to, you know, have my hand in a bunch of projects. Um, you know, I, I feel a kindred spirit with them and it just so happens that so many of us are this type, which is, um, you know, exactly, exactly that we love to work. We like to be creative. Um, and it, it makes sense that we've bonded over that and so much more
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yes. Yeah, I agree. Um, and it makes, it makes even more sense to me now after. Um, well, so we got a little bit of a sense of your creativity and your drive professional and personal drive, but I'd love for you to introduce yourself to our listeners and tell us about your PR business and what you, so your B your agency is factor PR. And, um, tell us about your agency when you founded it and what you specialize in and all of that background or good stuff.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Oh, I'd love to. Um, so I founded, uh, factor PR in 2016, actually as a side hustle. Um, I, my, my sort of background in marketing and PR and all of that good stuff, um, started actually when I was in college. And although I have, um, business owners, small business owners as parents, um, you know, I, I was really lucky even like straight out, out of college and even in college, I've always had like really dreamy jobs. Hmm. Um, but, um, you know, flash flash forward, um, you know, a decade and I decided to start my own business, um, really after, or really at the time of, um, wanting to expand my family. Um, so I've been working in, I literally am like not good at anything else. I've literally been working in PR marketing.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
It's very in demand still to have, so,
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah, thank goodness. Right.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
The right thing.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Right. And I actually went to school. I wanted to be a journalist, but my first job outta college, I, um, got an amazing gig in marketing at Columbia records at New York city were like my first, that was like my only agency type work where like my first clients were rock stars like Beyonce and the Jonas brothers. Wow. And I was like, this is it. This is what I'm gonna be doing. I loved it. Um, and then the recession, the great recession happened. Mm-hmm and I lost my job and I ended up moving, um, out of New York back to my home state of Ohio, where I landed in Cleveland at the rock and roll hall of fame museum. And that's really when my, um, PR career began. So I started working with, you know, journalists and reporters, um, all across the world at that point.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Um, really supporting the efforts at the museum and like all of the, um, you know, everything related to that in the music industry. And, um, after around five years, I was just kind of looking for more. And while I did have a few really great steady marketing PR jobs, um, at, mostly in the arts and entertainment industry, um, you know, a friends were sort of asking me like, oh, you know, could you help me with like this other, you know, unrelated project PR related or website related or social media related. So I started taking those on, um, and I, I honestly really loved it. I think being an an Ingram three, I really like to be, um, I, I dunno, I, by myself, I enjoy being in a leadership type position and kind of leading a creative effort together and consulting on that. And, um, after I had my daughter in 2017, um, I went back to work part-time and just realized, you know, I really wanted flexibility.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
I wanted, um, hours that were more, um, productive. I really thrive in the early morning. Like if I can just like get up and start working and end my day early or whatever that might look like, that's how I like to roll mm-hmm . And, um, I'd put in my two weeks notice and also, um, got a, you know, I got an office. I was like, if I'm gonna go big, like I'm not going home, I'm going like in an office and really, um, going for really making this a thing I'm going for it. Yeah. And I literally have not looked back. I feel like I have the best job at, in the world. And, um, I think a lot of that is, it's a hard job. Don't get me wrong. But yeah, I think a lot of it is that, you know, I, I, and our team at factor were really focused on, you know, just like you are Jen, like very niche brands and industries, um, and selfishly ones that I really, really love.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
So I have a personal interest in such as, like you mentioned, like design, um, as well as beauty wellness. Like these are things, you know, I, I look for in clients and I think, you know, they look for us for our own, you know, strengths and relationships. And I look for clients that are like really in it to make change in the lives of their customers and their own clients as well. Um, so we really focus in on beauty home and wellness brands kind of all coupled in like lifestyle category. Yeah. Um, but yeah, my, I, not so much in the music industry anymore, which I'm honestly not too, um, not too upset about that was like a really, that was a really tough demanding gig in a different way. But, um, yeah, I've been, we've founded, uh, what is this year? 2022? How many years is that? Seven, seven years now. Yeah. So I, yeah, can't seven years, six years, six years. I can't do math. Um, I do words I don't do math and here we are.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
And here we're oh my God. Thank you for sharing all of that background. I honestly got the chills when you said, um, that you just absolutely love what you do. And I, I mean, and you still love your business after all this time, and you were very intentional about the kinds of clients you work with. So you could have that deep expertise in those niches, so they seek you out, but also so that you will love the work you're doing, because it interests you personally. And obviously, you know, that that is a huge principle that we teach in the agency accelerator. It's part of the strategy pillar, because I want everyone to be as fired up and passionate about the work they're doing as you are. And as I am, and that means strategic, intentional decisions to build and go down certain paths, build the kind of business that you wanna have so that you will still love it every day, even when it's hard. And, um, and so I got the chills because it's like this feeling of, I put this out into the world and the right people are finding it and that, and they get me and, and, you know, I get you and we're all working towards the same goal and we get to do it together. And that's like everything to me. Um, and the Val, like the values that you were describing that you seek in your clients, you know, I have a similar approach and it makes the work mm-hmm, meaningful. And so
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
You know, so I just love hearing that and thank you for sharing that. That's like, everything that I preach as you know, and you're living it and I just am so happy. Um, yes.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Each sister
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Tell about, um, your kids and where you're living now. How old are your kids?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Yeah, I have, uh, two daughters, uh, Simone just turned five, um, not even two weeks ago. Um, so she'll be starting kindergarten next month. And then Ella D yeah, no, I can't believe it. Um, and L E D is two. Oh. Um, so they were both born in Cleveland, which is where my husband, Jody and I lived for the last 13 years, uh, or for 13 years before we packed up and moved to Cincinnati, which is my hometown and, you know, during COVID and so forth, we just really wanted to be close to family, um, get a little extra help and so forth. Um, I was really nervous because, um, especially living in Cleveland, like, you know, it's not, it's not a, it's a decent sized city. It's not a huge city, but it's like, I knew everyone in Cleveland. Yeah. Um, and moving to Cincinnati, I'm like, I don't know anyone.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
I literally just booked my first, uh, client that is based in Cincinnati. Um, and in June. So I like don't know anyone here, but it's okay. I think what, like the last year has definitely, um, taught me and I think so many other, um, you know, PR practitioners are those in the digital spaces. Like location's a little arbitrary, like, I mean, you know, it's, we're east coast and we've got clients on the west coast and, you know, it's, it's never really been an issue. Yeah. Um, and I think, uh, as of late, it's been even more of a non-issue, but so far we're happy here and we're happy here in the Cincinnati area.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Awesome. Well, having like a beautiful home that you get to make your own definitely helps to feel settle. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
It's not bad.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yeah. Um, it's so interesting. You say that about, um, you know, not being location dependent or at least having that, not really be a factor. It used to come up all the time when I would get calls, they would say, well, do you feel like being in California and not being based in New York has an impact on your relationships and your ability to secure press? And it came up pretty much every call, if not like every other call. And I always had a response mm-hmm and I would tie it to, you know, just, um, being strategic and targeted with our pitches. And that really made an impact because it didn't matter where we were, as long as we were aligning the right fit to the right media contact. Um, and that I would also tie it back to like influencers and celebrities. And while I'm in California in Los Angeles, and that's the hub, and it's so funny because that has not come up in at least two years.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
And it's this whole, you know, feeling of like everybody realizes you can work from anywhere and be extremely effective and you're not location dependent anymore. And it's ki you just reminded me that that's like this shift that I didn't even realize, but now it's like a total non-factor. And also the, the shift from feeling a little insecure about the fact that I was running a business from home mm-hmm and being like, well, I work from home or they'd say, can I come into your office? And I'm like, let's meet at a Starbucks, you know, but now yes, proudly working from home for 17 years. And finally the world has caught on to what I've known all along.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
It's awesome. Right.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Oh my God. It is awesome. I do miss. I do miss our office. I'm not gonna lie, but I love working from home. We found out even too, like once we merged, I'm sorry. Once we, um, kind of evolved from, uh, working in the office to working from home, we were saving 20 collectively at factor 25 hours of commute time a week. Wow. That that's like 25 hours. You can spend with your family. You can, you can work, you know, like with like literally like all of us sitting in the car at some point, like was taking up that much of our time, not to mention like the environmental impact and so forth. I mean, I, I still sometimes get a little bit of hesitancy or pushback from, you know, various brands and so forth that are like, oh, you're not in New York. And it's like, well, we, we, I work with contractors in New York.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Like if we actually have to go like be somewhere in person. I also, I literally just got back from Miami for a client thing, less than 48 hours ago. It's like, wow, we can travel. Yeah. Like it's really, most journalists don't wanna see you every day. Anyway. So, and a lot of journalists have moved outta the cities too. They left New York in, you know, LA or wherever, and they're living in their hometowns too. So it is a little bit shortsighted, but I, I really believe in like, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be like, I'll work to try to make them see it's meant to be, but if they don't see it, you know, what can
Speaker 2 (15:57):
I do? Yeah. Right. And I feel like any client that is gonna allow that to be the hangup. It's like, you're not for me in the first place,
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Because exactly,
Speaker 2 (16:05):
You know, the work speaks for itself. The results should be the talking. And that's kind of like an unimportant, um, you know, an unimportant factor. And, you know, just a little side story. I had a, a beauty brand that we were like crushing it for when we first started working with them or when we were first in that sort of courting process. I remember I wanted this brand so badly. I was like, oh my God, I really want this brand. What do we have to do? Mm-hmm . And I remember the founder was like, well, where are your offices? We wanna come and see your environment. We wanna come and meet you in person. We believe in those in person meetings. And I remember kind of freaking out like, oh my God, this is it. If we don't answer this the right way, they're gonna move on and not pick us.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
And, um, we, you know, responded in a way that I thought was like, really answered the question. And, um, and just, if anybody's curious, it was like the same thing. Like, you know, we have boots on the ground in New York if needed. We have those relationships. Um, my, one of my key account account executives is from New York and maintains all of those connections. Um, mm-hmm to get the resources and the, um, connections, contacts, and expertise of a big New York agency, but the price point and yes, the, you know, strategic, nimble thinking of a smaller, more targeted agency. And in fact, you know, we've been working remotely for this time and it allows us to work with the best contractors all over the country, sometimes all over the world and you get that, that benefit. Um, but then they didn't write us back after I sent it for like a while.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
And I was like, oh no. And then ultimately they did, we ended up working together. One of these awards that's sitting behind me was for a campaign we did for them, right at the beginning of COVID, we won a PR week award best beauty campaign and they fired us. And we were like, what? And basically they said, thank you for helping us get to the next level. Now we're going for the prestige agency. Like they basically were almost told no by some of those bigger agencies mm-hmm because they didn't have enough of a presence and we got them there. And then they leveraged our results and our elevate, they were elevated, uh, visibility and profile based on the work we did to go back to a big, you know, beauty firm in New York that had all of their favorite competitors. Like we gotta be with them or were nobody.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
And I was like, good luck with that. You know, you're gonna pay food times the price and not get the level of service. I honestly, I have a Google alert still set up. I'm like that, you know, that ex-girlfriend, that's like, I, you know, I don't care, but I'm kind of gonna keep tabs on you and see where, where you are, and I'm not getting any Google alerts at all. And it was like, we got top tier like print, Oprah print magazine, Lord print, digital, all of the, you know, we got the founder on the best beauty podcasts, gloss, uh, uh, what is it, uh, Los Angeles with, uh, Kirby and Sarah. And I'm just like, wow, what more do you think is out there for you? But it was that they that's what they needed. And I was like, we're never gonna be that. And if you want results, you know where to come. And if you want, you know, to be a small fish in a big pond, like good luck. So,
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Oh my God, a hundred percent that literally I, the exact same thing happened to me as well. Like at the start of COVID where it was like, again, like they, they were like, thank you so much for everything that you guys have done. Um, we're going with a bigger agency now. And the same thing, like, I, I actually had to shut off the Google alerts. Um, not cause not cause just outta principal, because I was like, you know what, you, we're not paying for like space in my brain, so I'm gonna shut off. Yeah. Um, but the same thing they were, it's not like they were getting better press or better partnerships or better visibility in any way. I think that a lot of, um, I don't know. I think a lot of people are just like, well, I, I associate myself with this firm and therefore, you know, something special is gonna suddenly happen. Exactly.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
I got news for anybody out there and for our listeners who are all very similar to us, I know my audience, they are very savvy, very smart PR pros with successful backgrounds. So they're just looking to get started. And they're smart enough to be investing in, you know, know training and connecting with, um, other PR professionals to kind of elevate their game. And we have a few bigger agencies with some of their team that are part of our programs and, and resources, but for the most part it's people like us. And this is the shift that's happening is towards agencies like ours, where you get access to these, you know, seasoned pros, very strategic thinkers, great writers for a fraction of the cost. So anyone who's listening, like I promise you, you know, we've worked with big time brands. It does not matter where you are.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
You know, there's always gonna be that one client that needs that status. It's like they wanna carry a designer handbag and they wanna carry a designer PR firm, but they're gonna pay the cost. And there's really no difference. But, um, you know, that's, uh, yeah, I, it's interesting. You have that experience too. And you're like, bye. I should probably turn off the Google alert. It's not helpful. , it's one of my other clients. I go check their press page. And I used to actually physically upload the press clips to their press page. We haven't worked together in six or seven years and it's still sitting out there dangling the very last press feature that I got, cuz no one knows how to upload the press to their website. And I'm just like, oh my
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Anyway. Oh
Speaker 2 (22:08):
My gosh. Um, well I wanted to get back to when you were working, um, in your various roles, um, you know, I know women in the workplace, one of the biggest challenges that we face in our careers is this feeling of needing to people please. And it's like this never ending stress cycle. well, I take it by your response that you've struggled with.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I'm getting help for that. Yes
Speaker 2 (22:35):
. Well, so, so when you say you're getting help, how did you, a lot of people have that same feeling? How did you overcome those challenges?
Speaker 3 (22:43):
I am still overcoming, uh, people pleasing. I've always like, it's like part of my culture. I come from a middle Eastern background. It is always like, I will bend over backwards for you, whatever you need.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
And lemme get, I come over, you're feeding me like, and it's a feast. Exactly,
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Exactly. Lots of food. Like you're, you're gonna, you know, leave with belly aches. It's a sign of love, like all of that stuff. So I have all like, that's just how I was raised and it's um, it's not that I have an issue saying no, but like I've, I definitely have had to help manage expectations a little bit. Um, and then I think of just being very upfront in communication as well, like as a communications expert, like we need to be communicating. So sometimes over communicating I think is, is actually a very good thing in, in that, um, in that regard. So, um, you know, again, still working on it, boundaries are probably the, the best thing. A lot of it comes down to just like systematizing. So if it's like client related, like this is what you can expect. Mm-hmm and you lay it, lay it all out at the start of an engagement and then just adhering to it. Cause the worst thing, it feels really icky sometimes to set boundaries, but even ickier is like when you set them and then you let them be broken. Yes. Um, then that's when I think like some real problems can, can take place, but you know, again, work in progress.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yes. Okay. Well we've all been there and faced that. And I think that point is really important with the boundaries. We talk about that quite a bit. It comes up quite a bit in the agency accelerator, which I know, you know, because you are a member yes. Of that program. So what inspired you to take that leap and to join our, join us in the agency accelerator?
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Yeah. So it was such a unique time in my life and um, in my business too. So I'm pretty sure it was 2020 that I officially joined the agency accelerator. Um, so I had already had about four, four years of having this like baby business. Right. Mm-hmm under my belt and obviously 2020, we know what happened. Um, I was home with two very small children and it was really like a, it was, I reached a point in the road where there was a fork. Right. I could either keep playing small and do all the things or try to, um, essentially like accelerate my business. And, um, part of that, you know, even though it's like an investment to do so I knew by making this, um, this move forward, that it would actually ultimately take less off of my plate. That was really, really important, especially, I didn't know how long COVID was gonna last.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
I was very hopeful. I wouldn't be working at home with two kids forever. Um, but it, it was abundant to me abundantly clear to me that like I could keep doing what I was doing and try to figure it out on my own or look at Jen. Like she knows her S H I T . And like, I bet, you know, she's got some serious wisdom and experience under her belt. Um, I'm ready to take my PR agency to the next level. Um, so I mean, like for everyone and even probably still now for a lot of folks, right? Like it's, it's scary to own any kind of business. Um, I think we would all advocate that in, even in times of scariness, you need a PR company, right? Mm-hmm like a Harvard business review reported back in 2020 that businesses that actually dropped their, uh, PR marketing spends suffered most yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
During the recession, then those that kept it on. So I think it's, it's one, I, as someone who has like literally lost my job from a session and worked in marketing, I was like one of the first to be asked, I, I can relate to that fear. Yeah. But I also like really view what we do as not just a service, but an investment that pays off dividends. And I think the agency accelerator helped me realize that helped me kind of plan for that hire for that. Um, ultimately, you know, charge war for that as we should be. Cause we've got one of the top 10 stressful jobs in the United States.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
It's like air traffic controller publicist. No,
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Exactly. I'm like about that, but I'm it.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Um, yeah. Oh gosh. I, I love, um, I love that. And, and uh, I know you mentioned like Jen, you know, but I, the community too, I mean, I learned so much from the community that we have and I feel so grateful that, you know, you know, I just like, sort of put out there that this is the type of PR professional that I am, and I would love to connect with others like me who are, you know, sharing and open and giving. And, you know, I happen to like put structure around what we teach, but then we get on these calls and we, you know, the questions in our community and the responses we get. It's so awesome. So, um, I just needed to like give credit to others in our community. Um, you know, cuz I know that you've, you know, obviously benefited and learned from great contacts and um, plus, you know, we have like a lot of very structured, you know, programs that are gonna help people like you who do make that decision. Like I'm investing in me and I'm investing in my business, I'm ready to take it to the next level. And I've only been able to get so far on my own, which is really far and fantastic, but now I'm making that choice to take it to another level with the support of a community and the resources that are available to me with this investment. Um, so I'm glad you did. Yeah. I'm glad you found it. Yeah. Um, I'm
Speaker 3 (28:50):
Glad too. And one more thing I'll just make mention of that too, is that, um, there really isn't anything else like it, like I, I have, you know, also owned a DJ business, my parents own a business and all this stuff like owning a PR business is very different. Like a P like business in general, like having, um, cause I, I am part of like other communities that are really focused on business, like whether it's operations or, um, you know, scalability and so forth, but PR is very, it's a very interesting beast, at least in my experience simply because it's not just like hiring any old vendor, like you're in bed with your publicist. You know, there are like just certain nuanced things too. Like a lot of sensitivities, a lot of concerns, a lot of considerations that there, it's just, it's really nice to have that community to, you know, weigh in on really interesting situations because we all find ourselves at one point and another at one point at another, like what do I do? Like I can't ask my business besty cuz she doesn't have a PR business. Right. You know, like these are my PR business besties in this group. So, um, it's huge value. Um, even just for that too.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Yeah. Oh, I couldn't agree more. I mean, it's so interesting. We'll bring up some random, like even just on our chat, you know, five minutes ago, bringing up this scenario of like a brand that hires you to do your great work, catapult you to the next level and then they drop you for something where we know they're not gonna get the level of service and yeah. You can relate because that's happened to you and that's what it's like. Yeah. In our community, this magic of getting people together that are all working, um, in a similar way. And uh, you know, we all have different niches. You and I actually have quite a bit of crossover, which I'm not surprised at all because of our personal interests, but you know, there's just so much room to go around. There's so much opportunity. And so our community is collaborative and not competitive.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
And having the resource of a group that have either gone through what you're going through or really understand the challenge that you're facing because you're speaking their language. There's just something, you know, it's like, I've heard a lot of people say like I hired a business coach and it was great, but it only got me so far because they didn't really understand my business. And so we have an entire community of people who understand what you're doing. Um, and yeah. So I'm just curious, like how has your professional life and your personal life, you know, family, all of that changed mm-hmm like you went from solopreneur to agency owner, building a team, like really saying I'm, I'm going hard on my business and I'm investing in growth. How has it changed?
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Yeah. I mean, it's, I look back sometimes at the, you know, my career grind, so to speak before, um, starting an agency and even, um, you know, working in it now and I look back and I part of me is like I could never go back. Um, but I think that that's not, you know, to dis the, you know, career that I had before, the positions that I had before, they, I really credit them for getting me, um, to where I am today. But it just in general, I mean, I, you know, I'm far more happier. I'm Def I, I won't say I'm less stressed. Um, but I'm, I, the, a lot of the stress it's like, I'm, I feel so much privileged to even be in a position where it's like, I'm worried about something like this, because I I'm honored to even like be working with these people. Right. Like, it's just
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Understand that you don't,
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Does that make any sense or like, oh my God, my problems are not problems when I'm talking in this context, like we will figure it out and we always figure it out. Yes. Um, but you know, a lot of that, it is not all on me. I think like hiring a team has been the best thing that I've ever done. I feel, um, so fortunate to have had the experience that I've had, that I, I think I've also sort of learned as best as I could. And I'm still learning on, I like how to kind of manage a team as well. Like that's something that, um, I am currently doing a little bit of, um, you know, kind of extra education on myself because, um, you know, when I started, I was a freelancer, I didn't, I didn't consider myself like a manager or a supervisor or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
So I've actually been spending more of my time doing that versus like actually pitching and so forth, which I do love pitching. But, um, Brian on my team who I think, you know, she's been taking a lot of that, um, pitching off of my plate so I can really focus on like business development and client relations and so forth too. Um, but yeah, I mean, just in general, I, I feel like, again, I love to work. I don't think it's something I'm gonna like ever really fully step back from at least not yet, but, um, you know, it's a wonderful thing to like wake up in the morning and be, um, excited about what you do, but also, you know, be able to spend time with my family as well, like in the evenings and on the weekends. I mean, they're, my girls are, they're in school, they're in camp and all of that good stuff, but I know that I can, you know, spend six good hours a day working and then my rest of my time with them at home afterwards, too. So it's afforded me, um, a lot of opportunity because PR again is like, so it's just so stressful for so many different reasons. And, um, I feel like I can manage, manage it better, honestly. Um, I don't have less of it. It's just managed better because I have a little bit more flexibility and I really like my clients that,
Speaker 2 (35:04):
Uh, for anybody, I mean, anybody is listening I'm they can't see me, but I'm like nodding fever, you know, like frantically over here because I, I couldn't agree more of, um, you know, just that, that feeling of, uh, having that time and knowing that, you know, you can really invest like your six hours for me, it's like those productive six hours when kids are in camp or school and you're just like on it the entire time. And then it's really that quality, excuse me, that, you know, when you're spending time with, with your girls, it doesn't have to be your entire day to have an impact. It's the quality of the connection that you have with them and not being distracted. Um, and then the other thing you said that I was like, yes, was working on your business instead of in business. So you've gotten to this place where you have invested in your leadership, you know, broaden a team and you're working towards, uh, building the best team possible, managing them in a way where they will do their best work and be inspired.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
And you've elevated your role to the visionary CEO, this strategic thinker. Um, and you're growing your business and, and attracting those clients. You love so much because you're not in the tedium, you're not in the day to day like pitching grind. And yes, it's obviously still stressful, but you are thinking big picture and you're guiding the direction of your agency. And that's like the fourth pillar as you know, like strategy sales, yes. Service scale. And now you're, you know, really kind of taking yourself out of the day to day and focusing on the strategic growth. And that's always the goal for us. So, um, I love hearing you, you know, say that and how it's, uh, you know, like really had an impact on your life personally and spending more time with your girls. And they're only five and two for so long. And they're cut to,
Speaker 3 (37:05):
I know
Speaker 2 (37:07):
So cute. Um, well, I am so grateful you came on and you shared your story with us and where you are. But last question for you is, um, any advice that you'd specifically give to somebody maybe who's struggling with their confidence, or maybe they feel stuck in this solo per cycle. And they're really like living this, this life of people pleasing and stress. What would you say to those people?
Speaker 3 (37:37):
Ooh, oh my goodness. It's hard to pinpoint just one thing that I would say, but, um, you know, I, I think what I would say having been in that position for probably longer than I should have been, um, is, you know, if you are, um, if your clients are trusting you with that amount of responsibility and so forth, um, I would suggest, try trusting yourself with like, you know, kind of delegating a little bit of it as well. Um, so, you know, I think that the more clear answer would be like, do it and do it yesterday. mm-hmm, because, um, I remember, and I'm one of many people, um, you know, whether they've taken the agency accelerator or not, who can say like, I'm, I'm not ready. I'm not ready when I get to this point, that's when I will be ready. And we, we as human, especially as women, you know, we are kind of groomed to think, like, I don't get something that I deserve until I've like already passed.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
That's deserving now, you know, like this isn't, you know, like a reward, right? Like this is like good business decision making, you know, like almost any man would be like, if I wanna get from point a to point B, you know, I'm gonna rent a car, but so many of us women are like, oh, I'll just walk when I get there. And you know, it's like, no, like invest in yourself. And like, that's when you get, you see the fruits of your, uh, labor on the other side is your return on your investment. So, um, obviously everybody's paths are very different and so forth, but I think that that confidence factor, um, just confidence in yourself and we need this confidence working in PR anyway is like, you will figure it out. Like you absolutely. There are always, um, there are always people to lean on people to ask questions, um, people for support and yourself, like don't, don't underestimate yourself and absolutely go for it. I mean, if you don't take the first step, no one else will.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Sorry. I got a quick phone call there. Um, yeah. Believe in yourself. And also those instincts are there. So mm-hmm, trust them use, 'em pay attention to them. You seem like you've had so many moments in your life where you've had an instinct about something and gone in the direction and it's really served you well. And I'm sure that that is, uh, a huge benefit to you and your leadership role in your business to be able to, um, you know, draw on your background on your experience and, uh, grow your business, trusting your, your instinct and stepping into that role is, uh, the leader of your business and realizing I'm investing in myself, I'm investing in my future, my time with my family and all of that is worth it. And if I put in the work, then I will have the results or I'll have, uh, the investment will pay off.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
You know, it's like a no brainer, you know, it's like, yeah, you just get to like, do the work. like, no, one's, and this, if you get to this place, you're not afraid to do the work. Now. It's like, okay, I have my marching orders. I know exactly what I need to be focused on. And even just having a buttoned up business gives you that confidence when you're selling, you know, it to new perspective clients, you're like, oh, we have a process. We're, you know, we're good to go. Um, or bringing on a team, a new team member, it becomes like very effortless, effortless ish, but easier. you're like, uh, what do we do? How do we onboard? It's like, you've, you've got your processes. And I love that. You're really, um, focusing now on the scale piece and, uh, operations and, um, team building. And all of that is, is obviously the next step and really important. And, you know, we just rerecorded the whole program. So we really built out that sort, you know, uh, pillar and all of that stuff to help people figure out how to bring in the right team members, because look at what, uh, an impact it's had on Rena's business. And it's really important. So, um, all of that's there for you and you can obviously revisit all that stuff anytime you want.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
Yes. I've been getting the email, so I definitely will.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Awesome. Yeah. Um, well we have obviously like so much stuff, so don't get overwhelmed, but it's there, we can cherry pick what you need when you need it. Um, but Rena, I am so grateful for you being here. Thank you so much. Um, where can people find you if they wanna connect, say hi, let them know what they loved most about this episode.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
Oh, awesome. Well, thank you so much, Jen. This was a pleasure. Um, my, uh, email address, if you, if you wanna get in touch with me directly is hello, factor pr.com. You can also find us at factor PR that's F a CT E U R pr.com is our website and we're on Instagram factor PR as well.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
Awesome. I love it. Yes. Follow her for, uh, for business inspiration and design info. Is that two separate accounts or you're doing it on your, is it you, you have a personal and a business? Cause I know. Oh
Speaker 3 (43:02):
Yeah, my, yes. I have a personal account too. Um, if you'd like to follow my crazy home renovations and my, uh, party of four here, S Goodwin love it
Speaker 2 (43:14):
As well. Yeah. That's where I'm all the good stuff with you is, uh, I business, but I love the design and I'm like, oh my God, it looks so good. Um, oh, thank you. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
That's so flattering.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Well,
Speaker 3 (43:27):
It's my like side project.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Yeah. Well, I mean, who doesn't have like a, a major renovation as a side project, you know? And, and actually the phone call that I got was, um, somebody that's helping me with my backyard renovation, so like it literally. Oh, okay. Yeah. It never stops. Um, so well arena, thank you again for being here, such an inspiring chat from reformed people, pleaser to driven and, uh, happy, um, still a little stressed, but happy, satisfied, mother of two agency owner. I totally feel you. Um, and thanks again. I just appreciate you telling your story.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
Oh my goodness. All, thanks to you. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
You, you so much for listening to this episode of the pitching powerhouse podcast. If you're ready to start, grow and scale a profitable agency, all on your own terms, you should consider joining the agency accelerator, check out the link in the episode description to learn more, to achieve your big, scary goals and truly live the type of lifestyle you've always wanted. It's time to join the agency accelerator inside this incredible program. You'll learn exactly how to structure your PR agency to fill your pipeline with high paying clients and establish a consistent revenue stream. So you can run a business that lights you up and that doesn't run you. This program is built around the exact steps that I took to grow a seven figure PR agency, generation PR, and now hundreds of other PR professionals around the world have implemented these techniques and strategies to scale their own agencies too. So this stuff works. You guys check out the link in this episode's description to learn more and as always be sure to tune in next week for another incredible episode, packed with the insights you need to become a pitching powerhouse.
