Member Articles

My biggest fear in starting my business was losing time with my son. However, my business started to flourish at the perfect time in his life—when he was a toddler and craved to be around other children. He loved preschool and karate because he was able to interact with children his own age and I was able to get work done during the day. And, we also love networking with other stay-at-home moms because whether they work part-time or not at all, everyone loves play dates! If you’re a mom who doesn’t work outside the home, it gives you a chance to get something done on your own, in peace. And for working moms, it’s a great guilt-free and cost-free way to get the work done.

The greatest lesson I learned after starting my own business was that even though I work at home I still need to set time limits and days off. Everyone needs a day or two off for mental health. When your work is in your house, it’s difficult to step away. I literally grew my business from my kitchen table because in the beginning we couldn’t afford an office. So, if it was off hours and I went to get a drink of water or something to eat it would take me an hour because I felt compelled to check my email. I learned to delegate better to those that are helping me. Otherwise, I would get completely overwhelmed and stressed.

As I continue to grown my business, the most difficult challenge has been time management. If I was on location or at a television appearance with a client then work was piling up back at the office. I finally broke down and bought a BlackBerry and Laptop which alleviated a lot of the pile up.

If I could do it all over again, I would change nothing. My mother always taught me to live out loud. She said if you throw enough sh** against the wall some of it’s going to stick. And, she was right. I became successful because I never let “no” stop me. If someone passed on an idea or a media placement I just kept dialing another reporter. There are ways to be aggressive without turning people off. I’m a nice person and as a woman I felt like I had to hide that or apologize for it. Publicists can be portrayed as unethical and shady. I’m savvy and scrappy but I never allowed anyone to push me into doing something I would regret.

Today, I consider my clients part of my extended family. I’m protective of them the way I would be if someone messed with my sister. I’m also proud and excited for them in the same respect.