Business as Usual, Almost

The time we are going through has been called unprecedented, unusual, challenging, tough, devastating and so on. And it can be all of those things. Yet, change is the only constant in life. Life goes on, business goes on. (And as the wife of a restaurant owner I am not saying this lightly.) We will make it through this crisis.

Launching a new business during a global pandemic may seem counterintuitive, but in my line of work - public relations - the wheels don't stop turning. Magazines need to be produced, websites need to be filled with fresh content, and my job is to help the media do just that. So that's what I did. I finally launched my project to help interior designers do PR without spending a lot of time and money.

One positive of being locked down over months is that many people have taken the time to dig deep and think about what is valuable in their lives and careers and what is not. Plus, considering new strategies for business growth, like PR. As I know from many conversations with designers, PR is something that's on everyone's wish list but for some it seems out of reach and overwhelming. That's exactly the pain point I want to address.

The launch of my new design PR membership was on a very small scale but I have been blown away by all the positive feedback and encouragement from all sides. I feel like the offering really strikes a chord because it's about keeping things simple and manageable, but effective. It goes with the theme of reverting back to what is essential that's been echoing through this entire ordeal.

Kicking off the program with my founding members has been a blast. Of course, we don't have much to show for it yet since PR is a marathon, not a sprint, but even after the first week, so many lessons have been learned, strategies brainstormed and pitches planned. I can't wait to see the fruits of our labor! (Patience is a virtue I struggle with...)

If you are wondering whether it's okay or not to pitch during a pandemic, heck yes. My point is, the media are desperate for good content because so many projects and photoshoots had to be canceled. If you have unpublished content with high-quality images, your chances of getting it picked up have never been better.

It's time to get some ink because business is going on as usual, almost.