Her Story
About Mary
I started my company a little more than six and a half years ago, and we specialize in brands that are making a difference. We represent Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, which is a series of 8 different restaurants across the DMV and in Philly. We also represent Dominique Dawes Gymnastics Academy, which is probably our biggest client - we are helping them expand from 5 locations to 50 locations in five years, and I actually helped her open her first location a couple years ago. We do health and wellness work, we've worked with a pediatric brain cancer foundation, we have a tech company that helps with dyslexia, we have a lot of female clients including an HRT client, and we have a Jewish retirement home. We have clients that span all over in terms of all different industries. I'm hoping to scale the business but still stay in that kind of boutique range - we want to stay founder-led. I'd like to open an office in Los Angeles and in New York City, and I've had some conversations about that already. We've expanded to offer social media services through partners with another company. I want to just keep growing but still keep that small business feel for our clients.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mary
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say perseverance and integrity are two driving factors for me. In PR, you could be reaching out for so many different stories, and say you send out 100 emails - you have to understand that sometimes it's just not going to stick, and you have to follow up. So, perseverance, no matter what, there's always going to be challenges. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, it's for people who are willing to bet on themselves, and the knowledge that they're going to figure it out, no matter what it is. I think having a I-can-figure-it-out attitude is so key, having a growth mindset is so key, and then having integrity, because you're always gonna meet people who have shortcuts, you're always gonna meet people who your stomach says, and your intuition says, this isn't gonna end well, and every time my intuition has told me that it's come to life. Following that intuition is really, really key.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to someone looking to enter into the industry and as an entrepreneur, to understand that it's not what you know necessarily, it's who you know. And I don't mean that to sound in a kind of selfish way - lean on the connections that you have that you've made. You have to put it out there. You have to tell people this is what you're looking for, and do not get discouraged, because I know people who have sent hundreds and hundreds of emails, especially in this job market now, people right out of college, and they're not hearing back. Just, you've got to stay positive, and you've got to see where you can offer value to people. So instead of just reaching out and being like, hi, I'd like to know more about your company, you could say, hi, I have some ideas, I checked out your website, I love that you represent this client or that client. So, be specific when you're reaching out to people, and know the details. You have to be a lifelong learner. You have to have a growth mindset too. If you're set, you're doomed. It's not transactional - you have to be authentic. Find the joy in connecting with people on a personal level and on a professional level.
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