By Caroline K.
There is something very … approachable about Mary; she gives off a welcoming presence. As the owner of a successful public relations company, she is a pioneer in her own right. Having started the business at the age of 23, she has come a long way to becoming the person she is now. She shares on what has made her journey a successful one this far.
- In your opinion, what does it take to run a successful PR company?
To be honest, I wouldn’t want to make it sound like there is a one-size fits all formulae for success but I will share what has worked for me. One: discovering myself, what my strengths are and what I am truly wired for. Two: my relationship with God; this has moulded me into a patient individual and has taught me how to perseverant.
- How have things changed in the PR industry with increased digitization of business?
My background is in IT and with that, I did a lot of digital PR even when I was starting out. What I would say is, with the world we are living in that is evolving at a very fast pace, we must keep innovating and reinventing. I consider this to be a very exciting time for the industry. It does in a way level out the playing field. If ever there was a time for a potential entrepreneur to enter the market with ease, this would be it. Things have been made much easier than they were just a decade ago. I would say that there are a lot of opportunities for those who will look with the right eye and see well.
- What would you say is the future of PR and media?
Technology—we are seeing a greater investment being made now on digital media as opposed to traditional or mainstream media if you would. As it is now, we are capitalizing more on influencers as a key marketing strategy. One advantage of this is that the results obtained using such means are highly measurable, especially in terms of reach.
The dispensation we are in calls for a lot of reinventing oneself as far as business is concerned – a lot of content creation and creative marketing.
- What you have had to learn the hard way?
Choosing the right team; getting people on board who understand my vision well enough to own it to a certain degree. Looking back, when I was employed, I only performed really well on projects that I owned – those I took the time to actually understand what the client in question really wanted and got into their world long enough to pick their mind and deliver according to their needs. Running my own firm, I understand much better now, the importance of owning someone’s vision when you are working for them. One does not have to be perfect, but even in the imperfections, it important to maintain a right attitude as an employee, one that will keep you learning, growing and delivering.
- What has been the most exhilarating part of your journey?
It has been discovering new things about myself. This journey of becoming, it is exciting to see it unfold.
- What were some of the toughest challenges you had to face when starting off?
Starting my firm was a chapter that launched me into the deep. I had worked in a public relations setting before but there was so much to learn when it was me running the show. I learnt that the greatest capital I needed wasn’t money per se; the skill set I had and experience in fields such as marketing gave me a good foundation for where I was going. The fact that I was quite young (23 year to be precise) at the time also posed a challenge. I would go for meetings and people would ask me whether I really was the owner of Glass House. So sometimes, I went disguised as an employee just to avoid those awkward moments and conversations.
- The source of your beautiful smile, why do you smile so often?
Seeing the growth that has come to me as a person and the growth that has come to my business; it reminds me that I have much to be grateful for.
- How do you unwind?
I like watching movies and documentaries. My favourite documentary is ‘The men that built America’. I also like deep, insightful conversations.
- How do you deal with crisis – what is often your first response?
I go silent and ponder. I shut down to think and ask God what exactly is happening and what I should do about the situation at hand. I am very introspective.
- What is your anchor in life? Where do you go when things get tough?
God. I have learnt along life’s lane that He really is the only sure support system. I have so often been misunderstood even by those closest to me, I don’t blame them. I believe that there are facets about us that only God understands. Now I am grateful because that lesson has made me strong and has shown me the never changing but sure anchor.
- When you look at your journey now, what would do differently if you could, as far as past decisions are concerned?
I used to be very trusting, taking everyone at his or her word. I have at times paid a hefty price for naivety, if I may call it so. That got me a lot of trouble personally and in business. I have learnt to be more vigilant.
The other thing I have had to work on over time is to stop being a people-pleaser. Sometimes this can be a subtle struggle but now I know that for me to truly achieve all that I need to get done I have to get to that place where people’s opinions don’t faze you.
- What has been the most fulfilling thing about your journey this far?
Watching myself become.
