Public Relations and Entrepreneurial TIps from Rebecca Brooks, The Brooks Group

as told by Butterfly Co-Founder Bradi Nathan

The Entrepreneur Moms’ Group on MyWorkButterfly is growing fast and furiously. It is our job as the founders of this very site to empower the community in order to further succeed in those entrepreneurial efforts. As entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand the many challenges in getting an idea and new business off the ground. Some tools that have worked for us in generating traffic (no secret if you’re engaged in social media) are Twitter, Facebook and the likes of many blog sites. Viral marketing takes time. It is a commitment but one that can generate huge reward so, “Get in the game!”

If you, like us, have been engaging in viral marketing for some time and want to take it to another level, bring in Public Relations. PR is an investment in both time and money, but if you have the budget, we urge you to consider The Brooks Group (www.brookspr.com). Rebecca thinks like an entrepreneur because she is an entrepreneur. Having launched her boutique PR house 15 years ago when she was 25, The Brooks Group has found success in a range of clients from beauty brand Bare Escentuals to Rachel Ray—a woman who “hated public relations people.” It has been said that Ray had a change of heart after meeting Rebecca and immediately scooped her up. Rebecca helped Rachel to score appearances on Oprah, The Tonight Show, Late Night with Letterman and truly transformed her brand from cable to daytime TV.

In an exclusive interview with Butterfly, Rebecca offers her insight on parenting and PR:

BN:As an entrepreneur, what challenges did you face in getting your agency off the ground? Were you ever afraid of failure?

RB:I started the company in 1995 at 25 and was fearless. I thought “what’s the worst that could happen?” I had worked at a few firms, and knew that I could always get another job. PR is a service so I only needed to invest in 1 computer, a fax (they were an important PR tool in the 90’s) and a few PR resources. I hired my future brother in law to be my assistant and we were off to the races. My biggest challenge was how to actually run the business. I went to Boston University and majored in PR so knew how to do that, but knew nothing about running a business. Luckily my husband, who I met in college, went to the School of Management (at BU) AND ran his own business so he taught me how to do it and rented me an office in his NYC suite. I never could have done it without him. He was and is my biggest cheerleader!

BN:What would you say to a client who expects to be the next Rachel Ray?

RB: I’m very straight forward with potential and current clients. While everyone wants to duplicate what Rach has done, it is extremely rare and not likely that anyone has the stamina, drive and talent to do what she has done. However, we do work with Guy Fieri who I consider to be the male version or Rachael, but he never once said ‘I want to be the next RR.” If you have to say it, it’s not likely that it will happen.

BN: What advice do you have for Butterfly entrepreneurs who have and idea or concept and don’t know where to start?

RB: From working with a range of entrepreneurs who started with nothing, I can tell you that you if you KNOW that you have something that fills a niche, is unique and you have the passion to make it a success, don’t give up or take no for an answer. Success does not happen overnight!

BN: PR is expensive for most start-ups. What can entrepreneurs do with minimal investment to further their PR efforts?

RB: Learn how to navigate social media…it’s free, but takes time. I work with the social media king, Gary Vaynerchuk – www.garyvaynerchuk.com. He has a business book coming out that tells you step by step how to successfully build your brand using social media tools. I’ve learned a lot from him. Another tip – read magazines and newspapers to find specific columns where you or your product can be featured. Find out who writes that column, and write the editor a note (or email) introducing yourself…or send your product to try. Just please – do not write “I have the most perfect product (or idea) for you.” That’s the kiss of death.

BN: Why might you turn away a prospective client?

RB: We are approached by potential clients each week. From a business perspective it may be a mistake to turn people away, but in order for us to take a client, we have to be very excited about them…and believe in them. How else can we successfully pitch them or work with them for years?

BN: : At what point in you career did you become a parent and was it hard to blend the two?

RB: I became a mom at 28 and was already running my business. That was tough! There was no formal maternity for me – I didn’t know how to take time off. The big advantage I had was working in the same office space as my husband, his dad and aunt. We brought Max to work every day and handed him over to the family. I was guaranteed some solid work time. Since he was the first grandchild, they were fighting over who could watch him.

BN: You own an agency and still manage to work from home on Fridays.

RB: Well, I’ve been getting better at working from home but I went for a few years when it didn’t work. I’m trying. And when I do work from home, it is extremely busy and intense.

BN: What do you love about what you do?

RB: I am so lucky that on Sunday night I look forward to coming to work on Monday. I love my clients and my employees – they are exciting, inspiring and very talented.

BN: Working in Manhattan is a train ride away from your home. Have you ever been in a Mom Jam where you needed to get home immediately and who do you rely on when you’re not home?

RB: I have not…imagine that?

BN: Has there been anyone in business, or otherwise, that has inspired you to achieve success?

RB: Aside from my husband, one of my first clients was very inspirational to me. Denie Schach invented The Hairdini. She was a struggling hairstylist from Dallas who had an idea and stopped at nothing to make it a success….and she did. Her attitude, drive and warmth were very inspirational to me… Thank you Denie!

BN: How would you describe Butterfly to a friend?

RB: A community for inspiration, guidance and solutions!

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