Why I’m helping female business owners to boss their own PR.
For yeeeeeears, I have had the idea of providing some sort of offering where I could teach women business owners how to do their own PR.
Before I started my own consultancy.
Before I had kids.
Before I got married.
Before I started my second business – Emi & Ben, a natural skin care company.
The idea was there, but so were the excuses.
I suppose (no, I know), imposter syndrome was there too. So the idea remained an idea.
Then my world literally ended when my beloved Dad died. And with him all my motivation to make anything happen in my businesses died too.
Dusting off my shoulders...
At the start of 2020 I started to come out of my funk.
It probably makes sense for me to back up a bit…
Dad had passed away three years prior in 2017, however, from when he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness (18 months prior), it was this time that I had lost all desire to do anything to build my businesses.
Growing the businesses were not my focus, not when our family had been told Dad had three months or so to live.
Being there for Dad, while supporting Mum was all I cared about.
I wanted to do what is ingrained in most African children… I wanted to look after my parents in their older years as they have looked after my siblings and I.
This role was incredibly important to me and still is to this very day, as my big bro, sis and I are blessed to be able to do the same for our wonderful Mum. Looking after her the way she deserves and the way Dad would want us to.
During Dad’s illness I continued to serve my 1:1 PR clients managing and delivering their PR, however any goals I previously had to grow the businesses, just didn’t happen and I was at complete peace with this.
It was only three years later that I started to become uncomfortable with the lack of growth in my businesses. I began to gain clarity to where I wanted to be. I began waking up in the morning, feeling hungry for more.
I knew if Dad were sat watching me from where he is and saw me ‘coasting’ not doing anything to move forward and closer to obtain the big dreams we so fondly talked about when he was alive, he would have a few things to say! I had no interest in Dad appearing in my dreams to cuss me on my lack of moving forward, so this was my motivation to dust my shoulders and get things back on track.
Why I can help you...
Having worked in the PR industry for over 23 years within an agency and under my own consultancy, I know what actions need to happen in order to secure great PR coverage for a female entrepreneur like you and your business.
I have created this space for female business owners who want to level up on their PR to create visibility for their brand and themselves.
My career so far...
I’ve been working in PR for the last 23 years.
I started my first PR job working in consumer PR on brands such as Gala Bingo, Gucci Eyewear, Elegant Touch and Eyelure.
My then line manager moved over to set up the PR for streetwear designer and celebrity stylist Wale Adeyemi. She asked me to jump ship with her there, which I happily obliged as fashion PR was all that I wanted to do back then… I was in my element.
I reluctantly left a few years later to join an amazing London PR agency. This is where I really nurtured my skills as a PR and my interest of working for myself was ignited.
After starting from the bottom where my duties consisted of endless mounting of coverage for clients, creating media lists, gifting product to celebrities like the Beckhams, Hear’say and boyband Blue, I climbed the ladder to manage the media relations on big brands such as KissFM, Timberland, Ted Baker, Channel 4, Paramount Home Entertainment, Krispy Kreme, Filofax and more.
I left there many years later to become a wedding planner. That didn’t last long as I soon got tired of the crazy bridezillas who had a Babington House wedding in mind with a town hall budget! I came to the realisation, the only weddings I really cared to plan were my sister’s and mine (and I did both beautifully!).
I set up my PR consultancy, Bread + Butter and landed my first PR client through a recommendation, that was 15 years ago.
Since then I’ve been representing brands, TV personalities and charities. I’ve been lucky to throw in a party or two (Trace Magazine) to feed my event planner itch and other special projects, including working on Queen B’s (Beyonce), I am Sasha Fierce Tour and the ITV Special – A Night With Beyonce.
Today, I still run my PR business whilst working on my natural skincare company Emi & Ben.
I know firsthand the importance of securing PR for your business or brand as I’ve been doing it for over two decades for my clients and in an ad hoc nature for myself.
I’m stepping things up with my own PR, so while I continue to service my PR clients and handle my own PR for my businesses, I’m here to show you how to handle yours.
There are so many brilliant and talented women business owners doing amazing things, it’s time every single one of us are visible… I’m here to show you how.
