What’s your backstory — how did you end up starting (or joining) an agency?

When I left Corporate PR in the late 1980s, I became an independent PR agent and was quite successful with a nest of 6-8 accounts. One of those clients was doing marketing consulting alongside his role as founder of a software company and after we had collaborated on several marketing/PR engagements he asked if I'd be willing to take another step and join him in forming a PR agency,. We ran that agency for seven years , up to a level of 24 employees and billings of approximately $3M. I left that agency to take several years out and to open myself up for greater opportunities and co-founded a PR/Graphics agency  in the 1990s that pivoted to a PR only agency. In 2007 I took the step to form my current agency that I am 100% owner of - SnappConner PR - and this is the business I've been building since then that is now 17 years old and that I am running with the help of an all star team who will continue together until exit or retirement. It's been an amazing ride.

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What was your first entrepreneurial moment as a kid or teen?

My first role was as bookkeeper for my father's wholesale electronics business.

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What’s a belief you’ve changed your mind about in the last 3 years?

I've completely reversed course on the idea of running a virtual or partially virtual team. I used to consider it a model that was second rate or second place. No more.

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When do you feel most energized at work?

I love breaking through barriers to achieve ""impossible"" goals for our clients. There's nothing quite like it.

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What’s a day in your life really look like (no filters)?

It's a newsroom atmosphere.  Never dull.

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What’s a personal ritual or habit you credit for your success?

I work out every morning, no fail, before beginning my work. It does wonders for everything that follows.

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What’s one mistake you made early on that taught you something lasting?

I spent too much time worrying about the things beyond my control. But in the world of PR, I also learned that while bad press sometimes happens, there is almost nothing that can't be resolved or turned into a win over time.

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What’s something people get wrong about you?

Because I keep my emotions level - I don't get worked up, don't raise my voice or curse people out - that I can be easily bowled over. The truth is anything but - and I have prevailed in many situations purely by being  the one person in the room who isn't worked up and inflamed.

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What do you do to recharge outside of work?

Anything fitness related - Pure Barre workouts, speed walking, mobility fitness of all kinds.

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What’s your definition of “success” right now?

Thankfully, I've earned the right not not have to be in the spotlight full time. I've published enough and accomplished enough the right people know who I am and I am able to find new business pretty much by word of mouth.

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What makes your agency different from others in your space?

My agency is highly strategy focused. We specialize in crisis prevention and crisis communication, but in largest part we provide the programs that are specifically designed to propel them from their current level into their next major realm.

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What type of clients or projects are a 'no' for you?

Any client that is unethical or wanting to achieve wins through negative PR on others is an immediate ""no"" for us.

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What’s a principle or value your agency lives by?

We operate ethically in all cases, whether anybody is watching or not.

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How do you hire? What do you look for in people?

We hire for aptitude. High emotional intelligence is key. Specific skills can be taught and will come later if people come forward with the right cultural fit.

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How do you foster creative thinking on your team?

We're known for thinking out of the box. There are myriad ways to approach any challenge. The greatest projects use approaches we invented or that nobody else has achieved before in the way we apply them.

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What trend in marketing/advertising do you think is overhyped?

AI is used poorly in so many cases. It's not a trend - it's here to stay - but the current uses in most cases are way overhyped.

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What’s a trend you’re betting on long-term?

Transparency is a trend, but I'm betting on it being far more than a trend and being a standard clients expect their agencies to provide in all cases from here forward.

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What’s one small decision that led to a big result for your agency?

Our decision to stay lean while maintaining the ability to flex up and down as needed has been one of our biggest keys to success.

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What advice would you give to someone starting an agency today?

My advice is to carry a bias for innovation and action, and to hire smart. There will always be room for you in any market condition if you are the best.

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What’s something you’d do differently if you were starting from scratch?

I would progress so much more quickly on so many fronts. I wouldn't belabor hard decisions nearly as much as I've done in the past. I would not be afraid to move fast.

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How do you approach pricing — any rules you live by?

I am adamant about pricing for deliverables, not by the hour. That is an absolute rule.

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How do you prioritize growth vs. sustainability?

I believe in balancing growth and sustainability by creating a team that can flex quickly with the help of the right contract partners while sustaining the ability to run lean when we need to.

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Who’s one founder or operator you really admire — and why?

I admire one of our favorite clients, Matthew Chang (Chang Robotics) for running a highly innovative team with a bias for action while sustaining a completely ethical and even spiritual base. This is the way it's done. His approach is netting massive growth and giant rewards.

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What software or tool do you swear by?

There are many. But Otter.ai is one of my favorites for creating instant transcripts of any interview or meeting I'm in.

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What’s one resource (book, podcast, etc.) that changed how you work?

Atomic Habits. It's my favorite.

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Remote, hybrid, or in-office — what’s your ideal setup and why?

Hybrid is best! I operate most days from my home office, but we maintain a central headquarter location as well.

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What is your most controversial or unpopular belief?

That believing the best of people until proven otherwise is always the right way to go.

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What’s one thing you wish clients understood better about agency work?

Agency work is difficult even when the results look easy. There 's more to effective communications than most people will ever know.

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What’s your favorite thing about being in this industry?

I love the people we get to work with -- most all of them, including clients, journalists, influencers, colleagues and friends.

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What is one (1) fact or statistic about your industry that most people don't know?

Public Relations efforts play a role in most every piece of news that we see (perhaps minus the things purely created by AI, but I don't consider those pieces to be a part of the realm of true journalism content.