Hello my lovely PR Couture reader,
I’m not sure if you noticed, but this week we went dark on the blog for the first time in TEN YEARS. As in, no posts published, at all.
While the decision was necessary for the team to gear up for some BIG announcements coming your way in the next few weeks, it gave me one of those “holy shit” moments.
As in, holy shit: I have been publishing articles on PR Couture, often five days a week, for TEN YEARS.
In December 2006 I spent a weekend teaching myself the basics of WordPress, enlisted a friend to help with a logo and published my first blog post.
It used to be that most of you knew our origin story. It used to be that my own name was synonymous with PR Couture.
That’s changed.
So, please indulge me a bit as I take this opportunity to quickly share a bit about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are headed.
I discovered public relations in graduate school and was immediately drawn to the intersection of business strategy, writing and creativity required. After combining this newfound discovery with a copywriting job that had quickly turned into running a PR and marketing department (along with a lifelong love of clothing and fashion), I wrote the very first academic thesis on the subject of fashion public relations.
After graduating, I started PR Couture as a means to both share what I had learned and as a platform to learn more.
Back then, fashion blogging was just getting started, most PR agencies had nothing more than a phone number on a splash page (if you were lucky). There was no Instagram (gasp!), there wasn’t even Twitter. The whole Girl Boss/Boss Babe/Digital Entrepreneur “build your brand online” thing was years away.
As that all changed, my own career grew alongside PR Couture for years in a sort of symbiosis. PR Couture became the oh so necessary creative outlet for a girl who hadn’t quite figured out that she was a Boss at heart.
In 2013, PR Couture + consulting became my full-time gig. In 2016 I launched our most comprehensive redesign to-date, added two amazing women to help me out, taught two sections of JMS-0496 Fashion Public Relations at San Diego State University, one Fashion PR Confidential workshop in NYC and two live PRISM courses online (surrounded by palm trees in my San Diego backyard – heaven!). Oh, and had a baby. It was kind of a big year.
My goal has always been for PR Couture to be a shared platform and brand that facilitates community and a sense belonging that can be sorely lacking in our industry. I am proud that we focus on subjects relevant to those of us just starting out in the industry, like our Getting IN series, as well as those of us with several years of experience, like our PR Girls We Love series.
Today, PR Couture has evolved from a blog into your go-to industry sourcebook, and we are just getting started.
Before we head into a year’s worth of anniversary celebrations, however, I invite you to join me in not simply reflecting on the evolution above, but on your own growth in the last decade. It’s been amazing to participate alongside you as digital communications has altered our industry so significantly. How lucky we are to live in a time where incredible connections can be facilitated with the swipe of a finger, where an idea and an online presence can be the start of something huge.
I’ve been re-watching a lot of Parks & Rec lately. In addition to wishing Leslie Knope was my best friend (or business partner!), one quote from the show sticks out:
None of us achieves anything alone.
So thank you.
You keep me inspired, motivated and you help me to support my family. That is some serious stuff, kitten. More than myself however, you have indirectly helped your fellow readers find dream jobs, connected agencies with clients who are perfect for one another, helped women launch freelance careers, and so many others experience life-changing moments, friendships and opportunities.
Yup, you did that.
So thank you, thank you for being a part of my team.
Love,
