We were lucky to catch up with Linda Kavanagh recently and have shared our conversation below.

Linda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

I am an accidental entrepreneur. Upon leaving my 10-year career in the restaurant industry, I was fortunate enough to land a job in a local PR firm. The owner saw something in me and was willing to take a chance on me and show me the ropes. It turns out I was a damn good publicist! The firm was primarily entertainment-focused. We were presented with the opportunity to represent the Motown Cafe, a then-new concept across from the Hard Rock Cafe in NYC. Working on this account was my ah-ha” moment. The combination of PR mixed in with my hospitality background was the secret sauce I didn’t even realize I was looking for. Upon witnessing my glee and effectiveness on this process, my boss/mentor basically “fired” me, encouraging me to go out on my own and create this niche PR business.

A coworker of mine within the firm said that her cousin was opening a new restaurant concept in Fairfield County, CT where I lived. Her cousin also took a chance on me and became my first restaurant client in my newly formed PR agency MaxEx Public Relations, LLC. This was in 1997. MaxEx was short for “maximum exposure.” This little unknown tapas and wine bar in Norwalk, CT was called Barcelona. The brand grew. I grew. Upon seeing what I could do with the Barcelona brand, other restaurants began knocking on my door. I remained with Barcelona for 12 years, and the brand continues to grow to this day.

My first client, who came through word of mouth, presented itself just six months after starting with Barcelona. Cb5 Hospitality Group was a team that created restaurants for large hotel conglomerates nationwide. This was truly a dream client. While honing my PR/Marketing skills, hiring staff, and building relationships with the media, I traveled the country, launched Cb5 restaurants, and created a name for myself.

Wow! What just happened?

Linda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

(much of this is on the prior page)

I do believe certain skills can’t be taught. I also believe our experiences and relationships shape who we are.
My original life plan was to be a musical theater performer. While attending music school and between auditions and performing in local theater, I worked in a restaurant. I got hooked on the restaurant industry (I was always a naturally talented cook), dropped out of music school, and ended up in a 10-year career in the food biz. I thrived on the energy of a busy night. I equated the restaurant industry to putting on a show.

In my current career, the day-to-day practices incorporate everything that I have learned from the performance and restaurant worlds. My ability to organize and stay focused, think outside the box, and connect with people are the foundation of my approach to each client and task at hand. My command of the English language and my writing skills I equate to my theater experience. The ability to manage people comes from both of my past careers, which are “team sports.” Most importantly, the ability to adapt and evolve with the industry is not only essential, it keeps me interested and moving forward.

MaxEx PR has tremendous credibility within the hospitality industry. Our restaurant background gives our clients immense confidence because we genuinely understand and respect their industry.

Something that is lost these days is the pure definition of a publicist. Quite simply, it’s getting the right information to the right people. It is ALL ABOUT THE CLIENT. These days, all too often, marketing and social media people put themselves in front of the camera to promote themselves. This is unacceptable and disrespectful to the client and the craft. MaxEx remains 100% behind the scenes, keeping the spotlight on the client.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

COVID. It’s no mystery that the restaurant industry was one of the hardest hit industries throughout the pandemic. Our firm was primarily busy doing pro-bono work to assist restaurateurs in dealing with the many challenges that COVID brought with it.

It was during this time, and subsequent few years after, we realized that the luxury of a restaurant having a publicist on payroll was no longer an option. It was then an unexpected and rather unique opportunity presented itself to MaxEx PR. Commercial real estate collectives, developers, and landlords began contacting us. They realized they needed to support their tenants in some way if they were going to keep them. MaxEx entered into several retainer fee projects with these real estate management groups, creating marketing campaigns that supported these restaurant, retail, and lifestyle businesses. For some, we created an entire branded marketing arm that promoted the portfolio as a whole and individually, providing PR, Marketing, and Social Media support. To this day, MaxEx PR has created another niche market.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Our reputation within our market is a postive one. Obviously, doing the work and being effective is first and foremost in earning a stellar reputation.

Our deep roots in our niche concentration lend credibility to our firm. We connect with our clients.

We don’t use marketing events, social media, and media opportunities to promote ourselves.

Our fee structure is fair. It coincides with the client’s industry financial capabilities – not the PR industry’s average fee structure.

Our clients own their assets and have 24/7 access to all marketing platforms, reports, and materials generated and managed while they are on retainer. We do not hold anything hostage like many PR agencies do.

Clients are always able to communicate with a member of the team. They have access to all of us, and we, as a team, make sure that someone is accessible should others be immersed in projects, photo shoots, meetings, etc.

MaxEx genuinely enjoys what we do – it’s palpable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://maxexposure.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MaxExPR
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maxexllc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maxex-public-relations/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsnTBOQsTxth7nwbuVPkT-Q
• Other: we own and operate this professional organization:
  https://newenglandculinarygroup.com/

Image Credits

Marquis Goodwin Photography