We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jason and Hope Brown. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jason and Hope below.

Hi Jason and Hope, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

In Summer of 2008, I was really frustrated with the job that I had working for a local PR agency. Owner wasn’t trusting her employees and it was a toxic work environment. So at that time, despite a down economy, I believed I could do this better on my own. So I decided to part ways with my existing employer and with no clients or revenue, I launched PublicCity PR in October 2008. I thought at the time I would be an effective solo public relations professional and help Michigan businesses build awareness of their services despite the current economic landscape. But as it turned out, I didn’t realize how many potential clients were frustrated with their existing PR firm and I joked at the time…that I hadn’t upset too many people in Southeast Michigan, so they were calling me to ask if I would handle their public relations, which I was happy to do.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I graduated with a BA in Journalism from Michigan State in 1991 and thought I would be the next great American journalist. But that wasn’t in the cards for me. So I went back to school at Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts and pivoted a bit and got into News Radio. Was able to land a job at WJR-AM as an intern then later, a part time producer. Following WJR, I went to a now defunct radio station WYUR-AM where I produced a few news/talk shows and it was there I met Fred Marx, who has since passed away. He saw something in me and wanted me to join his PR firm, Marx Layne in around 1998 where I learned the “business of PR” while focusing on day-to-day media relations experience. From there, I had a few other jobs at a variety of big and smaller agencies but what I always loved about the job was the media relations aspect, so I decided to make that area of expertise my specialty.

So when I opened my own firm, PublicCity PR, in October 2008, I didn’t want to have many focuses for my company (PR, Advertising, Marketing, Social, etc.) but rather 1-2 areas of expertise, which are media and community relations. I think that is one of the reasons we are successful after 15 years as we took a specific path vs. a variety of roads. That’s one of the things I am most proud of, is that we have developed into one of the leading media relations agencies in Michigan, in addition that we take a “Common Sense” approach to our work. We always try and see what our clients are wanting and needing through a common sense lens. If it doesn’t pass the common sense test, then we probably won’t act on it the way our client asked us too, because ultimately it’s our name on the line just as much as it is theirs.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I first started the company in October 2008, I had no clients and no revenue in one of the worst economies in Michigan’s history. I told my wife that I wanted to start my own business and she was a bit hesitant on the idea and said I had about 3-4 months to figure it out, as that was probably the most we had in savings for me to “live my entrepreneurial dream”. But what I learned was that I hadn’t upset too many people in this community over the years and companies wanted to work with me and they were glad I was on my own. And it was from those initial moments, 15 years ago that really shaped who I am and who PublicCity is today.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

So I met my wife Hope at Marx Layne around 1998, tying ribbons for a client’s company holiday party. I asked her out a few months later to see Rent in East Lansing. From their the rest is history and too long of a story to tell. We got married in October 2001, and for the last 10 years have worked together again as she joined the firm in 2012. We are still married and still working together. :) We now have two lovely Daughters Eliza, 16 and Libby 12 along with our dog Bella and live in Beverly Hills, Mich.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.PublicCityPR.net
• Instagram: @PublicCityPR
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/PublicCityPR
• Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/In/PublicCityPR
• Twitter: @PublicCityPR
• Other: TikTok: @PublicCityPR

Image Credits
@PublicCityPR