Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Kavanagh

Hi Linda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

My original path out of high school was in musical theater. Between music school studies, rehearsals, community theater, and gigs in a rock band, I worked in restaurants throughout New York and Connecticut to earn some extra cash. Ultimately, I caught the restaurant bug and left my performing arts world for the culinary industry. I worked both front of the house (bartending, waitressing, etc.) and back out of the house, spending most of my time cooking alongside some of the best chefs on the East Coast. After 10+ years of working on my feet in an intense atmosphere, I became extremely burnt out from the job’s grind and physical demands.

I was fortunate to land an opportunity with a prestigious public relations firm in NY/CT, The Blackbird Group, that specialized in the entertainment industry. My mentor showed me the ropes of this untapped skill set, which I had a knack for. Writing press releases, the art of the pitch, coordinating events, dealing with talent and egos, and managing people echoed much of what I dealt with in the restaurant world and my theater past.

I fell in love with the PR world but missed the restaurant biz. My boss suggested combining the two and gently “fired” me, encouraging me to create my own niche. MaxEx (maximum exposure) Public Relations was formed in 1997. My first client out of the gate was the (now) uber-popular Barcelona Restaurant Group. I came on board to open their very first location in Norwalk, CT. The restaurant’s popularity catapulted my firm into a niche hospitality PR business.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

While the company’s progression was smooth in execution and growth, it came with its challenges. After all, it is the restaurant industry, and it’s challenging to work in. Creatives are not always the most business or tech-savvy. The hours that restaurateurs keep are different from the hours of operation most people adhere to. And restaurants work within such small financial margins, making it difficult to set/collect fees.

How I do my job is always evolving. Keeping up with the latest platforms and practices is an ongoing exercise in adaptation (and patience). Contacts are always changing, as the media industry is just as volatile as the restaurant industry, and because PR is a process and not a product, outcomes are not guaranteed. It’s a hard pill to swallow for both the client and my firm.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

MaxEx Public Relations is old-school PR with a new-school approach. We believe in the almighty press release equally as much as we are great at navigating the underbelly of social media. We do not promote ourselves. We promote our clients. You will never see our team’s faces in a social media post, and we don’t speak for our clients. Our clients speak for themselves through the opportunities for exposure we present to them.

Our niche industry is hospitality. It’s what my background is in (and my team’s), so we speak the speak and the walk the walk – which provides our clients with tremendous confidence in our abilities, and they feel they have an ally as opposed to just another service provider.

MaxEx Public Relations has been operating since 1997. It’s a testament to the quality of the work we do.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?

MaxEx Public Relations believes in the power of collaboration and surrounds itself with the best talent possible. Photographers, webmasters, SEO companies, creative agencies, influencers, and the media—we all work together as a machine with the common goal of supporting someone’s business or dream.

Pricing:

• Full Campaign Support $2500-$5000

Contact Info:

• Website: https://maxexposure.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MaxExPR
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maxexllc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsnTBOQsTxth7nwbuVPkT-Q
• Other: https://newenglandculinarygroup.com/