Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Flynn

Hi Samantha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

I have been working in public relations for 15 years. Right after graduate school, I moved to Chicago and began my career working in a public relations agency with for clients such as The Hershey Company, Redbox, Brunswick and ConAgra.

One year into my career, I moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania (which just so happens to be my home!) and facilitated an in house role at Hershey, where I split my responsibilities as an on-site liaison for my Chicago agency and also as the client contact running point for pieces of business that my agency was not involved with.

That was a tough year for me professionally but during that time, I was able to widen my perspective on the role PR in the overall marketing suite. Previously, as part of a PR agency, my scope was limited to the PR discussions. During my time at Hershey, I was able to see the wider marketing practice up close and where PR fits into the larger scale efforts and initiatives.

This exposure led me to want to continue to explore the full marketing view and I moved to an integrated marketing agency in downtown Chicago, where I eventually lead the public relations practice for six years. During this time, I was able to partner hand-in-hand with other in-house marketing disciplines, including paid media, digital and creative, to create holistic campaigns that drove meaningful results for clients.

After nearly 10 years in business overall, I was burnt out and needed a break to evaluate my career to date and, quite frankly, to work on myself. I had a desire to move back towards specialized PR services and knew that the best way to carve out my own path was through entrepreneurship.

I never envisioned being a business owner, so there was – and continues to be! – a lot of trial and error. In the six years since I founded my company Junipr Public Relations, I’ve navigated through the pandemic, grown our company to 10 employees across two offices and have secured clients from large, global B2B biotech companies to household name kitchen brands, Chicago non profits to food and beverage clients. Our work is award-winning and the agency has received various accolades for its rising star status. It’s been a fun and wild ride and – while it brings its own can of considerations and stressors – I’m having a blast!

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?

It hasn’t always been a smooth road, but it’s been a rewarding one. One year into my entrepreneurship journey, the Covid-19 pandemic hit and it forced me to diligently navigate the company through an unprecedented time that no one was prepared for.

On a separate note, I had to learn how to run a business while executing PR programs for clients! I never envisioned being an entrepreneur, so hadn’t explored traditional business training or studies up to this point in my career. I’ve slowly – but surely! – been able to learn through trial and error and have gotten better and seeking counsel, resources and support to identify areas of strength and how to close knowledge gap both in theory and in execution.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?

Founded in 2019, Junipr Public Relations is an award-winning PR agency headquartered in Chicago with a satellite Office in Philadelphia. We provide comprehensive strategic communications services that help global, national and local companies connect more effectively with their customers. Our core services are media relations, B2B communications, event planning, internal communications, brand planning and crisis communications work.

Our client roster is made up of global B2B diagnostic companies, to household name kitchen products, Chicago nonprofits to better-for-you food and beverage companies.
With deep expertise in the CPG space, Junipr’s PR programs results in impactful, award-winning communications campaigns that drive bottom line results for clients.

We are a a trusted partner in developing the messages, strategies and tactics that help both B2C and B2B organizations tell stories that communicate with their current and future customers. Our work has been featured at the Super Bowl, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, on Good Morning America, in the Wall Street Journal and other national and local media outlets such as Yahoo!, Woman’s World, CNN Business and Chicago’s own WGN.

Junipr’s senior team of PR experts bring more than 60 years of combined experience to service our clients. Our team has the experience of a big firm and the nimbleness of a boutique agency. We can work as an extension of an internal communications team or in a traditional agency relationship format and are comfortable working autonomously or being part of an inter-agency marketing team.

Junipr Public Relations is a certified WBE and won a 2024 PRSA Skyline Award for B2B Content Marketing and 2024 PCC Awards for Consumer Media Relations and B2B Marketing. In 2024, the company was included in the ‘Cuse 50 List of fastest growing businesses from Syracuse University Alumni. Junipr was included as a 2023 PR Net Next Gen Agency list. The company was a successful graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10kSB program in 2022.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

You have to accept in the up from that there are going to be things you don’t know. That’s ok! Work quickly to identify what you don’t know and how you can close the gap in these areas. Additionally, you have to be comfortable with rejection – entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart and you will regularly hear “no.” You must be willing to ask for feedback on the no and take that redirection and advice to chart out the path that’s best for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.JuniprPublicRelations.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjoyflynn