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

Chad, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The first thing you see when you visit our site is our motto and mission of sorts- We Rise By Lifting Others. As a publicity house, our job is to assist businesses by showcasing their offerings, expertise, and successes while staying in the shadows. The greater we do our job, the greater it is reflected in the exposure created for our clients. This mission of lifting others has a residual effect on our business as other businesses strive to gain that same level of exposure for their projects.

Chad, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Who are we? It’s a question we ask ourselves on a daily basis as we constantly navigate the ever-changing landscape of PR and the world in general. Nearly two decades ago, we were inspired by the idea of shaping the industry in a different way when it comes to public relations, events, graphic design, and social media. Simply put, we’re not your traditional PR firm; we never will be, and to say we like to shake things up is an understatement. Clients have described CWPR as dynamic, passionate, hard-working, fun, rock and roll, relentless, genuine, creative – the list goes on.

Our team works tirelessly on our client’s behalf while always making sure we authentically do our jobs and are feverishly staying true to ourselves and our clients. We thrive on making a difference by creating impactful campaigns, producing unforgettable events, and building and positively enriching the communities we touch. From TV segments to cover stories and, when needed- crisis PR, our company covers all the bases.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I met our company’s namesake- Caren West when she was with her former company, and they needed some 11th-hour graphic design work for Music Midtown. I was able to turn and burn on the project getting them a few awards and the appreciation of their client.

Fast-forward a few years, as her past company was going in different directions, and she was at a career fork in the road, I pitched her the idea of a public relations and graphic design company named after her. And while I expected her reaction to be one of great enthusiasm, I was instead greeted with a “Maybe. Let me get back to you on that” and a major ego check.

Needless to say, almost two decades in, we are seeing incredible success and are showing no signs of slowing down. We are loving every minute of it…well, most of the minutes.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

During the recession of the early 2000s, budgets for everything, especially a PR budget for a lifestyle and entertainment firm, disappeared, and many of our peers chose to put their heads down and focus inward. We chose a different path, instead deciding to get ourselves in front of as many people and businesses as possible. Tapping community-focused projects and businesses, CWPR provided pro bono services for the next year, only asking for logo placement and, where relevant, sponsorship placement in exchange.

This little project resulted in an incredible boost in business once the recession had subsided and people started spending money again. While our peers remained silent, CWPR was the only one talking and out there, and we became the first call for many businesses trying to rise back up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carenwestpr.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carenwestpr/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carenwestpr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadavid/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/carenwestpr

Image Credits
Caren West PR