Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Perkes

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

My story started when I was 17 years old and choosing what to study at university. My dream was to become a radio presenter. But that dream shattered into a million pieces when I visited a university open day and saw what being a radio presenter actually required. In my dreams I’d play music, interview guests and have so much fun it wouldn’t feel like work. The reality smacked me in the face when I was shown the recording studio and there were knobs and buttons from the floor to their ceiling. I’m not a techy person and wouldn’t have trusted myself with so much equipment.

My dreams were further shattered when the lecturer declared that to get ahead in the media, it was based on who you knew, not what you knew. I grew up in a small village – I didn’t know anyone! My 17-year old self felt like the rug had been pulled from under her and I frantically searched for another modality to study.

My mum suggested that I look for something that involved communication as I’m good at listening and asking the right questions. I didn’t want to become a journalist as I knew that the pay wasn’t that great, so I opted for a degree with a major in Media Studies and a Minor in Public Relations. However, during my second year at university I realised that I was more interested in Public Relations, so I had to pitch to the head of PR and plead my case for switching to Public Relations as my Major and Media Studies as my Minor.

In 2004 I graduated with a degree under my belt and three months later started my career in PR. Nine years later, I decided to leave the safety and comfort of a full time job and decided to set up my own business. At the time I was working alongside the CEO on new business outreach and client acquisition and started to identify a gap in the market. I saw so many smaller, innovative brands who could make huge amounts of impact with the support of PR, who simply couldn’t justify paying a city-based PR Agency.

My business launched in 2013 and it’s been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It’s been challenging; there have been highs, lows, pivots and lots of tenacity. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and an more in love with what I do now than I’ve ever been

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?

Absolutely not! It’s unrealistic to think that running a business is smooth sailing. I do have a tendency to veer off the path and go on detours that I didn’t necessarily need to go on, but it’s all part of the process and the learning curve and it’s made me the business owner I am today.

The biggest struggles often provide the best lessons and I’ll always say to people that you never fail, you simply learn. It’s about embracing the fact that failure will happen, but it’s how you respond and adapt that will reset your path to success. Failing fast is a great attribute to have, although it takes a while to fully let go of your desired outcome, accept what happened, learn from it and move on with the knowledge that you’ve gained.

One of my biggest struggles was leaving the 9-5 mentality behind. If I wasn’t at my desk working, or hustling for the next thing to happen I’d feel guilty. For me, when I push too hard I push things away and then get frustrated. I’ve had to embrace slowing down to speed up and I’ve had to embrace sitting in discomfort and working through thoughts and feelings that come up, rather than trying to push them down with being busy. Distractions may feel good in the moment, but they often bite you in the ass at a later date!

Say no to clients that aren’t a good fit has been my biggest struggle. Due to the nature of my work, I can see the opportunities available to people and as a recovering people-pleaser, simply what to do what I can to help businesses grow. Because of this I’ve often ignored red flags and said yes to the sale, despite the fact my intuition has told me that it’s not for me. I certainly learnt the hard way to be more discerning when agreeing who to work with.

Another challenge that I’ve faced recently is realising that I part of my business that I’ve been focussed on for the past four years isn’t going to grow to the size that I want it to (yet). At the start of the pandemic I had to pivot to survive, choosing to teach coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs to secure their own media features, interviews and articles. I love it, but it’s become more of a passion project than a scalable business. I’ve had to reconnect with what I want and will be focussed on that for the next 6-12 months and change the way I work with an entrepreneurial audience.

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

PR with Perkes is a specialist PR Agency with connection, communication and collaboration at the heart of everything we do. Brands take years investing in brand awareness and visibility in order to drive sales and grow, but reputation is often the last thing they think about, until a crisis hits!

Your reputation is your brands’ biggest asset, so it’s vital to connect in with your values, mission, ethos and purpose before posting content. It’s vital to understand who your core customers are, what makes them tick, what drives their behaviour and decision making, then bring that in to your communications strategy. It’s far too easy to put all your eggs in the social media basket and invest in the latest craze – but if you’re not underpinning your social media strategy with PR then you may as well build your brand on quick sand.

It’s very rare for PR Agencies to focus purely on PR in this modern world, where everyone is fighting for attention. Many PR Agencies will also offer Influencer Marketing, Social Media and Marketing Support and I understand why. It’s easier for one agency to take ownership of your internal and external communications tactics, but my love has always been, and will always be, PR. I’m also a firm believer in working with the best in the business for what your budget allows and I have no desire to stay on top of the social media algorithms and latest trends. I’d rather partner with specialists in that area to compliment the services we offer our client.

Many brands and entrepreneurs choose to work with me because I tell it like it is, which isn’t to everyone’s taste as it can be misinterpreted as blunt or harsh, but my intention is always pure when I speak and I always have your best interests at heart, even if the truth hurts at times.

It’s this level of honesty and transparency that sets us apart. Too many PR Consultants and Agencies bow down to their clients and say yes to things they don’t agree with. I don’t. There’s always a conversation to dig deeper into why they want to do things a certain way, or why they want to implement something new.

And although my background is in PR, I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years and have run my own business for 11, so I understand the wider challenges that brands face and can take a holistic approach to the entire communications mix, making recommendations based on the growth goals for each individual brand and working alongside other communications modalities.

PR with Perkes is also different in the sense that we don’t just work for big corporate clients or household brands. I absolutely adore supporting start-ups and helping them shape the future of their business, while avoiding making mistakes when it comes to investing in communications tactics. I also offer different services to coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs who would hugely benefit from PR presence, but aren’t able to invest in a PR Agency. Instead, I teach them everything I’ve learned over the past 20 years and love seeing them embrace learning new skills and transforming their business as a result of that.

My biggest bugbear at the moment is that there still isn’t a seat at the C-Suite table for PR and Marketing, despite the impact and influence we create for brands. As such, there’s often a disconnect in what we’ve been hired for vs what we can actually deliver. It often means that brands don’t think strategically when investing in communications tactics, often spending way too much money on things that don’t work, while completely overlooking things that will. It’s why I’m now offering a Comms Audit to brands, to help brands achieve their growth goals by investing in the right tactics at the right time.

I’m most proud of our ability to adapt and change when required. I’m supported by a fantastic team of freelancers who are at the top of their game. I’m a huge fan of working within your zone of genius, so when brands hire us to represent them, I focus more on strategic thinking and playing the long game, while the team focus on implementing the tactics that deliver results. It’s a great environment to work in as we all have the creative freedom to achieve results in a way that suits us as individuals.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?

The first business-related book I ever read was You Are A Badass by Jen Cincero. A friend of mine bought me a copy as a Christmas present in 2019, which I devoured while my husband and I were on honeymoon that same Christmas. It helped me understand that you can achieve anything you want, but not necessarily in the timeframe you want it to!

I also love to read autobiographies as I find people fascinating. I often learn business lessons from the stories that they share, even if they have no direct correlation with running a business.

In terms of podcasts, I do enjoy listening to Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett. He interviews some fascinating guests and I love the conversations they have. Listening to people share their experiences is such a magical experience as you feel connected to them on a deeper level.

Pricing:

• My debut book ‘How To Get PR’ is available on Amazon for £10.99
• Online courses with unlimited access start from £495
• Group Training Programmes start from £4,000 for six months
• Comms Audit is priced on application
• PR Concierge Service (DFY PR) starts from £18,000 for six months

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.prwithperkes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prwithperkes

Image Credits
Credit: Rosie Parsons Photography for Bold brand shots & Binky Nixon Photography for location shots (the one with me in the cafe and the one with me at my desk with the dog)