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

Leslie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

To me, being successful is creating a business or company that allows you the time, flexibility, and financial freedom to do something you enjoy. Its been said, if you enjoy your job, then it’s not really work. It goes without saying that personal success is having family and friends that you love, trust, and can count on. When you are able to incorporate that into a profession, that’s the icing on the cake, Do what you love and enjoy what you do!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am the founder and CEO of 411 Video Information, a boutique public relations firm, that has been doing publicity, marketing, branding and consulting for independent producers, writers and business professionals for over 30 years. Our focus and specialty is in finding the proper niche where clients can excel and reach their target audience. While many of our clients have books, DVDs, and other products, many businesses and personalities are actually their own national brand. We work with companies both large and small to expand their presence and increase their reach.

In addition to consulting, public relations, branding and marketing, we help with product distribution, and strategic partnerships. I’m often called a connector, I love putting people and businesses together, when it makes sense. I treat my clients and their companies as I would my own. Their success is my success.

My paralegal degree and my lifetime teaching credential, have come in handy when it comes to deal negotiations. It also helps me to work well with people, which is a must in my business. I’ve been a guest speaker at several media conferences and I am the author of two books on marketing, “How to Break Into Video Without Going Broke” and “Marketing Your Special Interest Videos and Books.” I was honored with a Benjamin Franklin Award for marketing, and two awards from my peers, Special Interest Video Consultant of the Year and Home Video Publicist of the Decade. I have been dubbed “The Queen of Special Interest Marketing,” a ‘crown’ that I wear proudly; all in fun, of course, but it does symbolize my flair for niche marketing and publicity.

My realistic and straight forward approach has served me well. My clients have become lifelong friends. Remaining close friends with clients is one of my proudest achievements in business. Many have become like family. Think about it. If I wasn’t doing a good job for my clients, why would we still be friends?! For me, it’s not just business. My business IS personal.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Networking, networking, networking! Being friendly! Being helpful! Being nice! Being honest! Being realistic! Being straightforward! Being genuine! Caring! You just never know who you will meet and how someone will impact your life. I genuinely love meeting people and seeing if there’s a way I can help them. Everyone and everything is a new opportunity and my door is always open.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Prior to starting 411 Video Information, I was Vice President of a national video distribution and catalog company. I worked with over 500 suppliers. I was responsible for product acquisition, distribution and marketing of thousands of videos, DVDs and books. Supplier, as well as media relationships, were key. When the company sold, I wasn’t sure what to do going forward.

An editor from an industry magazine called me because she had a friend who wanted to market a new film. I told my editor friend that I was no longer with the other company. She convinced me that I had all the necessary knowledge needed to steer her friend in the right direction. She said she trusted me, my advice, and valued my work ethic. She convinced me to talk to her friend. She told me to charge a consultation fee. Not sure what to charge, we went back and forth. I finally agreed and 411 Video Information was born. Through my expertise, guidance and contacts, my new found client achieved success with her film. Consulting led to doing more for my clients. I realized my favorite part of that experience was doing the publicity for the film. I loved getting people excited and seeing the results. I still consult on many business areas, but publicity is the lion’s share of what I do today for clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.411videoinfo.com
• Instagram: @411video
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/411videoinfo
• Linkedin: Leslie McClure
• Twitter: @411video