Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mary Tan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Mary, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump into the story of starting your own firm – what should we know?

When I started my pet public relations agency, Whisker Media, it was primarily a side hustle. I was working at an animal shelter doing all their strategic communications work. I had begun Whisker Media prior to working at the shelter, but during the pandemic more and more pet companies were reaching out asking me to help them with their PR campaigns. Soon, I was juggling two full time jobs.

I always wanted Whisker Media to be my full time occupation, but having never been self-employed before, I found it challenging to take the leap. I am a very calculated risk taker. I told myself I needed to have a full time salary saved before I quit my very stable animal shelter position. I successfully put in $70,000 in my savings, but still didn’t quit.

Finally, two years later….after getting very stressed and being constantly overwhelmed, I finally quit my full time job to go out on my own. I was initially scared, but then that fear went away. I have the freedom to do what I want, I have no limit on what I can earn, and I have no one to blame for anything but myself if something goes awry.

I took a very long time to quit my job and go out on my own, but it is what I needed mentally to feel at ease. I am glad I did what I did. However, I probably should have quit my W-2 position earlier knowing what I know now.

I would urge anyone who wants to start their own firm to make sure they do all the research to make sure their business idea is viable. Don’t quit your W-2 job until you know your business idea is profitable.

Mary, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always loved cats and advocated for them. My passion is to get stray and feral cats spayed and neutered all over the world to eliminate cat overpopulation. I started Whisker Media to make more money so I can give a portion of my profits to small cat rescues doing the work of pet sterilization.

Whisker Media is a public relations firm that focuses on everything from media relations to influencer relations to crisis and employee communications. We are one of the only firms in the United States that solely focuses on the pet space. Our firm represents pet product companies and animal welfare nonprofits.

My team not only has expertise in PR, but also animal sheltering, behavior and husbandry. We are all former animal welfare employees or run animal rescues as a side hustle.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I have been so fortunate to not have to do much marketing. I get almost all my clients though networking and word-of-mouth. I am so specialized, that I am getting calls from all over the world inquiring about my services. I like to think it’s because I consider my client’s companies like my own when I work with them. I genuinely care about the success of their products, and I like to think people like working with me. Most of my clients hire me repeatedly every time they have a product launch or event that needs publicity.

I also am surprised that Chat GPT is sending a lot of business to me. Website search engine optimization is so important. The fact that I am so niched helps people find me as well.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

My most effective strategy for growing my clientele is definitely networking and joining professional associations. I am a member of American Pet Professionals and the Pet Industry Network. These groups have put me in front of hundreds of potential clients through public speaking opportunities and networking events. You can’t be shy when you own a business, People like to hire based on recommendations of others.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.whiskermedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiskermedia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whiskermedia/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/whiskermedia