We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melissa Valerie Rodriguez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Melissa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?
Public Relations was never something I had planned on pursuing as a career. It came about when I was searching for a change in my professional life. I wanted to find something that I truly loved and was passionate about, something that didn’t feel like work anymore.
It was one of my sorority sisters who played a crucial role in introducing me to the world of Public Relations (PR). She was involved in marketing for Lionsgate and suggested that I give Public Relations a shot. I was completely clueless about what PR entailed, so I asked her to explain it to me. As she described the field, I couldn’t help but think that it was something I could see myself doing. And so, I began my search for PR internships.
Finding the right internship was a process, and I quickly learned that having a degree wasn’t the most important factor. It was all about who you knew in the industry, rather than what you knew. After months of seeking internships and going through various interviews, I finally secured a PR internship.
I still vividly remember my first experience working at a red-carpet event. I had the opportunity to meet so many people, including celebrities, and I was able to network like crazy, which I enjoy doing. In that moment, I realized that this was exactly what I wanted to do. It didn’t feel like work at all. And from that point on, the rest is history.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Melissa V. Rodriguez is an experienced and compassionate Licensed and Family Therapist with over 24 years of expertise in psychotherapy. I have specialized in helping adults and at-risk youth who have faced traumatic experiences such as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. As well as supporting those who struggle with grief and loss, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, peer relationships, anger management, and self-care management.
My journey in the mental health field started at the young age of 19 when I began working at a juvenile hall correctional facility. Later, I transitioned to a probation school, which provided a more intimate environment for the 50 probation kids I worked with. It was during this time that I witnessed the profound impact of my work. Despite having a lot of experience and success in the Mental health field, I still felt like something was missing.
When I turned 30, I decided that I needed a break from the mental health field and needed to pursue a new career. It wasn’t planned, but I ended up getting involved in Public Relations. I worked as an intern at several PR agencies and eventually decided to start my own PR company, MVR PR.
At MVR PR, our goal is to create brands that people absolutely love. We understand the importance of developing a story that really connects with your target market, and we know that being creative in how you tell that story is crucial. Our team always puts themselves in the shoes of the consumer, which is why we’ve been able to achieve great results for our clients.
Since 2013, MVR PR has been working with startups and enterprise companies to help them successfully launch their campaigns. We have a wide range of services, from creating interactive experiences to organizing fundraisers, celebrity basketball games, album release parties, grand openings, and more.
Our expertise also extends to executing PR campaigns for various clients, including celebrities, such as: actor/actress, musicians, professional athletes, reality TV stars, and influencers.
What makes MVR PR stand out is that we really value the strong personal connections we have built with our clients. We don’t see them as just names in a database or contacts on a list. Our team takes pride in forming genuine relationships with our clients, aiming to establish trust and make them feel comfortable. We believe that the success of any organization is ultimately about the people involved. MVR PR has gained a reputation as a Public Relations firm that prioritizes teamwork, enabling us to swiftly tackle challenges, oversee projects from beginning to end, and most importantly, achieve tangible and measurable outcomes.
What I’m most proud of is that at the age of 34, I made the bold decision to leave behind a 14-year career and embark on a whole new professional journey. And guess what? I didn’t just start any old job; I launched my own company, MVR PR.
I feel incredibly grateful because along the way, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with some truly amazing mentors. These individuals have played a pivotal role in my personal and professional development. Additionally, I’ve been entrusted by some top-notch publicists to handle their A-list clients. It’s an honor to be recognized for my skills and expertise in this field.
One thing I take great pride in is the reputation I’ve built for myself. People know me as someone who is loyal, trustworthy, hardworking, determined, and reliable. I don’t just say it, I consistently demonstrate these qualities through my work ethic. And let me tell you, it speaks volumes about who I am as a person.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
As I mentioned earlier, I had to make a major career change at the age of 33, even though I had already enjoyed a successful career of 14 years.
Starting over from scratch was quite scary, especially considering the significant decrease in salary. Additionally, starting my own company meant that I no longer had a steady paycheck coming in.
Being an entrepreneur is far from easy! It involves long and lonely nights, constant hustle, steep learning curves, building relationships, facing setbacks, dealing with rejection, encountering closed doors, and much more. But if you have a clear vision of your dreams, you can’t afford to give up! You must keep pushing forward and knocking down those doors until the right opportunity presents itself and your dreams start to become a reality.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
In the entertainment industry and as an entrepreneur, you must become comfortable with being uncomfortable. You will experience multiple failures, rejections, lonely and exhausting nights, closed doors, and even people betraying your trust. All these things may be uncomfortable, but they are an integral part of the process and contribute to your personal growth. Succeeding in this field requires consistency, hard work, dedication, relationship building, PATIENCE, and #1 rule NEVER Quitting! If you can do that, SUCCESS will come!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.themvrpr.com
- Instagram: @mvrpublicrelations
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissavalrodriguez?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-v-rodriguez-1b00081b
Image Credits
Photo Credit : Jeremiah Drummond @jeremiah_drummond Ray Raymundo @ray.raymundo