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

Hi Pernille, thanks for joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

When I lived in Denmark I never thought I one day would start my own business. It was never a dream of mine. Moving to LA where the culture is much more entrepreneurial changed my mind. Being surrounded by so many entrepreneurs and seeing how much freedom and flexibility it could provide really ignited me. There are many pros and cons by starting your own business and in times where things have been hard, the thought of getting a regular job again has crossed my mind. It would take away so much stress, uncertainty and stress. However, the freedom and flexibility you have by being a business owner outweighs it all, in my opinion. I think it would be extremely hard to go back to having a boss and work on a fixed schedule again once you have been on your own. I know many people who thrive that way, but for me, the flexibility has always been the most important thing and I wouldn’t change it despite sleepless nights and uncertainty about the upcoming months, income etc.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in Denmark and decided 8 years ago to move overseas to Los Angeles. I have a Master degree in Communication from Copenhagen Business School and 15+ years experience in PR. I always knew I wanted to be in PR. I love to brand and promote other people that are doing incredible things and help them advance in their career. Seeing them receive the acknowledgement they deserve fulfills me. I moved to LA with a dream to create something big within PR. I felt Denmark was too small for my big dreams and ideas and felt my mindset was more aligned with people in California.

Fast forward, I am the founder of PK PR & Branding, a full service PR Consulting Agency based in Los Angeles, CA. I specialize in art, design and lifestyle, but also have clients in other other industries such as coaching, real estate, tech start ups etc. To me it’s more important the person/brand and their values/vision than what industry they’re in. I only take clients on that I feel aligned with. PR is very much like sales, and I could never sell something that I don’t believe in myself.

I work with clients all over the world and help them building their brand, how to get their messaging across to customers/followers, and how to get recognition for their specific talent/work. This is done through PR, marketing, collaborations, events, social media and most importantly strategizing. Each client is unique and I am trying to meet their needs as good as I can and customize a strategy that aligns with their goals. From my upbringing in Denmark I have an international outlook on PR, which I believe has helped me in the way I serve my clients.

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

I’ve been in a lucky situation where most of my clients are referrals. Word of mouth has been the most efficient way for me to get new leads. Having other people advocate for you is better than any other lead generation out there. In return I am also very good at connecting people and referring friends. I try to return some of the gestures as I know how important it has been for my business.

In PR and many other industries, networking is crucial. Your worth lies in the network you have, and as a publicist it can be critical for landing clients. When I moved to LA 8 years ago I spent countless days and nights at events and social gatherings to meet people and build my network. Often I had to force myself to go, but it was always worth it after.

Another strategy that has worked for me is to reach out to someone on social media. It feels very genuine and personal instead of an email. Or show up at an event where you know a person/company will be present and go over and introduce yourself. Real life conversations works better than anything else.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Had you told me 8 years ago that I today would have my own PR agency and built my dream life here in LA, I would have had a hard time believing you. Moving here without knowing anyone or having an actual plan was super scary and I have definitely had my portion of set backs, hard times, failures and moments where I was close to giving up and move back to Denmark. But it always ended up working out in the end and I feel I’ve gotten so much stronger over the years.

The resilience is very useful in my business. When something doesn’t go as I want it to, if I loose a client or a big project, then I am way better now to look forward and move on instead of letting it beat me up and starting to question my own worth. It has its downsides to be a business owner, some months you can be flying and have a full roster and suddenly they all choose to go off retainer and you need to reinvent yourself and find new clients. You have to have a strong mindset and be able to let go of stress and worries.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pkprandbranding.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pernille_k/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pernillekjeldsen/