We were lucky to catch up with Valerie Fields recently and have shared our conversation below.
Valerie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?
The longer I’m in business, the clearer it becomes to me that perseverance is the consistent element and common denominator for long-term success. The ability to keep pursuing a dream or a goal – even when it’s difficult – equips a lot of successful entrepreneurs with the necessary “intestinal fortitude” needed to simply outlast the competition.
In 2019, my PR PROS team and I decided to move our office from a commercial building we were leasing and paying rent for 16 years. I realized that the amount of rent paid over those years was more than enough to purchase a building. Of course, timing and resources are paramount. For our team, the right opportunity was presented to us and the timing was right. We ultimately selected a run-down, dilapidated structure in a historic part of downtown. More than one person reminded us that the building – and the project itself – was a disaster; and an overwhelming endeavor that was not worthy of our time or attention.
Another lesson I’ve learned over time is that ‘not everyone needs to see or agree with your vision.’ Mainly, because the dream is yours, and not theirs. You don’t need everyone to believe in your dream… YOU need to believe, and you need to incorporate the right people onto your team who also believe in you, the goal, and the ability to get it done.
For 6 months, we hauled out trash, equipment, and debris; we cleaned, scrubbed, and sanitized the building. We met with and hired contractors and vendors. We ultimately stripped the entire structure down to four walls and the beams in the roof – and totally rebuilt it. Perseverance was the key. At any point, we could stop and decide that it was too hard, too expensive, too much work, or too time-consuming. But, when you stop moving forward, you don’t accomplish the goal. For this project – and many others – the key to success was to keep going; or simply keep playing until you win!
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’ve spent 30 years in the Public Relations industry; and 25 of those years as an entrepreneur, running a PR agency in Raleigh, North Carolina. In college, I majored in Public Relations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before graduating, I left school to work full time in Public Relations at Walt Disney World in Florida – an amazing experience. I returned to school, graduated and started my company within three years and haven’t looked back. PR PROS is a full-service agency specializing in public relations and content creation. I’m also a certified Crisis Communication professional, meaning I help clients craft their statements, actions, and messaging during challenging times where there is a lot of attention from the public or the media.
Crisis Communication is all about problem-solving and helping to provide solutions and to communicate important information during times of vulnerability. Public relations has a lot to do with storytelling; managing relationships between organizations and their stakeholders and delivering relevant messages in ways and on platforms that connect with audiences. Close to 25 years ago, during a Visioning Session with my team, we wrote out our Vision Statement to read: “We set the standard for excellence in Public Relations.” This year, as we celebrated our company’s 25th anniversary, a client shared with me, “It’s clear that for you, excellence isn’t the goal; excellence is the standard.” To know that we consistently deliver excellence in service to our clients is a hallmark achievement.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Everything is about perspective; so, even in retrospect, I understand that losing things or money isn’t the worst loss one can experience. Not long after the terror attacks on the U.S. on Sept. 11th 2001, our PR company lost 25 of 25 clients. The nation (and world) was in shock from what had occurred. A lot of people lost a lot more; what we lost was the ability to continue doing business. I sat down with my PR team (approx. 7 people) and told them that none of our clients were in a position to continue doing business with us, and I didn’t see how I could keep the doors open, make payroll, and continue operations. Then, the most amazing thing happened. My small team didn’t flinch. They said, “Valerie, we know it’s hard. But, we believe in you. Even if you have to close the office, you can just forward the office phones to our homes and we will keep going; because we know if anybody can figure this out, you can.” I was so inspired, uplifted and encouraged by my team, there was NO WAY I could or would let them down. We simply kept going. Years later, our PR agency won the “Pinnacle Small Business of the Year” award from our local chamber of commerce for enduring that challenge and persevering in the face of so much difficulty. I’ve kept the lessons of resiliency from that situation with me every day, as a reminder of what is possible.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Our PR PROS team has a reputation for consistent excellence; because as a leader, I believe ‘How you do anything is how you do everything.’ If we say we’re going to do something, we do it – and we do it right the first time. As a matter of practice, we return calls and emails within 24 hours, we meet deadlines, and we stay on budget. Period.
I’m also known to walk away from opportunities that aren’t mutually beneficial. I’m not in the business of chasing money; we’re in the business of providing excellent Public Relations and content creation services, which propel our clients to success. If a deal or opportunity isn’t beneficial to the client and isn’t profitable for our team, then it isn’t the right fit. Our agency is not only defined by the clients and projects we have on the roster, but also by the projects we’re willing to leave on the table for a better opportunity in the future that allows everyone to win.
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