Startup Picks Up Speed Evolving into a Full-Service Marketing & PR Agency

FS:
Great. Well, why don't we get started by having you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself, your entrepreneurial journey and where it's taken you.

PB:
Yeah, so my agency is Velocitas and I started the agency in 2002, and I had originally began my career in IT. I was actually a web developer for Lucent Technologies and studied management information systems and technology has always been a passion of mine. And along the way I realized that I was really more passionate about growing a brand and building companies and doing that through marketing and public relations. So originally the agency began as a branding and web development, and then over the years we evolved into a full service public relations agency.

FS:
Great, thanks for sharing that. Love to hear about the tech background as well, always. So you've built this company from the ground up and I'm sure with blood, sweat and tears as usual. Can you tell me some more about some of the pivotal moments for your company and its history?

PB:
Yes, definitely transforming it from what it was to what it is today and adding the public relations component about 15 years ago really was a game changer. Early on, we were able to secure some placements and the CFO, Wall Street Journal, all these different publications that were the goals of some of the companies that we were working with, it definitely created a transformation and also building out some of the verticals for the agency over the years. As most companies start, you're building out and working with different types of companies, and now we've really focused more on legal, finance, health and real estate and technology actually. So it's really been more bringing it all full circle where these are our main verticals and staying on trend with all the new technology.

FS:
Keeping up with technology has to be a significant challenge, I'm sure. And speaking about technology, you've tailored some aspects of your business to technology companies and serving them. Where do you see the biggest benefits or contributions of your efforts with your clients?

PB:
Definitely through our PR efforts, it's really made a significant impact on their growth and their long-term goals. We've been getting them in major national and trade publications. Some of the firms that we've had, we've actually had international campaigns as well, and now working with some of our accounts that are internationally based, building their expansion in South Florida and the United States through PR.

FS:
Great. I'd love to hear some of the success stories that you have from some of your clients.

PB:
Yeah. Well, one of our great success stories is actually Haber Law. We've been working with them for the past five years and they started as a nine attorney firm and now they're 30 plus and continuously growing. And it's really contributed to a lot of the work that we've done. Not only did we build the brand and create the brand and their website, but also their ongoing public relations that we've been garnering on their behalf.

FS:
Awesome. And how would you say the technology that you've utilized affects that process or what are you most commonly utilizing to help those clients?

PB:
Well, there's a lot of different technology from the PR standpoint, from the website standpoint, there's always something new that's changing and also keeping that up to date so that there aren't hackers coming in to try to take down the site, which has happened with some of our accounts in the past, and building firewalls and trying to do different things that are important to keep them... Also, social media I think is really important as well, that's constantly changing.

And some of the accounts that we work with, we do everything for them with their PR and social media simultaneously. So that way it's like everything that we're doing is all encompassing and connected and working together. There's another one of our accounts that we've been working on has been Factorial, and early on we were able to get some significant placements for them. And this is just almost in the beginning of the campaign, so it's good to see how... What I really love about marketing and PR is that you can see for the accounts that we've been working with as partners for many years, you're able to see how it works rather than instant gratification, building upon layers and layers from the original vision of what they have and their goals and everything, how they're positioning their mission and their values to continuous ongoing growth.

FS:
That's awesome. And so tell me more about factorial. What kind of business are they and then how did you fit into their niche?

PB:
So they are actually a HR tech company, and what they do is they have a technology that supports companies all over the world with HR technology solutions. So all in one place. And one of the great things about them is that they're a unicorn company, they've been able to really grow considerably over a period of time, and they have a way that they're always helping other businesses and their vision about the way that they have built their company and how they're very skill-based rather than hiring those who are trained and building it on a people first type of... It's a whole different way of building a business than most people would say today.

FS:
So would you say that your technology background helped you maybe secure that kind of a client or other clients that you have in that industry?

PB:
Yeah, I mean, I think that it all kind of flows how it's supposed to be to some degree. It's all connected. I truly believe that we all are connected. And it also is a full circle type of account for us because of the fact that I studied MIS and I'm able to connect all of that together and then looking at what their goals are and how we're going to accomplish them.

FS:
Yeah, so understanding the full picture and being able to present it in the most meaningful manner to their marketing team, I'm sure.

PB:
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. And then because tech is always changing, it's always keeping up with that and what's happening, and I think it's very interesting to see how it all evolves. And I do believe that certain things are meant to be. I think you work really hard for certain things and then you kind of see how you're at the right place at the right time, and everything just works the way it's supposed to be.

FS:
The right place, the right time. I love it. And speaking of the changing that constantly happens in technology, that leads me right into our next question, which is basically as a tech focused firm where you're focused on your own technology and the technology of your clients, where do you see the future goals or obstacles in the digital media industry and how has your firm planned to either address or enjoy them?

PB:
Yeah, I think that because tech is always changing, one of the challenges is that not everybody's embracing this change simultaneously or aware of what these changes are. I mean, some people are still catching up with ChatGPT or what AI is and where that's evolving. It's like, "Oh, it's the hot thing." And then also new technology, or Twitter goes into X and all of these things are happening every moment. They're like, "Oh, this other new platform." And some people are just not really... They're like, "I'm good. I'm good with just Instagram." Or, "Just LinkedIn is sufficient for me. I don't really want to do all of these things." So I think from the marketing standpoint, it's fun to be able to play with all of these different elements and technology, but also being aware that not everyone is always adaptable to these changes.

FS:
Right, so always advising your clients on what's going on, what's the landscape looking like and how it's going to change. And that would lead me into my next question, which is, at EisnerAmper we're all about advising our clients and taking care of our clients. Do you have advisors that help you with learning these new technologies and addressing these new situations that come up?

PB:
I've really been more focused on keeping up with the trends. I read a lot, so I am always reading the Wall Street Journal, different technology platforms that are online about what's trending and happening. So part of my job is to keep up with all these trends so that we can advise and inform our clients, not just of those trends, but also of ideas of how they can integrate this new technology for them. Because for us, our campaigns are very tailored, so it's not a one size fits all. There's not, X is not for everybody, or Snapchat or TikTok.

FS:
Yeah, know your market, know your demographic.

PB:
Yeah. Yeah.

FS:
Great. All right, well thank you so much for that response. I'd like to wrap up with one question that we always include in our TechTalks. We believe that conversations are the foundation of successful companies. So lastly, I'd love to know, what's one conversation you've had that continues to influence you today?

PB:
So for me, I'm always having a lot of conversations with our partners and we're working with them and seeing the world through their lens and what they want to accomplish and what they're working on. So almost every week I have really great conversations both from the PR standpoint as we're getting information for them to prepare them for PR or also where they want to be next year when we're working on our long-term goals. But the reality is that I feel that every single week there's always some great new conversation that inspires me as I'm delving into their vision and their goals. So it's very interesting because I couldn't really pinpoint just one because they're always inspiring me continuously.

FS:
It's nice to work with inspiring people, isn't it, when they're innovative and they're constantly looking forward and they're always trying to influence each other and you're on the other end of that receiving it. So it must be hard to just pick one conversation, I'm sure.

PB:
Yeah, no, definitely. There's so many of them and also almost like every week we're having them because we have ongoing meetings, so there's always something new that I think also comes back to me and I look at it on how it can change my perspective.

FS:
Right, and I'm sure you're dealing with a lot of founders, right?

PB:
Absolutely. And they're all really, really brilliant. They have an interesting journey. They all just have a way of seeing things that are completely different. And I think one of the things that I've learned along the way is the importance of a team. For me, my team always comes first and I'm able to see that how other companies that are successful have the same perspective.

FS:
Great. I'd love to hear more about your team too. I think I looked on your website and it looked like you guys have a fully executive female team.

PB:
We do. We do. Not all of our team is on there, but yeah, we have some really incredible women that have, some of them are 30-year veterans in PR and marketing and definitely really, really proud of my team and it continues to grow and it's really exciting. The future is definitely something to look forward to.

FS:
The future is bright. I'm glad to hear it and I'm glad to hear that you have a well-rounded team around you that can help you. I know they're handling a meeting for you right now as we speak, so that's great. Well, Patricia, I want to thank you for taking the time to have this conversation with me today. It's been really great.

PB:
Thank you. I look forward to continuing the conversation.

FS:
We certainly will. We certainly will. And a special thanks to our listeners for tuning into TechTalk. We would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on today's episode so please leave a review, hit the like button, but most importantly, subscribe to stay up to date with the latest here at TechTalk. I'm your East Coast host, Fritz Spencer, and I look forward to seeing you next time here on EisnerAmper's TechTalk.

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