Ep49 - Andrea Pass Talks About Public Relations For Your Business

Greg Mills: For over 30 years, our guest today has created and implemented public relations campaigns in a wide range of categories, including consumer products, lifestyle, business, to business, education, health, wellness, and fitness, beauty, food authors, nonprofits, and more her public relations firm has an expertise in national, regional, and local media relations outreach.

Greg Mills: Her and relationships coupled with our knowledge of the ever-growing media base results in securing top tier targeted media placements to increase brand awareness, reputation management, and sales for established businesses. She uses a public relations model to secure coverage for clients and media outlets from NBC, ABC MSNBC to the New York times wall street journal USA today, and the associated press as well as countless targeted trading individual market press.

Greg Mills: She's represented numerous clients, including for ocean Wolfgang, puck blue water media. Blackstone products, outdoor griddles, Ron Cove, Frank's red, hot sauce, big fan, and a wide range of entrepreneurial ventures prior to launching her own business. She served as vice-president of media relations for a Los Angeles based PR firm.

Greg Mills: She was also vice-president at a number of New York area, public relation firms, where she developed an implemented B to C and B2B campaigns. Without further ado, Andrea pass.

Andrea Pass: Hey, Greg, how are you today?

Greg Mills: I'm doing well. How are you?

Andrea Pass: I'm good. Thank you so much for having.

Greg Mills: Thank you for being here now. Andrea, can you take a few moments and fill in the gaps from that intro and bring us up to speed with what's going on in your world.

Andrea Pass: It's unbelievable because when you look back on your career and all that you've done, it's so hard to. Capsulate it's small discussion of what you've done for years and years and years, but I've been in public relations for a long, long time now. And I love the excitement of pitch and place. Meaning I pitch a story to the press and I get the press interested in covering my client's story and doing that all editorially.

Andrea Pass: So it's been a wonderful career. About four years ago, I branched out on my own to form Andrea past public relation. And I've never looked back. I've really enjoyed being a solo preneur. I've enjoyed working with such a wide range of clients, many also solo preneurs and entrepreneurs, uh, to be able to talk about their businesses, their products, their books, their services, and interests the press in what they're doing and how they're growing.

Andrea Pass: And of course, by securing press coverage. For my clients, I am helping increase their brand awareness, uh, them as a leader and relevant in their area. And of course all press drives.

Greg Mills: All right now, did you come from an entrepreneurial background at all? Did he invite you and your family have their own business?

Andrea Pass: Not at all. My dad was in computer technology. He was one of the first people that did punch cards back in the olden days. And he would take me and my siblings to IBM to watch him with punch cards. And we'd see how that would all go through the computer system. my mom was a bookkeeper for years and years and years.

Andrea Pass: Uh, other people. So I don't come from an entrepreneurial spirit. And so many of my clients over the years kept pushing the Andrea. Why aren't you in business for yourself? You're doing all the work and the person with the name on the door is getting all the credit and it just was, I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready.

Andrea Pass: I wasn't ready. And then a few years ago it was the. It was the right time. And within four days of launching Andrea passed public relations, I had my first client and I haven't turned back at all.

Greg Mills: I know that your clients were prompting you over and over to start your own business, but was there a defining moment or. An action or something that happened that kind of pushed you out

Andrea Pass: That's the actually perfect word, Greg, because out of the blue, I was the vice-president of an LA based public relations firm. I'm based on the east coast. So I was remote before the days of people being remote. And, uh, I was bringing in all the business. And then suddenly it was weird.

Andrea Pass: The boss wasn't talking to me for a few weeks, I had back to back trips, a big conference, the hardware show in Las Vegas, a big client event in Los Angeles and another big event with clients in San Diego. I was traveling back and forth across the country. I couldn't understand why she would make time to talk to me until I got back.

Andrea Pass: And she. More than a third of her staff, including me. She couldn't pay salaries. And, um, within a few days after that, another third quit. And so the timing was so perfect that I said, okay, this is, this is great. I have a little bit of severance so I can get started and, uh, and got started immediately. So when one door closes another one swings wide.

Andrea Pass: Yeah.

Greg Mills: Most difficult part of starting your own agency.

Andrea Pass: Wow, starting my own public relations for him. And I think for so many entrepreneurs starting out, it's getting that letter of agreement, get getting a contract that others will sign with you because I asked others for help on an appropriate contract. And my original contracts probably were a ridiculous seven or eight pages.

Andrea Pass: And I lost clients over it because they didn't want to read the whole thing and have their law firms have to read the whole thing. And now my letter of agreement is a page and a half.

Greg Mills: Have you ever been sued by a client or ever had to go back to that letter of agreement?

Andrea Pass: No, no, never. Which is wonderful because when you have a great relationship with your clients and, and listen, you have to learn in business. How it's going to work and in public relations because it's not a tangible and there are a lot of hours I put in that you don't see the work, but I'm doing the work I need to be paid at the beginning of the month.

Andrea Pass: Other businesses work that they get paid at the end of the month or 90 days later, I can't operate that way. And when I started out, I actually had a client who didn't pay me for two months and decided we're not going to do anything. He ended up paying me for the two months, but then he said, no, we're not going to go forward.

Andrea Pass: And I said, all right, even though I have this letter of agreement for X number of months with him, am I going to really enforce this and bring in attorneys? It's okay. He didn't want to do this, and I honestly didn't want to work with him anymore because he wasn't making the commitment. So I haven't had to do that because most of my clients have been gung ho what can you do?

Andrea Pass: Seeing that I'm getting the job done quickly. I have a new client. I started with last week. They already have six interviews. I worked with very fast and my clients like to see results pretty quickly. So, it's been working out. It's been really a joy to be an actress.

Greg Mills: What's been probably your biggest mistake in the three years that you've worked for yourself.

Andrea Pass: I think the biggest mistake really was that getting that letter of agreement down. And once I got that down, it was fine. There really haven't been mistakes. My clients know they have to put in work because when you hire a public relations consultant, such as the Andrea past public release, You have to do some work on not going to be the expert in your business.

Andrea Pass: I'm the expert at getting the press interested in your business, but there are questions you have to answer things you have to spend time on. And of course you have to do the interviews, not Nate. So, everything's been really going very well. And even with the pandemic, I have had many, many clients and it's wonderful that people are introducing me to other people and I continue to grow my.

Greg Mills: Now, you mentioned That you help people editorially. Secure a PR what did you mean by that?

Andrea Pass: That means that I am getting them interest by these editors, from these editors. So I am out there pitching a story. So all day long, I'm touching base with reporters, editors, hosts, producers, people that are producing content, and that content is media content. And that content becomes something so important for businesses.

Andrea Pass: So whether you sell a service or a product, or you're an author, or you're in health and wellness or fitness or beauty or fashion or whatever your category might be. You've got competitors and you've gotta be out there in front of the press, because think about it. We are absorbing so much content every day.

Andrea Pass: In fact, Nielsen reported that we are absorbing 11 hours a day, minimum of content. And if you think about it, how many times are you watching TV and scrolling on your phone or you're reading a newspaper the same time. You're listening to a podcast. Or you've got a radio station on, in the background.

Andrea Pass: You're reading a magazine, we are, the multitasking world. And my job is to get you that content that is produced by someone else it's not produced by you. So someone else in the media is in essence, tapping you on the back and saying, this is a worthy story. This is a worthy business product book service.

Andrea Pass: Instead of you having to say.

Greg Mills: I noticed on your LinkedIn profile that you describe yourself as a PI and PR, uh, does that tie in with this? Or can you kind of explain.

Andrea Pass: yes. Years ago, one of my colleagues and I realized that we're always investing in. We're searching for the right press contact. We're doing our homework and our research. And so we said, Hey, we're PIs. And in reality, we are because we have to be private investigators. I was just researching for a story I'm working on for a client that , has to go to the human resources press and many of these human resources magazines work with freelancers.

Andrea Pass: I have to track them down. I'm tracking them down through social media, through their LinkedIn pages. I'm tracking them down through a content website. They might have to find a way to reach them. So being a PI and being a private investigator, researching the press, it just seems so natural to say I'm a PI in PR.

Andrea Pass: So it's a lot of fun and it, it lends itself to a great conversation. I get a phone call that a month ago from a producer, a television producer who says to me, I'm looking to hire someone to host a show all about private investigating. And I started laughing. I said, did you read the full description?

Andrea Pass: I'm a PI in PR and then what it says after that. And he says, no, I just saw a pie. And I saw your picture, you know, when you're a woman and you know, you look presentable and I was 'cause. I said, oh my God, I'm really not spending time. Seeing if your spouse is cheating on you, it's just a fun play on words to grab people's attention.

Greg Mills: How did you define your customer avatar early on?

Andrea Pass: I'm a lifestyle person. I'm a consumer person. So my clients really are in the lifestyle and consumer space. Whereas they might have a business to business topic. It really reaches a consumer audience. So I do things that are consumer related. Therefore I'm doing consumer products. And lifestyle and authors and services that benefit, uh, a consumer topic.

Andrea Pass: I don't work with anyone who reports to a compliance department because compliance companies have PR at the top for a national company. So I'm working with the CEO directly because I like to be able to talk directly to that person, that business. Prepare them for the interviews and not have to spend days waiting for an assistant to get back to me to see if they're available.

Greg Mills: You'd be outside in your van and you'd know when they left because you're a PI.

Greg Mills: Sorry, not all of the jokes are funny here on,

Andrea Pass: that's okay. It was, it was good. Try Greg.

Greg Mills: Thank you. I'll keep the day job. So what are two or three tips about public relations that most people would find surprises?

Andrea Pass: Well, I think that first and foremost business people are not spending their time and money on marketing and public relations is one element of the marketing mix. So it's important that. Uh, you must recognize that you have to be quoted by others. You have to be in the press, especially if your competitor is so first and foremost, recognize that you need to spend money on your business in order for your business to grow.

Andrea Pass: The other thing is when you have an outside public relations person, like Andrea past public relations, that makes you bigger because I'm calling on your behalf and you are not contacting the press on your. So as soon as there is that person, that middleman or middle woman, your company is bigger and worthy because someone else is doing it.

Andrea Pass: thirdly, I would say that we can't do everything or be experts in everything. And that's really important to note, uh, I wouldn't do my own dental work. I'm not a dentist. I go to the dentist the same way as I wouldn't do my own legal. If I need something legally done, I go to a lawyer, the same thing, go to a professional public relations person, not an intern who has no experience because you're going to waste a lot of time and energy.

Andrea Pass: If you work with a reputable public relations person, the job is going to get done and you are going to see your business.

Greg Mills: Now, what are some common mistakes that people. When it comes to PR for their business.

Greg Mills: and it may just be the inverse of what you just said.

Andrea Pass: Yeah. The first mistake is they don't do public relations. So, and they're trying to figure out how come no one knows about me. Uh, the other thing is, is you must have active social media pages. That's all part of the marketing mix. I don't do social media, but all of the press that. Is placed on social media, on those media outlets, social media pages.

Andrea Pass: You have to be following it. You have to like engage, share comment, and then you have to post it on your pages and have your audiences like engage, share. So having social media is a must and so many entrepreneurs, even in today's world don't and I don't get. At at all. And I'd say the other thing that companies might do wrong, I don't want to say wrong, cause it sounds really negative, but they're not educated enough in is present themselves.

Andrea Pass: Media training is key and I spend time with my clients to prepare them for interviews. that they get the message across they're highlighting their product. They're noting the name of their business, the same way you and I are talking. And I'm referring to myself as Andrea past public relations. It's important to say the name of your book, not just my book or the name of your product or your service, because those listening, watching, reading tune in and out.

Greg Mills: Going back to social media, what channels or platforms do you recommend that people engage in? Are there specific ones?

Andrea Pass: Yeah, I think that it's important that you recognize who your demographic is for your business. So if you're of a certain age, which you and I are Facebook is the platform for those folks of a certain age. Uh, if you're the age of my children, late twenties, early thirties, they're engaging on Instagram. Um, Twitter isn't as popular with anyone anymore, but it's so easy.

Andrea Pass: Why not have a Twitter page? LinkedIn is key for business. If you are talking about a business topic, you need to be on LinkedIn. You need to have a following and you need to be posting and Tik TOK is growing for all demographics. So. Beyond Tik TOK. So it's really, it's worth your while as a business owner to recognize who your target audience is and make sure that you have public relations in your marketing mix and make sure your social media pages are.

Greg Mills: Are you on.

Andrea Pass: I just joined Tik TOK. Uh, I've done only two little videos. I need to learn how to do it, but I was amazed how many people started following me immediately. So it's an important platform. Uh, not so much for me with a service, uh, that I do for other people. But I think for those businesses that have products that have a book, um, I think it's very important because more and more people are engaging with Tik TOK.

Andrea Pass: People love video content.

Greg Mills: Yeah, I've got a neighbor that actually I would not have suspected would have been on Tik TOK, but she's got a wide range of videos and she's got about 6,600 followers currently.

Andrea Pass: That's amazing.

Greg Mills: It blows my mind. So when people come to you is there a certain homework that they should have already done, to help speed up the process or to be further ahead?

Andrea Pass: I think most importantly, when you're starting a public relations campaign, you must have an up-to-date website. If you sell a product or a book. Or a service. You have to have a way on that website for people to make a purchase. If you have a book or a product, you must be on Amazon as well, because most writers will prefer an Amazon link to your website link.

Andrea Pass: So you need that as well. And you need to have your social media pages set up. And what do I need to get started? Real simple. I need your biography and your headshot, a few lifestyle pictures, pictures of a product or a book. Um, and if you have a service-based business, any kind of surveys you've done, or statistics or tips that you can offer.

Andrea Pass: And then I get started and that's my differentiator. I find that I can dive in day one because my clients know they have to get me this information. I have many, many contacts to start with and I'm able to secure those interviews. Or product features or people interested in reviewing something very quickly because of that information.

Andrea Pass: So when it comes to that, I think Andrea past public relations is a step ahead of many other PR practitioners or firms.

Greg Mills: Now, how did you get started doing authors? I can understand regular businesses needing PR, but authors. Soon as it would be kind of a niche that I wouldn't have expected you to have.

Andrea Pass: Yeah, it's very interesting. I've actually been representing authors, almost my entire PR career here and there. And the first author I represented was Sonny Schlanger, who wrote a book, how to be organized in spite of yourself. And I'm going back a long time. I was able to secure. For her a feature on a show that was called Regis and Kathie Lee.

Andrea Pass: Okay. So today the show is Kelly and Ryan. Uh, but I'm going back of dating myself because I'm obviously over 40 and we actually were on air organizing the entire students. They are the back offices and what have you. And we were on air three days with this organizer and her book. And then I was proceeded to get her coverage all over the country.

Andrea Pass: And when she wrote her second book, she called organizing for the spirit. She even noted me in her notes, in the book. And I worked with her for many years. And over the years, I've worked with a combination of nonfiction and fiction books. So it's very exciting. In fact, right now, Um, I'm working with a high school student who is autistic, who wrote a young adult novel about homelessness.

Andrea Pass: He is not homeless. It's an interest he has. And in the hole is the name of the book by Ben Levin. And I've gotten coverage everywhere for Ben, because he has a great story as an autistic young man. Who has a storytelling ability. And so working with him and his book has been phenomenal. And I love working with authors because an, his book is an author's heart.

Andrea Pass: That's plain and simple. So when I'm working with someone who I know that's their, their goal is for other people to see the beauty in whatever their book is about. It just makes me feel good. And I think at the end of the day, we need to feel good.

Greg Mills: I believe you've also worked with some inventors as well. Is that correct?

Andrea Pass: I am very active in the inventor community. I sit on the board of the United inventors association of America. We are a nonprofit 5 0 1 C3, and we help inventors understand how to move forward in the process. And these aren't the big corporate guys. These are the moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas and people who have an idea.

Andrea Pass: And what did they do with the idea and when should they get a patent or a provisional patent, and how much should they spend on manufacturing or should they be licensing their product to someone else? And it's been a joy. And I think that my work over the years, very active in the, as seen on TV product industry, which is those infomercials, but wait, there's more, and I've represented many, many companies in the category.

Andrea Pass: So I know what they're looking for. And inventors need to understand that for a product to be successful, it has to reach a mass audience and it's got to solve a common problem and it has to have that wow. Demonstration. So I truly love working with inventors and representing inventors. And when I'm working with is, uh, the cabinet caddy snap from inspired product development group out of Austin, Texas.

Andrea Pass: And this is the coolest product, because if you have limited cabinet space, it saves space for all of your spices and other items, because it's not on a lazy Susan that goes around and around. It's horizontal, vertical. In and out of your closet. So it's a very easy thing to use and it doesn't take up as much space.

Andrea Pass: So I love working with inventors. They have great stories.

Greg Mills: Is that an already out in the market?

Andrea Pass: Oh, yes.

Greg Mills: I think we actually have one. I know what it looks like. You pull it out and you can get your spices,

Andrea Pass: And then you push it back.

Greg Mills: push it back in. We've got a really awkward. Cabinet space that they're not a lot can fit into, but that works perfect.

Andrea Pass: Yep. And that's, that's the beauty of inventions and really being a public relations person who works with a lot of inventors, a lot of gadgets, a lot of as seen on TV products. Um, it's a joy to see an inventor become.

Greg Mills: Now going back to your agency, what are some of the tools that you use? Both for day to day marketing as well as collaboration. If you're at Liberty to say.

Andrea Pass: Yeah, no. As a public relations professional, I subscribe to a variety of different databases. Uh, those databases are not the end all be all of press contacts, but I'll be able to look up a media outlet and see who works there with some phone numbers and email addresses, um, and get myself started. So these databases are important.

Andrea Pass: I also subscribe to a variety of different newsletters in which reporters. Also post information to those newsletters. I'm looking for someone who does this and I'm able to then pitch my clients when appropriate. So my overhead really is subscribing to databases and newsletters. So I could constant.

Andrea Pass: Stay in touch. And I'm also involved in a lot of private social media groups that keep me well informed. So that's how I start my day. I start my day reading newsletters, checking out all the social media pages, seeing what's going on so that I'm pitching my clients. So it's wonderful because I've had a home office now for seven years, something like that.

Andrea Pass: And so I'm used to working from a home office and having resources. Readily available to me so that I can secure press coverage and get those things going for my clients.

Greg Mills: Okay. I was talking even more generally than that. Like, are you using cloud-based office tools or, zoom, et cetera.

Andrea Pass: Oh basics. Yes. All of those, all of the above. I mean, I think that I was using go-to meeting before zoom. So I've been involved in using video conferencing for a long time because of the fact that I was working for an LA based company and I'm located in New Jersey. Uh, but I think the pandemic has certainly introduced us to so many people via zoom.

Andrea Pass: I have really, I can even call them close friends. That I've met networking in business that I turn to who I've never met in person. And I don't know if I ever will, because we don't live near each other. Uh, I have a wonderful colleague on the west coast and he and I, we just clicked when we met and he'll call me out of the blue to ask me a question.

Andrea Pass: I'll call him out of the blue to ask him. We just have created a bond that we're there for each other. And it's a wonderful feeling. And I think that meeting so many wonderful people and saving time. From driving to and from meetings has been a wonderful plus in our crazy COVID times. However, I am looking forward to those.

Andrea Pass: In-person, I'm actually meeting a colleague for breakfast tomorrow and, uh, looking forward to sitting across the table and seeing her, I have not seen her now in over two years. So I've seen her on the screen. I haven't seen her across the table. So looking forward to that as well, but zoom has been a wonderful addition to the.

Greg Mills: Has the pandemic changed, public relations in any other ways?

Andrea Pass: A hundred percent. Yes. The pandemic changed press. And so many people were let go from their jobs. Therefore there are more and more freelancers working for the media. Many media outlets closed down and many media outlets started and we've got homegrown journalists. Like yourself, Greg, we have people that have started podcasts and video casts and blogs and newsletters and YouTube shows that, uh, maybe you did or didn't go to college for something journalistically related, but you have a gut feeling and you start something and you establish a following.

Andrea Pass: So PR has changed tremendously. I've also found there's an influx of pay to play opportunity. It's not advertising. It's not PR it's advertorial. So yes, no, I'm not a big fan of my clients having to spend more money on press outreach. I like them to simply have their monthly retainer fee with me, but sometimes I do recommend those kinds of things.

Andrea Pass: So my world has changed tremendously and the news cycle has changed. I mean, we're still in a COVID world. There's a war going on. The economy politics. Uh, there's so much going on that by time you get to non breaking news, you know, the weather, the amount of storms around the country. So for me, I have to be very careful in how I'm pitching and who I'm pitching to get a story told with the media, but I'm still going to go and head.

Andrea Pass: Straight ahead and working for my clients and continuing to bring in new public relations clients and secure press for them.

Greg Mills: Now, what are you working on? That's new and exciting before.

Andrea Pass: Oh my goodness. Um, I'm working on something called rare collectibles TV. Uh, it's all about clean, collecting on a higher scale. So, it's not like when you were a kid and you collected the quarters map and you push the quarter into the, into the map or you, you saw, if you had any wheat pennies, this is definitely higher end collectibles and the excitement of this hobby of collecting coins.

Andrea Pass: So I am thrilled to be working with, uh, rare collectibles and any of your listeners who are into collecting coins. I recommend that they check that out. And my other, uh, new client artemida is a women and earth lifestyle brand. And it's a new supplement for women, but it's more than taking a vitamin. It's more about the packaging that it's sustainable.

Andrea Pass: The box can be recycled and the packaging can be compost. And if you don't compost, artemida sends you a self-addressed stamped envelope to send the packaging back to them and they will compost it because the owner is so focused on preserving the earth and caring about the earth. So that's a really exciting thing to be working on right now.

Andrea Pass: Uh, I have a few other really interesting clients. Uh, wealth.com is all about the fact that. Human resources, departments and companies should be offering a state planning services to their staffs. So you might have your basic insurance, but so many people aren't prepared because they say, well, you know, I'm not going anywhere.

Andrea Pass: I don't need to prepare my estate. And in reality, you should be preparing your estate as soon as you have your first job and your first home and your first car. And things like that. So really fascinating clients that I'm working on right now, in addition to a number of authors and some consumer products.

Greg Mills: Now we'll flip it just a little bit. Have you ever had to fire a client? Since you've gone off on your own.

Andrea Pass: Hm that's a good question. Yes. Yes. It wasn't as much fire a client as, uh, someone I had a long-term connection with had brought me in on a project and insisted we get started and the company was not ready yet. The website was not up to speed. They didn't have any case studies. They didn't have clients.

Andrea Pass: Um, it wasn't a product, it was an app or a service. And yeah, after a few weeks of not getting any information from them, constantly asking, constantly asking. And I said, I can't produce. I said, do you want to put this on hold? I was willing to put it on hold. And they said, no, we, you know, we want to do this, this and this.

Andrea Pass: And I said, it's not happening because you're not getting the answers and I can't get you press on something that doesn't exist yet. And, uh, and so I had to say goodbye and, um, you know, it, it happens. It's very, very rare, but luckily I haven't, I've turned down business. I have to admit, I have turned down some PR business.

Andrea Pass: It just didn't align with. I am and I have to stay true and authentic and I will continue to do so because, you know, Andrea past public relations is Andrea pass. My name is on the door, so I want to make sure I'm working with companies that I feel aligned with, who I.

Greg Mills: In this day and age, is there any such thing as bad publicity?

Andrea Pass: I think that you can flip it. I think that the fact of something getting in the press and being negative, you have to flip it and find a way to do that. But yes, there is bad publicity. There is publicity that can ruin careers. Um, and there are people who do bad things and they're entitled. And the media.

Andrea Pass: You know, it gives them the platform to be entitled. So, uh, I think that it's important to be honest and straightforward and, and be authentic and true to who you are, but there are times there could be negative publicity. Sometimes there's a product that's faulty. Then you have to admit that you're recalling it and how you're handling it.

Andrea Pass: So, um, I, I don't like to look as at bad publicity as being still good. I like to be able to find a way to flip. To do for the better. Good.

Greg Mills: Okay. I was originally thinking of the Kardashians, but, are you familiar with Okta?

Andrea Pass: No.

Greg Mills: Okay. Octa's company that handles multi-factor authentication and they, got hacked and apparently didn't report that they got hacked to their customers until it came out in the papers.

Andrea Pass: Yeah. And the, and listen, that's, that's not good customer service. Um, and that's not good public relations, but there certainly would be a way to get a story told for them to be able to explain what had happened. How did it impact their customers? Did customers lose money? Was their information stolen? Did customers have to then.

Andrea Pass: New credit cards or what have you, but there's a way to get it done the right way. And I think that that's comes from communication. I think that companies today, especially large companies, they need to make sure they have effective lines of communications.

Greg Mills: Have you ever had to do something like that for one of your clients

Andrea Pass: I've had crisis communications. I've had clients. Um, have been sued or sued someone. Um, I've had clients that, um, you know, there was a product that was an electronics product and someone said it burned their house down. And, and you know, what ended up happening was once the research was done, this person had overloaded circuits in their house.

Andrea Pass: And too many things plugged in, so it didn't have anything to do with one or another. Um, so we got through that. I had another client that they had a warehouse fire. And so we obviously had to address that it wasn't anyone's fault, but it was a crisis case. And then I've had clients that have had supply chain issues, uh, due to our ports and our supply chain.

Andrea Pass: And so we've had to report on. And we've had to let people know who ordered products, that it was going to be longer than they anticipated. And I worked with them on their public relations statements and interviews and recommendations for their customer service departments.

Greg Mills: What would you say is your number one skill and also, flipping that again. What's your number one? Weakness.

Andrea Pass: Well, my number one skill is relationships. I'm a people person. I love talking to people and getting to know people and especially clients and the press. So my relationships and my ability to grow relationships has benefited my client with press being the result of that. So I'm definitely an expert at pitching the media and placing in the media editorially for my clients and that all fits in the relationship category.

Andrea Pass: And I'm not great at technology. You know, new technology, it takes me awhile to learn it. Uh, so it takes me a while to learn it.

Greg Mills: Yeah. Fair enough. Well, let's get ready to wrap this up. What final words of wisdom, um, would you like to share about public relations to entrepreneur?

Andrea Pass: I say to entrepreneurs, make sure public relations is in your marketing mix. Don't wait until tomorrow. So many times entrepreneurs say, well, I'll wait for six months. I'll wait until next year. I'm going to move offices. I didn't do this the longer you work. The longer it is before the press talks about you and other people talk about you.

Andrea Pass: So start today, feel free to reach out to me at Andrea pass. pr.com is my website, and I have an appointments tab there. And anyone who is listening can schedule a complimentary consultation with me to learn is public relations, right? For you? Are we the right mix to work together? So I love what I do. So I never work a day in my life.

Andrea Pass: I'm always looking to meet new people. And connect with new clients all over the country, because it doesn't matter where I'm sitting. It matters that I know how to reach the press from coast to coast and look forward to doing it.

Andrea Pass: So I certainly hope I have a chance to speak with you again, Greg, and, and certainly get to know some of your listeners

Greg Mills: We'll definitely make that happen. Now what's the number one piece of advice that you can give for our listeners.

Andrea Pass: start public relations to.

Greg Mills: Let's start public relations today. What's the best way for people to.

Greg Mills: check you out and get in touch with you. Just go back over that one more

Andrea Pass: Yeah. So my website is Andrea pass P r.com. And you can also find me on LinkedIn, Andrea pass on Facebook, Andrea pass public relations, and you can email me andrea@andreapasspr.com.

Greg Mills: And how should they look you up on Tik TOK?

Andrea Pass: Yeah, let's hold off on that. Let me build that a little more.

Greg Mills: Okay. Well, that's a wrap. Thank you, Andrea, for being my guest on entrepreneurs over 40

Andrea Pass: Thank you so much, Greg. Have a great day.