I loved this interview with Tiffany as she definitely brought a twist to how she entered transitioned from acting to entering into PR. Not to mention the breakdown of how publicists are in ATL! Big city, with extremely small circles! Check out the interview below, and let me know your thoughts.
You worked at Tyler Perry
Studios for five years, how was
your experience there? How did you get the opportunity to work there?
I actually began working at Tyler
Perry Studios at the age of 17yrs old. At that time I was trying to become an
actress. I auditioned for a small agency, got in and read their castings for
Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls, went and got a call to come work on the movie.
Due to the fact that I was 4”11, I was getting called constantly to work on
most of the projects at Tyler Perry Studios as a Stand-In actress. That became
my 2nd home and my studio family, so I learned how to do everything
while there.
What was a typical day like
while working with Tyler Perry?
As a stand-in, we get a
call time (must be on time), we check in, receive the script and start reading
over the actor’s lines that you will be standing in for, for the day. After we
ate breakfast we went to the set, and EVERY morning we got into a big circle
and prayed, after that it was time for “1st Team rehearsal.” First
teamers are your real hired actors; the entire crew will watch their rehearsals
for camera blocking purposes as well as it is important for the stand-ins
because we have to take notes on everything our actors are doing. Once they
were done, crew took a 10min break, then the “2nd teamers” aka
“Stand-In’s” would get on set and have to act out everything our actor just did
so that camera’s could practice where they were going to go and the lighting
team would know how to light the scenes. After that, we ate and then we would
shoot the show. After the show was shot we went home. That was a typical day at
Tyler Perry Studios.
As a freelance publicist, do
you find it more difficult to secure projects?
This is a great question. No and Yes. No
because I have a great personality so over the years I have developed great
relationships with people, I constantly flew out of town to meet with high end
executives, and I had the reputation from working at Tyler Perry Studios. I
don’t have a “money hungry” spirit, so word traveled fast that I will bust my
tail for any client that I obtain, but for little to no money. So that wasn’t
hard to find a bunch of clients. Yes because the top paying jobs will sometimes
overlook the smaller freelance publicist and will go with the large PR firm. So
while you’re getting the smaller clients just to build your name, the firms are
getting the larger cliental eating great. It’s a big hustle. Who can get to the
larger clients first, and what can you offer them that a PR firm can’t do, as a
freelance publicist you have to be ON IT!
How would you describe the
atmosphere of PR in the city of Atlanta?
Difficult. There’s not too many PR’s that
“Think outside the box” or in this case “think outside of Atlanta.” Because I
used to want to be an actress, I understand a potential clients needs. PR is
about exposing them into a broader atmosphere. If I’m paying my PR
$1,000-$3,000 a month, I would want to be exposed in New York, and LA and
depending on my talents, I may want to be exposed overseas, but most PR’s here
haven’t fully grasped that yet, I spent years developing relationships in other
cities and now I can attach my clients to those relationships. Also, Atlanta
can be “clickish” you can tell because the same people are at the same events.
We are growing as a city; therefore we must grow into other avenues to become
the best PR’s we can be for the sake of our clients. It’s VERY competitive in
these Atlanta streets, hardly anyone comes together, so everyone is for
themselves, and when they get a great celebrity client, the moods change. I
wish we can have more love and support here.
Did you attend
college/University for Communications/Marketing/PR?
I actually attended a community college
and I was going for Marketing. After two years of
attending that college I began working at TPS and I never went back. I believe
college is important. I had to learn PR on my own, and it was tough. Had I
stayed, I wouldn’t have made as many mistakes as I have in the past. I want to
go back. To everyone wanting to be a PR, Finish School!!! J
What was your 'breakthrough'
moment that made you realize that you wanted to pursue PR as a career?
Every year, The Soul Train Awards would come
to Atlanta. At that time, I was still doing some acting and mainly casting for
independent film projects and fashion shows. I got to know my friend from the film The Blind Side and asked him if he was coming down to
Atlanta for the show. Another one of my friends, who actually was a PR,
happened to be working with the awards show, so they were interested in Quinton
coming as a guest but they needed a PR representative for him. I said sure, I
can “act” like your publicist to get you going for the award show. While he was
here, he partnered with his charity that is located in Atlanta, and because of
my relationships I got him on four radio stations in one day, a huge magazine red
carpet party, handled his charity meet and greets, and had him on the football
field for the Falcons game and had that sponsored. I said to myself, if this is
PR then this is easy!!! Clients started to come at me a lot after that, and
then I realized how much of a challenge PR truly is, but that was the
“breakthrough” moment and I haven’t looked back since.
What are some marketing
strategies that you use to attract new clientele?
I don’t sale anyone a dream. Surprisingly,
people just see my drive and my hustle and that’s what attracts new clients. It
helps that I am still in film as well, so while the film industry grows in
Atlanta, they want to get cast too. So I can work on getting them cast in
projects I’m affiliated with, or in projects with directors I already have
relationships with that can build their brand. I also let the “potential
client” know that if I don’t know someone, I’ll find them. My hours don’t stop
at 5pm, I am up emailing, researching, creating documents until 3am if need be.
I’ll work with them on media training, go with them to pick out clothing for
events or shoots, I go beyond and above. I want them to understand that any
concerns they have, they can always call me. When I take someone on, they are
my team, my new family, and what happens in some large firms, they have so many
clients, that the client sees their money going to them every month, but nobody
is really spending time with them, and listening to their needs. After all it
IS their brand! They want to feel like it will be taken seriously and they want
to know what is being done on daily basis that is helping them grow. So at the
end of the day, I’m just me. I’m a go getter that cares and that loves to work,
it’s not a marketing strategy, it’s really who I am and I appreciate those that
want me to work with them because that means they see and appreciate my drive.
How has social media impacted
your career as a publicist?
Drastically!!! Without Social Media I would
not be the Tiffany I am today. People really have to play social media very
smart. If I know that almost everyone in the world has Facebook, I’m not busy
looking up old classmates or family, I’m researching names that are within my
industry and looking them up on Facebook. Same with Twitter. Twitter gives you
the opportunity to make conversations with people you need to know. It’s so
funny because everyone is trying to get to the “star” that already has 130k followers
and skipping over the people they need to know to get to them like the PR, the
manager, and when you go to their followers they have like 1200 but I find that
as opportunity, that means if I am making conversation with you, you are going
to see it and I can build a relationship with you. What I do is after I build
the relationship over social media, I find an excuse to fly into your city and
meet up for lunch or coffee if we connected, that’s how I build my
relationships. That’s the drive that it takes to be and maintain in this
industry. Social Media is GREAT!!
Since Atlanta is known as the
city of 'music entertainment', do you mainly specialize in entertainment
publicity, or do you specialize in other industries as well?
Great question. I came from film/tv. So when
I began working as a publicist, besides helping out Quinton who is an actor,
everyone that kept coming to me needing PR was in music. Now I mainly have
music artist and still produce and cast film projects but I don’t PR any other
actors. I’m open to doing that though. I also find sponsorships for events and
find investors for film projects.
What are the pros and cons in being a
freelance publicist?
The Cons:
Getting a lot of potential clients approaching you with no money, but knowing
that they may poses a talent that you may need to grow your name and business
and still taking them on anyways (a firm won’t play that).
·
Not being able to snap your finger and make
things happen sometimes.
·
Sometimes not being taken seriously because
you are on your own.
·
Sometimes two heads are better than one,
freelancing alone has you carrying the weight and pressure by yourself.
The Pros:
When you actually do succeed and your client is pleased, you can pat your own
self on the back and say that you did it and did it alone.
·
You have creative space. Nobody will argue
or disagree with the way you want things handled.
·
I’m a true go getter, it’s hard to find
someone that matches my drive. If I’m up until 5am, I want them to be up too.
You won’t always find someone else like you, so freelancing allows you to work
at your own pace.
Do you plan to have your own
PR agency in the future? or is that in the works right now?
Yes, I am in the works of starting my new
company right now. Last year I wanted to start a company, but again it was hard
finding other power players to join with me. Then college interns approached me,
if they’re new while I’m 2yrs in but still considered new I found that it won’t
work when I had relationships all over the globe and they have none, if they up
and left me they would take my built relationships. So finally I linked up with
three other powerful women to help me with my vision. It’s a full service
entertainment company with PR, management, film/tv development, sponsorship
opportunities,etc. These ladies have track records and they expand to China,
LA, Canada, NY, Florida, Africa and the list goes on. It’s been two years in the
making but FINALLY it’s coming to pass!! I told you I’m about unity, and I’ve
freelanced long enough. It’s time to unite with other powerful women and really
build and grow these clients out of Atlanta by thinking out the box!!!! ;)To contact Tiffany, tweet her at @Tiffdashielle
XOXO,
Key
Tweet me: @Fab_Key
Email me: info.prblog@gmail.com
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