RPR turns six this month.
I started to write an all too sappy and sentimental post thanking six people for six years in business. The thing is, though, I couldn’t narrow it down to six. Six years ago we didn’t exist and now we’ve worked with major brands like McDonald’s, Ford Motor
Company, Google, Bank of America, Orangetheory Fitness, O’Charley’s, Madame Tussauds and more. I clearly couldn’t have done that on my own, and there are just too many people who have graciously helped me along the way to name everyone in one blog post.
Instead, I took a late-night trip down memory lane (aka our company social media accounts and internal employee-only Facebook page) to narrow down some of my favorite moments over the last six years.
1.) I’m including this as proof that yes, at one time, men actually worked at RPR. Well, okay, one man. I’m not sure what happened (maybe it was the lavender wall in our lobby?), but let’s just say I certainly get my fill of girl talk these days with an all-female team. Jason, we miss you!!! All other male PR professionals, please feel free to apply.
2.) When I started this business, all I needed was a laptop and a good Internet connection. As the team grew, we started looking for office space and eventually found a spot to call home in Midtown. While signing the lease was a huge leap of faith (we’re locked in for at least five years?!), it was also one of the most exciting moments. During the build-out, we were stopping by every 2-3 days – ok, every day – until it was finished. Katie even risked traveling on a treacherous snow day to be here on furniture move-in day.
3.) When you move into your brand-new office space right before Cinco De Mayo, you obviously have a big party. And when you have a big party, you obviously have to rent a donkey and bring him into the new office to film the invitation. This basically describes the past decade of my and Katie’s relationship. I’ve always said I don’t want to go up against Katie in anything because she’s the grittiest person I know. We have these kooky moments of inspiration and by golly, she figures out how to make it work. Even if that means coaxing a 200-pound animal into our building’s elevator…
While the landlord didn’t love the party or the live farm animal in our office, it made for a great blog entry.
4.) Hannah Paramore was my first client and this is documentation of my disbelief that someone was actually paying me real, actual money to do PR on my own, without the name or backing of my previous agency. She believed in me when she had no business doing so because, goodness, there was so much that naïve but eager 29-year-old didn’t know. I thought I was just going to freelance until I “figured things out and got a real job” but Hannah was busy hooking me up with a banker, an accountant, potential clients and everything else I needed to start a business. She’s still a client today but also so much more. I know I can count on her to celebrate the highs of the business and to help me work though the lows. Even though Hannah is the client, I’ve learned so much from her and I’m forever grateful.
And while I don’t make my husband take pictures of me with every check that comes in the mail these days, six years later I do still feel immense gratitude for our clients with every single bank deposit.
5.) Nashville City Club. 2017. RPR Holiday Party. Some wine was consumed.
Hey, do y’all want to get tattoos?
No caption necessary.
6.) Clearly, we like to do backbends around here. When your team says they are too busy to go take a yoga class, you bring the yoga class to the office with a private yoga instructor. There’s something about synchronized breathing that brings you closer as a team… or it might just be a collective love for the lavender-scented towels you get at the end.