Reflecting on Paige PR: 10 Years in the Making

Wow; I’ve owned an agency for 10 years. Where did the time go?!

When Natasha suggested I write a letter to describe what the past 10 years have been like, I had to sit back and think. In many ways, the last 10 years have FLOWN by. At the same time, not one single year has been alike and I have both breezed and muddled through certain moments. I have learned – REALLY learned – so much. Not just about different industries and nuances within so many, but also about collaborating with different people and personalities and managing a small business. I’ve also learned what really brings me joy and brings out the best in me and Paige PR and to always bet on myself. Here’s what the past 10 years has taught me:

For background, the entire reason I ever began consulting was for work/life balance. I actually never wanted to own my own business, I simply wanted to have the flexibility to see my young kids for more than a few hours each night. Obviously God had other plans, because every business I spoke to laughed at me for requesting a hybrid work schedule. All of the rejection forced me into creating a business that suited me (and ultimately, so many of my colleagues/coworkers). My, how life has changed since then! Today most people work from home half of the time and many work remotely 100% of the time. I do understand the tremendous value that working in an office offers, but I’m so thankful I’ve never had to sacrifice my personal life for my professional. And I’m really proud that through it all, we’ve been able to stick to a family-first model. Literally, women can balance it all and get the job done. Paige PR is absolute proof of this.

 [Quick note that I started Paige PR when my son was one-years-old. In the photo above, he is now 11 and my daughter is 9. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to work from home and watch them grow up. It has been the absolute biggest blessing and was always the right thing for me. Also, how do parents do it with all of these sports schedules? Life can definitely get crazy! I have taken calls at baseball parks, on vacations, at the movies, etc. and have loved every second of it, but I digress…]

Something else I learned when I became my own boss was how much I really liked mentoring young women in my profession. I think most business owners would say they’re passionate about building others up and helping others grow in their careers. Isn’t that half the reason we like being the boss? For women and young moms in general, it’s hard to find a group that doesn’t want to sacrifice one love for another. I hope that I’ve been a good example that you can have it all, but I also hope I’ve met my teammates and colleagues where they are in life and have helped support them into whatever role they shine in (whether PR or something else). I truly hope that through my work I lift people up – and whether we work together or not – that I’m always a resource that people feel comfortable reaching out to. Generally speaking, I hope clients that have moved on reflect on Paige PR with a really positive experience and know they can call us within a moment’s notice and we’ve got their back. That’s the tone I hope I personally invoke and one that I hope Paige PR always emits. 

The last 10 years have taught me that there are still some things I won’t ever let go of – for instance, I’m a perfectionist and best practices and grammar rule my work life. A typo will send me over the edge. I’m competitive and love winning, so I hate losing a new opportunity even if it’s not the right fit. (I’m working on this and learning what’s best for the agency is not always a new client!) I’ve also become more confident in saying, “I don’t understand that,” or “Explain it in lamens terms.” And I’ve learned that big decisions require thought. Sometimes pushing a decision off for a few days provides me the clarity I need to push forward.

Most importantly, I’m learning that success comes in a variety of packages. For years, Paige PR was me and only me. Then it grew to about 10 employees and we were winning all sorts of accolades. We’ve had good years and bad years, which I think is every business at one point or another. Today, we’re four employees and we’re focused on taking accounts that are the right fit for the agency that enable slow growth. We may expand again in the future, and we may ultimately go back to an office full-time, or we might not. I’m more focused on having the right team and the right clients versus whether we have a brick and mortar again. That’s what success looks like today.

Looking ahead, I think 2022 is going to be an awesome year for Paige PR. We’re focused on our goals and how we want to get there. The world has so many challenges and it’s fun to work with such dynamic clients that help tell the story of what’s going on in so many industries. I’m excited to see where Paige PR will be in another 10 years and I’m looking forward to learning and being challenged every day until that anniversary! I’m also curious to see what the energy transition looks like and how Houston will evolve in the years to come.

Until then, thanks to everyone that has made an impact on Paige PR and me, personally. I used to laugh at the notion that someone would be crazy enough to let me handle their PR and marketing efforts – or that a bank would take me seriously. And now I laugh at the folks that don’t bet on Paige PR! They are missing out!

Thanks to all of my mentors and those that have lifted me up personally and encouraged and empowered me over the years. There are too many of you to call out, but you know who you are. Thanks to the competitors that sometimes feel more like family above all else. It has been your voices that have pushed me when I doubted myself. It’s been your voices that reiterate we’re a great firm and we don’t need to be 50 people to make a bigger impact. Bigger isn’t always better. And thanks to those Paige PR teammates that believed in me when some days I was flying by the seat of my pants! To those that have stuck with me or worked with our team in the past 10 years, thanks for being such an ally of Paige PR! We appreciate each and every one of you!

To close out, one of my favorite kids’ books is Dr. Seuss’, “Oh! The Places You’ll Go!” and this quote seems like the perfect one to set the tone for the next 10 years.

“You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so get on your way! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

Thanks for your support in all of our success and cheers to the next 10 years.

With gratitude,

Paige