Hey! Let's Chat with Andrea Pass About PR and Building Relationships - S03E08

On this week’s show we’re chatting with veteran PR expert Andrea Pass, owner of Andrea Pass PR about her personal story, what value a PR professional can bring to solopreneurs and small businesses, and what aspects of PR anyone can bring to how they approach their relationships.

For over 30 years, Andrea Pass has created and implement public relations campaigns in a wide range of categories including consumer products, lifestyle, B2B, education, health/wellness/fitness, beauty, food, authors, non-profits and more.

Pass has secured coverage in media outlets from NBC “Today,” ABC “20/20,” MSNBC “Your Business,”and ABC “Good Morning America," and represented clients including 4ocean, Wolfgang Puck, Ronco, and the New Jersey Restaurant Association.

Kristin's Website
Ralph's Linktree
Andrea Pass PR
Andrea Pass on Facebook
Andrea Pass on Twitter
Andrea Pass on Instagram
Andrea Pass on LinkedIn

DISCALIMER:
The views expressed on the Hey Let Me Ask You Something Podcast are solely the opinions of your hosts Kristin Wood and Ralph Andracchio and are based on their years of practical and clinical experience. These opinions do not constitute any kind of advice, diagnosis, or treatment of any mental, physical, or emotional issues. If you are having an emergency or any serious ongoing situations please contact your local hospital or a trusted professional. 

Transcript

The Hey Let Me Ask You Something Podcast
Season 03
Episode 08
Hey! Let's Chat with Andrea Pass About PR and Building Relationships

[MUSIC INTRO PLAYS]

Ralph Andracchio  
Well hey there, you found the Hey Let Me Ask You Something podcast, the show dedicated to inspiring more people to ask more questions and have more interesting conversations. On this week's show. We're chatting with veteran PR expert Andrea Pass. Owner of Andrea Pass PR about her personal story, what value a PR professional can bring to solopreneurs and small businesses and what aspects of PR anyone can bring to how they approach their relationships

Andrea Pass  
Making sure that the clients understand and expectations are set that are realistic. A lot of it is in the follow up in any business. If none of us follow up on things, how are things going to get done? It's not instant it takes time but anything in business is is growth and time and I think that I always say to people, okay, start today those relationships that we make certainly turn our business into something that you can say I love what I do all day so I don't work a day in my life.

Ralph Andracchio  
The best way for you to help us inspire more conversations and easily find more of our killer content is to hit that subscribe button share the show with your friends. Check us out on YouTube if you want to see us as well as hear us. And remember, we love that you're listening but this show is for entertainment and we are not your therapist or your coach. We are not providing professional advice either from us or our guests. You can find that full disclaimer in the show notes. Alright friends, let's start the conversation 

Ralph Andracchio  
Hi, 

Kristin Wood  
How you doin today sir? 

Ralph Andracchio  
I'm frazzled. 

Kristin Wood  
Yeah you had a busy day today. 

Ralph Andracchio  
I had a busy, busy day a good busy but busy.

Kristin Wood  
It's good. We're not as busy. And then we have a day we're like, wow, this is what it's really like I forgot. 

Ralph Andracchio  
When I got when I have slow days. I'm like I should be busier and then when I when I have busy days I'm like, why isn't it slower? I don't know how to I don't know how to manage my time effectively...

Kristin Wood  
And even the way we define busier and not busier, I think is different. You know, since COVID, and especially in our line of work. It's just we're kind of in a different world than other people. 

Ralph Andracchio  
Yes. 

Kristin Wood  
Like some people work at least eight hours a day, Cuz you know, all the way through ours is can be broken up.

Ralph Andracchio  
Yeah, yeah. No, and I don't go into an office. I don't. I don't go out anywhere. My god am I a shut in?

Kristin Wood  
I felt like a shut in yesterday and I was I was losing it because I didn't go to play tennis in the morning. At that doesn't do well for my day. I have to get out of the place in the morning. Do I sound really bougie?

Ralph Andracchio  
We're really connecting to our working class listeners.

Kristin Wood  
Alright not even tennis I need to get out and see people

Ralph Andracchio  
You know I hate when I can't go out and play tennis in the morning. 

Kristin Wood  
I'm not in some private club. I'm out in a park and It's freezing cold and whatever. I wasn't trying to sound bougie I just getting out an act and moving my body is what I'm trying to say is like a big deal and I don't do it. I see a significant effect on me especially with the weather yesterday.

Ralph Andracchio  
It's a healthy, healthy habit. That's the other thing I'm mad about today is it's it's in Philadelphia, it's 70... 64 degrees right now. And it's going down to 30 something tonight so it's it I'm I'm mad because I want it just to be 64 forever. And I didn't get to enjoy it. I was inside all day.

Kristin Wood  
We really didn't get - yeah, and we did not get the sun that we had really hoped for that was really gonna make it feel like it because I can tell you even when it was in the high 50s It was cold because it was still damp from the rain last night, Is this a weather program?

Ralph Andracchio  
It is now and I feel cheated. So I want to do over. So whoever I need to write I'm going to write a strongly worded letter to NOAA, the North Oceanic Atmospheric - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency I think I got that. Anyway, 

Kristin Wood  
I'm behind you all the way 

Ralph Andracchio  
Your support means everything

Kristin Wood  
I'm waiting for this warm weather I told you I'm going to Florida in like two weeks.

Ralph Andracchio  
Don't - stop "I'm playing tennis and going to Florida" we're losing so many listeners right now because you...

Kristin Wood  
It's a funny little picture that we're painting.

Ralph Andracchio  
I don't participate in anyway. I'm holding it down for the working class listener right now. Meat and potatoes. Let's let's introduce our guest if we could please. She's waiting so patiently listening to us be idiots on the podcast. So our guest today is super interesting. I really love listening to her stories and I really want everybody else here story too an accomplished PR professional who over her 30 year career has managed press for major brands and authors on huge shows like 20/20 and Good Morning America and Ellen she's been everywhere. She's here to share her story with us and talk to us about PR and building good relationships. Folks from Andrea Pass PR it's Andrea Pass is here. Hi, Andrea. 

Andrea Pass  
Hey, how are you? Thanks for having me today.

Ralph Andracchio  
Great. Thank you for being here and taking time out. You're very busy.

Andrea Pass  
But I have to say I did take a break to go outside and walk around the block because in North Jersey it was in the mid 60s today. And the temperature is dropping rapidly as it is in Philly. So it was great to get a little fresh air.

Ralph Andracchio  
Yeah, I'm I after this. I'm going out on a dinner date. So hopefully the the temperature stays around the 60s a low 60s But yes,

Kristin Wood  
I think you'll get like you'll get like an hour or two before it really goes down

Ralph Andracchio  
See I have to leave the house without a jacket and I have to bring one with me because it's going to be freezing when I come home. Who planned this who designed this?

Andrea Pass  
It's a roller coaster. It is total roller coaster.

Ralph Andracchio  
A roller coaster of emotions. Andrea, I wanted you on the show because we had a one on one before and I was so fascinated by your story. And I wanted you to be able to share your story not only with Kristin but with our listening and viewing audience as well. You own a what it sounds like a very successful and hard hitting PR company and I'm curious how you got where you are.

Andrea Pass  
You know it's it's so much fun to be a solopreneur for all those years. I started out at CBS in New York City at the CBS Radio division. And then I moved to the agency side and it was someone else's name on the door. And I was doing all the work. And I was bringing in all the clients and I said this is ridiculous. Why am I doing it this way? And I was putting in a million hours you know 24/6 and a half basically, every vacation getting called on vacation. What about this? What about that? This is not what life is supposed to be like. And so a number of years ago, the opportunity presented itself and I started Andreea Pass Public Relations as a solopreneur ship. And I haven't looked back and I have all these great clients, some who've known me forever and ever and ever and other people who have just met me or are referred to me from other people. And I'm busy getting the press coverage. I'm getting them famous and it's fun. It's fun.

Ralph Andracchio  
Oh my god. Yeah. Finding something that you love to do that's fun that you get up excited in the morning about what you're doing. I wish that for everybody and like the clients I have I hope I help them find a little sliver of that in their life because it's just it changes your whole outlook on life. Especially if you couldn't you have a business where you're helping people you know, like you do. It's I don't know what do you...

Kristin Wood  
No, I you just made me think of my father. He he very much instilled that from a young age and all of us and I know for him he's 82 I think he's 82 he still loves to get up and go to work every day. And he does. And he's loved it. He built his own company and he has loved it since my beginning of time with him anyway. And I'd love to see that was really good role modeling it just being himself and doing what he loved. And I know it's not that simple for everybody. Not everybody's like yay, they may enjoy it okay and find their passion and other things, but I feel very lucky that I found my calling or whatever you want to call it in my early 20s In my early 20s And it's kind of defined who I am as a person as well as how I like what a professional life looks like.

Ralph Andracchio  
And but I know like you said everything is different depending on who you are me starting my own business is is a different journey than Andrea you've had because, you know, unfortunately, as a white guy, I think I have a lot more opportunities available readily than another a lot of other people do. What do you what do you think was the biggest hurdle or obstacle in starting your own business when you did?

Andrea Pass  
You know, I think it wasn't getting clients. That wasn't the issue because I had clients within days cuz people knew me. But there were things I didn't know about business I'm not a numbers person. I hate numbers. Okay, I'm married for 34 years to a guy who does budgets finance account. That's why our relationship works. He's a numbers guy. I'm a creative gal. It works perfectly. And So had I not had him to handle that end of things. You know, the financial end of things and I'm working on things I think I would have gone absolutely bonkers. But then again, when you start a business you have to align yourself with other people, especially when you're being a solopreneur but I think that yeah, I'm not good at that. I I'm good at filling out my wave thing so that the bills go out. But keeping the books you let him do that it's okay with me. And I can focus on securing press coverage and meeting new clients and networking and and and doing media training and all the things I need to do for my clients. So it's really worked out well. But you know, don't ask me to do numbers and I was always good at math. I just hate I hate that end of business.

Ralph Andracchio  
Yeah. Do you think it's a Do you think people are born to be entrepreneurs or do you think it's something that can be learned over the course of your career?

Andrea Pass  
You know. It's very interesting, because just earlier today, I was talking to someone who was very outgoing on the call. And then she said, I'm an introvert. And I'm thinking, you don't strike me as an introvert. But I think that you have to be an extrovert to be able to start, you could possibly start as an introvert but I think that you have to put yourself out there in order to start a business because how are you going to go somewhere? If you're kind of like in your shell? And I think certainly Kristin, you know from a therapy standpoint, can certainly understand that you have to come out of your shell. And you sometimes have to do awkward things like finances or or legal documents or things like that, that you may not have studied in school or had been exposed to before I always work for someone else. So that wasn't my job. I bring in the business, I negotiate the contract, but someone else was handling all the paperwork and the billing and all of that so so I think that in business you have to you could become an entrepreneur later in life, or you can start out as an entrepreneur, but you have to be out there. And I think that's really important. And if you don't have that personality to be out there, you've got to work on it. Because right we all know people do business with people they know like and trust. Well, they're not going to get to know you. If you don't put yourself out there.

Ralph Andracchio  
Right and building that circle of support, no matter what that looks like is invaluable in every aspect of our life, but especially when you're building a business on your own. Sometimes people can be in the mindset that I have to do everything myself and if I can't do everything myself, I failed in some way as an entrepreneur business person. That's not the case. Like you said, you know, your strong suit is not math and numbers. Tapping into somebody else who likes doing that and can help you is actually a smart business move.

Andrea Pass  
In fact this afternoon I was meeting with a colleague who, who I've known since the start of the pandemic, it's amazing how many of us have met and become really tight over over video, and she's going to be redoing my website because it's time and I want changes and she has ideas and I know it's a process and she says how quickly do you want to do this? And I said to her by the end of the year, she says Oh my gosh, that we could accomplish I had a realistic expectation because so many times in business, people expect it to be done. Now. You know, I want you to do this now. And I'm sure you know Ralph with your coaching. People say I want to change now. Change takes time. Business takes time growth takes time. And I was fortunate enough before I started Andrea passed public relations by having relationships and working with so many amazing clients who kept saying to me Why aren't you in business for yourself? Because they liked working with me, not the name on the door. They knew I was accomplishing things. And and so those relationships that we make, certainly turn our business into something that you can say I love what I do all day. So I don't work a day in my life. You know, that's that's all part of it. So I know I'm hokey. I get a little corny but it is part of it.

Ralph Andracchio  
Not for us. You can be a lot more cornier we can take it Yeah. Something you just said was was really great and it's it's man now my main brain just went blank. It's...

Andrea Pass  
I mean, certainly, you know, relationships leading to I mean, relationships lead to referrals that lead to revenue in general. And but you have to be outgoing to even get those relations. Yeah, and you have to take the time.

Kristin Wood  
That's the part... Go ahead.

Andrea Pass  
Yeah, I was saying even today before we started, you know, I was discussing with Ralph how we actually have something in common that I found because I took the extra time to make sure I knew extra stuff about Ralph even though we've met a number of times before and I think that that's part of something you remember about a person in order to grow your business and for other people say, yeah, that person is accomplishing things for me. Plus, I like the person.

Ralph Andracchio  
Yeah, knowing knowing what you can and can't do like being being an introvert. Like you said it and putting yourself out there. You can have somebody else help you with that too. Like if you're, if you want to run a business by yourself, but like, Hey, I may need some help in the beginning with building relationships or having somebody write emails for me or like teach me how to do certain things. That's okay. It's not like you're failing at anything to ask for help with that kind of stuff.

Kristin Wood  
Yeah, I mean, the thing that jumped out at that Andrew said, I was thinking about myself a little bit and I think that's my biggest strength is i I am such an extrovert and I can you know, this is how we met. I can talk and I will go up and talk to anyone very comfortable in that world and that but in a business sense and the numbers No, no, not strong. Like that was not my strong suit. So I think that it still isn't obviously I've learned as I've grown, but I do feel for people that don't have that comfort. Of course, I work with many clients that don't and don't have that comfortability. And it's not easy for them to do that. Because I think in so many areas of life, not just business that can be very, very difficult. So I'm very grateful for that part of my personalty

Ralph Andracchio  
Yeah. Oh, I remember what I was gonna say it's about us. We as a society have been trained to have a really short attention span. When it comes to like you said with me and my clients, like I want to change now and I there's a little bit of education there to be like, it's gonna take some time. Your life is like a cruise liner. It's not a little dinghy that can turn on a dime, it's going to take some time for changes to happen once you start turning the wheel. And I think that's the same way in building relationships. Trying to try to connect all the dots for all of us is relationships. Take time to especially good solid, deep relationships that lasts a long time where, you can, especially if you're an entrepreneur solopreneur get leads get clients, you know, build your network that takes time and if you are somebody who needs results immediately, it's something you're going to have to work on.

Andrea Pass  
And it's so funny because in what I do in public relations and securing interviews and coverage for clients, it doesn't happen overnight. You could do an interview today, but it may not run for another two months. Or you could be interviewed and someone cuts you out of the story. It's it's all part of, of PR. But anyone who wants instant gratification, have your ad ready to go and buy leftover remnant space and your ad will run tomorrow. But an ad isn't as believable as editorial content. So do people buy more because they learn something about your company from editorial coverage from press coverage and media coverage. As opposed to advertising. Advertising costs a lot more PR costs a lot less and puts you out there with oftentimes evergreen content that you can use over and over again. So I think when it comes to that instant gratification, I'm not going to be able to work. It's not going to happen. It's not instant, it takes time but anything in business is is growth and time and and I think that I always say to people okay start today. Start. Start. it's, it's it's all going to work out and I think the same with with the two of you and your clients. You have to start somewhere.

Ralph Andracchio  
Yep, that's that's one of the one of the best ways to get over procrastination. If you're somebody who doesn't like to do stuff is just start. Do the thing that you are not wanting to do and it just makes it infinitely more easier and like oh, okay, I can do this and then it gets done. It's the same thing. No matter how old you are, where you are in your life. If you have something you want to do, just start it. Just start it and do it. Because you never know until the process starts. 

Andrea Pass  
Exactly. Exactly. 

Ralph Andracchio  
How long like say you want to get a client on 20/20 You know, how long does that actually that process actually take because it doesn't happen overnight. Like oh, well have you want tomorrow, you know?

Andrea Pass  
And in that particular case, it's so funny when I used to interview people when I worked for a firm, and I would interview people for jobs, I would say what's your PR placement of a lifetime? Because I wanted to know what they've and for me a double segment on 20/20 was my placement of a lifetime. And so that one, of course stands out differently than others. But that easily took me eight or nine months. From the time I started pitching until it got forwarded and forwarded until something happened. And when something happened and the producer called me. We were actually heading to the international housewares show in Chicago. And we were doing an event for a client of ours who was meeting inventors of consumer products. And they said oh we want to do the story. Are you doing one of these inventor events soon? I said yeah, in three days. And it was all like boom, boom, boom. Oh, and did you pick any of the inventions? Are you going to shoot an infomercial? Yes. Well, how soon are you shooting it? We're shooting it. You know, we could do it in two weeks in St. Petersburg. Fine. Let's fly to St. Petersburg. Can I meet with your client in New York. The clients in New Jersey fine. Bring the client into New York City. We changed our mind in addition to that we want to come to their office, boom, boom, boom, organize, organize, organize, and then it was edited and it was all scheduled. And the day before it was scheduled to air. The producer calls me up. It was bumped. And I'm thinking oh no, all this work. He says I'll let you know when I have more information and about a week or two goes by and he says it's going to run in about a month. And now it's going to be a double segment. Meaning there's a commercial break and they continue, which is very unusual and very amazing. And he says yeah, we want to make it bigger. And so needless to say I was thrilled to pieces but but the average so avoiding me the Ellen's of the world, the 20/20s and the Good Morning America, you know the average time for securing an article or an interview could take weeks and then weeks for it to happen. So in PR I work two ways that were proactively that I'm out pitching a story. And then reactively I subscribe to all these databases and newsletters were press say to people like me we're writing the story. Do you have anyone that'll fit into the topic? And then I work my clients in where appropriate but so to other PR people so we have to say okay, we hope ours is the one that's going to stand out. But you got to be in it to win it. So if you're not in it, you don't even have a shot.

Ralph Andracchio  
So not not only putting yourself out there and having patience but also tenacity, because you have... and flexibility.

Andrea Pass  
Yeah, I mean, listen, I just had a client the other day at two interviews set up, and his assistant got in touch with me and said he can't do either of the interviews today. Can you reschedule them and I'm like, oh my goodness, one of them we had already rescheduled because of his schedule. And one of the reporters was nice enough to say yes, I could do it this day. And the other one said, I'm really not going to have time for another month or two. I'll touch base when I have time and I'm like, Oh no, I'm I might lose that. But it's the nature of the beast. And so you you have to go with the flow, and you have to follow up. And it's a lot of it is in the follow up in any business. If none of us follow up on things, how are things going to get done? You can't just throw spaghetti at the wall. Hope it skips sticks and then you walk away. Right?

Ralph Andracchio  
I've never done that.

Kristin Wood  
I'm not gonna do that.

Ralph Andracchio  
I'm just I usually just taste it..

Kristin Wood  
I'm not gonna do that. Don't do that.

Ralph Andracchio  
No, no, don't don't listeners don't do that. It ruins your paint. There's easier ways to test if something's done.

Kristin Wood  
No. You're not saying do that. I have a question. But you know if you've already covered this question, but it's been burning for me. I mean, you have in a way. I'm just curious if you are able to speak a little bit more on other than being as I can tell and as you stated an extrovert and um big on building relationships. Do you think you could speak a little bit more specifically to what it in your opinion it takes to build those relationships? What is it about Andrea Pass that all these people want to work with you? What is yeah, what is it that are the important qualities for that piece of making you and maybe upcoming public relations individuals successful?

Andrea Pass  
Yeah, and I love the question because I think there's more to business, then only business. So making sure that the clients understand and expectations are set that are realistic. Back in the olden days. I want to be on Oprah. You're not Brad Pitt. You're not gonna be on Oprah. So there has to be something realistic. You know, you you you you know John Doe or Jane Doe who wrote a book. You're not necessarily going to be featured on The Today Show. But let's start somewhere. So I think that relationships start with honesty and openness and ability. And I think that with my clients, always communicating effectively with them. Not ghosting this, so many people ghost people No I'm in touch, I tell you really, is this going to happen or is this not going to happen? And sometimes it hurts to hear what I have to say, but I'm telling you the truth, and I need to I was gonna say sleep at night but you know, I'm getting older so I don't sleep that much. But, you know, I need to be able to do that. 

Andrea Pass  
And I think building the relationships so that I know about you and your family or the fact that you like tennis, or the fact that you do stand up comedy, or whatever it might be. That's really important for people to know that for people to know that I like to travel, you know that I'm in a book club, you know, I actually play Mahjong, you know, go figure. Yeah, it's, you know, there's all these things that you could learn and that creates a stronger relationship. And I remember years ago, I had a client who I traveled with all the time. And at one point, someone approached this client about doing a family reality show with the kids included, and my clients wife who I knew very well. She said to me, Andrea, what do you think? And I said to her, I can answer you two ways. Do you want me to answer you as a mom? Or do you want me to answer you as a public relations professional? And she said, let's start with the mom. I said, Don't you dare put your children on TV where everything they do is being watched. And if they ever pick up a red solo cup, when they're underage the whole world will know. I said don't do it. 

Andrea Pass  
She says from a public relations standpoint, I said I would love to sink my teeth into getting the PR around your reality show. I said so from a PR standpoint, yes. We will get so much press you will be everywhere but you will have no privacy whatsoever. I will love it. I'll be exhausted. I said you're going to have to hire me to have no other clients. I said but yes, I would love to do this from a PR standpoint. And of course they didn't they didn't do the reality show, which was really smart from a family standpoint, but I think getting to know your clients like like you're not just a number. It's a it's long term. And, and, and even if it's a short account, and I've worked with authors for six months, I still stay in touch with them, because authors don't tend to have a budget to do PR for a long amount of time. So they'll do it for a short amount of time but I stay in touch and I remind them reuse the press that we got. It's evergreen, your book could still be relevant, just reuse it. So I think the relationship part is getting to know people more than just what's on the surface in business.

Kristin Wood  
Because then it sounds like trust is what's coming up for me they trust you. Because it's it's genuine and it's a real relationship and it's not just about you, and what you're going to get from them or about what they're going to get from you. It's actually a mutually rewarding it sounds like relationship that has a lot of like genuine parts to it and I would think with some of the clients especially some of the what's the word is like bigger clients that they may not encounter a lot of other I know nothing about PR so if I'm talking and saying dumb stuff, then tell me but like, I don't know that every PR person would be like you I just can't imagine that. They all are, as far as I know. And I think that you spend on really creating those relationships right.

Andrea Pass  
And certainly, the challenge is sure if you're a you know multi billion dollar corporation, you're not hiring solopreneur Andrea you're going with a big PR firm that you're going to have a team of 20 people working on your account. But how many interns newbies are you getting? And so things might fall through the cracks, things might slip you don't have an experienced person and the experience person is not doing the day to day on the account in a big PR firm. And if that's what you're looking for, and that's what you need. That is fine. I don't work with those people. I work with entrepreneurs and small businesses. I like to work with the owner, the CEO, I don't want to go through the rigmarole of talking to an assistant to see if they're available and can we book the interview and they have it just doesn't work that way. I want to know if I have to pick up the phone you know Tonight at eight o'clock at night and call my client because there's an interview we can get tomorrow that I could just do it and and not go through that but it comes with experience. It comes with knowledge and it comes with feeling comfortable in your own skin and I'm comfortable in my own skin to be able to set those expectations to talk to a client if I have to at night or on the weekends or to tell my client. This isn't urgent we don't have to talk at night or on the weekend.

Ralph Andracchio  
Yeah, and I'm sure there are there are people out there who have somebody who have a PR professional working with them who want somebody who's just like a yes man to be to, you know, always show them the sunshine and not tell them what you do. And I think that does a disservice because I think honesty is above all else, something that's really valuable in a professional relationship and if you if you're working with somebody and just telling them what they want to hear, I don't think you're you're doing them any favors or bringing any value to the relationship

Andrea Pass  
100% And and it's just amazing when you've been in a field as long as I have or even in the times the time that you two have been in your fields, the stories and the things that happen and I had a bully boss many years ago, and the bully boss had the office manager, write a letter to a client saying that that the Oprah show at the time was interested in the client and they're working on and the office manager when she eventually left the company. She said to me, I can't believe I had to do that, that I had to lie. And I said I don't ever want to lie. And I had a client call me a few weeks ago, and he's a TV personality. So he's a familiar face. And he said, Andrea, I need you to do this, this, this and this, can you drop everything? And I said, No. I can work on your account. I can't drop everything. I have other clients. I said but there's going to be a challenge because of XYZ. But I need you to get me here and get me there and blah, blah, blah. I said, you're selling a product. I said, they're not going to just take you straight out. They're going to say get an ad. And I said that's your call and he calls the next day All right. Are we on? And you tell me if we're on. I said I'm being honest, this is going to be very difficult. He says, Okay, I want you to do it. And he called me a few days later, we're how we do and I said if I had any interviews yet, you would have known. I said I need to expand the circle. And if you'll let me expand the circle I'll get interviews for you. But this isn't working the way you want it to work. And I'm being honest with - alright you know, and then today, we had an interview with Forbes, so he sat tight. And let me play it a different way, the way I saw the result would be and he was in a really good mood today after this interview.

Kristin Wood  
Also here the trust the trust, even though he was being an eager beaver, whoever he is going to go and call up being eager. He obviously had that trusting you that he you know, whoever he is he had that trust in you and you were able to manage those expectations. remind him of the patients, remind them of the time it takes for change whatever change may be and yeah and not drop all your other clients and you know, jump to whatever was going on with him.

Andrea Pass  
Yeah, and that's the thing. The thing is you meet you know, so many people and everyone like we said before is in a hurry, but you know, I'm sure as you're coaching people, you have to kind of set those expectations and there are probably clients that you don't take because you say this is not going to be a good thing.

Ralph Andracchio  
I have had clients that I've had to turn away. Speaking of which, do you have any juicy stories about a client that you've had to turn away for some ridiculous reason?

Andrea Pass  
Here's a crazy one. I when I started my company a few years ago, and of course I put it all over Facebook and LinkedIn whatever. A woman I was on the college radio station with it, you know, a million years ago reached out to me and she says, you know, congratulations, my boss could really use public relations. can I connect you? Sure. And the man had a box of stuff that would help you lose weight. Okay, it was like a weight loss box and you follow this diet of the stuff in this box for two weeks and you are going to lose five to 10 pounds. Okay, I'm game spoke to the guy. He says why don't we go out to lunch. 

Andrea Pass  
So I meet him at a restaurant where he knew everyone in the restaurant, red flag. And as the lunch was going on, he starts calling me Ann. My name is Andrea. I don't go by Ann. I go by Andrea, and you don't know me well enough to even give me a nickname. And so now I can feel like tensing up and everything he said sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard. And I get this box of stuff. And in the box is a laxative. So I say to him, I'm a little confused. Wouldn't anyone who took laxatives for a number of days or weeks lose weight? If they're barely eating and they're taking laxatives I'm not a doctor. He says that shouldn't have been in the box. Another red flag. 

Andrea Pass  
So I write I write the letter of agreement. And I wait. And he calls me up. He says, you know and this was based on his budget. He says it's really out of my budget. And I said we had agreed on this budget because I made my budget higher because I knew this was not my kind of person. And I said well, you know you stay well. We'll talk few months later he calls on a holiday that I was observing that he knew I was observing because his wife observed the same holiday. So I the next day I say I'm available to speak to you at whatever time 3pm at 230. I see he's calling. I'm on with a client. I'm not taking his call. I told him 3pm I call him I call him back and he says I'm ready to hire you. I'll give you $1,000 a month, every month as long as you work. I said but that's not my retainer fee. You know my fee. No, no, but I'll still set as if $1,000 a month was a lot of money. And he says, piggyback me on your other clients. Whoa I said, Never. I don't piggyback my clients. Each client is individual. I work for each client separately and I don't piggyback my clients. I said so you give it some thought my original proposal will still stand, I said but this has to be your decision. To make this commitment. And I knew he wouldn't, which is why I was so nice about it. And I got off the phone I said that was great. I turned down his lousy $1,000 a month and he expected me to work a million hours and he felt so good.

Ralph Andracchio  
Doesn't it feel great? Oh my gosh. Yeah, that's yeah, I would have walked I would have gotten up and walked out when I saw the box full of stuff.

Kristin Wood  
Yeah the box sounds really mentoring or whatever the right word is.

Ralph Andracchio  
Ah, no, no, thank you. And all it was in it was just a bottle of laxatives.

Andrea Pass  
Yeah. It had laxatives and it had a packet of pea soup, and a kind bar and a granola bar. And this was a whole bunch of these things that this was what you were supposed to eat for like a week or two weeks and this was all you ate and I'm thinking oh my goodness gracious. Where is the protein in this?

Ralph Andracchio  
Right? Holy cow.

Andrea Pass  
But if you have no protein, I guess you'll lose weight but

Ralph Andracchio  
Right. It sounds like a lunch I would pack myself in high school if I didn't know any better. I want to bring it back to the relationship part. of what we're talking about, especially for people who are listening who may not be in a space to afford an amazing PR person. What can - I feel like there's stuff here that can be applied to anybody in terms of like promoting yourself and relationships. And getting out there. What are like maybe the top two or three things that you could tell somebody who just wants to apply the general the generality of PR to their life to kind of build relationships and get themselves out there?

Andrea Pass  
Well, I think I'd start by saying know what you want to say. Okay. So if you don't know what your message is, and whether the message is a business message, a personal message, a volunteer thing you do or what have you know what your message is. Because I think when it comes to public relations, messaging is key and stick to the message because too often you can get sidetracked and I've told some fun stories, but you can get sidetracked but no what you want to come back to as as your message. And the other tip if there's only two follow up, because if you don't follow up if I'm not following up with the press, my client is going anywhere. If I'm not following up with a new business opportunity, it's not going to happen. If I'm not following up to see when you're running the show. I may not know so it's like you need to take the time to follow up. No your message follow up. In a little snippet, but also if I could add a third one, Do your homework. Do your homework because so many people say to me open their press release wire services. That'll get me tons of press. No, a press release wire service will cost you from a few hundred dollars to $1,500. I mean, it could be expensive. It will increase your SEO for an hour. It's a blip. Now financial companies that are traded financially on the stock exchange, they do this because they have to put certain numbers out codes out whatever. But for the average person who's an entrepreneur or a small business, don't spend your money on that put it toward someone who's going to actually pitch your story and get you press coverage. So so a press release is not the way to go on everything a press pitch and having a story a message. What do you want to say?

Ralph Andracchio  
Yeah, knowing you have to have you have to know yourself to be able to express yourself. Right like you have you have to have a self to express 

Kristin Wood  
I was thinking wreck yourself before you 

Ralph Andracchio  
Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Also great advice. I'm not gonna lie. That's awesome advice.

Andrea Pass  
And you know what your point on that as much as you're laughing. You have to remember in a press interview, the press is not your friend. So, check yourself is really in before you wreck yourself is really...

Kristin Wood  
You should use that now. I mean it's a song. It's from a song but I think it would be fun for you to have.

Andrea Pass  
But I have to tell you, I'm writing that down. Check yourself before you wreck yourself. I won't remember it. I have a client that got on the phone with the daily news story about something that had been questionable in one of the advertisements my client had put out. And the client says oh, I was away skiing in wherever. And my my and I'm thinking. I said, Well, that's not what he meant. He meant and the reporter says, Andrea, I'm going to have you get off the phone and the client says Andrea, it's fine. I called him right after I said that's going to be the quote and that was quote. I said always the press is not your friend recognize what you say before you say it. And I had a time that someone called me about new business and did not know something about me and used a derogatory term. And I proceeded to then say, Oh, yes, I am. Whatever and he didn't know what to say. I said, Yeah, I guess this call is over. We won't be working together. That was the end of that, like, wow, that's what you say to people.

Kristin Wood  
I remember learning that probably like six years. ago or something. I worked at a hospital in Philadelphia and they were doing a lot of all over the inquire to an unknown care from telling myself but a lot of pieces on food insecurity and I was very involved in that. And so there was like I had never been involved with like the journalists coming on interviewing and all that stuff. And I'm running my mouth. I'm just I think I'm just talking. I don't think I'm in an interview, right? Like, I'm running my mouth. I'm talking and I'm saying things. And then I was quoted in The Philadelphia Inquirer and something like horribly where I'm going to jail or anything but it wasn't something I wanted to be putting the paper about. I was kind of being sarcastic when I said it. And I was like, Oh crap, and I learned a very hard lesson right then like, you're not off the record, like like, you're just if you're talking they can be writing this stuff down and putting and publishing it. Front page. And again, I didn't say anything like really bananas, but it wasn't something I really wanted printed either.

Ralph Andracchio  
Yeah, that's why I just say no comment to everybody I see even if they're not press

Kristin Wood  
With all the press for your face with their mics and lights.

Ralph Andracchio  
I know right? See this this face. 

Kristin Wood  
I mean, they're outside right now. 

Ralph Andracchio  
This pudum all out there. Yeah. Right?

Andrea Pass  
We'll have to talk Ralph I'm gonna have to do some media training. But you go on stage to your to those public.

Ralph Andracchio  
You're gonna have to do some cleanup for me, Andrea I'm sorry. I don't mean to spring it on ya. All right. Final thoughts, everybody what I thought. There's a lot for me a lot about honesty, tenacity and authentic relationships all around. I think knowing yourself like you said, Andrea, which is great. Know yourself the message you want to get out there. If you have a business or not just want to get out there and network with people and get yourself out there. Know what you're about and who you want to meet and what you want to do. Always be honest and upfront with people don't pull punches and be tenacious. You know, if you really want something go after it and keep checking in and following up and doing all the that's the that's the hard work that businesses are built on? Is all that legwork that you do. Yeah. 

Kristin Wood  
Well, you just said everything no matter where you gonna leave a little nugget I mean what's happening here. So no, I think what was I mean, this might be I'm kidding with you, but this might be totally whatever happened. I'm just gonna say sure. I just I've never sat down and had a conversation with somebody in PR like I it was just to me, it was just wonderful. And you're such an like to hear you the way you approach it and how you do your work is just so refreshing to me. too, because I see like the silliness on TV, which is probably not really always reflective of what it's all about, but I really didn't know I like learned a lot today and I really love the obviously because it's kind of my jam of how you approach people work with people and your honesty and even though you're in a totally different field. I think that's where approach my work. So I felt like a connection there. And I think you do too. Yeah, it was really refreshing and fun. And I didn't know any like, I've just never had a sit down with someone in your role and it was really, really great. Thank you.

Andrea Pass  
Well, thank you so much. I know it's just a basic snippet. And I really didn't go into the meat of public relations. But certainly everyone should have public relations in their marketing mix. And they need to find the right PR person or company to do the work and someone who's going to not only be results driven but like you said, honest, authentic, have the tenacity, have the relationships and set the expectations and I think that anything in life that we do, those things should be part of our world. So it's it's definitely it feels good that we all see things in all of our fields, even though we do different things, the three of us, we really do have to approach it the same way.

Kristin Wood  
Yeah, I kind of love the fact that we saw the commonalities. I just would never have like connected those dots prior to having this conversation with you. So I'm very grateful. And so it's just great. This is the this is great. 

Ralph Andracchio  
This was great. Andrea, anything you want to plug before we tie everything up. 

Andrea Pass  
Oh, well, you know anyone who's listening, watching whatever and wants to learn more about public relations, go over to my my website, andreapasspr.com and make an appointment with me I do a complimentary consultation. And so we could talk about what it is you're looking for and how can we grow that business and and you know, follow me on Facebook Andrea Pass Public Relations or on LinkedIn Andrea Pass, and, and let's let's connect because you just never know when you have to start today.

Ralph Andracchio  
Oh, yeah. Oh, final question. It just popped into my head. Is it is the saying any press is good press true, or is that completely false?

Andrea Pass  
You know, obviously, it's a crisis and you have a negative situation you're going to be in the press, you can't control that. But then you have that opportunity to make good fix it and get positive press. So any press is good press. And along those lines. Whether you're you're being interviewed at a media outlet that has a few 100 readers, viewers, listeners or one that has millions, it doesn't matter. You'll have to resonate with one and another one and another one. And and so start somewhere because not everything is going to be on a major TV station and you may not even get the response that you want, when you might be getting the response you want via an interview on a podcast or on a blog or something targeted so so take some baby steps before you start running.

Ralph Andracchio  
Good advice.

Kristin Wood  
She used my phrase that's what I use all the time with my clients. Baby steps.

Ralph Andracchio  
Yeah,excellent. Andrea Pass Andrea Pass PR thank you so much. This was amazing. I had so much fun.

Andrea Pass  
This was great. Thanks so much.

Ralph Andracchio  
Thank you very much stick around for after the show. We'll follow up and do some debrief. Thank you everybody for listening to the show and we'll see you next time. Good night, everybody.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai