Jamie Lynn Sigler and Sarah Evans Thelen are co-founders of J Public Relations and the recently launched social media agency 7th & Wit. The duo, who met as college roommates, now lead a team of over 50 staff, with high-end clients in the travel and hospitality space, such as Four Seasons, Grand Hyatt, Westin, The Ritz Carlton, and many more.
What does your company
do?
By the traditional sense of
the world, our focus at J Public Relations is media relations and PR strategy
for travel, hospitality and lifestyle clients worldwide. From day one, social
media, influencers and clients have been an integral part of our business.
How did you start the
business? What were you doing at the time?
JLS:
I started J Public Relations ten years ago out of
my apartment, after working at several agencies in Southern California. Prior
to J Public Relations I worked in various roles at PR agencies, and then joined
an incredible online interactive agency to learn about what was happening in
the exciting world of digital. I loved the agency and my job but it was clear
that my passion remained in PR and media, specifically relating to hospitality
and lifestyle accounts.
At one point in my early career search, I had met
a recruiter named Fran who had set me up with an interview at Enterprise
Rent-A-Car. While I did not get that job, Fran and I always stayed in touch
with one another (at JPR, we say that relationships make the world go ‘round,
and this is a good example of that). Several years later we reconnected as she
was working with small businesses to help them receive start-up financing. A
promising group of entrepreneurs starting a new furniture store in San Diego,
Mixture, had a solid business plan but were lacking marketing savvy. Fran
immediately thought of me, her rejected Enterprise candidate, and set up a
meeting for us to discuss PR needs. This sparked my own entrepreneurial spirit
and with Mixture as a first client, J Public Relations was founded.
I continued growing the firm one client at a time,
not through sales, but based on my reputation and referrals for the great work
JPR was doing. Because of the solid
reputation in San Diego in the hospitality industry, I was being approached by big
brands; they liked the agency but were unable to use JPR for projects because
we didn’t have an office in New York.
That is where my call to Sarah came in. She is one of my closest friends
and roommates from East Carolina University and we had originally moved to
California together after graduating from college. Sarah ended up moving to New
York and we both continued to work in PR. Knowing JPR needed a New York
presence, I called on my friend and we founded one of the first bi-coastal PR
firms focused on travel.
We’ve since expanded
to Scottsdale and Los Angeles, and started a social and digital agency called 7th
& Wit, which launched earlier this year.
In my eyes, we are still launching JPR, which is
what makes us good at what we do. Sarah
and I are constantly pushing one another, along with our talented executive
team, to figure out what is next.
I am on the west coast and Sarah is based on the
east coast, and we oversee both J Public Relations and 7th &
Wit, and the offices in San Diego, New York, Scottsdale and Los Angeles.
Together we manage a staff of fifty and all areas of the business from finance,
staffing, account strategy, client service, operations, new business
development and most importantly, managing and developing the company culture.
SET:
I’ve had the opportunity to
work with some of the best hotels in the world at two other agencies before we
started JPR. Jamie and I had always been in each other’s minds, and we always
wanted to start a bi-coastal agency focusing on travel and hospitality. Jamie
started the San Diego office from her apartment in 2005, and I started the NYC
office from my apartment in 2009.
Tell us about some of the
highlights of your career thus far:
JLS:
Growing
J Public Relations from a one-client shop out of my apartment, to one of the
fastest growing agencies in the country is a highlight. I would also say one of my highlights is developing
the teams at both J Public Relations and 7th & Wit. Each of our employees is smart, dedicated and
constantly pushing us to reinvent ourselves and see things in new ways. Our team’s drive and true love for what they
do is what brings a great experience to the clients and media that we work with
on a daily basis.
SET:
The highlights of my career
are working with some of the best hotels in the world and having the
opportunity to work with a team that I not only care about professionally, but
personally as well.
What are some of your
current projects that you’re excited about?
JLS
& SET:
Right now, a big project for
us is moving into our new NYC office, as well as the work we are doing in the
digital space with 7th & Wit. It’s been a great opportunity to expand our work
and scope of services in the digital sphere.
It can be an intense,
competitive industry – how do you stay calm and centered?
JLS:
We
practice what we preach. In order to stay good at what you do, you must have
balance. I make an effort to spend time with family and friends, disconnect
once in a while, take care of myself, workout, and eat healthy. And I’ve gotten
really good at multi-tasking!
SET:
You continue to stay grateful
and you continue to remind yourself everyday about what is important, you can’t
sweat the small stuff.
Highlight a few key
pitfalls you’d advise against in creating a thriving business and your tips for
success:
SET:
A major pitfall is trying to
do it all. Know what you are good at. Know what makes you happy and focus on
that.
JLS:
Train a team that you can
trust and delegate to. The best part of
our team is that we operate much like a family; nobody wants to let anyone else
down. Getting to that point is an
amazing place to manage from. We’ve put the
agency culture above all else; if we are not operating well as a team, we can’t
successfully deliver the best experiences for our clients or media.
SET: Tips for success:
Surround yourself with
positive, smart people. Work with clients that motivate you and always keep
learning.
JLS:
Have a niche and have your
team members have a niche: you cannot be an expert in everything!
What are some of the
biggest changes you predict for the industry in the next 5-10 years?
JLS:
Continuing
to recognize the trends within our space.
Understanding the Millennial generation from both a consumer and
internal staffing perspective, and how to best make them happy and successful.
SET:
I think people in our
industry will have to have an understanding of the digital and social sphere,
and it will continue to become more integrated under one market umbrella.
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