Zoe Weisberg Coady founded Brandstyle Communications in 2008 and has since provided PR consulting services to brands in fashion, food & beverage, real estate, beauty, travel, e-commerce and more. With a newly-opened Miami office under the agency's belt and several openings coming up in new locations, it's a exciting time for the business. Zoe tells us a little about the story of how she got here. 

What does your company do?

We do public relations; we establish and support brands, businesses, services and people by communicating their message in the most meaningful, relevant and strategic ways possible taking into account pop culture, global news, industry trends on a macro level and press value.  We ask ourselves the same question every single day:  Why should media cover this now vs. three months from now? This is part of how we measure our success.     

How did you start the business? What were you doing at the time?

I’m one of the only people doing what they majored in, in college!  Graduating from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University gave me an exciting snapshot into communications and media.  I took a magazine class and got myself an interview with Linda Wells for a project I did in 1997!  I did PR for an art gallery in Madrid during my semester abroad and scored an internship with Burson-Marsteller.  After graduation, I started my career at some of New York City’s top PR agencies where I had the good fortune of working with really great people and top brands.  At each company I became more obsessed with media and how articles were written, products were covered and why people were profiled.  I started Brandstyle Communications over seven years ago because I wanted to offer a more strategic, creative and hands-on approach to the PR agency model.  I am super excited every day to walk into my office and be a part of everything that’s going on.    

 Tell us about some of the highlights of your career thus far

Everyday is a highlight – seriously.   I love what I do and I love media!  It’s hard for me to look at anything without breaking it down to the story angle, how it was pitched and understanding why it was written.   I love identifying trends and driving positive change in businesses.   A recent highlight is the opening of our Miami office and identifying several new markets that we will be entering very soon.  My staff is also a big highlight!  They are all so smart and dedicated; I have so much respect for each of them.  There is a lot of cool/ creative/ disruptive thinking going on here.     

What are some of your current projects that you’re excited about?

New standards, sustainable fair trade practices and environmental stewardship in the food category is something I’m excited about.  I am also excited about concept-driven brands and anything surrounding technology, art, wellness concepts and cool retail and hospitality experiences.      

Highlight a few key pitfalls you’d advise against in creating a thriving business and your tips for success

Don’t rush into stuff. Humor is very important in the workplace. So is creativity in every area of your business. Understand the business side of your business.  Ask why.