Today we’d like to introduce you to Emilia Gledhill
Hi Emilia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, fashion wasn’t just an interest, it was a calling. The 2006 release of The Devil Wears Prada solidified that for me. Even before then, I always loved clothes, but that movie? It ignited a fire. I craved using my creativity to style clothes, so I channeled that passion into a degree in apparel and textiles technology from Kennesaw State University in 2020. I was ready to take the fashion world by storm. Except…reality wasn’t quite as glamorous. While working in scripted and reality TV production along the way to a fashion career, I absorbed everything I could from the various wardrobe teams. Finally, in early 2021, I landed a fashion stylist job. Turns out, the company was a nightmare, and the work wasn’t what I envisioned at all. Talk about a career detour. Then, fate intervened in a gloriously bizarre way in late 2021. My mom, Wendy Guarisco, had been a publicist for most of my life, founding Guarisco Group LLC in 2001. She was a solopreneur back then so growing up, I was practically immersed in her PR world. I even booked one of her clients on MSNBC in the car on the way to the beach when I was 9 years old. Over time, the company grew, and her longtime managing director unexpectedly quit in December 2021, leaving my mom high and dry. I hated my stylist job so much that I offered to quit and “help out” at the firm. Turns out, I’d unknowingly absorbed a lot more from my mom than either of us realized. I quickly climbed the PR ladder, moving from her assistant to an account executive in record time. By the first year’s end, it was clear: PR was my true calling. I loved it, and I was good at it! My mom saw it too. Fast forward two years, and I was a full 50/50 partner, managing a team of five, booking incredible interviews for our clients, and leading virtual and in-studio media training sessions. Now, three years later, we have a plan for Mom’s retirement – the torch will be passed fully to me, and I might even bring on a new partner in the future. The universe, it seems, has a funny way of surprising you with a path better than anything you could have planned yourself.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The first few years of my career felt rocky, but I fell right into place as soon as I started at the Guarisco Group. Picking things up felt natural, and I loved working with clients and the team. The best part was matching clients with their dream media placements and seeing their media dreams come true. The biggest hurdle was my imposter syndrome. My mom’s a total PR rockstar, and here I was with no background in the industry– I freaked that I wouldn’t even come close to being as good as her or the other PR vets on our team. Luckily, Wendy and the crew totally had my back. They helped me build my confidence and now I know I’m crushing it!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Guarisco Group, LLC, is a family and women owned boutique media relations agency just outside Atlanta with clients across the country. We are an elite team of media professionals that includes former bookers, producers, and writers from CNN and other networks. We secure major national and international media coverage for our clients, which results in a higher profile and increased business for them. Our clients are the top legal analysts, political strategists, authors, and experts from business, health and medicine, pop culture, and entertainment that you see in national media every day. With several former journalists on staff, we understand the interview process from the inside out, and that sets us apart from other firms. We have long-standing, personal relationships with key decision-makers in high-profile broadcast, print, and digital media. We are the go-to source for media connections.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I live in Woodstock, GA and I absolutely love it! It’s a small city about 30 minutes north of Atlanta in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains, hence our county’s slogan: “Where the mountains meet the metro.” I work from home and there are plenty of cute coffee shops or restaurants to work from when I need a change of scenery. I love Woodstock because it’s safe and the perfect distance from the city – close enough to meet someone for a business lunch in the city but far enough that I don’t have to worry about getting a gun pulled on me at my local gas station. It’s the perfect place for any stage of life – whether you’re fresh out of college, looking to raise a family, or retire, there is something for everyone. It also feels like a Hallmark town. Just too cute! I even convinced my mom to move up to Woodstock when I found out I was pregnant in 2023. We couldn’t be happier up here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://guariscogroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guariscogroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088448840472
- Twitter: https://x.com/EGledhillPR
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GuariscoGroup/videos
Image Credits
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