Community Highlights: Meet Jonell Whitt of Jonell PR Brand Management

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonell Whitt.

Hi Jonell, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Pretty much in the year 2008 when the real estate market went bust (so to speak) I began praying and asking my God Jehovah what’s next for me. I had been in the finance world of mortgage loans and real estate for 17 years. I never imagined my world without being able to do either of these things. Unfortunately, I specialized in self-employed tax returns and self-employed clientele; because not only is that where the money is, but also it was the most targeted sector that banks did not want to lend to. I knew there had to be a better way. Between processing the changes in the real estate industry I was very much dependent on because it funded a great lifestyle for my children & myself. I also kept watching the video “The Secrets” introduced to me by Kristen Jordan (wife of Montell Jordan)and this helped me to change my thinking pattern in addition to learning more about the “Law of Attraction.” First and foremost by exercising faith that God would lead me in the right direction; I had no idea that  a new friendship with former SVP of Tyler Perry Studios, Roger Bobb, now CEO of Bobbcat Films, would soon change my entire world. He introduced me to the world of PUBLIC RELATIONS and took a chance on me (with persuasion of his then girlfriend Mari Morrow). Bobb trusted me with his brand and becomes my first PR client. I learned so much about handling the press, scheduling interviews with television news networks, the importance of building relationships with photographers, writers, news anchors, magazine publishers and potential new clients. The ball was in my court. I took it and ran with it and began to research what was expected from a PR rep, and found mentors to help me in my journey.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was absolutely not a smooth road. The number one obstacle I had from day 1 was my PR colleagues who had been trying to land my first client as their own client. Most were not celebrating with me. Here I am so new in the business and I just landed one of the most sought-after young Black handsome filmmakers with prominence in the industry, as a client. He was the man standing next to “the man” Mr. Tyler Perry. All of this was around 2008 when Mr. Perry was in the process of opening his 1st huge multi-soundstage studio in the Greenbriar area of Atlanta. He absolutely was THE most sought-after filmmaker and studio owner ALL film press wanted to cover. Some wanted to either bash his success or minimize his wins. There were also a lot of people who honestly wanted to celebrate his win. I tried my best to befriend different notable PR reps and I offered to volunteer my services. I told them that I was new and I wanted to learn more. No one wanted to let me be a part of their team or teach me. I decided that I would just learn from my new mentors and friends like Media Maven Fab 5 Freddy the youngest VJ and on-air talent for Vh1,former NFL Bob Whitfield Stanford graduate and owner of the world-renown PatchWerks Music studio and he helped me start my business as well; Atlanta News anchor Karyn Greer, the late Jovita Moore, Jaquitta Williams, they always supported my events and my clients. I guess getting along with the competition and trying to partner with them was the biggest struggle 14 years ago and it seems like not much has changed. Now I’m very confident in my abilities to see projects through to completion; so I guess my biggest competition has always been myself. I keep challenging myself year after year to widen out and expand my reach. Leveling up by leveling up.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Jonell PR Brand Management, LLC is a boutique PR company that specializes in using brand collaboration, turning everyday people or businesses into household names. If you are already a household name you are in a great position to align yourself with relevant brands to increase the value and visibility for each party involved. What sets me apart from other people is the fact that I have access. What do I mean by that? Well, after 14 years of owning your PR company I’ve developed a ton of relationships over the years. Some I have seen grow from very little humble beginnings to major television networks. It’s all about creating great social media pages that define your brand. My most proud moment is turning my own name into an industry recognized company brand. It’s known in my home town of Los Angeles, in New York City, and especially in Atlanta where I currently reside.  My company’s name is mentioned amongst industry peers and people I didn’t even expect to know who my company was or existed? I want our readers to know that, if you are serious about your brand and willing to invest in yourself, you have come to the right place when you send an email to Whjonellpr@gmail.com. The pandemic also taught me that having several streams of income is a definite must. I started two additional companies and also started a new career as a Talent Manager. It actually is something I have been doing all along but I didn’t want to ever officially call myself a talent manager because of the responsibility attached. But here I am in 2022 as a whole Talent Manager for MVP Sports & Entertainment Management based out of Los Angeles, California.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The most important quality and characteristic is to truly be a people person, and that involves having a genuine love for people. You have to be consistent and relentless when it comes to paying attention to the details of a client’s brand. I feel like my success also is attributed to being a woman of my word. No matter how long it takes or what great lengths you have to go through. Clients should realize that the pandemic may have come & thrown a few curve balls but there has to be patience exercised on both ends because some business arrangements have been totally re-constructed, and a lot of people have changed their business modules. Being 100% transparent with people may not be what they want to hear but we have a responsibility to let them know the truth always.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jonellpr.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonellprbrand/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonellprbrand/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonellMediaPR
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JonellPR
• Other: https://www.spreaker.com/user/eggsandissues