Today we’d like to introduce you to Raven Hibbler.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Raven. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I launched Growth Public Relations after graduating from Columbia College Chicago as a way to dive deeper into the marketing and public relations industry and build my portfolio. Attending Columbia allowed me to connect with creatives in different industries and one thing I noticed about everyone I came in contact with is that although they had this amazing brand, they did not have the bandwidth to gain exposure by building mission statements, company biographies, etc.
I started by helping friends create EPK’s, or websites and drafting press releases that they could send out to journalists in the area. My background is in marketing, public relation and journalism so this gave me the opportunity to combine my skill sets to help others. After gaining traction from people within the Chicagoland area, I started receiving more referrals of people interested in gaining additional help to grow their brand. Growth Public Relations was built on the mindset of lending that extra hand to help people and brands flourish.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Launching Growth Public Relations has definitely been an interesting road, but a meaningful one. Understanding the process of building a business was something I was unfamiliar with at first. I was simply focused on building my portfolio and learning. I didn’t realize how much work would need to be put into creating a successful business. Especially being a one-woman team and first-generation college graduate and business owner, I didn’t have anyone to really turn to for questions related to running a business.
Understanding taxes and the legalities with deciding whether I should be an LLC or S-Corp has been the toughest part to navigate. However, these struggles have allowed me to broaden my network and gain mentorship from other small business owners on the appropriate steps to take with my company.
The saddest part of my career was losing my domain, growthpublicrelations.com. I didn’t realize that when I launched my website, I used an old email address instead of the one associated with my company, which resulted in me missing my date to re-register my domain. This sadly resulted in a company buying the domain and trying to sell it back to me for $10,000. I cried for four days and felt like my world was ending. After sitting in my pitty, I picked myself up and used the time to educate myself, rebuild a new website, and discover a different name for a new domain. It turned out growthpublicrelations.com was a very long domain anyways and I decided to move forward with Growthprfirm.com.
I launched Growth Public Relations in 2017 and I’ve had countless days where I wanted to give up and stick to the corporate world, but deep down, I always knew that what I have to provide to the world is greater than the box corporate America wants to keep me in.
During the Pandemic, I was laid off and unable to file unemployment. I was in a city with no family and had to figure out my next move quickly. Growth Public Relations saved me. It allowed me to understand my purpose, do what I love, and gain new contracts that have helped me survive during these uncertain times.
Things may not always be easy, but as a leader, I’ve learned that it’s not meant to be easy. When you’re in an uncomfortable stage in your life, that’s when you’re becoming a genius. Continuing to do the same thing every day is easy and yes, you become an expert at it, but when you tackle new obstacles head-on, you unlock a new level to your journey.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Growth Public Relations – what should we know?
Growth Public Relations is a copywritng, marketing, and public relations firm for small businesses, non-profits, and entertainers. Growth Public Relations was built on a metamorphosis mindset. We take pride in finding the hidden gems and helping them flourish. When we begin working with a client, we consider them a caterpillar. When most people see a caterpillar on the ground, they’ll walk right past it, not paying it any attention. Little do they know this caterpillar has so much potential and is going through a crucial stage in its life. Before it makes the transition to become a beautiful butterfly, it’s exploring the world from the ground up. Once we discover our caterpillar’s perspective of GROWTH, we move into a chrysalis phase where we create a blueprint, implement a marketing plan, and begin rebranding. At this point, the caterpillar grows into its destiny.
After months of working together, that tiny caterpillar is now a beautiful butterfly, flying off into the sun. That’s what we produce at Growth Public Relations. We bring your story to life with words that paint a picture. We strategically assemble your brand from the ideas you’ve been pondering on. We build your presence within the community by creating lasting relationships. We prepare you to take the next steps from that caterpillar to the butterfly and flourish.
What sets us apart from other marketing firms is our genuine approach. The majority of the projects we’ve had the opportunity to work on have been given to us due to great referrals from past clients. We’re personable, honest, and down to earth people that want to see brands and people GROW.
My proudest moment is being able to see my company’s consistency throughout the years. I’ve had people tell me to change the name or the concept or the logo, but I always stayed true to what I believe in and it has blessed me abundantly. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some high profile people and I’ve been brought in on some really great projects. Seeing my clients continue to excel in their industries after working with us is always a great moment in my eyes.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The qualities or characteristics that have resulted in my success is my love for people and helping others. I grew up volunteering for charities and nonprofits so I’ve always had this place in my heart to help others. My ability to be personable with all types of people has allowed me to build lasting relationships and my warm yet bubbly personality helps my clients trust me with their brands. This mindset has resulted in our non-profit, The Fairytale Project, that sends students to prom!
I believe in working hard and I’m very driven. Results are everything to me so I push myself and my team to make sure our clients are receiving the best return on their investment. My organizational skills are definitely another quality that has lead to my success because after making minor mistakes at the beginning of my career, I understand the importance of not only being organized externally for clients but also internally to continue to grow the business. I get it done by any means necessary.
Pricing: For pricing options, please email Raven at growthpublicrelations@gmail.
Contact Info:
- Website: growthprfirm.com
- Phone: 773-876-3796
- Email: growthpublicrelations@
gmail.com - Instagram: @growthpr
Image Credit:
Delvin McCray
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