PRessing On: Real Life in Public Relations

Listen in to the audible audio book for Chapter 14, "Looks like we made it" from the book, A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own PR Firm. Listen to this chapter narrated by Liselle DeGrave, from DeGrave Communications, as she shares insights to what success truly looks like!  For more information on the book, A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own PR Firm, or to purchase a copy visit ⁠PressingOnPodcast.com/prbook⁠..

Curious how, A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own PR Firm: No nonsense, simple ways to get started today was written? Have you dreamed about writing your own book? In this episode, we delve into the step-by-step process of writing and publishing your own book across three platforms: kindle, paperback, and audible. Whether you're an aspiring author or a seasoned writer looking to expand your reach, this guide offers practical insights and tips to help you navigate the publishing world. To learn more or purchase a copy of A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own Public visit PressingOnPodcast.com RMGComm.com DeGravePR.com

Make an intentional effort to kick off June with a summertime state of mind. Whether you work in an office or have more of a flexible work schedule, don't get caught in a rut of your usual routine. Join Rachel and Liselle as they share tips for maximizing a Summertime State of Mind.

As public relations practitioners recognizing the value and how-to of public opinion research, understanding the data, and identifying the majority opinions, not just the loudest in the room is the key to strategic success. Adam Probolsky from Probolsky Research is a public opinion researcher with thirty years of experience with local government, nonprofit, corporate, association, and campaign clients. He shares his insights on what every communicator needs to know before a campaign even begins! GUEST: Adam Probolsky, President of Probolsky Research Adam has acted as pollster and strategic advisor on hundreds of successful crisis communications and public affairs projects, local, county and statewide initiatives and candidate campaigns as well as citizen outreach and education efforts. Additionally, Adam has been a key advisor to the firm’s clients on matters of public policy, legislation and business strategy. Adam was both a planning and finance commissioner for the City of Irvine where he oversaw and approved billions of dollars in private development and public infrastructure projects. As a past chairman of the Irvine Valley College Foundation, he has overseen the fundraising and the award of hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to students and funding for college police. He was also a member of the Orange County Waste & Recycling Commission where he oversaw landfills, recycling programs, waste hauling companies and power generating facilities. As a member of the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Environmental Mitigation and Oversight Committee, he oversaw the expenditure of over $175 million dollars in public transportation funds. He previously served as a board member and development committee chairman for Jewish Family Service of Orange County, a non-profit organization that serves families in need, and volunteered for nearly eight years with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department as a spokesperson. Adam formerly served as a member of the Policy Committee on Energy and the Environment of the United States Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Probolsky’s research and commentary has been published in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, Riverside Press Enterprise, The Chicago Sun Times, the Orange County Register and Politico and the San Francisco Chronicle. Adam earned his master’s degree in data analytics and visualization from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore Maryland, a historic urban college founded in 1826. FIND ADAM ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Insta: @probolskyresearch Facebook: facebook.com/ProbolskyRsrch LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adamprobolsky linkedin.com/company/probolsky-research-llc WEBSITE: probolskyresearch.com

Side note as promised: To learn more about mountain lion P22: savelacougars.org/a-eulogy-for-p-22-a-mountain-lion-who-changed-the-world/ Tackling Branding in a Cost-effective Way Branding or rebranding an organization may seem overwhelming and cost-prohibitive, but the truth is it doesn’t have to be. Working with countless clients, including nonprofits and public-sector agencies, we have discovered that surprisingly many clients do not have formal brand guides or vectorized logos and are simply “winging it.” Due to lack of internal resources or even management support, branding can oftentimes be a low priority. The good news is, we have some tips to tackle branding in a cost-effective way. Learn more: PRessingOnPodcast.com Insta: @pressingoninpr @DeGravePR @RMG.Communications Visit us: degravepr.com rmgcomm.com

TUNING INTO YOUR COMMUNITY: HOW TO START A GOVERNMENT PODCAST AND REASONS WHY YOUR CITY, COUNTY, WATER DISTRICT OR OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY NEEDS A PODCAST Podcasts are more popular than ever, attracting more than 100 million monthly listeners. Is your local government agency tapping into the power of the pod to share important information about projects, programs, initiatives and community partnerships? Creating a podcast for your agency may sound like a huge lift that requires a lot of time and resources, but it doesn’t have to be. Not only have we created our own nationally recognized, award-winning PRessing On in Public Relations podcast, but also we have helped our public-sector clients create video and audio podcasts. From branding to recording and distributing to promoting, we’ve done it all, and we’re happy to share insider tips with you on how to get your agency’s podcast off the ground. Learn more: PRessingOnPodcast.com Insta: @pressingoninpr @DeGravePR @RMG.Communications Visit us: degravepr.com rmgcomm.com

Last year was a success for the podcast; the PRessing On in Public Relations podcast is now award-winning! Navigating a career during 2020 could have been a challenge, but hosts Rachel McGuire and Liselle DeGrave share insights on lessons learned. Business continued to move forward. Adapting, staying relevant and a maintaining a positive attitude kept a momentum that led into 2021 with gusto. Refining processes, rebranding, polishing personal branding, maintaining personal connections and letting go to make space for fresh beginnings are take aways from Season 2: Episode 1.

Globally, 80% of discarded textiles/clothing are doomed for the landfill or incineration. Only 20% are actually reused or recycled. We all enjoy having nice things, it’s fun to buy the newest shiny object – or handbag, but is it part of a sustainable work wardrobe? Do you really need it? Join us as we share tips and tricks for creating and maintaining a sustainable work wardrobe.

People engage with brands – not forms. Gathering research to develop public relations and outreach campaigns ensures an effective campaign. As people’s attention spans shorten in the era of swiping left, learn how to make surveys and public input gathering fun and meaningful through interactive elements that will engage your audience. Matthew Salisbury is the Founder and CEO of ntropy, a market research and customer experience platform used by government and businesses to collect, analyze and act on feedback. Prior to founding ntropy, Matthew held leadership positions at Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the UK, Australia and the USA as well as Hitachi, where he served in various roles focused on building and enabling smart solutions for cities and downtown areas. GUEST: Matt Salisbury SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES: ntropy LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/ntropydatainc Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-salisbury/ WEBSITE: ntropydata.com

As a public relations professional, you may have given some thought to maintaining your full-time communications job as well as launching a passion project. Hear how Robin successfully balanced her PR day job while writing and publishing a book. GUEST: Robin Rockey, APR, Communications Manager for the City of San Marcos and author of 100 Things to Do In Orange County Before you Die As an award-winning communications leader, Robin brings more than 16 years of diverse experience in public information, journalism, internal communications, and digital media management to her role as the City of San Marcos’ communication manager. In 2019, Robin also published her first book: 100 Things to Do In Orange County Before You Die, which has been featured on KTLA and KDOC as well as several publications throughout the California. She caught the So Cal travel-writing bug while on staff at California travel-and-lifestyle bible Westways magazine where she ran the popular Go Southern California Instagram and Twitter accounts. Additionally, she has freelanced for publications including Sunset and TravelAge West. Robin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Northern Illinois University, Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), and certificates in public information, advanced social media strategy and digital marketing. She represents the California Association of Public Information Officials on the Universal Accreditation Board, which oversees the APR credential, and has previously served on the Board of Directors at the Public Relations Society of America’s Orange County chapter. FIND ROBIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Insta: @orangecounty_100 Facebook: @robinarockey Linkedin: @robinarockey WEBSITE: RobinRockey.com

Podcasters, Rachel and Liselle, share true and somewhat embarrassing stories of their personal experiences as interns many moons ago. Their lessons-learned are mentoring moments for others starting their careers. In celebration of National Mentoring Month, the PRessing On podcast celebrates the learning curve that takes place for everyone starting their career. This podcast episode was featured on Good Morning San Diego. www.PRessingOnPodcast.com Insta: @PRessingOnInPR RMG Communications www.RMGComm.com DeGrave Communications wwww.DeGravePR.com

Thinking about starting your own business, but don't know where to begin? Rachel and Liselle share about how they started on their own business journeys in public relations. In Part 2: these two dynamos share some additional simple steps to get you started! PRessingOnPocast.com insta: @PRessingOnInPR RMGComm.com DeGravePR.com

Thinking about starting your own business, but don't know where to begin? Rachel and Liselle share about how they started on their own business journeys in public relations. In Part 1: these two dynamos share simple steps to get you started! PRessingOnPocast.com insta: @PRessingOnInPR RMGComm.com DeGravePR.com

How to collaborate with the competition. On our first episode of PRessing On: Real Life in Public Relations, we discuss our career paths that led us to become entrepreneurs as well as how we work with the collab-etition. Our Journeys We’ve known each other for nearly 10 years after we met working in public-sector communications for a government agency in Southern California. Being just three months apart in age and holding very similar values and work ethics, we hit it off immediately. Liselle’s journey to owning her own business started more than 15 years ago when she started DeGrave Communications, Inc as a side hustle. Since then, she also worked for an international public relations firm and for two government agencies. In 2015, she decided to pursue her business full-time and now has a thriving award-winning public relations agency focusing on government clients. Conversely, Rachel has always worked in government from even before she graduated from college. She really enjoyed working in government but always knew that there was something more that she was supposed to do and in 2018, she decided to hang her own shingle and start RMG Communications. Not even a year later, her business continues to grow and flourish. Collaborating with the Competition Otherwise known as collaborating with the competition, this concept offers the opportunity to work with others doing similar work as you to help grow and scale your business. Top Tips 1. Proceed with Caution: Be Selective on Who You Partner With Are the values and work approach of the person or business you have been approached by in line with you work ethics and values? If not, it is ok to say no. 2. Set the Ground Rules Up Front Nothing ruins a business relationship or friendship faster than business/money issues. Make sure you have a contract up front and decide how to handle finances. Also, decide what projects you want to collaborate on up front. You will need to decide which agency/person will be the project lead. Not every project is going to be a fit for this work model. 3. Maintain Open Communication Communication with the team you are working with and your clients is key. Let your clients know who they will be working with and what role that person will be taking on so nothing falls through the cracks. 4. Have Fun Don’t forget to have fun. Business should excite you – not leave you feeling drained and uninspired. Be sure to authentically share your journey on social media. And remember: Teamwork makes the dream work! You can accomplish more together than on your own. Follow us: PRessingOnPodcast.com insta @pressingoninpr Visit us: degravepr.com rmgcomm.com

Join us for a PRessing On in Public Relations conversation with Jennifer Kaplan, Founder of Evolve PR & Marketing, Arizona’s largest PR firm. Since launching the agency in 2010, she has led Evolve’s growth from a small, client-focused team into a powerhouse of 27 full-time publicists serving more than 100 clients across local and national markets. A proud Phoenix native and Arizona State University alumna, Jennifer’s deep Valley roots and relationship-driven approach have helped her build lasting partnerships and elevate brands across industries. Her leadership and impact have earned her numerous honors, including the Inaugural Hugh Downs School of Human Communication Alumni of the Year Award, Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, AZ Business Magazine’s Most Influential Women in Arizona Business, Ranking Arizona #1 PR Agency, AZ Big Media's Most Admired Companies and PR News’ 2025 Top Women in PR and People of the Year. Outside the office, Jennifer enjoys time with her family, giving back to the community, and finding balance on her yoga mat. She’s always cheering on the Sun Devils—forks up!  Tune in for real stories, practical advice, and a dose of PR inspiration. Like, share, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! ----------------------------------------------------------------- To track down Jennifer visit: https://www.linkedin.com/company/evolveprandmarketing https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-kaplan-b331948/ https://evolveprandmarketing.com/  https://www.facebook.com/EvolvePRandMarketing/ https://www.instagram.com/evolveprandmarketing/   For more information on the PRessing On podcast visit ⁠⁠⁠PressingOnPodcast.com⁠ RMGComm.com DeGravePR.com

Join us for a PRessing On in Public Relations conversation with the Founder and CEO of Featured, a platform that connects subject-matter experts with top publishers to create ready-to-publish Q&A content. Featured hosts more than 50,000 experts whose insights are published across 1,000+ media outlets, including Fast Company and Entrepreneur.com. In 2025, Brett led Featured’s acquisition and revival of Help a Reporter Out (HARO), modernizing one of the most iconic brands in media sourcing. Previously, Brett founded Markitors, a digital marketing agency for small businesses that he successfully scaled and sold after 10 years. His earlier venture, Pursue the Passion, was a national interview tour designed to inspire career education through storytelling. Beyond entrepreneurship, Brett has collaborated with Hugh Jackman on a charitable coffee initiative, delivered more than 100 keynote speeches, and written for publications such as Forbes, SHRM, and TIME. He is passionate about democratizing access to media opportunities and building the “expert economy.” Tune in for real stories, practical advice, and a dose of PR inspiration. Like, share, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! ------------------------------------------------------------------ To track down Brett, visit: https://linkedin.com/company/featureddotcom  https://x.com/featureddotcom  linkedin.com/showcase/help-a-reporter-haro/ https://x.com/helpareporter  https://linkedin.com/in/brettfarmiloe  https://helpareporter.com  https://featured.com   For more information on the PRessing On podcast visit ⁠⁠⁠PressingOnPodcast.com⁠ RMGComm.com DeGravePR.com  

What does it take to become an award-winning PR pro? In this episode of PRessing On in Public Relations, Rachel and Liselle pull back the curtain on how to elevate your brand, boost your credibility, and bring home the gold—whether you're a solo strategist or leading a full team. From myth-busting and budgeting tips to crafting a killer awards calendar and navigating rejection, this episode is packed with practical advice, hard-won lessons, and real-life stories from the frontlines of award season. You’ll walk away with the confidence and tools to nominate yourself, your team, or your project—and actually win. Because recognition isn’t just nice—it’s strategic.

Join us for a PRessing On in Public Relations episode that you are sure to enjoy! Whether you are a seasoned professional or straight out of college, Confessions of a PR Intern 2.0 is an absolute must-listen!    Confessions of a PR Intern was first recorded in 2020 and turned out to be the most listened to episode for the podcast! In this episode, Confessions of a PR Intern 2.0, Rachel and Liselle invited some of their PR friends who have been in the field for many years to reminisce on their early career days where they share lessons learned from the 1900s.   To listen to the OG, Confessions of a PR Intern visit PressingOnPodcast.com⁠ _______________________________________________________ To connect with Liselle and Rachel, track them down at: Instagram: @RMG.Communications and @DeGravePR LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/liselle-degrave/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachdickman/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠PressingOnPodcast.com⁠ RMGComm.com DeGravePR.com  

Join us for a PRessing On in Public Relations conversation on Acing the APR! Thinking about pursuing your APR but feeling overwhelmed? Not sure where to start—or how to stay on track? If you’re nodding yes, this episode is made for you. Rachel and Liselle have been through the APR process themselves, and they’re sharing the tips they wish they had when they started. From building your Readiness Review panel to tackling the exam with confidence, the PRessing On hosts break down what it really takes to earn your Accreditation in Public Relations. Whether you're just starting to explore the credential or you’re knee-deep in study guides, you'll get honest insights, time-saving strategies, and encouragement to keep going. Ready to boost your career and join the ranks of accredited PR pros? Grab your study plan and press play. To learn more about earning your APR: www.praccreditation.org/apply/apr/ https://www.capio.org/apr _______________________________________________________ To connect with Liselle and Rachel, track them down at: Instagram: @RMG.Communications and @DeGravePR LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/liselle-degrave/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachdickman/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠PressingOnPodcast.com⁠ RMGComm.com DeGravePR.com

Join us for a PRessing On in Public Relations conversation on consulting with expert Michael Zipursky. In this episode, Michael shares his journey to building a successful consulting business, unpacking the challenges, strategies, and mindset shifts that paved the way. From overcoming hurdles to crafting a powerful brand, he reveals actionable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs. Plus, Michael offers a refreshing take on success—think freedom and fulfillment over flashy excess—and tips to help clients live a life they love. Tune in for real stories, practical advice, and a dose of PR inspiration. Like, share, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! ------------------------------------------------------------------ To track down Michael, visit www.consultingsuccess.com, or find him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/zipursky/   For more information visit ⁠⁠⁠PressingOnPodcast.com⁠ RMGComm.com DeGravePR.com