A year ago today, SolComms opened its doors. My partner in crime Isabella Morreale and I launched with a conviction that there’s a better way to do PR: authentic client services, smart media relations, creative campaigning, and fostering a culture of mentorship and empathy. And of course, a sprinkle of Latino and gay flair.
I had just spent a week in Colombia with one of my best friends James Germi, who hyped me up every step of the way. I was having back and forth calls with our first client, Ashley Tyrner of FarmboxRx, about why it was time to start my own agency. Today, she remains a client and close friend. The push from these individuals, along with Bella’s commitment, made this all possible. Bella is now one of the strongest healthcare publicists in the industry, and an incredible mentor. I’m so proud of her.
We quickly signed 12+ dream clients within month one. Some are truly core memories. We won Naturepedic in the living room of my tiny Williamsburg apartment. August, Apothékary™, Laudio, and Isla Beauty were signed at Soho House (our makeshift office).
They say it takes a village, and ours truly runs deep. We met our intern, Maddie Green, via LinkedIn. She’s still an employee, and will one day be the boss of all of us. Jimmy connected us with Tess Coward, who is a force in media relations. Along the way, we brought on the most talented, hardworking, and funnest people I know. Kylee Kaetzel is one of the best lifestyle publicists – watching her expand her skillset and build her division has been one of the greatest joys of my career. Elizabeth Snyder is a versatile media relations queen who rides for her teams and has a get shit done attitude – I wish I could bang out work as efficiently as Liz. Nicole Alonso came in here to expand our affiliate offering and improve how we train our team – and they love her. Natalie Valicenti has become our Operations magician – I wouldn’t function without her.
Our village also includes incredible partners. Ian Schatzberg & Tanner Graham of GENERAL IDEA. who gave us an office and allowed us to build from within. Seth Rosenstein, our CFO extraordinary, who has kept us focused financially. Lindsay Waiser & Gregg Brochin at Davis+Gilbert LLP, our legal counsel. Clients, partners and friends who have referred us to incredible new business prospects – Morgan Cheatham, Brigham Hyde, Shizu Okusa, Nadya O. + so many others
One year in, here are some of the highlights: We’re on track to hit $4M in revenue. Our agency has been recognized by a who’s who in PR – thank you Observer, Business Insider, PRWeek, and PRovoke Media for sharing what we’re building. We’re a team of 20, servicing 35 clients, across multiple industries. We beat big agencies in RFPs. We’ve produced some of the best campaigns, events, and press of our careers.
I’m often asked what does the next five years look like for SolComms? It’s hard to say. But if there’s any indication from our first year, we’re going up. Not going down.