PR Pros: Danelle Schlegelmilch Of Passport Public Relations On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro

An Interview With Kristen Shea

Integrity: When you are working to represent a client’s mission and reputation- your reputation matters too. It’s like the great British writer C. S. Lewis said, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”

Have you seen the show Flack? Ever think of pursuing a real-life career in PR? What does it take to succeed in PR? What are the different forms of Public Relations? Do you have to have a college degree in PR? How can you create a highly lucrative career in PR? In this interview series, called “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro” we are talking to successful publicists and Public Relations pros, who can share stories and insights from their experiences.

As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Danelle Schlegelmilch.

Danelle Schlegelmilch founded Passport Public Relations in 2017 after 14 years in the industry at ad agencies, nonprofits, small businesses, corporations, and various freelance gigs. She has represented clients in many industries like tech, cosmetics, financial, entertainment, tourism, medical, faith-based, real estate, fashion, humanitarian, and vintage festivals. From Fortune 500’s to nonprofits, start-ups, and viral sensations, Danelle has experience across the board and across the globe pitching and securing top-tier media coverage.

Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

It’s not your typical career path story, I kind of fell into public relations when I was 17. In my senior year of high school, I was part of a four-student team that received a $100,000 anti-tobacco grant to educate our community on the effects of tobacco use. I was the self-appointed PR person on the grant and ended up teaching myself how to write press releases along with radio and tv commercials- all with some help from Google. I also planned and hosted a series of anti-tobacco rallies at elementary, middle, and high schools. That experience really gave me a taste of what a career in PR was like, and I was hooked.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?

Wow, choosing just one story is not easy- but I will go with the story of how I helped my friends launch Storybook Cosmetics. We went from an idea and mock-up for a magic wand-shaped makeup brush to a viral indie makeup company overnight. I was coordinating media interviews from all over the world with all of the top beauty and lifestyle media like Glamor, Vogue, Popsugar, Buzzfeed, and Good Morning America- it was a wild ride. We went on to secure licensing with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mean Girls, and the Hunger Games to do some really cool collaborations as well as being sold at Ulta.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

This story wasn’t funny when it happened, but I did learn a lesson. When I was somewhat fresh out of college and working at my first full-time PR job as the communications director of our regional American Red Cross chapter, I filmed an interview with a local news channel about storm safety. It went really well, but when the package came out, the reporter had turned the story into a piece about differing opinions from local emergency preparedness groups. So, it turned into a Red Cross vs. National Weather Service- who was right and who was wrong kind of thing. I felt blindsided. I have since learned that I need to ask more questions about the angle of the story when reporters call out of the blue and follow up if I have a gut feeling something is off. Always trust your gut in this business.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

What I love about my business is that every day is usually something fun and exciting. I have so many cool things going on right now, but to share a few examples, I’m working on the PR and advertising for the vintage festival Junkstock that is coming up this fall. I helped start the event back in 2012, and we have grown the event to be nationally recognized as one of the best festivals in the United States. I am also currently helping a client who is a candy scientist and owns a candy development and manufacturing company called Sprinkk to share her story through PR outreach. If you would have told high school me that some of my clients would be a vintage festival and a candy company, I wouldn’t believe you. It is so fun to support these women-owned businesses!

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Great question, I would say the top three-character traits that have made me successful in PR are my integrity, drive, and creativity. While some public relations pros may have gotten a bad rap for being “spin-doctors” and spinning the truth, I really pride myself on being honest and holding myself to a higher standard. Without integrity, we lose trust and candor, and both are very important to me.

Being driven has also been very important in becoming successful in this business. It’s not easy work somedays, especially in times of crisis, but being driven to support a mission and succeed for not only your client but for yourself, will keep you going. When I was a national spokesperson for the American Red Cross and working long days at a Red Cross shelter in the wake of the 2011 Tuscaloosa tornado, it was helping those who lost everything that fueled me. With every media interview, I coordinated with both national and international media, I was helping raise money to support those in need, which drove me to do more.

Creativity and curiosity have also been great tools in my toolkit. I can think outside the box and come up with fresh ideas that get people’s attention. When trying to attract media attention to an annual Easter event hosted at a big arena, I came up with the idea of hosting free pop-up farmers’ markets to give away 4 tons of free produce. That sure got a lot of people, including the media, curious about who was behind these free events. When they came to the pop-up events, everyone was then invited to join us for Easter at the arena. It was a win-win, feeding the community and inviting people to hear the greatest story ever told.

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. For the benefit of our readers, can you help articulate what the different forms of PR are?

Public relations really can be a lot of different things these days. The first thing most people think of is media relations or publicity. Helping to secure client’s stories with the media on TV, radio, podcasts, print outlets, etc. But there really is so much more a good PR pro does for their client other than earned media. I follow the integrated PESO Model for my business. What I love about the PESO model is it takes the four media types — paid, earned, shared, and owned — and combines them together to make your messages work smarter, not harder. So, I will pitch media stories as part of a PR strategy that combines that with other tactics like paid advertising (traditional and online), sponsored content, email marketing, partnerships, blogs, contributor opportunities, influencers programs, special events, awards nominations, etc. to establish authority and add credibility for my clients.

Where should a young person considering a career in PR start their education? Should they get a degree in communications? A degree in journalism? Can you explain what you mean?

I think a degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or advertising is great to get you the building blocks you need to succeed. I have a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with an emphasis in PR and advertising and a minor in speech communications from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Earning this degree benefited me not only because I learned the skills I needed to write stories and pitch them to reporters, but I also connected with fellow journalism students. And it was these connections in the newsrooms that helped me to get stories placed in my early days of PR. I also really recommend internships or volunteering in the type of agencies or businesses that you want to work in. These hands-on experiences and networking opportunities are worth their weight in gold. I love to mentor and teach interns and have had over 40 interns I have supported in my career at various companies over the years.

You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?

Like I just was telling you about- you just never know where you will meet people that you will work with down the road. My advice is to be kind to everyone and make connections with as many people as you can. It is a small world, and when your business is reputation building, you are your own spokesperson. While networking groups, professional groups, and networking events are great, I think COVID-19 taught us to network where we are. It has also taught us to value all facetime with people in real life or online.

Lead generation is one of the most important aspects of any business. Can you share some of the strategies you use to generate good, qualified leads?

Word-of-mouth referrals are really my most qualified leads. When I am looking to onboard new clients or more projects- reaching out to my network has served me very well over the years. It’s amazing how when you’re generous with your support and referrals to others, they come back tenfold.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro” and why.

1. Persistence: Public relations really is a long game of building and nurturing relationships. You can’t quit when you don’t hear back on a pitch that you poured your heart into. You just have to be creative about another way to break through the noise and get your story noticed.

2. Creativity: I am all about thinking of things in a new way. How can we make a splash in a meaningful or funky way that will get people’s attention? Be curious and never stop learning new skills to push the envelope.

3. Positivity: PR is not all rainbows and unicorns. You can plan the best launch event, and then breaking news or pandemic news cycles interrupts your world. It’s all about being positive and staying flexible. I find that if you’re able to keep a good positive outlook, then people are more willing to be accommodating to help you in the future.

4. Strategy: It’s all about having a plan with proven tactics, but then also not being afraid to scrap the plan if it’s not working. Actually, having a plan B should always be part of your strategy. Being nimble, a stellar listener and observer, and having great attention to detail can get you far in PR.

5. Integrity: When you are working to represent a client’s mission and reputation- your reputation matters too. It’s like the great British writer C. S. Lewis said, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”

Because of the role you play, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would love to inspire a movement of female business owners who support each other and normalize work/life balance and the healthy boundaries it takes to combat burnout. I would love to see fellow recovering workaholics encouraging those burnt out to take that vacation time and prioritize their own mental health over bottom lines or ROIs.

This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.