PR Pros: Eric Fischgrund of FischTank PR On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro

An Interview With Kristen Shea

Keep a short memory and don’t get too high or low. This is just as true for life as it is public relations or anything professional. In this industry, it’s easy to have a big day/week/month and think you can coast on your results and momentum. If you do this, you’ll find out how quickly you can fall behind. After all, public relations is a results oriented business. Similarly, don’t get too bummed out when things don’t go your way — they can always change tomorrow. I’ve had campaigns that seem like a flop the day of the announcement result in ongoing media coverage for days, weeks and even years.

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 Eric Fischgrund.

Eric Fischgrund is the founder and CEO of FischTank PR, a communications and media relations firm specializing in cleantech PR, B2B tech PR, real estate PR and healthcare PR. Launched in 2013, FischTank PR is known for its results-oriented approach to working with clients spanning Fortune 100 and startup alike.

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?

Thank you so much. I was a Journalism major at Shippensburg University, and one of the few strengths I had as a student was my writing skills. Early on I had a couple of “side hustles” that included writing school papers for high school students found via Craigslist, brochure copy for small businesses, and other odd content jobs. Inadvertently this helped me start building a network early on that would become quite significant as I garnered more experience. I applied my writing strength to get a job at a Hackensack-based PR firm from 2008 to 2011, before going in-house at a real estate investment firm and its affiliated broker dealer. In December 2013, I started FischTank PR.

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

Most interesting is tough. I don’t know if this is most interesting but I do find it to be a moment that changed everything; something I recently wrote about here. In early 2014 I was only a few months into my entrepreneurial journey, and I was introduced to a securities attorney who made me an offer. I would do free PR for him and introduce him to some journalists he’d be a source for, and in return he would made introductions to his clients. I asked several people about what I should do and they all said, “hell no!”, “don’t work for free!”, “value your time and experience,” etc.

Instead, I said yes. I coordinated a quick media opportunity for the attorney, and he responded by making an introduction to a company who became a client for many years. This process repeated itself multiple times, and those introductions and new clients created networks of their own that reap benefits to FischTank to this day.

Moral of the story — listen to your gut. Your entrepreneurial journey is your own!

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?

So many mistakes that I don’t know where to begin! First, I took on some difficult clients who in hindsight were difficult and caused me stress. In the beginning it was easy to rationalize — I needed revenue and clients. As I progressed, I realized that many of these difficult or non-transparent companies were better off to be avoided early on, which would in turn save me time, stress, and money.

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

I really can’t go into client specifics, but we represent some of the most innovative companies at the forefront of making sustainable living an actual reality for residences and businesses. We’ve worked with a number of brands who have actual net zero properties in the market, which do two important things for the cleantech PR sector. First, it obviously makes those communities healthier. Second, it provides blueprints and proof points that can be replicated across the United States and the world. We have the technology to lead a much more sustainable lifestyle — it just requires cohesive efforts and the support of politicians and decision makers who need to put their constituents first, vs. their ego and bank account.

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?

First is probably empathy. This has taken me the longest amount of time to improve on, but the reality is that when you put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you can handle the difficult times without creating so much conflict, and you can empower your colleagues to do more by making it clear you’re in their court.

Second is leading by example. There are times when a campaign requires more work, challenges with clients arise, and other things occur that require someone to step in and act. I try to step in only when needed and not micromanage (too much), but my colleagues do seem to appreciate when I can make a difference. I think this works at any level; watching one of your colleagues, either senior or junior, put the time in and really care about the result seems to resonate and energize the entire team.

Third is definitely to have a short memory. In business and in life, you are going to have ups and downs. I try very hard not to get too high or too low, because events change in a heartbeat. One day you can do no wrong, the next you can’t figure out how to get started and make progress. I caution my colleagues that you cannot always control results, but you can control effort and positive attitude — both of which yield results if you stick with it.

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?

Tough to answer this question! First, I consider PR to be a component of marketing. A good marketing strategy requires reaching target audiences with specific messaging, and PR is a very good tool for that. Some consider PR to be about spin, damage control, or other negative events associated with crisis communications, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Objective-driven PR is most important. Some brands hire FischTank PR for to create inbound leads, cleanup online search results, engage investors or generate content for sales, and marketing initiatives. Each campaign is different!

Generally, our PR campaigns have three prongs of activity. One is to promote corporate news, announcements, and milestones in a way that best reflects the company. Two is to proactively provide insights and story ideas to journalists and target audiences about industry-impacting trends. Three is to speak to breaking news and issues, either with the media or via blogging, social content, etc. We call this last one trendjacking, and it’s a great way to generate media coverage that demonstrates expertise and capabilities.

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?

Degrees don’t mean much, experience does. I would say the most important school-influenced activity is writing. If you can demonstrate the ability to write well early on, you will have a leg up when it comes to finding a career in PR. That said, FischTank PR never looks at GPAs, colleges, or letters after a candidate’s name. We look for hunger and an appreciation for news.

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

My best tip is to connect with everyone you work with and meet with on LinkedIn. I’ve been doing this since 2007, and you’d be surprised at the amount of opportunities to network, collaborate, etc., that arise from someone I connected with long-ago. Cast a wide net!

Second, keep a document of your contacts — first name, last name, and email. You never know when you may need it. I used email marketing early on to inform my network about FischTank, and it yielded instant results.

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?

I don’t want to give away too many trade secrets here, but I will say that when you publish authentic, informative content — like blog posts, whitepapers, and graphics — to your website, good things happen. One, as long as the content is relevant to your trade, you’re likely to attract qualified leads. Two, increased quality site traffic typically impacts search ranking. Start writing and stick with it.

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. Keep a short memory and don’t get too high or low. This is just as true for life as it is public relations or anything professional. In this industry, it’s easy to have a big day/week/month and think you can coast on your results and momentum. If you do this, you’ll find out how quickly you can fall behind. After all, public relations is a results oriented business. Similarly, don’t get too bummed out when things don’t go your way — they can always change tomorrow. I’ve had campaigns that seem like a flop the day of the announcement result in ongoing media coverage for days, weeks and even years.
2. Write with voice and purpose. Too often students are taught the ins and outs of writing skills from a structural point of view. Now, grammar and spelling are important, but published content that isn’t clear, doesn’t inform or make a point, or is just plain boring — sucks. I’d much rather see a writer take chances and do good research then hear them opine about Oxford commas. Be assertive and clear in any style you prefer, but write it like you mean it. I’ve seen meaningful LinkedIn posts riddled with grammatical errors but generating tons of engagement because the author put their heart into it.
3. Learn how to manage up. I wish I had known more about this my first few years in the public relations business. Too often I viewed assignments as just that — something to check off. I often didn’t understand the context and purpose of each campaign, let alone the greater business situation. In hindsight, I should have asked more questions like “what can I do to help this campaign succeed?”, “what will the client expect if XYZ occurs?”, “explain to me why we’re doing it this way so I understand for next time?”, etc. Now, as I’ve transitioned to management over the years, I realize how valuable those junior colleagues are who ask those questions.
4. Learn to be a resource for reporters. Sometimes the most satisfying press coverage is the kind that results because of a media professional’s strong relationship with a journalist. For example, a cleantech PR firm like FischTank PR takes pride in its relationships with reporters covering renewable energy, sustainability, clean technologies and so much more. These relationships aren’t created solely by our client’s news itself, but because we actively engage them with story ideas and insights from clients. These insights are often used to inform and educate the journalist, referred to as background interviews, but don’t always result in immediate coverage. Being a resource means reporters are more likely to trust and reach out to you down the road when it’s most important. We’ve had clients who have met broadcast news producers to provide background, then years later have them reach out to do international segments.
5. Monitor the news where it breaks. All good PR practitioners know that journalists immediately look for new sources when news breaks. This makes monitoring on platforms like Twitter and Google Search very important. I suggest familiarizing yourself with the best way to search specific phrases within a specific amount of time, and always be prepared to look at most recent news vs. just trusting Google Alerts and results, or your Twitter feed. Advanced Search for Twitter is important to master, as is searching the past hour for “All Results” on Google. We’ve created opportunities for clients when certain legislation passes or is proposed, offering spokespersons as industry experts with insights to journalists within the first few hours of the news breaking. This method of “trendjacking,” as we call it, has generated significant media exposure.

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. :-)

It’s difficult for me to answer this without seeming preachy, but I think everyone should volunteer in their community or with a nonprofit. Walk dogs at a shelter, serve food at a homeless shelter, volunteer firefighting, etc. Anything. It gives you a great appreciation for others and their own unique trials, and it also inspires you in other areas of life. I think if everyone volunteered or donated and saw the impact, the world would be a much better and more emphatic place.

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