PR Pros: Kimberly M Starks Of Blue Scorpion Reputation Management On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro

An Interview With Kristen Shea

You must clearly define where they want to take your company. Unfortunately, some businesses only have a temporary idea and no strategy for expansion. Thus, it is crucial to envision where, how, and when you want your firm to expand. For instance, when I started my company, I knew I wanted to turn it into a powerful communications agency.

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 Kimberly M. Starks, APR.

Kimberly M. Starks, APR, is an experienced and well-respected public relations practitioner. She is currently founder and principal consultant of Blue Scorpion Reputation Management (BSRM), a PR firm specializing in the areas of video gaming, agribusiness, pet health and wellness, and government contracting.

Prior to the pandemic, she also was co-founder and CEO of Immense DC, an esports consultancy serving corporate brands on their pathway to new and emerging technology that included Reebok, Puma and Foot Locker.

Now, in addition to BSRM, Kimberly is the managing partner of The Athena Alliance, an all-female esports team with members located in the Carolinas, Illinois and Texas.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Kimberly served as a reporter, editor and interim bureau chief for the Marietta Daily Journal and government reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. She has also freelanced for the Savannah Morning News and Patch.com. Kimberly’s skills have enabled her to work under the tutelage of seasoned journalists at The New York Times and, most recently, serve as a spokeswoman for the Georgia Lottery Corp.

A pedigreed professional, Kimberly studied anthropology at the University of Ghana-Legon in Ghana, Africa; holds a Bachelor of Arts in print journalism, mass communications from Savannah State University; and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Additionally, she earned her APR accreditation in public relations through the Universal Accreditation Board on behalf of the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), where she also holds a certificate specializing in reputation management.

Kimberly is a board member of the Georgia Game Developers Association and Positive Growth Inc., a residential care program for young men, located in metro Atlanta.

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?

I considered attending college in Chicago but decided it was out of my financial reach. So I decided to train as a cosmetologist instead. However, one of my high school counselors at North Atlanta High School had a different perspective. I was the youngster who had to take the bus across town to attend the Performing Arts Magnet School program. Despite not being the best performer, I was skilled at creating plays. So the counselor contacted Savannah State University to enroll me as a student to pursue a degree in mass communications, thus two weeks before graduation. I wanted to be a news reporter, like Monica Kaufman, a local TV personality, when I was a teen.

I met USA Today Executive Editor Wanda Lloyd, whom I met while on vacation in Savannah during my second year of college. She insisted that I started as a print reporter and complimented me on my writing. Wanda remains my mentor today.

While still in college, I began working as a freelancer for the Savannah Morning News for two years before being accepted into The New York Times’ professional development program. At the same time, I was employed as an intern by the Chattanooga Times Free-Press and received my degree from Savannah State. After spending two years in Tennessee, I obtained a county government reporting post at the Marietta Daily Journal, a publication on the outskirts of Atlanta. I served as the temporary editor of one of their weekly newspapers before taking on the Georgia Lottery Corp. spokeswoman role.

I founded Blue Scorpion Reputation Management; a specialized communications company focused on the video gaming and agricultural industries, ten years into my public relations career. We offer public relations, marketing, digital marketing and advertising, specializing in market research, reputation management, and crisis communication services. In addition, we are government contractors who provide corporations with our consulting services.

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

As part of Blue Scorpion’s corporate social responsibility, we must mentor and teach the upcoming generation of communicators. I had the good fortune to hire students from Howard, Savannah State, and Clark Atlanta universities — three historically black universities (HBCUs) — as associates for the business not long after launching the company and quitting my full-time job. I flew those interns from Savannah State and Clark Atlanta to attend the Howard University commencement in Washington, DC, in the spring of 2018. Among HBCUs, Howard University is regarded as pivotal to visit. We also saw the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue and went on a city tour. Although it may not seem like it, the experience was just as big of a deal for them as it was for me because that was the first time I felt free as a businesswoman. I allowed the students to see and experience something they otherwise would not have had the opportunity of experiencing.

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

Conducting a census of urban farms in the 10-county metro Atlanta area for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is one of the fascinating projects we are working on right now. Atlanta has seen a remarkable increase in the number of new farms. As a result, we intend to conduct more research to examine other Georgian metropolises.

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?

A leader must express deep remorse when someone commits a sincere error. Since you are in charge of another company’s brand, PR may be an intense career. Therefore, it is crucial to realize that we are fallible. Anyone is capable of making mistakes. Additionally, it’s essential to avoid being a heartless leader. The PR sector can be chilly; working alone is more accessible nowadays. You, your client, and your employees must be involved to lead well in PR. As a leader, you don’t want others around you to think you don’t have their best interests in mind. A great leader must also adapt to their followers and workforce. Events and concerns ranging from personal to professional frequently occur. Therefore, the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances is essential.

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?

Yes! Reputation management ensures clients work with a company like ours to prevent issues that may negatively impact them. These issues usually have both internal and external components. For example, a public relations practitioner can defuse a situation in a crisis. Therefore, it covers the entire crisis communication life cycle. On the other hand, media relations provide clients with the tools they need to continue being relevant to their target audiences while utilizing audio, video, photography, and various techniques to increase brand awareness.

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 believe a young person should start their education with a degree in journalism first. The fact that I started as a journalist may make me more biased, but it also taught me how to write clearly and succinctly. In addition, my experience in journalism has helped me manage my clients. On the other hand, a communications degree is terrific because you learn bits and pieces of writing, audio, and video. Therefore, if young people wish to develop their writing abilities, they should start with journalism before moving on to public relations.

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

Certainly! Getting out of your comfort zone and interacting with new people is necessary for effective networking. You should elicit information about the person during the chat to help them feel at ease. Your body language needs to be warm and comforting. Additionally, it would be beneficial if you focused on the present time while networking. If the topic of the conversation doesn’t interest you, you may mentally wander off, but it’s important to keep listening and giving the other person’s comments the attention they deserve.

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 suggest that inexperienced PR professionals consider using social media and podcasts. Our multimedia platform, BlueScorpionRM, consists of our weekly Facebook Live Q&A sessions and our podcast, which has proven to be our most successful tactic for generating quality leads. Our listeners typically ask questions about our speakers and the firm when they do. Sometimes, someone will also suggest someone they know to us.

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.

To run your practice, every public relations professional needs a fantastic method. First, you must clearly define where they want to take your company. Unfortunately, some businesses only have a temporary idea and no strategy for expansion. Thus, it is crucial to envision where, how, and when you want your firm to expand. For instance, when I started my company, I knew I wanted to turn it into a powerful communications agency.

Next, PR professionals should be aware of their financial situation. By being aware of your funds, you can prevent business issues. For example, participating in several business cohorts gave me the financial literacy I needed to expand my company.

Then, newly-formed consultancies should invest in a strong team that helps your company. A strong team guarantees that the business thrives. For instance, my team knows that as Blue Scorpion expands, so do they.

New business owners might also consider spending money on continuing education and certification classes. It was challenging to achieve accreditation status, yet it distinguished my credentials. I encourage all public relations professionals to consider earning their accreditation from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

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. :-)

In my opinion, creating a positive learning atmosphere for college and high school students is crucial. Unfortunately, internships are difficult to come by and are very selective. I hope to spur forth a movement of empathy for aspiring PR specialists. How do you tell if someone is imperfect around the edges yet has the potential to improve your company? In terms of corporate responsibility, our goal is to serve as that guiding force for our associates and present them with as many PR opportunities as feasible. In turn, I hope our associates adopt the same mentality and open doors for fresh PR specialists later in their careers.

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