PR Pros: Marley Lumbard of Qulture Media On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro
An Interview With Michelle Tennant Nicholson
Strong people skills. PR requires a lot of talking, communicating, putting out fires, and just overall networking. You have to know how to write, speak, and create relationships, or you’re going to really struggle in the industry. The better the relationships you can create, with both clients and reporters, the better results you’ll get.
As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Marley Lumbard.
Owner and executive director of Qulture Media, Marley Lumbard is an experienced communications and public relations professional with a diverse background in media, entertainment, and hospitality. Since 2013, she has worked in live music production, management, and journalism, developed and managed several brands, worked in celebrity PR, and produced events ranging from large-scale music festivals to intimate retreats. After working with one of the top PR firms in the country, Marley’s focus has shifted to supporting unique and purpose-driven brands in developing their media presence and attaining authentic recognition. Marley has handled PR for clients from a number of different backgrounds including musicians, TV producers, politicians, podcasters, reality TV stars, beauty entrepreneurs, and educators.
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?
Honestly, my story was never linear, but I’ve always chased the dream of being able to combine everything I love to do into one thing.
While my life as a working person started in restaurants and bars, my dream was to be a photojournalist and write about music. I took up English as a major in college and started writing for a small music magazine in Boulder, Colorado. I reviewed concerts and festivals, and occasionally interviewed bands about their stories. Slowly though, I stopped writing and started physically working in live music production. I stage managed, learned about audio and light design, did hospitality for the artists, and really went all in with the industry. I absolutely loved bringing concerts to life, having a community of incredibly creative people, and working such a high-energy job.
After a few years, though, I started studying natural health. Looking back, I think it was a subconscious need to balance out my 4 am loadouts at the venue with something that felt more “wholesome.” The late nights were getting to me and as much as I loved it, I was hungry for more, and for something different.
I dove into being a health coach for a short time and ultimately started using my knowledge of herbal medicine to start a business of making products. Something was missing though. And after a lot of reflection and deeply missing working in music, it was clear–I’m a people person and I thrive in high-energy environments. But this realization sort of felt like I was back at square one. I’d tried a lot of different things that I loved but I also knew they weren’t things I wanted to do long-term. I wasn’t sure what my next step should be.
Come 2020, and like many of us, I had a lot of time to spend thinking about what type of life I wanted to live and what was going to give me a sense of fulfillment and purpose. So, as I’m looking for jobs that I could do remotely, I found a PR internship with a firm that worked with rappers, musicians, actors, and authors. I jumped at the opportunity because suddenly I found this thing that had the potential to put everything I liked into one package. I got to use my experience as a writer, network with creators, grow professionally, and learn so many new things. It was the first time I ever had a job where I knew on some level, I’d be doing this for a long time.
After the internship, I got a job with a quickly growing PR firm and started working with clients of all niches and sizes. I started landing clients in Forbes, Fast Company, POPSUGAR, Today, and several other top-tier publications that get a PR pro excited. The more I learned, the more I felt like I wanted to expand my PR experience beyond just getting clients’ media placements. I imagined PR as something that should be hands-on. I wanted to work events and travel with clients, but I didn’t necessarily know what that looked like.
After a year with the PR firm, I left to work with an amazing creative that got me even more excited about my future in PR. We talked about long-term goals that included creating a TV show, hosting big philanthropic events, and a lot of travel. Kind of a dream come true to have someone to spit ideas like that with. As I worked with her, things evolved quickly and eventually, I realized I was ready to start my own company. If PR was really going to continue to be my career and I wanted to expand on what I was doing while curating my life, creating my own entity made sense. Qulture was born from that space and has quickly grown from its beginnings.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your company?
We’re still new, but truly what I’ve found the most interesting is how life works when you start doing what you’re called to do. Since I started Qulture, my biggest stress has been keeping up with the workload and delivering the results I expect for my clients. I’ve had several people ask to start working with me, some I’ve had to turn down because my workload was already too high. It’s such a blessing to be in this position and I definitely don’t take it for granted.
I honestly think when you find your calling, things just start to align for you. While I may be working through growing pains and navigating a quickly evolving business, I do feel like I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
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?
Oh lord! There have been so many mistakes. I made so many rookie PR mistakes in the beginning. We heavily used pitching software at the PR firm I worked at prior and it’s really easy to make mistakes using it. I remember one time, I spent so much time curating a list for a pitch–hours–and when I finally sent it out, I spelled my own email wrong in the ‘reply to’ box… so even if reporters responded back, I’d NEVER get their email. I almost cried. I ran to my Senior and asked what I should do. At the end of it all, I resent the pitch with the correct return email and apologized to everyone on my list. It’s safe to say no one ever emailed me back. And I’m sure half of them blocked me.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
My exciting projects are usually based around what my clients are up to. They’re all doing such amazing work and I’m grateful they’ve chosen me to be a part of bringing their ideas to life. Some of them are working on films, others on podcasts, some are changing our government one election at a time, and others are role models in business leadership. It’s exciting to be able to support so many different things at once. Outside of that, I have some things planned for Qulture that we’ll probably see come to life in the next year. Stay tuned!
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?
Authenticity. You’ve heard it before, but people can tell when you’re not being authentic. I don’t really know how to be anyone other than myself–seriously, I’m a horrible actor and even worse liar–but it’s allowed me to connect with clients on a level beyond just being their PR.
Commitment to Growth. I have high expectations of myself and the results I deliver to my clients. I honestly think it’s more stressful to me than it is for them when I’m not hitting the placements I want. But because I aspire to be better all the time, it’s given me an edge over other people. I invest in my professional growth by joining PR groups, networking, and learning from successful veterans in the space which allows me to continue to absorb new information. I also focus on my personal growth, which is deeply connected with our professional identities. My best days of work are filled with some kind of physical activity, meditation, and time outside. When I don’t prioritize these things, work starts to become overwhelming, and I just can’t produce the quality I’m committed to.
Adaptability. Life changes quickly and PR does, too, so, it’s important for a leader to be nimble. You may be the publicist at one moment, the creative director at another, or you may need to be the friend. There are so many hats a leader needs to wear, and they must be able to switch them up without thinking twice about it. PR is like this, too. Whether it is analyzing my strategy throughout the day, jumping on breaking news, or having to handle a crisis, I need to be ready. Being adaptable to any situation is something I’ve honed over many years, and it’s been instrumental in my success.
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?
There are several if you get really focused, but here are the three you’ll likely see most of the time. All have a general focus on creating a better, more trustworthy image for the person, brand, or cause the PR is focused on.
Media Relations. If you want to consistently build your brand image and have your name in the press, you would want a PR who specializes in media relations. They work with you to ensure they know your brand and messaging, and will pitch you to reporters and publications that are a fit for what you specialize in.
Crisis Communications. This is what you see most of the time in the movies because it’s full of drama and adrenaline. It’s putting out fires and doing your best to ensure your client’s image isn’t ruined by whatever is happening in the media. If you consider the recent headlines involving Balenciaga or even the Adidas/ Ye fallout, know that they had a team of people behind the scenes doing their best to create a public plan that would save them from losing more money than they did. Every big company should have a crisis communication plan.
Public Affairs. This is more government oriented. While it does involve the media, there is a lot of on-the-ground lobbying being done that includes research and reporting that is ultimately used to persuade government officials. Think policy work rather than personal branding.
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 don’t think there is one path to being a PR pro. I personally studied English in college, but being a successful PR is more than education. It takes people skills, networking, critical thinking, passion, and real-life experience. So, while being a good writer is critical, and you better know how to use a computer fluently, don’t let your background stop you from getting into the field. There are so many great PR teachers out there. Learn the ropes from the veterans who have been in this space long before you and do it with tenacity. You’ll be successful if you put the time in.
You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?
Get out there and be seen. It’s so easy today to stay behind the computer and work. Of course, some networking can be done online, but there is nothing like getting in front of people in real life and shaking their hands.
When you have the opportunity, don’t be shy. If you’re at a networking event, everyone is expecting you to introduce yourself with what you do for a living. Be proud to say what you do. And if you’re not at a networking event, I still say don’t be afraid to say what you do. Let your personality shine and make connections.
Think about the value you can bring to other people. When listening to them about what they do, don’t be afraid to share an idea with them about how you can collaborate with them. Ultimately, everyone is looking out for their own best interests. If you can provide a missing piece for them, you’ll be more valuable and more memorable.
Follow up with whomever you meet! This is always the hardest part. Life gets in the way and you continue on with your status quo. But it’s imperative that you reach out to anyone you meet to continue the relationship. Ask them out for coffee, lunch, or even see if they want to get on a Zoom call.
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?
A lot of lead generation is just time and effort. You can create email lists, you can hire firms to help, or you can use AI software to find potential clients on LinkedIn, but I don’t subscribe to these. At least not yet. For me, the best lead generation has been giving my current clients exception results and customer service. Nothing is better than happy clients because they’re going to talk to other people about you, and your business will spread through word of mouth. 90 percent of my clients through my first year of business have been from referrals. For the other 10 percent, I decided to do my own research for companies I wanted to work with. It may not always be the most efficient, but to be able to work with clients who inspire you and whose work you’re excited to be a part of is going to result in a more fruitful relationship. Both for you and the clients you work with.
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: A don’t quit mindset. Being in PR means you’re going to hear ‘No’… A LOT. Sometimes it can be exhausting, especially when you’re first starting out. A lot of the time it will come from reporters, even after you’ve created the perfect pitch and done your due diligence. Other times it will be from colleagues and leaders. But don’t let it set you back. If you have a don’t quit mindset, you’ll end up way ahead of most people, and perseverance always brings success.
2: Strong people skills. PR requires a lot of talking, communicating, putting out fires, and just overall networking. You have to know how to write, speak, and create relationships, or you’re going to really struggle in the industry. The better the relationships you can create, with both clients and reporters, the better results you’ll get.
3: Good Boundaries. I feel fortunate to have had a client who shared her personal insight on setting professional boundaries. Her tips helped me be more efficient with my work and also have an actual personal life. The biggest takeaways? Only check your email a couple of times a day, it will help with your productivity. When you finish up for the day, actually stop working. It’s so easy to use our phones to keep working, but we need that time to recharge whether we realize it or not. Lastly, something I had to learn on my own, be direct with your clients. Your time and energy are valuable, and if you haven’t been clear about your intentions, needs, and expectations, it’s likely you’ll get tested on them.
4: Creativity. This is something that I think people get caught up on. But creativity is so important and can be so many different things. PR pros need creativity to come up with new ideas for a pitch that maybe has been done 100 times but needs a fresh take. You need to be creative because maybe you can link your client who works in beauty to the trending news about Fight Night. Or creativity can be when you need to get your client their goal media, but you need to find a back door to actually get them the placement. Think outside the box and it will help in your job.
5: Humility. Like I mentioned before, you’re going to hear ‘No’ a lot. And while sometimes it just means ‘keep going,’ other times it means you’re just not doing a good enough job. Have the humility to know when you’re messing up. You’re always learning and you’re going to make mistakes. Listen to the veterans in the industry. It will take you a long way.
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 want to bring people of different cultures and backgrounds together in ways that breaks down the walls we’ve built around ourselves. I find that it’s so easy to judge and stereotype others because many of us are so isolated. But when you meet someone outside your norm who you may have judged, those preconceptions fall away and suddenly you have this brand new worldview. With this in mind, I’ve always had a dream of starting an international music festival that brings together music from different cultures and encourages people who wouldn’t ordinarily meet each other to interact. Music is a powerful conductor of energy. We know it has the power of bringing people together. Let’s get more creative and produce something that can put a dent in the division we’re experiencing as a world right now.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Inspired by the father of PR, Edward Bernays (who was also Sigmund Freud’s nephew), Michelle Tennant Nicholson researches marketing, mental injury, and what it takes for optimal human development. An award-winning writer and publicist, she’s seen PR transition from typewriters to Twitter. Michelle co-founded WasabiPublicity.com.
