I’m thrilled to have Lana Powers, the Founder of Powers PR, on The Friday Society Podcast. We discussed her journey into opening a highly successful PR firm, social media hacks, and brand story telling. Not to mention, the Vice President of Powers PR and her #1 side kick, Alex Wollman, joined us as well. 

The conversation was so fun because you can tell there is major synergy between the two. Their energy was unmatched and they gave so many wise nuggets of information. 

I was introduced to Lana through a client, Alana Kessler. Alana is a registered dietician and nutritionist. If you haven’t listened to the podcast episode with her I highly recommend it! Check it out here!

Scroll down to go right to the episode because it’s packed with tangible information you can start incorporating into your business today!

Two Superwomen 

Lana Powers has been in the PR industry for over 15 years and has seen it all! Her and Alex have been working together for a long time. Lana hired Alex as her intern over a decade ago, and while their paths parted for a short time, it eventually came full circle. 

Lana posted about hiring and Alex reached out. Shortly thereafter the two were working together and never looked back! They have found deep respect, trust, and confidence in one another which you can tell just by speaking to them. 

Starting a Success PR Firm

Over the past few years the lines between PR, marketing, and journalism has grayed a bit. Powers PR focuses on helping brands gain credibility, awareness, and visibility to media influencers and consumers. 

These days anyone can be a creative influencer from doctors to niche experts. Case in point is Andrew Huberman from the infamous Huberman podcast. His podcast is rated #1! Who would have thought a neuroscientist would be a #1 rated influencer! 

Lana Powers started Powers PR from the ground up. After working for several larger agencies there were two main issues she saw from the internal, and client facing, side. Inside the firm there was a lack of passion around the brands that were represented which bleed over into client strategy and vision.

Lana understands that being the brand’s biggest advocate, and even going as far as using their products, creates a passion for the brand. She noticed that because of the lack of connection to the product, or the founders, that there was less enthusiasm behind the brand strategy.

What sets Powers PR way ahead of the competition is that she aligns herself to brands that she personally loves. It incentivizes her to grow alongside these brands because she uses them in everyday life. 

Wellness and personal development are extremely important to Lana so she seeks to align with brands that promote wellness in the industry.

Finding the Right Clients

What I love about Lana is her drive and tenacity. At the beginning of her career, and still today, she will reach out directly to brands. At the beginning of her founding journey, she reached out to brands about starting Powers PR to see if they needed help with projects. For a few years, she worked alone and threw herself into her work.

Networking and talking to anybody she knew who owned, or was starting a business, helped her gain clients in those early years. 

Today, 95% of her clients are referrals from existing clients. She is crushing it!

The Power of No

Something I have experienced as a marketing consultant and being an entrepreneur is that sometimes people will tell you ‘no.’ However, it doesn’t always mean no forever. It could just mean no for right now.

If Lana and Alex receive a no after pitching to a new client they always ask for feedback. This gives them insight into how they can learn and grow in the future. Feedback is powerful, and sometimes a little painful. However, it helps us make better business decisions in the future. Rejection is a part of entrepreneurship. 

Social Media Hacks

When it comes to social media it is constantly changing, and changing fast. Lana and Alex focus on making sure that social media bio’s and logo’s immediately draw consumers attention. This is the quickest way to grab a visitors decision to follow you. 

Also, doing analysis on the backend of social media is important. After a strategic post, story, or campaign, look at the numbers. You can review number of new followers, web traffic, etc. to help you know what worked and what needs improvement. 

Social media is quick so having a PR firm to help you stay up to date with trends will set you a part.

Attracting New Clients

Social media can feel like the wild wild west. Ensuring you are remaining relevant with the cultural landscape is important to position your brand, and gaining new clients. 

Our inbox is flooded with emails these days so it’s important to stand out. Strategizing a pitch is super important to gaining new business.

When it comes to pitching to new clients you must make sure you have done your homework on their current reality. Understanding what they posting about, what’s currently important to them, what are their current passions, etc. By investing time into learning about the client you wish to engage will give you a better chance of gaining their attention. 

Work with Powers PR

After you listen to the episode I’m sure you will feel how seasoned Lana and Alex are. They have so much industry knowledge that’s relevant in today’s climate. I hope you enjoy it!

Work with Powers PR here!

Follow Powers PR on Instagram here!