C'mon, you know.

It’s not Wicked, yet we still watch The Wizard of Oz. It’s not a user manual, yet it continues to teach us plenty while we observe in awe and scratch our heads with wonder. Flying monkeys aren’t as scary as they once were. Houses do fly in the wrong weather. There is no place like home; you can tap your heels all you want, yet you still have to go through security to get home. Yellow bricks aren’t gold. At the end of the road, Oz does exist. The wizard isn’t what you’d expect, but his results are still outstanding, and he has the right plan and tools.

I'll get to the point. In reviewing my initial business plan, I saw I had experts on speed dial, the right connections coast to coast, had reviewed 10 million press releases and thousands of communications plans in 17 years at PR Newswire, and had worked hand in hand with the best and the worst PR practitioners in the world. There was no way I was south on that split. Media relationships were ingrained in me; I was a born storyteller and a celebrated salesperson, and I managed millions in budget and hundreds of people. 

A trusted colleague and mentor said, "You want to be the Wizard of Oz: one person with the right contacts, relationships, and know-how. You have the grit, gears and gadgets, and you know when and how to use them.” Then, he followed with priceless counsel: “Perfection is the enemy of doing your best, so put it aside. Lead with your limp because you will get cut off at the knees daily. Your secret weapon is that you don’t know what you’re doing. The upside is that you don’t know where the ceiling of possibilities resides. Make mistakes; who cares? Do your best, see where you land.”

Fast-forward two decades and turn the mirror around. What do you get now? What will you do, and how can you rationalize your decision to hire me? As a proud business owner who has persevered to keep it real and alive, I offer:

  • You get someone who started a PR firm with a blank legal pad and a pen and who took national brands where they had never been before
  • You didn’t hire the PR firm that has an entire floor in the Empire State Building, yet you did employ the person they flew in when a national restaurant account was in the balance and needed a shot in the arm to retain them
  • You can say that you didn’t hire the PR firm that bought full tables at awards ceremonies, yet you did hire the sole practitioner who left with the hardware intended for a team

I can almost hear you say checking my references was a trip. People said he's out there and not for everyone. I would have hung up, yet no one would let me, as feedback was just getting started:

  • Communication is his love language
  • Bullet points are his hobbies
  • AI is his best friend
  • His pet peeves are dangling modifiers
  • He is more plow than penthouse; more David, less Goliath
  • He’ll boast a little before downplaying it like Nolan Ryan, saying it ain’t bragging if you can do it

I won’t attempt to disprove any of it. It's all true. I’ll even add that I answer the phone, that I am not a pain to work with (17 years in corporate, zero bridges burned), that I am nimble and scrappy, and that I hate losing and love winning equally. I know when no means no, and I love my work. Many of my friends are enjoying their hard-earned retirement, and I am looking for the next heartfelt hallelujah of the next big idea. That’s how I roll.

What’s in it for me? You and your brand. I operate with zero drama and full respect. It’s your business and your livelihood. I’m the idea guy itching for a mutually beneficial goal. I used to give away big ideas for free to get meetings, then tune into a commercial a month later to see my big idea. I don’t do that anymore. I used to teach prospects precise PR plans to drive traffic and bolster the bottom line, and then I saw them in action without me. I don’t do that anymore.

Why? Because what I have now that I didn’t then is workable wisdom. You can hire me for what you would pay an entry-level team member and see impact early and often. There are no musical chairs here, just me and all the right buttons. Hire me as your secret weapon, let me be your Wizard of Oz, and we will shine together. Kindest thanks - derek