Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Dennehy
Hi Julie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story started in the advertising business where I realized I had a knack for storytelling, and moved across the marketing continuum to a job in the public relations agency world in Boston, Mass. After six years of agency work and achieving my accreditation (APR), I used my relationship base built by volunteering in leadership in the PR industry to go out on my own as a consultant in 1996, and I haven’t looked back since. Today, I help organizations get the word out or launch through creative and attention-getting public relations strategies, such as media relations, promotions, social media, and special events. I’m proud to have worked with incredible brands (see my website DennehyPR.com for details), and won many industry awards. Although I’m proud of my public relations work, I also enjoy mentoring young professionals and served as adjunct faculty at Boston University teaching digital media. After my husband retired from the police department, we decided to make a change and move to Summerville, and we are loving the area’s warm southern hospitality, incredible food, and culture that this area provides. I’m a huge Broadway fan, and am enjoying, exploring, and patronizing the area’s fabulous visual and performing arts organizations here in the Lowcountry. My story continues here in Summerville, and I’m looking forward to applying my public relations experience to help support companies and organizations here in South Carolina.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life is never a smooth road, but I’ve figured out how to surround myself with strong entrepreneurs and experts who can guide me when I need it. Mutual collaboration has been the key to my business’ longevity, and I’m very fortunate to have hundreds of colleagues nationwide with incredible and varied expertise. Without their advice and friendship, we weathered the COVID-19 shutdown (and federal/state support) as gracefully as possible until life – and business – got back to normal.
Work/life balance has always been a constant struggle. Since I started my business in 1996, before working from home was widely accepted, I am also grateful to my husband and our parents, who helped juggle childcare while I was running my business from home just as my family did when I was growing up. Entrepreneurship is a mindset… and a grindset… and I have my family to thank for supporting me.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a public relations consultant, which means I help businesses large and small communicate with their key stakeholders through clever and creative channels, such as media relations (publicity), promotions, special events, and social media content strategy and creation. I truly enjoy leveraging what I’ve learned from Fortune 50 brand experts to help small business owners succeed. Seeing a small/medium business grow and thrive makes me very proud, and helping them sustain that momentum year-long is critical to their long-term success. Adding community relations elements to campaigns teaches business owners how to truly “do well by doing good” among their own stakeholders, and adding social media power to their marketing mix has been one of my specialties over the past decade.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Overall, I’ve learned to surround myself with smart, resourceful, kind people who can help you navigate any crisis. I try to pay it forward and lift other young professionals up as much as I can with advice and mentoring.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.dennehypr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennehypr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dennehypublicrelations
- Twitter: https://x.com/dennehypr
