Today we’d like to introduce you to Shakeema Bouyer.
Hi Shakeema, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
First, thank you for the opportunity to be featured. I am a true Carolina girl – born and raised in Columbia and I graduated from THE WJ Keenan High School and The College of Charleston (CofC). I changed my major to Communications with the intention of being an investigative reporter. While I had the opportunity to create a reporter audition reel, I also completed an internship with a local firm – Foster Marketing & PR. While interning with Mr. Foster I was provided the opportunity to head my first PR campaign with a nonprofit organization – Christmas in July. I am not sure if it still exists but the organization completed home renovations for the elderly in some of the rural parts of the Lowcountry. It was really then that I saw myself with the potential of being publicist. I was really excited about seeing it all come together, interacting with sponsors, coordinating media, and seeing the finished results. It was an exciting opportunity for me and one that I will never forget. After graduation, I still had hopes of working with the news media and moved to Charlotte, NC. I wasn’t able to break into the field but around 2003/2004 I was brought back to the PR Industry by what some would call divine intervention. My pastor asked me to write a press release for a community outreach story. He didn’t know that I had a communications degree or that I had PR experience. From there I completed various PR-related projects for our church and coordinated some interviews for him as well (he is a well-known gospel artist). In 2012, after years of redeveloping my skills and gaining local and regional media contacts, I decided to launch my own agency.
Originally launched as The Queens English PR in September 2012, I later re-branded the agency to Mattie Clay Branding & Public Relations (www.mattieclaybpr.com) in April 2017. Over the last 10 years, I have been blessed to work, primarily, in the beauty and nonprofit industries. I’ve had clients as close as North and South Carolina and as far as Los Angeles, California, and have supported book launches, cause-based events, beauty salons/schools, and product brands. I also launched RedHead Creative Media Group (www.redheadcmg.com) in May 2021 with a specific focus to help brands created by persons of color from concept to launch. Additionally, I am the host and creator of Business Over Brunch Podcast, a beauty and health & wellness podcast that was launched in March 2021.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Entrepreneurship and owning a PR agency are not for the weak or the faint of heart. Although I have been an agency owner for almost 10 years, I have seen most of my growth in the last two to three years. One of my biggest challenges was me getting in the way of me, or I guess what the popular term now is “imposter syndrome”. I’ve always known my capabilities but getting others to see it and value it was scary. I didn’t always charge properly for my services and in the long run it caused some issues when I started placing the value the way it should have always been. When you don’t know what you’re worth how do you expect others to understand your worth? Furthermore, when you get the light bulb moment it is a challenge to get others to now understand what should have already been understood. Now that I am at a place of accepting my value, I am more accepting of rejection and more confident in my ability to deliver.
We’ve been impressed with Mattie Clay Branding & Public Relations, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Mattie Clay Branding & Public Relations (MCBPR) is an agency that specializes in branding, integrated strategies, and digital public relations. We support, primarily, persons and brands in the beauty, grooming, and health & wellness industries. Clients that choose MCBPR to represent their brand can expect to receive honest and open communication, innovative thinking, creative strategies, and timely deliverables. We are a boutique agency which allows us to offer specialized PR plans and more in-depth focus on the clients’ brand needs. With over 10 years experience, we can support clients with product/service launches, event activations, red carpet management, media relations, content creation strategies, and brand management. We have created various service offerings for small businesses that are not ready for the financial commitment of a publicist but need to establish and/or increase their brand awareness.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I think that finding a mentor is key to any person in business. From a PR standpoint, I have had the same mentor for the last eight years. She is very straightforward and forces me to go outside of my comfort limits. However, within the industry, I’ve also sought mentorship from others when it comes to systems, business acumen, and agency expansion. I think it is important to have multiple mentors so that you can get a variety of perspectives. It is also important to not have a “Yes man” mentor. You want someone that you can learn from, someone that give you a different way to see things, someone that can breakdown your idea in ways that you may have missed. Networking is also key – especially in my industry because relationships are what help you get into rooms/publications that you may not have had access to otherwise. I am someone who will always reach out to see how I can help with an event; even more so when the organizer or publicist is from out of town. This has helped me to build my network in various states and I have people that I can go to if I need help with an event, client, or placement. But let me clarify, it’s not about helping just for the WIFM (what’s in it for me) factor, it’s about staying in contact and fostering an organic relationship that grows outside of the industry.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@mattieclaybpr.com
- Website: www.mattieclaybpr.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/mattieclaybpr
- Facebook: facebook.com/mattieclaybpr
- Twitter: twitter.com/mattieclaybpr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBjkxWJA1OPlK5WRDtFWVZg
- Other: www.redheadcmg.com
Image Credits
Amber Thompson
