Today we’d like to introduce you to Maren Minchew Anderson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I went to college, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but one day I realized that wasn’t truly my dream. I took several years off from school, and a friend introduced me to PR by inviting me to volunteer at a press event. I fell in love. I returned to school, graduated with honors, and was hired as an intern at a local PR agency before graduation. I worked my way up the ranks. In fact, I could only replace the owner’s wife, which would never happen, so I decided to go back and get my Master’s in Strategic Communication. I had some money saved, so I decided to leave the agency, get acclimated with school, and then look for a job. About two weeks after school started, my favorite client asked me to lunch to introduce me to one of her colleagues who needed part-time PR and marketing help. She hired me, and the rest is history. My first client introduced me to her husband, who needed part-time help; he then introduced me to several of his colleagues, and it snowballed from there. Before I knew it, I had several clients and never looked back. Today, I have been running my own virtual PR agency, MMPR, for nine years.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, I definitely faced some challenges along the way. I lost my father right before returning to undergrad. I was also the old gal in class, as I was almost 30 when I returned, which was both a blessing and a curse. Being older allowed me to truly focus and attend class to actually learn, but it also took me a minute to find a group of friends my age.
Also, running your own business isn’t for the weak. I had no clue what I was doing at first, so I was also learning as I went. I also didn’t have a portfolio to prove my value, so I always had to perform, or referrals would stop coming in. Plus, you never truly get to turn off because you’re always worrying about one aspect of the business or another. Whether it’s a client project, keeping the work coming in because you’ve hired contractors who depend on you, or what move to make next to keep growing, you never stop grinding.
Another major challenge was becoming a mother three years ago while also losing my mom shortly after she was born. I would say losing both parents was the hardest of the challenges for sure, as the responsibilities involved in managing their care and getting things settled after their passing definitely took a toll on me.
As you know, we’re big fans of MMPR. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
MMPR is a full-service virtual PR agency that specializes in communication strategy, media relations, digital services, and content creation. When developing a strategy for clients, I pull resources from my network to best meet their needs and goals. From message to medium, MMPR has all of your communication/PR services covered.
As for me, I am a communication junkie who loves public relations and digital communication. From media relations and corporate communications to social media strategy, I have a passion for crafting messages. I believe that effective strategy + adequate research = successful campaigns and happy clients. My knack for research and strategy development resulted in several awards for media relations strategy and content development.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was really social and talked A LOT. I was also very persistent, opinionated, and determined. I was always interested in technology and current events.
Pricing:
- Pricing is developed based on overall strategy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mmprsatx.com
- Instagram: @meminchewanderson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marenminchew
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marenminchewanderson/
