How Heather Built a PR Empire
Heather, the founder and CEO of Publicity for Good, didn’t start with a massive inheritance or a venture capital infusion. Instead, her path to building a million-dollar PR agency was paved with an "obsessive" work ethic, a life-changing ultimatum, and a strategic mastery of media storytelling.
Here is the blueprint Heather used to scale her business from a minimum-wage side hustle to a purpose-driven empire.
Heather’s entrepreneurial journey was catalyzed by a moment of friction. While working at an advertising agency for three and a half years, she began a network marketing side hustle to build her savings. When her employer discovered this, they issued an ultimatum: quit the side business or leave the agency.
Choosing her independence, Heather quit in June 2015, moved back into her mother’s house at age 25, and took a minimum-wage job at a local gym to stay afloat.
Scaling required a grueling schedule and financial discipline. Heather worked at the gym from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, while dedicating her early mornings (4:00 AM to 7:30 AM) and late nights to her burgeoning PR business.
Crucially, she funneled all the money from her minimum-wage job directly into building the business. Her initial goal was simple: replace her previous agency salary of roughly $50,000. By doing the "non-sexy" work—scratching at the ceiling and putting in 15-hour days—she laid the foundation for growth.
Heather’s scaling success was rooted in her proven ability to deliver results. During her agency days, she became "obsessed" with media interest, eventually booking up to 35 interviews per week for clients.
She carried this expertise into her own firm, proving her model early on when a client paid her $100 to get them on TV. Heather secured two segments in a market she had never worked in before, simply by opening her laptop during an oil change and sending a pitch. This reinforced her belief that PR is the fastest way to reach millions of people and create an outsized impact quickly.
To scale her own brand's visibility, Heather practiced what she preached. During the pandemic, she pitched her personal story to major outlets, highlighting her life living full-time in an Airstream trailer. This strategic move earned her features in Business Insider, Forbes, Fox News, and WGN, which significantly boosted her credibility and "as seen on" status.
Heather attributes her reach to the $1 million revenue mark—which she achieved by age 30—to a combination of clear vision and faith. She emphasizes the importance of:
Today, at age 35, Heather is focused on scaling Publicity for Good toward a $10 million goal. Her agency has partnered with over 300 brands, focusing on purpose-driven companies and consumer products to help them drive traffic, increase pricing, and build international recognition.
