A PR Agency’s Founder Journey

By Jennifer Cloer

Q: We’d love to hear about your experience as a founder. What was the impetus for starting Trust Relations and how did you get started?

April: After working at some of the best PR agencies in the world, I was fed up with the old way of doing things in PR. I saw firsthand how issues with staffing practices, contract structures, toxic workplaces, and a lack of mentorship could hurt PR professionals and hamper client results. So, I founded the agency I wished existed.

After striking out on my own, I faced a difficult choice when my solo PR practice outgrew the hours I had in a day. At that tipping point, I either had to start declining business or expand my operations. Out of a deep love for the profession and a desire to reinvent PR as something more authentic — and more future-proof — I decided it was time to start my own agency.

It takes more drive, grit and more perseverance than I ever knew I had to keep at it and grind through all the highs and lows of running a business. And now, four years later, I couldn’t be more proud of how far we’ve come.

In the last year alone, we’ve expanded our offerings into the integrated marketing sphere, revisited our brand messaging, brought 30 new clients on board, and welcomed 29 new team members into the fold. I was honored to receive a Gold Stevie Award for Most Innovative Woman of the Year – Advertising, Marketing and PR, and Trust Relations was named a finalist in the 2023 Best Places to Work Awards. Last September — a huge milestone for our fully virtual team — we gathered our full-time staff together in sunny Sedona, AZ for our first-ever Trust Relations Annual Retreat.

To be honest, I don’t think there will ever be a moment where I decide that we’ve “made it.” Improvement is an infinite process; there’s always more you can do, and there’s always something you can do better. Our commitment to continuous improvement of the practice of PR is as integral to our mission today as it was to me when I first decided to found Trust Relations.

April White

Q: What do you think is the most important thing for marketing, PR and comms professionals to be thinking about today and why?

April: We are living in an era of skepticism, marked by increasing public scrutiny, distrust of the media and lack of faith in institutions. For brands, this carries risk. A perceived lack of authenticity can seriously harm a brand and chip away at the integrity of an otherwise respected organization.

Today’s consumers are acutely aware of paid content, ads and even influencers — and so there is a great opportunity for the PR professionals of the future to step in. PR is going to continue to be a crucial means of building a brand’s credibility in a crowded marketplace. Today’s public is not impressed by companies that pay for recognition. Consumers and business clients want to see genuine, meaningful action from brands to back their claims. Going into the future, PR practitioners must counsel their clients to do what they say before they can publicly say what they do.

I founded my agency with the ultimate goal of replacing traditional “public relations” with an approach I call “trust relations.” And I believe that is absolutely crucial because today’s public has become increasingly skeptical of marketing language and perceived PR “spin.”

I firmly believe it’s time for brands to reject the antiquated approach to PR — one that relied on stretching the truth — and instead replace it with “trust relations.” By encouraging our clients to align their actions with their narratives, we as PR practitioners can shield our clients from claims of inauthenticity, and make sure their “story-doing” matches their storytelling.

“Improvement is an infinite process; there’s always more you can do, and there’s always something you can do better.”

Q: What are you and your company doing to empower other female founders?

April: Trust Relations is a woman-founded and-led business. As CEO, I am adamant that mentorship plays a central role in our agency structure and as such, I take a top-down approach to leadership. Unfortunately, the PR industry — a traditionally female-dominated industry despite many top executives being male — has a reputation for toxic workplaces and cutthroat culture. I firmly believe that the strengths and shortcomings of any leader shape the entire organization, and I take self-reflection quite seriously to create the best possible workplace experience for all of my employees. By adopting a constant state of self-reflection, correction and improvement, I feel that I can best serve the entire agency and facilitate the kind of mentorship I wish I’d had early in my own career. That means if something isn’t working, we change it; if a junior team member shares an idea, we listen to it; if a senior leader offers feedback, we consider it.

We’re fully remote, and I am also very passionate about providing opportunities for PR practitioners beyond the traditional markets like LA and New York. The best talent can come from anywhere, and the most diverse teams produce the best and most creative outputs. That includes team members from all walks of life who might not fit the traditional PR mold in terms of where they come from or what their life experiences have been. This philosophy helps us to lift up the talents and strengths of our wonderfully diverse team — and, by extension, provide opportunities for women in this field no matter where they are.

Q: You were recently on a panel with our founder and CEO Jennifer Cloer about storytelling as an engine for business. What is one takeaway from the panel that you’d like to share with our community?

April: First of all, I cannot overstate my gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the Women|Future Conference this year. It was wonderful to collaborate with Jennifer and our other esteemed panelists for the session on “Storytelling: Your Engine for Business Success.”

Our discussion covered a range of interesting topics as we explored the strategic applications of storytelling for business leaders. But one key point I’d like to discuss is that, as a business owner, your brand narrative is among your most important differentiators. Consumers are oversaturated with brand messaging. In fact, a new report was just released by Grayling PR agency in the UK which found that a staggering 97% of consumers display at least one sign of brand inertia or feel that brands are too homogenous and disconnected from their sense of brand loyalty.

For brands today to crack through that noise, it’s imperative that they develop a strong and compelling narrative — or risk being forgotten in a sea of brand messaging clutter. A memorable and unique story can create brand loyalty, help to fuel press coverage and give your product or service the teeth to stand out in the media and on the shelves.

“For brands today to crack through that noise, it’s imperative that they develop a strong and compelling narrative — or risk being forgotten in a sea of brand messaging clutter.”

Q: You are a former journalist turned agency owner. What’s your take on the current state of the media landscape?

April: I started my career as a newspaper reporter, with the high hopes of becoming a watchdog of society and because I love to write. I eventually transitioned to PR because I was fatigued by the emotional toll that good reporting can take, and I was simultaneously disheartened by some editors’ tendencies to cater to advertisers and to push narratives that sell. I felt that, as a PR practitioner, I could champion the truth and connect those authentic stories to the dedicated, admirable reporters who can tell them to the public.

Today, skepticism of the media is at an all-time high. A recent Gallup poll found that only 36% of Americans trust the mass media. Another poll by Gallup and the Knight Foundation shows that 50% of respondents believe most news media outlets intentionally misinform the public to adopt a particular point of view. The implications for businesses are huge because that landscape of scrutiny can make it difficult for brands to build a rapport with returning customers and even harder to attract new ones. This is a problem, because trust is the key to revenue, both in consumer marketing and business-to-business industries. It’s also a problem for media-related industries like PR.

PR has largely become synonymous with media relations, for our ability to help clients build their brand credibility by landing them earned media opportunities. As PR practitioners, there are steps we can — and in my opinion, should — take to help support the credibility of the press.

As PR practitioners, we must reject spin. That means that before we take a client’s story to the press, we have a duty to do our due diligence and ensure our clients can back up those claims. As publicists, we play one of the most critical roles in building and creating a world that values honesty and integrity — because we are the unseen force that connects some of the most important stories with the media that reports them. We must hold the brands and individuals we represent accountable, and ensure their stories are founded in truth and authenticity. The best practitioners in the business will prevail in this era of increased scrutiny because those of us who refuse to perpetuate fabricated realities or half-truths will be those who can build trust with the public and change the tide of media credibility for the better.

Q: Lastly, we host a popular monthly Book Club. What are you reading?

April: I’m currently reading the new Stephen Covey book, “Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others.”