Episode 93:

Business PR: The Perfect Companion to Marketing

What You Will Learn:

How Gretchen’s experiences working with PR firms all around gave her a clear client-side perspective that has informed how she runs Prim + Co
How Gretchen spent six years building her organization toward seven figures, and how the toughest transition was focusing on working on, not in, the business
Why Gretchen grew her team with intentionality, and why she chose to focus on bringing in high-level talent by paying them more than she was paying herself
What important roles Gretchen needed to fill with talented employees to further the growth of Prim + Co
How Gretchen created an intentional hiring process that puts the right people in the right roles and gives them a sense of ownership
Why gratitude is a core leadership skill for Gretchen, and why she runs the business as a “coach” to a team rather than as a typical business
How work-from-home during the pandemic has impacted Prim + Co, and why Gretchen lays down her expectations up front in the hiring process
How Prim + Co creates organic media coverage for their clients that raises their profile and increases public awareness and credibility
Why PR is a fantastic companion for digital marketing but doesn’t replace marketing campaigns
How Prim + Co helps their clients get into thought leadership and create relationships and “newsworthy opportunities” that can help further the growth of their business

About Gretchen TeBockhorst:

Gretchen TeBockhorst is an award-winning public relations and marketing communications expert. A recognized and respected leader in the hospitality and lifestyle industries, Gretchen’s previous experience includes managing the in-house public relations and marketing for Adams Golf, 7-Up Group and Richard Sandoval Hospitality.

During her time at Richard Sandoval Hospitality, she took the 45-unit international restaurant group to new heights by formulating brand strategies, launching a retail line, releasing the New Latin Flavors cookbook, and securing Chef Richard Sandoval as the face of Nestles Abuelita Chocolate.

Her media relations efforts secured national attention from a variety of outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Food and Wine Magazine, Foodnetwork.com, TODAY, CBS This Morning, and Travel + Leisure, among others.

Since launching Prim + Co, Gretchen has catapulted it into an award-winning PR firm with renowned clients such as SoulCycle, Floyd’s 99 Barbershops, Kimpton Hotels, Visit Anaheim, and Sweetgreen. Over the past few years, Prim has been recognized as one of the Best PR Firms in Denver by Expertise.com and was included in ColoradoBiz Magazine’s “Best of Colorado” issue for three years running. In 2020, Gretchen was awarded Public Relations Society of America’s “PR Person of the Year.”

Most impressively, Gretchen continually makes it a priority to give back. Her agency provides pro-bono work for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Rocky Mountain Region, and Gretchen personally serves as the communications manager for nonprofit Les Dames de Escoffier Colorado.

PR aside, Gretchen’s true talent lies in the recruitment and establishment of a team that genuinely matches the caliber and service standards of her clientele. She feels incredibly fortunate to work beside such impressive women.