“Women at Work” | Patrice Cameau of Commun PR
I’ve been WAITING to post this “Women at Work” interview … so I won’t even give that much intro! Just KNOW … Once you’ve been introduced to Patrice Cameau … you won’t forget her!
- What is your dream job? My dream job is exactly what I’m doing. I am a PR consultant for various lifestyle, sport and entertainment, and nonprofit brands, and people seek out my services to help build awareness for their efforts. I own my own company. I make my own hours. There, of course, are clients that I would love to work with, but I’ll call them “dream” clients once I have them officially added to my roster. J
- What industry is most of your work concentrated in? Most of Commun Public Relations clients fall in the sports and entertainment, and lifestyle categories. We also do a great deal of nonprofit communications, and many of our non-charitable and corporate clients hire us to activate community service initiatives. I think Commun has been able to successfully marry the worlds of urban entertainment and charity, via media relations and great events.
- Got a side hustle? How does it affect your daily schedule? Six months ago, Commun Public Relations was my side hustle. Now (and since March 2011), I’ve put 100% of my efforts into the business. Since I made the change, my business has increased exponentially. Every one, especially females, should have a side hustle. Preferably, something that they can create on their own, during their own time. This way, they can control how much they work which directly relates to how much money they make. That, if you ask me, is the point of a side hustle.
- Discuss your path to where you are now in your career? Has it been planned? Were there unexpected turns? My career path, which has had many twists and turns, has been very strategically planned out. While a student at the University of Maryland College Park, I knew that I wanted to be in the marketing field, but I didn’t have the math know-how to get into Maryland’s business school. My freshman advisor suggested I look into public relations. I did some research and it seemed like a good fit. After passing the mandatory grammar test and two difficult journalism classes, I declared the PR track of the communications major. During my junior and senior years, I interned in the PR departments of VIBE and SPIN Magazines (NYC), The Endocrine Society (MD) and Stanton Communications (DC). It was important for me to get PR experience in various industries.
After graduation, my senior seminar professor (a partner with Ketchum PR in NYC) offered me an entry-level “Research Associate” position that gave me the chance to work on corporate accounts and get a serious understanding of corporate America. I worked at Ketchum for a year then returned to the DC area to become a seventh grade English teacher. I started PR freelancing for various projects, mostly pro bono, while I was teaching to get experience and add to my PR and events portfolio. After two years of teaching, I decided to go back into the PR field full time and accepted a job with the USO, an international nonprofit that supports service members and their families. The decision to go back to PR full time was very strategic, as I knew I was going back to graduate school for PR and my husband was deployed at the time.
While at the USO, I was responsible for a host of different communications duties – event planning, media relations, writing speeches, social media, strategic planning, etc. – and continued to freelance through my business. I traveled all over the country with the organization’s CEO, prepping him for various media appearances, and after two and a half years, I decided it was time for me to devote 100% to my business. In March 2011, I left corporate America and became self-employed. It’s been a hard road, but I know I made the right decision. This really is just the beginning.
- What have you discovered about yourself along the journey? This journey has been a constant discovery session. I’m learning that I’m a lot smarter and stronger than I ever thought I was before. Another big lesson that I’m learning is to never be afraid to ask for what you want and deserve – in regards to new business, compensation and commitment. Also, time is money. I value my time so much more now because I have a lot less of it to go around. My clients and partners respect my time because I don’t allow it to be wasted.
- If you knew in the beginning what you know now, would you have done anything differently? I know this answer may sound cliché, but everything happens for a reason. I can’t say that I’d do anything different because all of my experiences have led to where I am today. If anything, the things that I’m learning as I go through this process are teaching me how to navigate for the future. Now, there are certain clients that I won’t work with and certain deals that I won’t seal… that just comes from experience and progression.
- Describe a day in your life. My daily schedule varies from day to day. I’m usually up by 6am. I get dressed, wake my son up, get him ready for school and drop him off. Two days out the week, I have client meetings in the morning and work through lunch. More meetings, work and the gym at least three times a week. Then, I pick my son up from school. I try very hard to be done with the days work by the time I pick him up so that when we are together, all of my attention is on him. I rarely schedule meetings or events in the evenings, and I like to be in bed by 10pm. Of course, there are times when my work calls for extended hours… that’s just the nature of the business. A good reliable family base helps with that a lot.
- Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? 10 years? In five years, I pray to have office space with a few account managers, account assistants and interns working for the company. I eventually want to build a team that works as hard as me, so that I don’t have to be in the office everyday. I should be able to trust and know that they will get the work done at an exceptional level and with the same attention to detail that I’d give. I have a few personal business ventures that I hope to launch in the next year, so hopefully those entities are also flourishing and adding to my portfolio. I’m dedicated to giving back and will continue to host and sponsor initiatives that help people and communities. One year, five years or ten years… I want to continue to be in a place of peace. I plan to never stop working because I love what I do, and that’s definitely a blessing.
Wherever this road leads me, I know that it will be a journey worth sharing.
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Tags: commun pr, communications, entrepreneur ish, patrice cameau, women at work
