This week’s Power Players interview is with Shawna Seldon McGregor, who started Maverick Public Relations in 2018, after years at agencies in New York and Denver. We discussed how successful PR relationships work, what attracts her to a brand and her frustrations with the cannabis mediascape.
Shawna and I have been dealing with each other for about five years now. We haven’t always agreed on everything, but I have a lot of respect for her smarts and tenacity.
A few highlights:
On what she looks for in a client:
I look for clients who have something to say, they have a narrative, they have a real story, and are also disruptive. They’re providing something unique and different in the marketplace.
On Journalists:
The first thing is that you have to be honest and transparent and not try to hide anything. You need to know that they are people too. We’re all human beings and this is a conversation. They’re not the enemy.
On the Green Rush vs. the dot-com bust:
Good business is good business. Do you have a real company with a real consumer demand and are you financially healthy? Is your balance sheet healthy? Do you have good business ethics?
