E117 - From Small Town to Build a Public Relations Empire: Melinda Jackson's Journey

Send us a textFrom walking away from the family business with just $500 in her pocket to building a thriving PR firm, Melinda Jackson's journey is a masterclass in charting your own path through the entrepreneurial wilderness.Melinda takes us through her remarkable story of leaving small-town North Carolina for Los Angeles against her parents' wishes, working three unpaid internships simultaneously while juggling multiple part-time jobs, and sleeping just 3-4 hours a night to make her dreams happen. After experiencing severe burnout in the entertainment PR world – complete with panic attacks, depression, and even kidney stones at age 30 – she eventually found freedom in launching her own business.What makes this conversation particularly valuable is Melinda's candid breakdown of what public relations actually means in today's media landscape. She explains why journalists now care more about founder stories than brand stories, and offers practical advice for anyone looking to get media attention without hiring a publicist. Her scrappy, non-traditional approach to PR focuses on creating meaningful moments rather than just sending press releases.The episode is packed with actionable insights, from how to approach local media outlets as a beginning entrepreneur to knowing when it's time to bring in professional PR help. Melinda's top recommendations? Start posting weekly on LinkedIn (which puts you in the top 1% of users) and get yourself on podcasts – "the fastest growing piece of media right now."Whether you're running a side hustle, building a business, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes world of public relations, Melinda's story proves that sometimes the most successful path is the one you carve for yourself.