Ep. 355 | Scrappy PR Playbook: Building Your Brand Like a Pro

Live from the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred welcomes Caitlin Gardner, founder of Blooming Communications. With years of experience in PR, marketing, and communications—from global agencies to Fortune 500 companies—Caitlin now helps small businesses harness professional-level branding strategies. In this episode, she shares insights from her summit presentation, The Scrappy PR Playbook, which includes actionable steps for conducting a vulnerability assessment, protecting your business's reputation, and crafting a clear, effective communications plan. Caitlin breaks down the difference between advertising and PR, highlights the power of storytelling, and explains how emerging platforms like Substack can help small businesses build thought leadership. If you're ready to elevate your brand without a Fortune 500 budget, this episode is your PR masterclass. This podcast episode was recorded live at the 2025 Small Business Success Summit hosted at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. This podcast is made possible by the Florida SBDC Network and sponsored by Florida First Capital. Connect with Our Guest: Blooming Communications