As an independent practitioner operating in the PR profession, I have the freedom and flexibility of working with a number of companies and organizations in diverse industries. I also have the freedom and flexibility to work from anywhere, anytime, to limit overhead and unnecessary expenses, while still going on field trips with my children.
Call me indie, a solo-preneur, entrepreneur or small business owner, I think of myself as an individual contractor who builds services around my expertise (crisis management, stakeholder engagement, public affairs, strategic communications) and wraps an experienced-team around specific projects to benefit clients and help them achieve their objectives. Think of me as an interim Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications or VP for External Relations.
So while it may seem I work alone, I often work as a member of a team that includes other professionals, such as lawyers (of which I am also an attorney), auditors, risk officers, designers, programmers, video-ographers and others.
By design, I am a generalist and find people to round out my strengths. I work hard at developing relationships with other professionals to engage on the right project at the right time.
Without overhead and as an independent practioner, I am able to charge less for my time and devote more time to working individually with each client. I am less informal (and may be casually dressed) than a traditional firm -- You get me instead of a junior public affairs associate, and together, we get one-on-one time without the drama. My time is flexible but my time is yours.