Six Years of Brandinc PR: 5 Lessons I’ve Learned Building a Boutique PR Agency
Six years ago, Brandinc PR started with a MacBook, a phone, and a leap of faith.
While the agency was officially established in February 2020, it wasn’t until later that year, after leaving my last traditional 9-to-5 role, that I fully committed to building the business. At the time, entrepreneurship wasn’t something I had planned for myself.
I’ve always been a Type A personality. I liked structure, schedules, predictability, and the comfort that comes with knowing exactly what to expect. Starting a business required me to step outside of that comfort zone and trust that the skills, relationships, and experience I’d built throughout my career could create something meaningful.
Looking back, I don’t think I fully understood what the next six years would bring.
There would be incredible client wins, lessons learned the hard way, moments of growth, moments of frustration, and more than a few late nights wondering whether I was making the right decisions.
Today, Brandinc PR has grown from a one-person operation into a boutique agency supported by contractors and interns across the country, serving clients across a variety of industries.
As I reflect on six years in business, here are five lessons that stand out the most.
Lesson 1: Not Everyone Is Your Client
One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was trying to be everything to everyone.
When Brandinc PR first launched, I accepted clients from all kinds of industries because I wanted to be accessible and prove myself. We worked with everyone from a psychic palm reader to a self-proclaimed celebrity chef and plenty of businesses in between.
The problem wasn’t the clients themselves. The problem was that there was no clear direction.
Because our clientele was all over the place, our brand was too.
There were no consistent patterns, no clear positioning, and no obvious answer to the question: “What does Brandinc PR specialize in?”
If I could go back, I would have been far more intentional about defining our niche from the beginning. Clarity creates confidence, both for your team and for your prospective clients.
Lesson 2: Growth Without Infrastructure Doesn’t Last
Within our first seven months, Brandinc PR reached six figures in revenue.
At the time, it felt like proof that we had figured everything out.
Then sales slowed.
Looking back, I know exactly why.
We were focused on landing clients but hadn’t invested enough time in the systems, processes, and specialized support needed to sustain that growth. We were taking on too many different projects without the infrastructure required to support them long-term.
I also made the mistake of hiring based on immediate needs instead of long-term strategy.
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that hiring isn’t about adding people. It’s about adding the right people.
The right team members create stability, improve client experiences, and help your business grow sustainably.
Lesson 3: New Doesn’t Always Mean Necessary
Entrepreneurs are constantly being introduced to new tools, software, subscriptions, and platforms.
For a while, I convinced myself every new tool would solve a problem.
What it actually solved was making my credit card lighter.
One of my biggest mistakes during year three was investing in too many products and services simply because they were new or trending.
Innovation is important.
Shiny object syndrome is expensive.
Today, we’re much more intentional about evaluating whether a tool solves a real problem before adding it to our tech stack.
Lesson 4: Nobody Can Refer a Business They Don’t Know Exists
For years, most of our business came through referrals.
That’s not a bad thing.
In fact, referrals remain one of the strongest indicators that you’re delivering quality work.
The challenge comes when referrals become your only source of business development.
Early on, I subscribed to the idea that PR professionals should stay behind the scenes while clients received the spotlight. While that philosophy works in some situations, it doesn’t work when you’re trying to grow a business.
At some point, I realized we needed to tell our own story too.
That meant saying yes to speaking engagements, podcast interviews, thought leadership opportunities, professional associations, and community initiatives.
The more visible I became, the more opportunities appeared.
People began tagging us in conversations, recommending us online, and reaching out because they had seen us contribute to discussions within the industry.
If I could do one thing differently, I would have invested in our own visibility much sooner.
Lesson 5: Systems Scale. Hustle Doesn’t.
When Brandinc PR started, I had plenty of ideas but very few systems.
I understood business concepts from an academic perspective, but applying them in real life was a completely different experience.
Like many entrepreneurs, I initially operated more like a freelancer than a business owner.
Everything lived in my head.
Everything depended on me.
Everything felt urgent.
The problem with that approach is that it works right up until it doesn’t.
As client demands increased, the lack of structure became impossible to ignore.
Creating systems, documenting processes, implementing automation, and building repeatable workflows transformed how we operated.
The lesson was simple: hustle can help you start a business, but systems are what help you scale one.
Looking Ahead
Looking back, I wouldn’t change much.
Every challenge taught me something that a textbook, webinar, or business coach couldn’t.
Some lessons cost time.
Some lessons cost money.
A few cost both.
But every one of them helped shape Brandinc PR into the agency it is today.
Six years later, we’re still learning, still evolving, and still helping clients tell stories that matter.
And if the first six years have taught me anything, it’s that visibility doesn’t happen overnight. Whether you’re building a brand, a business, or a reputation, consistency compounds.
I’m excited to see what the next six years bring.
