A ten-year tenure: DavenPR looks back on the future

Carbon dated notes and scribbles from as early as 2016 reveal a messy home office, a long list of valued
clients and other observations

SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS—When I started my solo PR/media relations practice in 2016, things were different at home. Back then we still had all three kids living with us. I was stubbornly playing basketball on Sundays despite two ACL injuries two years and four years earlier (the 3^rd and final ACL tear would come four years later). The kitchen remodel had just been completed without a hitch, despite me hanging around the house in my pajama pants with a laptop and a cup of coffee.

What, me worry?

I left a corporate public relations role and a steady paycheck for a chance to break out on my own, find my own clients and keep the lights on at home. Of course I was worried.

But it was time. I worked for 18 years in healthcare-related PR and media relations jobs. Before that I spent seven years as a TV reporter. My kids were growing up and I missed them. I missed my house. I realized I didn’t even know our own neighbors as well as my wife did. Commuting was killing me.

I did my homework. I took a class on how to start my own business. I sat down with friends and colleagues to learn how they made the switch. The feedback was helpful and positive. They were very encouraging. Of course, nobody guaranteed my success.

The solo scaries

Given the depth and breadth of my experience in healthcare communications, it made sense to stick to the space I knew. I could reach warm contacts in search of PR opportunities supporting physician specialty groups, hospital systems, clinics, medical devices, etc. The possibilities were almost endless!

Naturally, my first client was a statewide union for police officers. And we’re off and running!

From there, most of my clients emerged organically. I’d have coffee with somebody. Then another. Sometimes two coffees in one day. Then one of those individuals, weeks later, might drop my name to somebody else who needed help with a project. Sometimes people would reach out on their own. Random luck also played a part. Clients came onboard slowly. A phone call. A proposal. Then more waiting. Another phone call. Revise the proposal. Days went by. Weeks. More coffee meetings. My kids understood that my job was to meet people for coffee. In a way, they were right. These were the early days. We had a little bit of a cushion. And you better believe we kept our eye on it.

Gradually, more clients came my way. Some of the work brought me back inside local hospital systems. Other work could be managed from the home office. Things began to speed up. Often 4-5 steady clients and a few separate projects filled up my week and the weekends. I learned that client calls sometimes interrupt time reserved for other clients. It can be awkward when a client calls while I’m onsite working for a different client. Thankfully, most folks were very understanding whenever this happened.

Mailbox money

Getting paid as a consultant is a whole different deal from the every-other-Friday electronic deposit of corporate life. In the beginning I tried not to worry. The money takes care of itself. That’s what everybody says. But as various due dates got closer, my trips to the mailbox by the front door became more frequent. In our neighborhood, we have 2-3 mail carriers depending on the day. Each one visited our block at different times. I became obsessed with the algorithm of mail delivery.

Our monthly bills competed directly with our mailbox money. Due dates often came down to the wire. Remote check deposit capabilities upped my game—no more white-knuckle trips to the bank drive-thru window. And I’ve gotten better at predicting the mail drop. But the pattern sometimes varied. Saturdays are dicey. The mail could arrive at 9 am…or 2 pm. Our bank is open till noon. I’d take my position in the living room, tracking the time and keeping a low profile by the window. Waiting. If it was a late delivery, that check would languish on my desk until Monday—unless—Is it a bank holiday? No!

The end times

Merrily, we rolled along. Then, one day, we were all told to go home and stay there. It was March 15, 2020. I was already home, conveniently settled in my home office. In the coming days, weeks and months, my client work would slow down. Let’s close out your current projects, they said, and then pause all activities. Many of my clients and their teams were being furloughed or moved to remote status with reduced schedules. Healthcare clinics and dental offices were closed. The streets were deserted. Truth be told, many of us were more concerned about running out of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Even the mail became suspicious. Do we let it sit for three days? Six days? Could we zap it for 15-20 seconds in the microwave? Life became strange and surreal. As a communicator, these uncertain times became a part of every story. The next three years were a struggle. Healthcare workers and essential workers were heroes. Death tolls were part of every newscast. Masks. Loneliness. Those who supported science clashed with skeptics. This led to waves of fear, anger and deep political divides.

Professional alliances

I started DavenPR because I wanted to help clients tell authentic stories, increase awareness and meet their business objectives. I looked for clients who built community and demonstrated values that aligned with my own. I helped leaders articulate timely messages in support of their employees. Nonprofits needed PR support for their causes.

Over the past decade I’ve worked with amazing organizations and brilliant leaders. I’ve made great friends. Your stories motivate, inspire and inform. Most of all, they matter. I hope to keep telling these stories and lift the art of conversation.

Notes and revisions

I’m on my third laptop in 10 years, and frankly, this one’s days are numbered. The number 4 and 5 keys refuse to work without me tapping them 5-10 times. The letters on the  A, S, D and C keys have worn off. Same story on the right side of the keyboard, with the L and period keys.

To my amazing clients: thank you for your trust and partnership. To the journalists who call me or who thoughtfully consider my story ideas: thank you for your kindness and professionalism. I’ve always said the Twin Cities metro is a fantastic PR town and the best news media market in the country.

Free hack: Do you have an office that gets hot in the summer? My daughter gave me a 5-inch fan with a cord that plugs into the laptop. Genius!

And finally
Here it is. My shameless pitch: Can I help tell your story? Let’s chat! Here are some examples of the work I can do:

DavenPR project examples from the past 10 years