'With gratitude and hope for the future': PLPR celebrates 15 years

Charlie and I are celebrating 15 years in business this month, so I hope you’ll indulge me in a moment of reflection. Fifteen years ago on a cold, windy Monday, Charlie and I walked out of our state office jobs, had lunch with a small group of suddenly-former co-workers, and began our new lives. 

I remember feeling incredibly off kilter, my legs wobbly as if I had just stepped off a boat. We left lunch that afternoon with one client under our belts and freshly minted business cards in our pockets. 

And then we hustled. 

We did a lot of things wrong, especially in those first few years, but we got some things right, too. Here are five things that worked for us. 

1. We had a plan, and we worked the plan. We set goals, milestones, prospects and assignments. We knew were we wanted to go, and we were laser-focused on getting there. 

2. We leaned into our network. I can’t stress enough how grateful we still are for the friends who trust us to support their work. In our early days, we passed out business cards to everyone we knew, and some of them were kind enough to send us business. We wouldn’t have survived that first year without them. 

3. We let fear be a motivator. That January, Charlie’s wife was 8.5 months pregnant and I had an almost-three-year-old. Our families needed our business to succeed, and there was no way we were going to let them down. Was it pressure? Yes. But pressure makes diamonds, and we chose to think of it that way. 

4. We kept going when we failed. We made a lot of proposals that went nowhere, and we still do. Any business involving sales is a numbers game. The volume of shots you take is proportionate to the shots you make. Our aim has improved, because …

5. We’ve continued to learn along the way. This one’s essential. With AI’s rapid advancement and the changing media landscape, our industry has changed drastically in the last 15 years. We’re still here because we’ve changed with it. Learning requires curiosity, humility and a level of effort. It’s always worth it. 

On a personal note, I also chose the right business partner. Charlie is good at the things I’m not, and I hope I provide some balance for him too. This is a partnership built on trust, good humor and a lot of patience. I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else. 

And finally, I want to recognize our team members, current and former, who have been part of our success. I’ve learned something from every single person who has been part of the PLPR family; I know that will continue for the next 15 years. 

With gratitude and hope for the future, 

Emily Lang