Nicole Pearl Kaplan on How She Created a Business that Provides Her Clients Insights, Strategies and Personalized guidance

Hi Nicole Pearl! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:

Hi! I’m a PR & Media consultant who helps small business founders get noticed, grow their brand awareness and become a household name. When the pandemic hit, I heard a lot of people asking how to get featured, and I heard a lot of “experts” respond with bogus information that would cost you a lot of money. I knew I could do better, and I quickly realized that my 25 years of expertise as a national magazine editor turned TV beauty expert was the answer. I’m spilling the secrets that only a journalist would know like how to position and pitch your brand to get an editor’s attention. I’m giving you access to my inner media circle, and I’m teaching you the same method I used to book myself on national shows like TODAY and Extra TV — no publicist required. To learn more, check out my site here!

So Nicole Pearl, what excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

I love that my network can expand beyond where I live, and that I can connect with all different types of entrepreneurs, which opens the doors to so many different opportunities.

Deciding to start a business of your own can be scary! What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I noticed a huge white space when it came to getting your business out there. You could either spend money on marketing or PR. What if you had an amazing business, but didn’t have the budget to invest in either? They’re expensive! I wanted to even the playing field and knew that it’d be an even bigger advantage for small businesses to learn the insider tips and strategies to land publicity and partnerships directly from me — a media insider.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I’m a former national magazine editor turned TV beauty, style and lifestyle contributor aka The Beauty Girl.

How did you find your path to Entrepreneurship?

A series of what I considered to be unfortunate events, which started with the magazine I worked at folding, led to my entrepreneurial journey. Now I’m so glad it all happened because it was the push to start my personal brand that I never knew I needed!

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out about your new biz?

During the pandemic, I established myself as a PR & Media expert on the social audio app Clubhouse. I kept hearing small biz founders share the same frustrations about wanting to get publicity and not knowing how to do that. Being that I’ve been a national magazine editor who turned myself into a go-to beauty expert on TV, I knew I was holding all of the strategies and methods they were seeking. So, the next day I announced on the app that I’m a Small Business PR & Media consultant teaching you how to get visibility without having to pay a publicist, and I had my first client within 48 hours. I’ve worked with all types of entrepreneurs such as realtors, beauty brand founders, salon owners, healers, authors, fashion stylists, independent publicists and more.

Entrepreneurship is not always easy. What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way and what did you learn from it?

There are so many! There are 100 things I want to do, but I have to keep focused on one day at a time otherwise I can get lost in the overwhelm and am not productive. Another challenge is imposter syndrome. It’s not about my talent when it comes to being a coach. It’s more about seeing other people look as though they’re moving mountains in their sleep. One of my brand values is transparency, so I’m honest with my community if/when I’m facing a certain challenge about running my business. I won’t create an illusion of reality on social media, and I’ve actually found that my community appreciates my honesty because many of them can relate, and this keeps me grounded and confident in my mission.

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

The feedback I get from my clients is how I measure my success. It’s not about the big, shiny accolades for me. Of course, that’s nice and great for promoting yourself, but my validation comes from the results my clients get from working with me. This includes getting on TV, being featured in national magazines, landing partnerships with national retailers, and more.

We all want to believe in work/life balance. It sounds nice doesn’t it? But do you actually believe in work/life balance and have any tips?

I do in theory, but I think the idea of promoting this can actually makes you feel more stressed. It’s really hard to achieve, and if you aren’t in a position where you do have a good work/life balance, then you’re left feeling like you’re coming up short in that area.

Learning from other entreprenistas is so important. What’s a piece of advice you can share that you wish you’d known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?

I’ve actually been patient with my journey. I’d been trying to figure out “What’s Next?” for awhile. I even spoke with other industry friends about ideas for podcasts and such, but nothing really felt right. As soon as I realized that my expertise was the “thing” so many people were missing, it wasn’t like I had to write a business plan or anything. I just had to do it! I had to provide the insights, strategies and personalized guidance that you can’t find on a google search. Because that’s what’s gonna get the ball rolling. So I went full-steam ahead without having all of my ducks in a row. My website didn’t come until weeks later, and no one cared. I’d rather be able to walk the walk rather than perfect my “sell” and not be able to deliver the goods.

Nicole Pearl, you have lots to celebrate! What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?

It’s an interesting question because when I started my personal brand, The Beauty Girl, that part of my business was all about ME. I got myself featured on national and regional TV, I landed speaking engagements for fortune 500 companies, and I was even was on an episode of reality TV as The Beauty Girl. What I love about my PR & Media consulting business is that it’s not about me. I’m now the behind-the-scenes person helping others accomplish their own business milestones.

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

I want to continue to help more small businesses and creative entrepreneurs!

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!