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| 05/19/2008 |
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Roxana Lissa is the President of RL Public Relations, a leading Hispanic Public Relations Firm based out of West Los Angeles. In a relatively short period of time, the company has established itself as a leader in the Hispanic marketing and Public Relations by serving clients like Pfizer, Verizon Wireless, Cover Girl, Heineken, Crest and Delta Airlines. With offices in Los Angeles and New York, the company has full service affiliates in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. An immigrant entrepreneur with a strong drive to succeed, Roxana is committed to take her company to the next level. I sat down with Roxana in her office in West Los Angeles for an interview. Here is an excerpt:
4entrepreneur: Can you tell us about yourself and the story behind RL Public Relations?
Roxana Lissa: I am originally from Argentina. As a student, I was always fascinated about the United States. It was a dream of mine to come here and work. I always studied English - as much as I could from an early age. I finished my college in Argentina. I got engaged to an American and emigrated to the United States in 1991.
4entrepreneur: How did you get into PR profession?
Roxana Lissa: While in Argentina, I attended college full time to study Public Relations. Public Relations program in Argentina was very different from courses offered in the United States. It was a full time degree - covering the areas of communications, advertising, graphic design and other relevant areas necessary to start a public relations profession. When I moved to the United States, I immediately realized that my competitors didn’t have the same kind of background. I felt strongly that I could do a better job - even though I was not from here.
4entrepreneur: What were some of the challenges that you faced when you first moved here?
Roxana Lissa: Everything happened very fast. It was tough. I moved here on a Saturday and on Wednesday, I had an appointment with Marty Cooper at the Cooper Communications Agency. I got a job offer to work as an intern for free. I went in the office everyday and people thought that I was crazy. I did not know how to drive. My fiance at that time worked in the movie industry. He would drop me off at work at 6 in the morning on his way to work. And, he would pick me up at 9 in the evening. I would wait at a McDonalds everyday for six months. I was very driven. and, I still am. I worked for the agency for a year and half. At that point, I realized I wanted something bigger.
Next, I went to work for Hill and Knowlton, a well known Public Relations firm. I worked there for a year. Even though I enjoyed working for a large organization and learned a lot, I didn’t get along with my boss and got recruited out of there to work for another Hispanic firm - Moya Villanueva. I was offered a lot of money for the new job. But, I soon realized that it was a wrong move. The company didn’t have the right clients nor the budget for the types of projects that I was looking for. My colleagues were older than me and none of them spoke Spanish. I was only 25 and I left.
I knew I didn’t want to go back to another large corporation. I didn’t know what to do next.
4entrepreneur: What hit you and gave you a motivation to start your own company?
Roxana Lissa: I decided to go on my own. I was depressed. Freelancing was not easy. I took acting classes to gain confidence. I always concentrated on my work - and, that helped me.
4entrepreneur: What account gave you your big break?
Roxana Lissa: Miller Brewing Company. In late 1995, PR Manager at Miller Brewing Company Victor Franco gave me my big account. I met Victor at a lunch meeting hosted by the Hispanic Public Relations Association. I waited for him in the parking lot with a business card. It didn’t happen right away. I followed up with him by telephone and letters. and, one day…I got the call!
4entrepreneur: What are some of the core services that your firm currently offers?
Roxana Lissa: Hispanic Media relationship is our key service area. In addition, we offer various online PR sevices, including viral campaigning, event planning. We also offer traditional PR services, including PR consulting and strategic planning. We emphasize on providing creative ideas to develop good PR programs. Heineken came to us based on our solid understanding of the Hispanic media.
4entrepreneur: If you were to redo the whole thing again, would you do things any differently?
Roxana Lissa: I made a lot of mistakes. At times, I hired wrong people. I hired a CFO well into my fourth year. Maybe, having that person early on would have helped me a lot to map out a growth strategy. But, I learned by doing it.
4entrepreneur: At 4entrepreneur.net, we have a very diverse group and has representation from around the world and all the content is exclusively related to entrepreneurship. Anything that you would like to share based on your experience?
Roxana Lissa: I give a lot of speeches at Universities and colleges for students who are interested to start their own PR agencies. I always speak on the areas of my expertise. I think it is good to have a clear idea on what you want to do and be different. And, always study your competition. We are in such a competitive world. When I started my business, there were hardly anybody in the Hispanic PR field. Now, there are more than 25 agencies. My advice is always focus on your work.
My focus has always been on my clients. It is always about your work. It is the work that you do - that gives you the credibility. It is not about going to the best parties and networking events. I always held a low profile in that regards.
( 4 entrepreneur exclusive Interview: copyright 2008 4entrepreneur.net, photo credit: RL Public Relations )
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