LOC Pod: PRSA New Jersey Senior Professionals Panel on Business Development

Lubetkin on Communications Podcast

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Panelists at the September 12 Senior Professionals panel were (from left): Brian Lowe, President & Chief Executive Officer, BML Public Relations; moderator Jon Goldberg, Chief Reputation Architect, Reputation Architects; David Hernandez, co-founder & Managing Partner, lotus 823; and Ken Jacobs, ACC, CPC, Principal, Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching. (Photos by Ron Wyatt Photography, http://www.ronwyattphotos.com/, used by permission; photo illustration by Steve Lubetkin)

In this episode of the Lubetkin on Communications podcast, we feature a panel discussion on agency business development hosted by the Senior Professionals group of the New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The panel was held on Thursday, September 12 at Stern Strategy Group, Iselin, NJ.

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About the Panelists

David Hernandez, co-founder and Managing Partner, lotus 823: David’s visionary leadership, dedicated marketing expertise, and drive to excel are at the heart of lotus823’s success and reputation as a trusted partner in the integrated communications space. He established the agency in 2010 with his wife, Allison, to fill the void for a results-driven, integrated boutique firm for both consumer and B2B brands. Prior to launching lotus823, he spent 20 years in the retail and marketing industry, holding leadership roles at such companies as Guitar Center, MARS Music, and OMI Medical Imaging. David’s passion and creative energy underscore the culture of lotus823, and as a result, the company was named Best Small Agency in 2017 by Ragan and PR Daily, named one of Inc.’s Best Places to Work in 2019, and has garnered more than 40 additional industry awards. Further, he is honored to have been a TEDx speaker in 2018, and has been a guest writer on numerous topics, from Hispanic marketing to digital best practices, for leading industry outlets including Bulldog Reporter and HomeWorld Business.

Brian M. Lowe, President & Chief Executive Officer, BML Public Relations: Brian M. Lowe is the president and CEO of BML Public Relations, a national, award-winning earned and social media agency located in Florham Park, NJ. Since opening the doors of BMLPR 13 years ago, Brian has remained focused on achieving the agency’s mission to be the best small agency in America. Not only has he built the foundation of a shop that lives up to a title like that, he continues to add layer after layer to push to the next level from a work and growth standpoint for his staff and the agency, as a whole. Now in existence for more than decade, the agency has grown from one project billing at $300 to a team of 20+ hungry and hardworking team members with an annual revenue of more than $2.5 million. Brian is the winner of PRSA NJ’s PR Professional of the Year for 2019.

Ken Jacobs, ACC, CPC, Principal, Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching: Ken Jacobs, a certified coach and experienced leadership consultant and trainer, is the principal of Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching. Since launching his company in 2007, Jacobs has helped nearly 50 agencies grow their business, manage it for profit, improve client service and relationships, and enhance staff performance, communications and leadership skills.Previously, Jacobs spent 25 years in management and leadership positions with a number of firms, including Ogilvy & Mather PR; Marina Maher Communications (MMC); and Maloney & Fox. While at these agencies he served on leadership teams responsible for business development and agency marketing. Jacobs serves on the Board of PRSA NJ and leads its Senior Professionals Group. He regularly presents at PRSA Counselors Academy on business development, client service, and leadership.

Moderator

Jon Goldberg, Chief Reputation Architect, Reputation Architects ([e-mail]): Jon Goldberg founded Reputation Architects in 2009 after more than 25 years as an adviser to top corporate executives, a senior leader at some of the world’s most prominent communications firms and a front-line spokesman for major corporations and non-profit organizations. Over the years, Jon has helped countless companies, non-profits and government entities enhance their reputational equity, inoculate themselves against reputational harm and transform adverse situations into opportunities to demonstrate responsible leadership. His crisis and special situations experience has included everything from government and internal corporate investigations, complex mergers and reorganizations and unanticipated executive successions, to activist attacks, technology failures, privacy and data security breaches, product recalls, intellectual property challenges, class action litigation, labor disputes and workplace and environmental disasters. Before founding Reputation Architects Jon was Partner and head of the Corporate Affairs practice of Porter Novelli, the international communications consultancy. Earlier, he was executive vice president of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide and Edelman’s national director of crisis and litigation communications and served in senior client management roles at J. Walter Thompson. He began his public relations career as manager of corporate media relations for The Prudential Insurance Company of America and as the chief spokesman for Prudential’s insurance, financial and corporate operations and The Prudential Foundation. A frequent speaker and media commentator on reputation management and crisis communications topics, Jon holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master of business administration degree, both from New York University. He serves on the board of directors of the New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and is a member the executive committee of the PRSA Counselors Academy, a peer-to-peer network of many of the nation’s top public relations agency leaders and advisers.