Reflecting on 25 Years
by Frank L. Williams
It’s difficult to believe that Pioneer Strategies is turning 25 years old this year. Time truly flies, and the world has changed dramatically since I formed the company.
I started doing freelance PR work in 1993, eight years before launching Pioneer Strategies. In August 2001 I decided to make the leap and form my own business. I submitted the incorporation papers for what is now Pioneer Strategies on Sept. 6, 2001. The company was officially incorporated on a date that is etched in our minds for another tragic reason: 9-11-01.
The days and weeks following the 9/11 terrorist attacks were a scary time to be a brand new business owner. Thankfully, I landed one large client, a political candidate, who contracted for three-fourths of my time for a year. Without that client, I doubt if we’d have survived one year, much less 25.
When I launched Pioneer Strategies, the bulk of our work involved writing press releases and advising small businesses and local political candidates. In those days, we typically sent out local press releases via a fax machine or U.S. Mail.
Technology has transformed the business world and the public relations profession over the past 25 years. While we do still write press releases when appropriate, we obviously don’t use a fax machine to distribute them. Our business has grown to include graphic design, web design, email newsletters, and targeted social and digital advertising. The rise of AI is making human insight and judgment even more important in today’s environment. The successful communicator in today’s world is able to adapt and knows how to apply timeless, proven principles and processes to modern technology.
I’m grateful to our current and former clients, team members and strategic partners for the role they’ve played in our success. We obviously wouldn’t be here without our clients, and our team members enable us to provide the service they deserve.
We’ve never had a huge staff, and that’s the way I like it. Today, we have a small but mighty team in place:
– Senior Creative Strategist Zach Drennan, who has been with us for just over seven years. Zach’s specialties include graphic design, web design, brand identity and social advertising.
– Senior Account Leader Kelly Crosby, who has been with us for nearly five years. Kelly oversees account management and project management to ensure that client projects are completed on time and with attention to detail. Additionally, her specialties include email newsletters, copywriting and social advertising.
– Neil Moore, who joined us earlier this year, provides business development and outreach services in the Charlotte region.
When I first launched Pioneer Strategies, I did everything myself. This was partly out of necessity, and partly because I had not yet learned the value of a team with diverse perspectives and skill sets. As I’ve matured as a leader, I’ve grown to appreciate the importance of having the right people on the journey. I’m grateful for our team members.
In some ways, the past 25 years have been groundwork for what comes next. Reflecting on our history has helped us refine our focus moving forward.
A couple of years ago, we settled on a new mission statement: building success through effective, strategic communication. We define “building success” as helping our clients achieve their goals. Effective, strategic communication is how we do it. In recent weeks, we’ve added another key point to this: we don’t “do PR” just to do it; we communicate for impact.
Reflecting on our past has also helped clarify who we can truly help and how we can best serve them. Our ideal client is an association, non-profit or business with a recurring communication need, but limited in-house communication resources. While we can still handle one-time projects, we are most effective when working as a strategic partner in a long-term relationship.
Additionally, we are most effective when a client engages us as a fractional department of communication under a monthly fee. Many organizations hire fractional executives; when you work with us you get a team, not just one individual.
We’re proud to celebrate 25 years in business. We’re humbled that so many organizations have trusted us as their communication partner. As we kick off the next 25 years, we’re ready to partner with you if your association, non-profit or business needs a communication partner. Drop us a line!
