Jenna Guarneri is a public relations maven in the lifestyle and entertainment industries
JMG Public Relations is the brainchild of personal publicist Jenna Guarneri. As a creative soul with the sheer desire to be constantly in the know, Jenna was fascinated by the allure New York City had to offer from a young age. Being a native New Yorker in the heart of the media world, Jenna worked non-stop to break into the industry that so perfectly united her talents. Having worked on top-named accounts at a luxury public relations agency, Jenna transitioned over to a boutique firm to specialize in personal public relations for the lifestyle and entertainment industries. It was here that Jenna found her true calling. “I love helping my clients design a pathway to their dreams. It is a beautiful thing to watch their careers blossom and to be apart of the ride is an experience I am eternally grateful for.” Having an a-ha moment in 2015, Jenna launched JMG Public Relations in New York City.
Tell us about your company -
I am the owner of JMG Public Relations, a lifestyle and entertainment firm based out of New York City. We are at the cusp of the ever changing media world and offer a fresh approach while producing quality results. Our clients have been featured in such media outlets as The New York Times, Marie Claire, Men’s Journal, Shape magazine, amongst many others!
What do you think of the stereotype that entrepreneurs are workaholics?
One thing I stress at JMG-PR is quality of life. I never want our team members to burn out and overwork themselves, so I encourage them to leave on time and to take time for themselves. Self-care is an important part of success. A healthy body is a healthy mind and vice versa. For me, I absolutely LOVE fitness. I ran track in high-school and my father is a retired New York City fireman, so being athletic was something my siblings and I grew up around. I try to workout 4-6 times a week, but with being an entrepreneur, that’s not always easy. I’m still struggling with being okay with having to miss the gym on select days and not getting in my daily workouts. Missing a workout every so often is not detrimental, but I’m still working on it!
What made you choose Public Relations as your career path?
Event planning was initially my goal, but in college I realized event planning was just a fraction of what I loved to do. I loved networking, working with brands, researching media, and event planning, so I found that public relations created the full package for me.
What is failure? What role do you think failure plays on the road to success?
I’ve always had the mindset that failure wasn’t an option. Yes, we all make mistakes, but we learn as we go. Just because something doesn’t go as you planned, doesn’t mean it’s a failure. There’s always something that you can learn or take away from a situation. Failure is more of a tool to learning, but the hard way!
What is your proudest accomplishment in 2016? What’s the biggest goal for 2017?
Overall, I am so proud of how much JMG Public Relations grew in 2016. I started the company in March of 2015, so last year was our first full year and it was amazing! I can’t believe we’re already reaching our second year in business and every time I look at paperwork from our first year, I’m astonished at how much I’ve learned and how less scary everything seems!
Do you believe that there is one specific formula for success?
Success means so many different things to people, so how and when we reach success really varies to the individual. From my perspective, a successful business owner is one who creates a profitable business, a happy work environment, and produces results within their industry. I also think its important for business owners to constantly challenge themselves and evolve their brand as times and trends change, so a successful business owner is one who can also look ahead at future trends.
What does it mean to have competition? How do you view your competitors?
Competition is healthy and keeps us as business owners, constantly evolving our services or product. The market and need for PR is so large that I will always have tons of competitors, but I’ve always found it to be helpful in being supportive and friendly with other PR firms. There’s plenty of business to go around, so agencies are constantly referring clients to each other and we’re always asking each other business related questions.
How as being an entrepreneur affected your daily life?
Since becoming an entrepreneur, I feel that my quality of life has drastically increased because I’m so happy with what I’ve created and what I can create for others. There is nothing more rewarding then being your own boss. It allows you complete creative freedom and you’re able to create an environment that you love walking into everyday.