Over the past few decades, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of female entrepreneurs and executives in marketing and public relations (PR). As the broader business world has become much more diverse and inclusive, we’ve seen countless more women enter these industries and make a name for themselves within them.
These women all bring unique perspectives, skills, and talents to the table. They tend to be innovative, collaborative, empathetic, intuitive, and passionate about their work. They understand the importance of cohesive branding, messaging, and communications strategies when building a successful business, and they are often relentlessly dedicated to helping their clients achieve their goals. In the world of PR and marketing, especially, a woman’s natural ability to connect with people, communicate ideas clearly, and build meaningful professional relationships is a true triple-threat quality that drives measurable business results.
That said, the “X factor” that seems to set the most successful entrepreneurs – both male and female – apart from the pack is an interest and willingness to collaborate with others. These community-minded visionaries understand that the journey of building or scaling a brand will require the support, effort, and unique expertise of a team around them, so the best leaders will work to cultivate a collaborative culture that encourages creativity, innovation, and diverse perspectives that can capture the hearts and minds of their clients’ audiences.
We had the honor of interviewing one such fearless female leader: Nicole Rodrigues, the independent CEO and founder of one of Los Angeles’ most respected PR and marketing agencies, NRPR Group (“NRPR”).
In addition to all the valuable skills mentioned above, Rodrigues also possesses the more rare leadership qualities of grit, gumption, and a firm commitment to her team, her clients, and her mission. She is able to adapt and evolve alongside rapidly-shifting industry landscapes and helps her clients navigate those changes and challenges in their own businesses. Her NRPR team understands that the digital age has fundamentally transformed the way that humans communicate and connect, and they are constantly exploring new tools and technologies to keep their clients ahead of the curve. Perhaps more importantly, though, is Rodrigues’ passion for making a positive impact on the art of PR – and on the world around her.
Her entrepreneurial journey is proof positive that female leaders not only play a critical role in shaping the future of business – they are driving it.
A Bold Leader
Nicole Rodrigues is the founder, CEO, and visionary behind her eponymous NRPR Group, one of the leading independent public relations and creative marketing agencies in the United States.
With an impressive career that spans over two decades, Rodrigues is a trusted PR and marketing expert who has served some of the biggest brands in business, including Yahoo!, Dolby, Hulu, Sony Pictures, Sony PlayStation, M-GO, Toon Hero, Demand Media, Heal, MOBITV and the Oakland Raiders.
In 2014, Rodrigues harnessed her strategic communications and digital media expertise to launch NRPR with one goal in mind: to positively elevate the way that PR is done in the modern era and establish an agency model that could set an actionable new standard for the industry. She and her team have since developed and successfully executed numerous marquee campaigns for thought leaders and businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies across the world.
An Award-Winning Journey
“With NRPR’s ninth anniversary just around the corner, I can’t help but look back fondly on the earliest days of the business and the journey that has led to this momentous milestone.” – Rodrigues
According to Rodrigues, starting a company from scratch – without any investors or outside funding while raising a daughter as a single mother – has been the most exhilarating, rewarding, and terrifying experience of her life thus far. When she first opened NRPR, the agency’s early success was the product of her long hours, extreme resourcefulness, and sheer determination to use all the tools she had at her disposal to redefine the standard for what a PR agency can and should be.
In doing so, she quickly learned that entrepreneurs are faced with a harsh reality: 45% of new businesses fail within the first five years. That’s why, when NRPR celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2019, she was overcome with gratitude, pride, and the understanding that her company had thrived through countless hurdles that could have easily led to its failure.
“After sprinting past that five-year mark, I finally felt truly confident in the future of the agency and knew that we would continue to break the traditional PR mold while setting industry-wide standards,” says Rodrigues.
Thriving Through the Pandemic
Unlike so many other agencies and small businesses, NRPR not only survived the pandemic – it thrived and helped its clients shine through the uncertainty, also. As a result of the resilience, optimism, and tenacity of her team, Rodrigues was proud to note that the last three years were actually some of the most successful years for the agency to date, despite all of the lingering challenges of the pandemic.
In fact, in the last year alone, NRPR cemented its position as one of Los Angeles’ top agencies, earning a coveted top-20 spot on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Top PR Agencies” list, along with 13 other industry awards that recognize the agency’s proven PR and marketing prowess. NRPR’s extensive list of awards, accomplishments, and industry-disruptive clients is a testament to its ongoing triumph and demonstrated commitment to excellence against all odds. The NRPR team has had the opportunity to work with an incredibly diverse client roster of change makers, influencers, and thought leaders who span tech, entertainment, healthcare, gaming, web3 innovation, and more.
On a personal level, Rodrigues also completed her Master’s degree in Business Administration in 2022 with a concentration on entrepreneurship at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management (graduating in the top 15%) while she continued to lead the agency full-time.
“This was easily one of the biggest challenges I have ever taken on, but was one of the best decisions I could make for my business.” – Rodrigues
An Arsenal of Services
In addition to the best-in-class, multi-channel public relations services NRPR offers (including strategic narrative development, brand positioning, announcement support, executive media training, marketing communications and content creation services, digital/social media marketing, influencer and media relationship management, and executive thought leadership development), it is also the only PR agency to offer cutting-edge, multimedia content creation services through NRPR Productions and end-to-end, pre-launch business development strategy and support through NRPR Biz Pro™.
After witnessing the first rippling effects of the pandemic on the global economy, including her clients’ industries, Rodrigues distinguished herself from competitors by leveraging the multifaceted talents of her diverse team of publicists, writers, editors, marketing strategists, and communications experts to adapt the agency’s services and offerings portfolio in a way that could support the shifting needs of her clients in this collective “new normal.”
Motivation & Inspiration for the Fu
Rodrigues notes that several books and iconic characters had an impact on her journey as a leader. “The Purpose Driven Life by Pastor Rick Warren had a big impact on me as a 23-year old mother who was just beginning to build her career. As I started to discover my purpose, I also wanted to ensure my child would be able to do the same. From an early age, I taught her that she is here for a reason and her life has a mission, but only she will know what that mission is”.
To this, she adds, “The book also offers a realistic view of what can go wrong when starting a business, and how to fix it to be more successful. Between its lessons on perseverance and the ways it helped me overcome obstacles in my own personal journey, that book motivated me to give back to others and appreciate every bridge I crossed to reach my goals. It still resonates with me today and helped inspire our tagline at NRPR: Committed to publicity, powered by purpose.”
Every day, NRPR continues to work toward the cornerstone of its initial mission: to help usher in a new era of public relations that can uplift industries and communities. That mission truly excites Rodrigues and her team, who understand that it’s a moving target that requires constant evolution and ideation.
When asked about the future, Rodrigues says that she and her team will never stop driving that mission forward. “I also hope to expand internationally over the next few years,” she adds. “We have a wide U.S. footprint and already serve a global client base, but there’s definitely still room to grow. I can see us opening offices in Dubai and Europe, specifically, in the future.”
Advice to New Entrepreneurs
It’s important to Rodrigues that other aspiring female entrepreneurs and business leaders benefit from the hard lessons she learned on her path to successful CEO. To them, she says: “I cannot overemphasize the power and value of a strong professional network for entrepreneurs in any field, but especially in PR. Relationships are the crux of our craft. I always encourage entrepreneurs to find reputable mentors and trusted advisors who align with their core values and vision — and to trust/empower those people to help guide them through the inevitable growing pains and elements of business they still have yet to learn or master. Those connections become the pillars of a valuable professional network that can help a business gain exponential momentum when tapped thoughtfully and maintained intentionally.
She closes by adding, “It’s also important to know that entrepreneurship requires great self-discipline. Starting a business is one of the hardest things a person can do, and there’s a reason why most businesses fail. There will be hard days ahead and real obstacles that can derail you from what you set out to accomplish, if you allow them to. You will have deadlines to meet, fires to put out, and multiple people to satisfy. But in the end, entrepreneurship is truly the experience of a lifetime.”
