PR Strategies for Small Business Entrepreneurs with Camile Sardina

In this episode, your host Beverly sits down with Camile Sardina, a seasoned digital nomad, publicist, and acclaimed author. With over a decade of experience in public relations, Camile is the mastermind behind Evolist Media, a boutique PR firm based in New York City. Camile's impressive client portfolio includes major media outlets like Good Morning America, Women's Health, The Washington Post, and Forbes. She's also the creative force behind Change Makers, a compelling book that highlights trailblazing women making a positive impact

The Power of Earned Media
Camile emphasizes how earned media builds trust and credibility, which are essential for any brand looking to make a lasting impact. She discusses PR's unique opportunities for businesses to build authority and connect with their audiences.  Camile opens up about the challenges she has faced as an entrepreneur, particularly during the pandemic when she lost all her clients.

Trends in PR and Marketing
Camile notes that while traditional methods like press releases are still relevant, there is a growing emphasis on integrating social media and digital strategies. She advises young entrepreneurs to be more disciplined and to continuously seek new opportunities for growth.

Camile's Favorite Book:
How to Win Friends and Influence People:

Follow Camile:
Evolist Media
Evolist Media Facebook
Evolist Media Instagram

Spark, Ignite, and Share Your Story
If you're interested in sharing your story and insights as a guest on our podcast, read more about our podcast guest process. Your expertise could inspire others and help illuminate the path to success in the ever-evolving marketing world.

Are you ready to SPARK YOUR UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY & IGNITE YOUR MARKETING? We invite you to take the first step towards transforming your marketing journey. Schedule a fit call with us. You can also reach us via email at info@bcassociatesmarketing.com.

Learn more with our BC & Associates Marketing Resources Hub— meet your unique learning preferences, whether you're into reading insightful articles, watching dynamic videos, listening to in-depth podcasts, or keeping up-to-date with the latest trends through our informative newsletter.  With BC & Associates at your side, you're not just staying informed—you're staying ahead.

Transcript

Beverly: 0:09

Did you know 70 percent of consumers trust earned media such as PR articles or reviews more than traditional advertising? Welcome to another enlightening episode of Spark It Ignite Your Marketing. Today we're thrilled to introduce Camile Sardina, a seasoned digital nomad, publicist, An acclaimed author, writer, with over a decade of experience in PR, public relations. Camile is the mastermind behind Evolist Media, a boutique public relations firm based in New York City. Her impressive client portfolio includes major media outlets like Good Morning America, Women's Health, the Washington Post and Forbes, but Camile's influence doesn't stop there. She's also the creative force behind Change Makers, a compelling book spotlighting trailblazing women, making positive change. She's endorsed by Sheryl Sandberg and the Women's March organizers. Camile's work has garnered attention from U. S. News and World Report, Canvas Rebel, Bold Journey, and Aplus Join us as we dive into Camile's journey, glean insights from her vast experience, and uncover some secrets to PR success in today's competitive landscape. Welcome Camile. Thank you so much, Beverly, for having me. I'm super excited to have you because PR is certainly in the marketing wheelhouse. I think I mentioned earlier that I can write a press release and we can do a little bit of that, but we are by no means experts in that area. And but it's certainly marketing and I'm here for all the marketing things, so I'm Super excited to chat with you more. So talk a little bit about your journey into PR and even to owning your own business. What does that look like for you?

Camile: 1:50

Yeah. So I, first of all, I didn't know what the heck PR was when I applied to have it be my major for college. I just, I remember thinking, I don't know what I want to do. Let me read up on these majors. Public relations seems like an interesting mix of journalism and business to me at the time. And I said, I think I can do that. So I did study it in college. I went to the university of Florida all four years. And right after college, I moved to New York city. Where I started working with a startup PR firm, and we mostly did health and focused on health and wellness food and food brands. And I worked for the startup for about maybe it was a handful of years. I have to think back now because it's been a while, maybe let's say five, five, six years, something like that. And I got to a point where. I think I learned everything I could. I felt like I could manage clients on my own and do this. And I also learned because when you work for a startup in a small business, you wear a lot of hats and you do learn what it takes at least to run a small business. And so I did absorb all of that. And I said, I think it's time for me to take a leap. Behind the scenes, I did have, I asked my boss, is it okay if I just have a client of my own that's not competing with any clients that we have? And she said, absolutely. I knew that you would do this one day. So slowly, while I was working with her, I would have other clients and it got to the point where I would just work with her less and less. And then I branched off on my own and started Evolist Media. And my first ever client was also in New York city. It was a company called Sass class, a dance studio in New York city. And it was a successful campaign right off the bat and the rest is history,

Beverly: 3:48

it's very nice that you had somebody you worked for that was supportive of you bringing on your own clients. So you could like really organically build your business in a way, as opposed to like cold Turkey, good luck.

Camile: 4:02

Yeah. I think it was an extremely unique situation and I am a digital nomad, like you mentioned too. So when I worked for that startup in New York City, I actually was working remotely. So I didn't actually start my whole travel and work journey until a little later in my twenties. I'm in my thirties now, but at the time I had just moved to New York and I had no desire to travel that much because I wanted to explore the city and every day is new there. So that was another benefit that came from working with that startup. In addition to this, that unique opportunity to have literally clients of my own outside of the That job. I think I don't, I think that's pretty rare. And then on top of that, because I worked remotely, I was able to, I was flexible with the hours, with the work hours, I could go work in the coffee shops get some work done for her, even on the weekends and focus a little bit more on building my business on the, on certain weekdays. So yeah I think it was rare.

Beverly: 5:06

It's a gift for sure. The idea that you started from a startup that was actually my job before I started my own company too. I was doing marketing for a startup, what was different is. I realized how much work it took to start a business. So I was like, I don't want my own business.

Camile: 5:22

That was a whole other thing. I dance to the beat of my own drum and I go with the flow, just like when I entered college and I had no idea what I wanted to do. I woke up one morning and thought, yeah, I think I could do this. I'm just going to do it. I actually didn't do a lot of research. So like you, I didn't really understand all that was involved in starting a business and keeping it afloat. And in the amount of years that it's, that I've had Everless Media, it's, I've had the ups and downs. Obviously we had the pandemic, so that was one of the downs. So yeah It's been a it's still, I'm still learning so much because it's a small business still to the right now. So the growing pains never stop.

Beverly: 6:05

I think that's true for most entrepreneurs. I think like things like there was no playbook for COVID. So all of us had to figure stuff out. And I think there's like life just happens that way as we go through things, like we have to figure things out and entrepreneurs are pretty good about figuring things out. But sometimes. We do need help in that, right? Like other business owners or other professionals to help us figure some stuff out. People who mentor us and things like that have become super vital in my business. And even my clients, I've learned so much from my clients and their journeys.

Camile: 6:38

Absolutely.

Beverly: 6:39

It's definitely an evolution, like you said. Now that you have done the PR thing and you did the squat. What about PR do you love? What is it that brings you joy as related to PR and why a PR business?

Camile: 6:52

Yeah I've always loved writing. So the writing aspect of it is probably my number one reason of why I love PR. And I also, PR, a huge part of PR, the core of it is storytelling. So yes, you're writing, but you are thinking of all of these stories with all of the clients that you have that will connect with others. I love that aspect of it, just having that the secret writer in me who just wants to be in a forest and write books all day, I definitely have that side of me and that. Is able to come out in public relations just in a different way.

Beverly: 7:32

So what do you think has been the biggest challenge? You talked a little bit about COVID, but what do you think is the challenge? The biggest challenge you've had to overcome as an entrepreneur?

Camile: 7:41

Okay. Cause I will, I would say just in general of things that have happened, the pandemic was definitely the biggest challenge. But as an entrepreneur, I could say that I, as an entrepreneur, because this could happen. Even without a pandemic was, yeah, losing literally all of my clients had to take a pause during the pandemic, all of them. And luckily at the time I had learned how to throughout my twenties, balance my budget better than I had when I was in college in my early twenties, cause I didn't know anything. I had enough money saved, but I thought okay in the pandemic when businesses. are trying to save money in hard times. Usually luxury services like PR are one of the first to go. So that was definitely the hardest and most stressful year of my entrepreneurial career. And figuring out how to get more business in a time that I didn't think I would have to because I, and I, because I was busy at the time and I, Oh, the lesson though, which is extremely important. is you need to never stop. Even if your business is thriving, never stop trying to get new clients. So that was the, really the big lesson, whether it's a pandemic or something else that might keep you from working for some reason, unexpectedly it's always good to grow and hire versus being in a position where everyone might go and you have no income or you have no. Incoming stream of income anymore.

Beverly: 9:23

So did you have to shift from doing to growing? Yeah. How did you grow in a pandemic? That seems impossible.

Camile: 9:32

Yeah. There's, I, there's so many ways new clients. So I just hustled like I had done before but times 10. So Some ways to get new clients that worked the best for me were actually Facebook groups, which worked before, but there are a lot of different Facebook groups within the marketing slash PR family that share new opportunities from people looking for PR companies, publicists also just, sharing advice, but Facebook groups were a huge help at the time and lead generation. Apollo IO is one of them. It's a really cheap option. But I remember using that and just writing killer pitches and sending them out to businesses that were relevant to the PR specialties that I focused on. Yeah, those were just some ways. I could, the list goes on, but in addition to, even though it was the pandemic, when I did. Go say into a coffee shop, for example, I would still strike conversations from afar because in New York City I'd have to think of the amount of the percentage of clients that I would get just from meeting people, but maybe half, so I would never stop doing that. But but that was, yeah, that was the big lesson at the time where if you're, if your business does take it, take a huge, you just can't give up, you have to work 10 times harder or more. And if there are different ways of outreach that you haven't tried yet, throw it in there. I definitely did. And I got back and I got back I think it was within six months, my business picked back up and it's only grown from there.

Beverly: 11:14

Amazing. One of our part of our mission when we do marketing is to elevate the brand or what we call build authority and that's a key part of the no like trust factor when people want to buy from you. These are all marketing like phrases. Everybody knows that's in the space. So talk specifically about what PR does and why it's important for a business or a brand. To invest in that particular marketing activity.

Camile: 11:43

Yeah. Public relations in how I describe it is a tool to build trust and credibility with your audiences and within, and also to connect with them on a more personal level with the types of stories you put out there about your company or yourself. Because in addition to the personality of a company, you're a lot of the times putting a spotlight on the CEO as well and letting their audiences know and letting the public know who they are and why they, why people should like them and want to work with them or want to buy their product, whatever it is. So it's really about trust and credibility at the end of the day. And and connection.

Beverly: 12:36

You don't want to be the best kept secret, right? No. We don't want them to be the best kept secret. Everyone should flourish. Yes. But I think that this is probably one of the hardest things for entrepreneurs to do business owners to do because they put themselves out there right in front of a camera. A lot of them are camera shy. When I've worked with other. clients, even doing media prep, like how to be on media. And the biggest thing they always say about being on TV is it flies like the three minute spot or five minute spot. If you get a five minute spot, the three minute spot goes by so fast. Yeah, no,

Camile: 13:15

all

Beverly: 13:15

of a sudden they're like,

Camile: 13:15

hang on, I blacked out. What happened? What? Where are we?

Beverly: 13:19

Yes. They had a whole script and the, it just went out the window. So yeah, there is a finesse, I believe to some of the media. Exposure that you have to have, I think yes, to do really well, and it just takes practice. We always say, you should do Facebook Lives and get really comfortable and then continue to build on your skillset, but practice does make perfect in this situation. Facebook

Camile: 13:42

lives, I, do lives all of that. And that something that I really love to do with my clients is whenever they, whenever we get different broadcast segments booked. And this is for TV or radio or podcasts is I always like to have practice zoom calls with them where I pretend to be the host. I will have just a different set of questions ready to ask them. I will time them and we have a actual hard crash course practice for practicing interviewing. So that I always include in any kind of campaign. I that's something that I do, it's complimentary and I think it's absolutely necessary, especially when someone has not been on television before, has, have, or has not been interviewed before.,

Beverly: 14:30

there is a skill set that you need to learn, I think, to do well on those, yeah, appearances. Some people have it and some people need to master it, but it's very few people who are just naturally without practice great on TV. My mom jokes that all the theater and choir and dance classes she put me in. Yeah. Helped me think fast on my feet. Yes, exactly. So it definitely benefited, but there are a lot of people who don't have any of that background. They can get a little stage fright and I still get really nervous, but yes.

Camile: 15:05

Oh yeah. I think most of us do. And I also did theater. hands down, that helped me because I was such a shy kid. I was a very shy kid. And for some reason I was still drawn to theater. Not sure. I don't know why, I did some dance too. I do credit that to a lot of my, any kind of comfort that I might have on camera, even though I do get nervous. Yes,

Beverly: 15:26

I actually, I was telling my clients, you need to get over a stage fright, just get on there. The more you do it, the more you practice, the more you'll get over yourself. You just need to get yourself out there back when Facebook live just launched. So this is years ago, COVID pushed people out more alive, which was great. A lot of clients finally took my advice to get out there and do more because of necessity because they were closed. So they had to. Okay. And now I have some clients who do way better on their lives than actually in store as far as sales it's like, they totally bought in now this is the most amazing thing. So now it's their new passion, right? Exactly.

Camile: 16:01

Exactly. It's changed them entirely. Now they're like, Beverly, can you help me actually start a podcast now? Because I think it's

Beverly: 16:08

right. Yes. That actually is funny story too, Camile. I was giving advice to a client saying they're in the financial realm, saying they needed to have a podcast. And I had hosted a podcast back in 2007 on global business. And I was like, this is what you do, this is how you can use it. This is a great way to build authority in the space, a great way to connect with potential customers. This is just an excellent avenue for you. He had a radio voice too. And so I thought, this is fantastic. Okay. And he was very shy. So he was like, no, that's not for me. But I had an out of body experience where I was like, why am I not taking my own advice? Why am I not doing a podcast on marketing? And that became the impetus for this podcast was me giving advice to a client saying, I need to take my own advice. You got to practice what you preach. Yeah, you do have to do it. You have to practice and then show them like this is how you can use this in this way. So yeah, what are some trends that you're seeing in the PR space? It's been around for a long time. I, there's a lot of study of PR all the way from like how Hitler used it to like, there's so much really interesting theory on PR, but how do you see things going? Where are the trends?

Camile: 17:20

There, there is still. I don't know if I would consider this a trend, but there is still a lot of work being done around influencer marketing and really trying to figure out how to best use that in a campaign. And there's a lot of integration with social media now in PR, which wasn't a thing before. So before it was now, the traditional routes of your writing pitches, you write press releases and you pitch them via email, phone calls. But now with this integration with social media. I have noticed that the two worlds mixed together and we're, I think a lot of people are still trying to figure out what's really part of PR now. So it's a little confusing in that way because especially new clients where it's their first time hiring a company for something within the marketing umbrella, they a lot of times they assume that, Oh, you're going to be posting for us too. But it's a, it is a completely different beast. It's a full, it's another full time job. But that, I wouldn't say that's been going on though, but I'll say that because it continues and there's still a lot of conversations about if influencer marketing is worthwhile and how to do it properly. That's one that's absolutely worth mentioning.

Beverly: 18:44

Do you do influencer marketing? Do you set that up for your client? Does that something that I started doing

Camile: 18:48

that once I realized that more and more clients were interested in it. And so that started some years ago, where I had to learn how to do it because a lot of people didn't really know how to do it properly. And it's still evolving, but yeah, so I do, unless they, unless a client, I customize every campaign. So unless they, it's just not what they want. Oh, in something that I don't recommend, then no, but a lot of times, yes, we do influencer marketing and it's a it's a hit or miss. Sometimes they're really effective. And, but most of the time, most of the time it's, it doesn't bring the results that I personally want. So these are conversations still happening in the PR world. The

Beverly: 19:31

thing is that marketing 20 years ago to marketing now is a totally different beast. There's some fundamentals that are the same as far as psychology of buying and things like that. However, the tools, the channels, the partnerships have truly evolved. And those of us who have been a part of this industry literally have learned it. As it's happening, like there's no book on how to do it because the algorithm changes tomorrow. Yeah.

Camile: 20:01

And that's another thing is everyone has so many different opinions on what should and shouldn't be included in a campaign. And I definitely, I'm not, I don't have the personality to type, to say, this is the right way. I always say, Hey, this is what I've done. It worked. I am always open to trying new things. And maybe there is a time where you have to go back to the old school ways of doing things for whatever reason, there are some publicists out there that don't write press releases anymore. And then there are some that live and die by it, who's to say who was correct if they're having success on their own as well.

Beverly: 20:42

So it brings us to the next question, actually, and I'm curious as to where this is going to go, but what advice would you give entrepreneurs who are looking to find their unique opportunities using public relations? How would, what would be the advice you would give an entrepreneur to explore as it relates to public relations itself?

Camile: 21:03

Yeah, in terms of growing their own business, they really need to master their elevator pitch. I wish I could put a different word because people hear it all the time, but it is extremely important. It's extremely important to, in a very short written say a paragraph or two, Or in, in verbally in 30 seconds as the elevator pitch standard time is usually to explain what you do and why you do it and what the significance is. And that's something that people can do ASAP. It is, it's an easy thing. It's not easy to do when you're trying to really tell the story in a nutshell, but it's important practice and something that people should be doing ASAP if they are starting a business.

Beverly: 23:02

Even those people who've been in business for 10, 12, 20 years, sometimes need to like

Camile: 23:10

sometimes they have to regroup. Yeah. Yeah. And rebrand themselves. Yes.

Beverly: 23:14

I would say after 12 years, I was, I'm my elevator pitch is very different than it was when I first started. It's evolved certainly. But I actually got really crystal clear on who I wanted to serve, what joy, what passion I had and to focus on that. And I think. Like even when I wrote my book, I was all about getting the entrepreneur back to the why and the reasons that matter and how they solve the problems and to focus on that and to keep that front and center to make it a filter for everything that they do for their business. So that elevator pitch is if you had a foundation, it's like the very, very bottom of the foundation, but it's the thing that everybody sees. So it's not even like the cement pillar. It's like the blinking light on the outside of the building too. I know

Camile: 24:05

it, and it is the first thing that people see. And that is why it is important, but it does evolve. And my business is still small and I'm very aware that. With the clients that come on board that I actually didn't expect to come on board. For example, the clients that I have definitely shape how the company, the brand will be over time as well. Because sometimes I focus mostly on health and wellness in the beginning, but over time kind of food clients came in and entertainment clients came in and. In my mind, I was thinking, Oh, I would just focus on health at first, but it's evolved. And hence the name Evolist Media evolved. And so I'm still learning along the way about rebranding with what's going on in the company. That's something that's never going to end for anybody. And and it's a fun job too, If people enjoy that, if people enjoy always. Thinking of new things and, re reinventing who they are and who they're in the company over time then they have that entrepreneurial spirit and that's important.

Beverly: 25:13

I often ask my entrepreneur guests because we do marketing all about the tactics that are most effective and what kind of approaches you use, but clearly you focus on public relations. Yeah. Share an example of a client you worked with and how PR really helped launch their business or kick it up a notch.

Camile: 25:36

Yeah, I will. There's many stories, but I will use my first client story because it's near and dear to my heart since Sass class was my first client. So Sasss Class is a dance studio in New York City. They do these dance video programs where you learn a dance routine, and they film you doing the routine on camera at the end with a group. It's basically a music video experience, and it's so fun, and A lot of times the women who go in there it's a women's empowerment studio. They are hard workers in the daytime. And then they go there and take the dance class at night to let their hair loose. So I did it and I had so much fun and I realized how unique of a studio it was at the time. And I spoke to the owner and said, Hey, I'm starting a public relations company. And I noticed that you have nothing in the press right now. And you have a really unique studio here. We I told her I would do it for a very small cost. And she said, all right, let's try it. So they became their, my, they became my newest, my first ever client. Sass Class became my first ever client. And in the first month, Self Magazine, Published a video story about Sasss Class that went completely viral online, which I'm not surprised about because again, there was no other studio doing these dance video slash music video programs like Sass class was. And after that video went out and went viral, then Sass class on influx of new students and women coming in saying, Hey, we saw the Self Magazine Snapchat, or we saw the self magazine on video on Facebook, or the self magazine Sass class video on Instagram, and they had a huge increase in, in new students. And then from there, the press just kept rolling in for Sass class even after the campaign, which I love. I love that. That's another thing I love about the public relations experience is the self magazine. effect that happens to cl working with them. And yo the opportunities that co though you're pitching th sometimes speaking opportunities. This is specifically for media relations is another types of opportunities that come in. In addition to even being in commercials, you just never know. You just never know what comes in even if you're doing a traditional media relations campaign. And then they make those connections. And then opportunities grow for them. So I love seeing that.

Beverly: 28:33

The thing that I think with the original client that I think is really important, because we focus on unique opportunities, is they had a very unique story to tell. Yeah. And you can't contrive a story to make a hit like that. It has to be authentic and real and all the things. And that doesn't mean, I think this is the hardest thing for my clients to understand is what really is a story that people care about. Because while you might care about them, it doesn't mean everybody else is going to care about them. How do we make it a story that's about everybody else versus just what you care about? That I think is just because I'm trying to think of an example of a client who asked me I want to do a press release and I was like, I don't think that's going to get picked up by the media. However, this other thing is really neat. Let's try that as a spin and go from there. And that did work for them with some PR help. I think you do have to look at something and look at your business and see how you are unique and then play on that. And I love the story of the dance class being empowering I've had 18 years professional dance here. I've ever heard of a story. Like that of a dance video at the end, like it was a recital, but not a dance video. That's not so

Camile: 29:49

cool. Yeah the studio in itself and what they offered was, it was a story. And sometimes you don't get that. Sometimes you get clients that are offering something that a lot of other people offer and, or, authors, for example, maybe they wrote a book that it's been done. Maybe it's a business related book, et cetera. Yeah. And you really have to, and those are the harder campaigns, hands down. When it's a story, when it's a great story and you already know it, like those are the clients that you dream about. And especially when the CEO is super friendly and amazing on camera. You get those golden opportunities and, Lucky for me, it was my first one was a golden opportunity. So it is a, it's the challenges come with the clients that you, it takes a little more digging to really get something that's gonna get national attention.

Beverly: 30:35

I would agree. I think you're like a a detective. Yes. Who's loose on finding the story that's gonna, that's gonna be the spin for it. And I say spin, and I don't mean it in a negative way, but it's the one that it's gonna connect the strongest with the reporter or with the community that it's gonna hit. So yes, indeed, one of my very first clients was speaking of health and wellness, she owns a pet food store, but she's a doctor of naturopathy. So it's all about natural healing from the gut out for a pet and it's really unique and she got a ton of press opportunities in the beginning because it's such a unique spin on the pet food industry and not everybody's doing that. So you do have to cut through the noise and cut through the clutter and find your uniqueness. And that is part of the journey of working with a marketing agency or a PR firm is finding that for yourself. Yeah.

Camile: 31:26

And I think it's really hard for a lot of people to know what makes them special. It's sometimes, it does take a lot of other voices and a team to figure that out. And especially when it's a company that offers, again, offers a service that many others do. Yeah.

Beverly: 31:42

More of a commodity type service.

Camile: 31:44

Yes. I like being a detective in that way. I like trying to figure out what makes you special. And I do that even in my personal life, I've always been the friend that people can call when they're sad or in a bad mood. Because they know that I'm a good cheerleader. I always am finding something special about my friends and remind, reminding them of that as well. It's just part of my personality and I think that's why I like working in PR as well.

Beverly: 32:11

I think that entrepreneurs have a pretty lonely existence sometimes at the time of their business. And as marketers, I'm not sure I'm as much as PR, but as marketers, we get pretty close to you because we know about your profit margins and your struggles and how to help you. And we dig deep and all of that. And so we are, and we, I love I'm on a journey with them. It's not like they're by themselves anymore. And I love the aspect of cheerleading. Like we got you, like we're here and you're not alone anymore. And. We know what we know you love what you do so let's like really make sure that's communicated to your community and What does that look like and feel authentic for you specifically because I don't want to force them into a peg. They don't Resonate with

Camile: 32:53

right.

Beverly: 32:53

Yes, it is. It is a detective work but that is the fun part is digging in and figuring it out and finding the thing, whatever the thing is.

Camile: 33:00

The thing. And ideally multiple things too. When you're pitching different stories, multiple things. And there's always something, there, there's always going to be something and it takes that research and seeing what isn't being talked about enough or at all. And I love that. That is another fun part of PR for me. In addition to just the right every part of it, there's something always new. In what I do in PR specifically and just in marketing as a whole all types of different marketing different types of marketing gigs. So yes, mhm.

Beverly: 33:30

I, so I have a segment called the the lightning round where I ask you eight questions that really help us get an inside look of the business insights and tools and things that inspire you. So the first question is what is your favorite way to connect and network to grow your business?

Camile: 33:49

Is it okay if I say coffee shops first? Yes, of course. I don't want to be. So general, but it has been my favorite way. There's many ways, but working at coffee shops specifically, I have met some of the most interesting people that way. And. I always do best in person whenever I have conversations with people in coffee shops, I swear they could last for hours, which is bad because you're supposed to be working. But they always ended up benefiting me in some way because a lot of times I would meet other people. Maybe they are, they do something in marketing but they specialize in something else and I'm learning from them. And I ask them questions like, Oh, how did you do that? How did you do this? And I've also met new clients that way, or people that know somebody and living in New York City has hands down is the main reason why my small business and I didn't go to business school. I didn't know a thing about how to start a business, New York City. I give a lot of credit to for the success. But coffee shops is definitely one of them. And also, just on the in person realm, co working spaces are fabulous. Co working spaces are fabulous for people like me who are digital nomads, and when I hire out, it's always remote. The freelancers or the part timers that I hire are in different parts of the U. S. usually. But with coworking spaces, it's another way to, again, network with other businesses that could become clients or just teach you something. And on a personal level, it allows me to be social. I am more extroverted. And I love that because they have a lot of different daily events for networking or just socializing in general.

Beverly: 35:37

What is your favorite business or marketing book?

Camile: 35:40

Ooh. This might be a cliche answer, but Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People is always a go to for anyone in business, just as reminders of how people operate. What is your favorite podcast? My favorite podcast is a comedy podcast. Is that also okay to say? Yes. Okay, so my favorite podcast, I have two right now. It's called Bad Friends and it's with comedians Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee. I just think that they're absolutely hilarious and I watch, I listen to them every Monday. I even bought a t shirt, which I never fan, I don't fangirl to the point where I buy merch usually. But I did with them. And I also love Whitney Cummings. She's hilarious. Also a comedian. And I listened to her podcast called good for you

Beverly: 36:36

every week. We all need more laughter and joy in our life. That is never a wrong answer for sure. Oh yeah. What is your favorite business tool or app that you use every day?

Camile: 36:47

Because I'm in the PR world, the tool that I use every day is called scission, which anyone in the PR world has probably heard of. And yeah, it's that one. It's that one. I don't know if I need to go into it. I don't, cause I don't know if it should be a secret, but best thing.

Beverly: 37:06

Okay. We'll keep it a secret. What is your favorite way to refocus and reduce stress at work?

Camile: 37:13

Oh, I actually take breaks a lot of times on the weekdays, usually three, two to three days out of the week. I'll take a, when I eat lunch, I, it's bad to do, but I tend to eat lunch while working, but the break that I have, I actually go work out. I'll go for a run. I'll take a class. Sometimes I'll schedule a session with a trainer and that has been instrumental in my energy and my success because a huge benefit of working out, whether it's, running, yoga, et cetera, is less back pain because you're, I'm sitting down a lot. Yeah, I could go down a whole rabbit hole of health in fitness and why that should be taken care of as an entrepreneur. But for me, I have scoliosis, so I have to do it. Otherwise my back is going to be killing me in my neck all day. And that's a whole different conversation for, digital nomads and entrepreneurs who do mostly computer and phone work. I make sure to balance out the amount of time that I'm sitting down with actual movement.

Beverly: 38:20

I don't often interview marketing people. I usually interviewed just, other entrepreneurs. So I asked this question, but I probably know the answer. What is your favorite marketing tactic?

Camile: 38:33

The one I do the most is email marketing, but if I had to choose a favorite and one that I actually am trying to be better at, I love video marketing. I love reels. Reels. And this is just for me personally, but for Instagram and Facebook, they have the most reach out of any other type of post and they're just fun to make. That's actually something that I'm trying to integrate a lot more into my practice, but I don't do the, but what I mostly do is email marketing hands down.

Beverly: 39:06

Is that because you're pitching? Yes. What is your favorite source of inspiration? Travel.

Camile: 39:15

Traveling you are absorbing other cultures, meeting new people, and learning about different ways to connect, and with that, you'll be able to connect to more different types of audiences as well. And that's a huge benefit to peer.

Beverly: 39:30

Yeah. I think travel also makes you more aware of your culture. It shines a light on your, who you are, which is very interesting by product of the whole thing. But yes, who is your favorite entrepreneur to follow?

Camile: 39:45

There are so many. The one that comes to mind is Joanna Gaines. I was a really big fan of the show fixer upper because their skills are some that I don't have them at all. I don't know how to do interior designer built houses, but to see this family's growth of have it going from fixer upper or initially they had a business doing construction and interior design to having their own show to now having this empire. She has her own magazine. They have different stores. They are, they have been everywhere. Has been really impressive to see, but she's just one example. And there are a couple, but Chip and Joanna Gaines are just one example of people who are so dynamic in what they've built in their entrepreneurial career. I like any story like that. I like any story where they have different, they're multifaceted and what they've created.

Beverly: 40:42

She has an empire now. There's no question. Yes. That is the end of the lightning round. We are moving into the blaze forward segment, but I go backwards first. And that is if you could give advice to yourself, Camile at 18, 19 with the wisdom that you have now, what would you tell that Camile to help her on her entrepreneurial journey?

Camile: 41:10

Be more disciplined. If I'm talking to my 18 year old self, to be honest, if I'm being honest, I was a huge party girl and I did not, I was such a free spirit. I was really free spirited. I was brave. But what I had a problem with was balancing out that free spirit of mine with discipline. So looking back, if I could tell myself, Hey, Camile, you don't have to hang out with your friends all the time. Have FOMO at least like a little less. Okay. If you just stay inside and read this business book or some pages of so many pages of a business book each week, you're going to be astounded at how, you're going to get in life and quicker.

Beverly: 41:52

So how have you found that discipline as a 30 something, how have you found the discipline?

Camile: 41:58

Moving to New York was a big change for me. Cause I had lived before that. I was born in upstate New York. Then my family moved to Florida. And I lived there for a while and then I moved to New York City, but New York city was I, the biggest reason why I had, why my entrepreneurial spirit was ignited because everyone around you is producing something and creating something. You are always meeting these fascinating people. And this is, this could be in like a lot of cities, not just New York, but that's just where I was. And being around that was positively influential for me. And I said, Hey, I think I could do something like that. Or I never thought about if I wanted to write a book, which I ended up doing, or I never thought about, I even did some commercials here and there. I just, I did not really have a vision for my future at 18, but being in New York, when I moved there at two in my early twenties, that's when I really started to think about who I was or what my skills were that could lead to a long term career. And and in addition to that, always trying new things and never I always like having something new to try and whether it's for, money or not I get bored. So I always have to have new things to do.

Beverly: 43:16

New York has helped you see there's a whole world of possibilities. Essentially, which is, I think some people don't even realize that there's so many options you can go down, right? What is one small step that a business owner could take today or somebody who's just starting out a business, Camile, to spark their unique opportunity and ignite their marketing today? after listening to this podcast, what can they go home and do?

Camile: 43:44

And something super easy. It has to be something super easy.

Beverly: 43:47

Something very implementable. Yes.

Camile: 43:53

I would say this might be a weird, piece of advice. I brought it up a little earlier in the podcast, but go on Facebook, try to find Facebook groups connected to what you want to do. And sometimes just reading the chats in that group. Once you're accepted, and just reading those chats in the group could actually be really helpful and answer questions that you never thought to even ask. And then it also allows you to connect with people easily. By DMing them or doing a post about yourself and what you do. And then people will be very eager to connect with you. At least that has been my experience. Professionally, but also personally, with other passions of mine, like traveling and also just in the PR marketing world it's a really quick and easy way to connect with people and just pick people's brains,

Beverly: 44:52

but also listening, just seeing what people are talking about, what people

Camile: 44:55

As a tool, but it's actually been instrumental for me.

Beverly: 45:00

Amazing. So before we go, why don't you share how people, how our listeners can learn more about you, what you do and keep up with your latest projects. I know you have a book, all the things. So how can they learn more about you?

Camile: 45:13

Yeah. So for the business, my website is Evolist Media com E V O L I S T media. com. And it's Evolist Media across all social media channels as well. And for more of my personal journey that combines my digital nomad life, business life, and also you can learn more about my book, you can follow me at Camile Sardina, C A M I L E, one L, S A R D I N A, on Instagram, Facebook. I just started a TikTok, actually. I'm a little late to that game, but I do have one now.

Beverly: 45:54

And you're on LinkedIn as well, which is where we're and LinkedIn. Yes. LinkedIn as well. So thank you so much for joining us today, Camile. I loved talking about PR and marketing. Marketing is such a rich. Industry was so many places you could get very expertise in, like you can really become an expert in. And I think the last 20 years has really shown that people have divided and figured out their niche and public relations is a key part of a good integrated marketing plan. Thank you for being a guest today.

Camile: 46:31

Thank you, Beverly. It's been a pleasure being a part of Spark and Ignite. Yeah. Thanks for allowing me to share my PR secrets and hopefully we can have more conversations and I can learn more about your marketing secrets too. Oh, that would be fun. I'm always open to networking and

Beverly: 46:44

connecting. Love it. So Camile's insights have illuminated our path, offering invaluable tips and strategies related to Public relations to enhance your digital marketing efforts even further. For our listeners, I hope you found this episode as fun as I did. Remember to implement the insights shared today into your small business and don't hesitate to reach out to myself or Camile. If you have any questions or need assistance as it relates to marketing and PR, stay tuned for more inspiring conversations and actionable tips to ignite your marketing journey and future episodes of Spark Ignite, your marketing podcast. And until next time, keep sparking and igniting.