1. How did Blaze PR get started, and what brought you into the firm?

1. How did Blaze PR get started, and what brought you into the firm?

Blaze PR was acquired by Davies Public Affairs in the early 2000s, bringing the agency into a larger public affairs and communications organization while maintaining its focus on consumer and lifestyle PR. I joined Blaze in 2011 and was brought on to help lead and grow the business. Over the years, we’ve continued to evolve the agency, expand our client roster and capabilities, and build on our reputation for delivering creative, results-driven campaigns. I’m proud of the team and the relationships we’ve built along the way.

2. What kinds of clients do you work with, and what makes your approach to PR different?

We work with a diverse mix of consumer brands across food and beverage, health and wellness, retail, lifestyle, and emerging industries, as well as B2B companies looking to build awareness and credibility. Our approach combines strong media relationships, creative storytelling, strategic thinking, and a focus on measurable business outcomes. We operate with the hands-on attention of a boutique agency but have the experience and networks to deliver national visibility. We also believe the best PR starts with understanding a client’s business, not simply generating headlines, and finding authentic stories that connect brands with the right audiences.

3. What has been the firm’s toughest period, and how did you and the team get through it?

Like many agencies, COVID was one of our most challenging periods, particularly as travel, hospitality, and live events came to a standstill and brands had to rethink their external communication priorities. We had to be nimble, reassess opportunities, and help clients navigate a rapidly changing environment while remaining sensitive to what consumers and the media needed. We focused on categories that continued to evolve, including food and beverage, health and wellness, and e-commerce, while adapting our strategies to the moment. Our team’s resilience, collaboration, and commitment to our clients helped us get through that period and reinforced the importance of being adaptable without losing sight of our standards.

4. What’s one client campaign you’re especially proud of, and what results made it a success? Please share only details you’re allowed to make public.

One client I’m especially proud of is Pickle Juice, where we’ve helped grow awareness of the brand while separating its identity from the common misconception that it’s simply pickle brine. The challenge was to educate consumers and media about what makes the product unique, its functional benefits, and its role in hydration and cramp relief, while building a more distinctive brand story. Through strategic media relations, targeted pitching, and ongoing storytelling around the product’s benefits, we’ve worked to position Pickle Juice as a purpose-built functional beverage rather than just a byproduct of pickles. It’s a great example of how effective PR can help a brand overcome misconceptions, establish credibility, and create new opportunities for growth.

5. What’s changing most in PR right now, and how are you preparing Blaze PR and your clients for it?

The biggest change is how people discover, evaluate, and trust information. AI-powered search is changing how brands show up in answers and recommendations, while traditional media relations remains important for credibility, authority, and reputation. Earned media now has value beyond the initial placement because credible coverage can also help shape how brands are represented across digital platforms and AI-generated responses. We’re helping clients develop stronger, more distinctive messaging, establish credible spokespeople, create genuinely newsworthy stories, and measure impact beyond volume alone. The fundamentals haven’t changed: great storytelling, strong relationships, and credibility still matter. How we create, distribute, and measure those stories must continue to evolve to remain relevant. Our job is to stay ahead of those changes while keeping the focus on what PR should ultimately deliver: influence, trust, and business results.