Raquel Figlo

“ I love talking about the here and now and people would listen. I would promote events and non-profits and bring people to a party. ”

Q. Thanks for Interviewing with us.

Tell everyone who you are and

where you’re from? A. My name is Raquel Figlo, and I am the owner of Raquel Figlo Public

Relations out of Orange County,

CA. My passion is creating brand awareness and customer loyalty for my clients. I work with a wide array of clientele from fashion lines and nightclubs, to musicians and comedians.

Over the years, I have received many testimonials that praise my professionalism, creativity, and forward-thinking concepts. I feel my upbeat enthusiasm and genuine, caring nature raise the bar in customer satisfaction. I weave together strategic publicity campaigns, influenceroutreach, media pitching, and popular social events to fashion a brand’s golden reputation.

Q. What made you want to be in

Public Relations?

A. I knew I wanted to be a publicist ever since I was in high school. I took a career test, and it literally said “public relations” would be the career path for me. All my life,

I have always been very curious about the latest trends in fashion, celebrities, and entertainment.

I am also very social and outgoing.

Even back in high school, if there was a party, I would know about it and know who was going to be there. I was the opposite of shy, to say the least. This was a great fit for me, and I am so happy I made a lifelong career out of it!

Q. Can you tell me in your own terms what does a Publicist do?

A. The purpose of a Publicist is to create visibility and credibility for your brand. Public relations is earned media, not paid media, and with my established media connections, I am confident in my abilities to get any rand noticed, especially brands in music and entertainment! Advertising has its place, but my goal is to make companies look so good they don’t need it.

Q. Tell us about some of the challenges you had growing your business in PR?

A. Being a publicist and entrepreneur is a constant hustle that I love. You have to enjoy putting yourself out there, not only for your client, but for yourself, as well. If you don’t promote the small wins as much as the big wins, who is going to know the awesome PR work that you do? The great thing about social media is, it is free, and it is a platform that allows for and embraces self-promotion. The challenge sometimes comes from within because you don’t always feel confident enough to talk about yourself and promote yourself. That is why I love social media so much; it is a free platform that reaches a lot of people if you network right and use it the right way. This is how I grew my business. Every time I landed a new client or got them a placement, no matter how big or small, my social networks knew about it. Soon enough, businesses started calling me, and I didn’t have to go look for clients. They were coming to me from Facebook, LinkedIn, and even Instagram.

Q. What is one thing you love and one thing you dislike about being in PR?

A. I love PR because it takes a lot of creativity to pitch your clients to different types ofmedia for maximum exposure. I have to work both the left side and right side of the brain! PR is a challenging industry. It is a challenge to get journalists attention, but I am up for the challenge, and I have a pretty good track record.

Q. What is one of your proudest moments being in PR?

A. One of my post proudest moments as a publicist was my recent, red carpet event for fashion Icon Sue

Wong. I was in charge of publicity and the red carpet. I was hired later on in the process, so I only had one month to get as much media placement and coverage as possible for the event. I succeeded, but not alone. I am happy to say when

I need help, I have an amazing network of fellow publicists that I hired to help me put this event off!

We had around 40 different media outlets taking photos and covering the event. Fox 11 and Channel 7

News were some of them. When you need help, it is ok to ask for it, as long as you get the job done and the client is happy. I handled the red carpet for400 guests, and it was one of my proudest moments.

Cristine Devine from Fox 11 was honored with an award at the event for Broadcast Icon. I knew her from previous events I have coordinated, and on the red carpet and she said on camera how proud she is of me and how far along I have come. It’s up on my website if you would like to see. https://youtu.be/

SLXVPnasLrU

Q. Tell us about some of your other hobbies?

A. I am really into heavy metal and rock ‘n’ roll, which is funny because no one in my professional networking groups believe it.

Maybe because I am such a girly girl, who knows, but I love bands like Slayer, Megadeth and Rob

Zombie, and I love going to see bands like that live. I also love playing the guitar and piano.

Q. What are some things you are working on for 2020?

A. I am working with some more holistic clients, herbal companies, and loving it. With everything going on in the world today, I am picking up more clients that have a sense of community or wanting to better change the world in a positive way One of my most interesting clients is Sacred Lotus

Yoni Steam; check them out! https://www.sacredlotusyonisteam. com/I am also excited to share that I am working with some major

CBD companies, and if things open up in the near future, I will be coordinating some big launch parties before the end of the year.

Q. Tell us one thing you think needs to change in the PR world?

A. I feel more companies need to really understand the value PR has and how greatly it can affect their business. When times get tough,

PR and marketing budgets are the first to be cut. Being a publicist is hard work, and I feel more credit needs to be given, but I love it and will always be there for my clients who do value me and my work.

Q. Where can the fans follow you?

A. Instagram @raquelmaiden and my website, raquelfiglo.com