We couldn’t have made it to our 20-year milestone this year without having built relationships through meetings and events, sponsorships, speaking opportunities and getting to know the men and women who make up our industry. In short, through networking.

As you may have read in the July 2 guest post, Alicia Aebersold has used PRofessional Solutions’ services over the past 19 years while at different organizations.  She came to know of us is at the end of a long chain of events that demonstrate the power of networking.

In 1995 at a Public Relations Society of America – Nation’s Capital Chapter meeting, I met a gentleman retired from military public affairs who was an adjunct professor at American University – my alma mater. I happily agreed to speak to his class.

The following semester, a student from the class approached me to see if she and a partner could develop a promotional campaign for PRofessional Solutions as the project for a class they shared. I met with them and provided the needed details and information about how we run as the first temporary public relations staffing agency in the area. At the end of the course, they took me for a celebratory pizza dinner after receiving an “A” for their project.

Subsequently, I got a call from the National Governor’s Association about a need for a PR temp. It turned out this same student worked at NGA and had shared with her boss — yes, Alicia Aebersold — how a PRofessional Solutions’ temp could help get everything done for their annual meeting at the White House!