Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Osgood.
Hi Courtney, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I actually started out my career working in television; I was field reporting and producing for a local news station in Western NY. It was my dream job (at the time), but after a few years, I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to tell the stories that I wanted to tell – the fun, interesting, inspiring kind, and I really wanted the flexibility to do that.
So, I decided to make the transition into Public Relations, and I moved to Boston. Over the course of nearly a decade, I worked at various PR agencies and then ended taking an in-house role with one of my former clients – a global entertainment brand. I singlehandedly managed their global public relations strategy and corporate communications. It was an amazing opportunity and one that I learned more than I had ever thought I would. But the time came for me to move on. I had helped the organization achieve an immense amount of growth in a very short time – a milestone that I’m more than proud to have been a part of, but I knew at that point that my work was done.
When it came for me to decide what to do next, I just couldn’t see myself going into another organization and working for someone again. So, I launched CKO PR at the end of 2017 with the goal of helping small businesses tell their stories! It’s been a few years now and I couldn’t be prouder of what I’ve accomplished with my amazing clients by my side!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Generally speaking, it has. I’ve been very fortunate over the past few years to have not had to deal with any major roadblocks. And then COVID-19 hit… Something that none of us ever saw coming. Thankfully, I was able to pivot my business model just slightly and weathered the storm (for lack of better words) quite nicely. While crazy and sometimes super intense, it’s actually been a beautiful ride.
In terms of struggles – I think what’s most important when it comes to owning your own business, or just in business in general, is to know that you’re going to make mistakes. No one is perfect. You’ll probably fail – maybe more than once. But it’s all about how you handle it from there. There are two different paths you can take – one leads to greatness and one leads… nowhere. You have the choice.
To me, struggles and roadblocks make you (and the business) who you are. It’s the journey that makes the story.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about CKO PR?
Hm, what do I do? How about what I don’t do? Ha! Kidding. Kind of. No, but really the short of it is – I help my clients achieve their goals. Whether it be through media relations and sharing their stories and/or accomplishments, or via social media by engaging with their following to create authentic relationships to building communications strategies to take their businesses to the next level – we do it all!
But if you want our “elevator pitch”, here it is: CKO PR specializes in all things consumer – from beer/wine/spirits to hospitality and travel, we work in the spaces that we love to play in. We focus on traditional media relations, event marketing, influencer relations and social media management.
What sets my company apart is the way that we truly partner with our clients. We’re an extension of their company – not just another “consultant” or “agency”. We’re also brutally honest and completely transparent. We’re not going to commit to something that we can’t deliver. Period.
There too many agencies out there that seek to only benefit themselves and what’s best for their company while simply just doing work for clients to get it done. That’s not CKO. If the client isn’t happy and their objectives aren’t being met, then we’re not happy and we’re not doing the job that we need to be doing.
What makes you happy?
Balance makes me happy. And it’s something that I made sure was a priority for me to nail from the beginning. You have to create boundaries for yourself. Otherwise, you’ll get burnt out really quickly and that’s not good for anyone.
If this past year (2020) has taught us anything, it’s to take a moment – whether you want to or not (ha!) and check-in with yourself. Make sure your priorities are in alignment and that you’re putting your energy into the things that bring you joy – personally and professionally. Because when we’re balanced, we’re happy and when we’re happy, we create, build and inspire!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: ckopr.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ckopublicrelations
- Facebook: facebook.com/ckopr
