Member Article

Leeds-based PR agency celebrates second business birthday against the odds

Yorkshire-based PR, business & mindset coach and agency owner celebrates a successful second year in business after a turbulent lockdown journey

*This month, Leeds-based PR and coaching agency, Garnet PR, is celebrating its second business birthday (29 March 2021) under the helm of Founder and PR Director, Rhiannon Bates. *

In the last 12 months the agency has secured a staggering 2,500 pieces of press coverage, expanded to a team of seven, has a full client roster with a growing waiting list, and has seen financial success after an unexpectedly challenging start to its second year in business when founder Rhiannon was hospitalised after a serious accident.

Before the pandemic hit, Garnet PR specialised in working with rural tourism businesses and outdoor attractions - one of COVID’s worst-affected industries. Rhiannon recalls: “I lost 95% of my clients and income in the first week of lockdown 2020, the stress levels were just unthinkable. I was working all hours, wasn’t looking after myself, sleeping really poorly, and not eating just trying to keep the business afloat. The burnout hit super fast, and I ended up passing out in the kitchen while holding a just-boiled kettle.”

Rhiannon suffered from third-degree burns and after being rushed to A&E, was in Pinderfields hospital, in isolation, at the height of the first wave of the pandemic for three weeks undergoing skin-graft surgery and recovery.

Undeterred, Rhiannon took the opportunity to rebuild her business from the ground up, using the power of mindset work, the law of attraction and niching down to a new sector, as well investing in the support of a business coach.

The boutique PR agency now specialises in working with other female entrepreneurs, offering direct PR management as well as PR, business & mindset coaching for small business owners.

Garnet PR has since gone from strength-to-strength, growing considerably. Rhiannon and her team spend their days helping other women to overcome imposter syndrome, prevent burnout, and get boldly visible using the power of PR, all topics close to the founder’s heart.

Rhiannon said: “Although last year was the most traumatic time in so many ways, I’m so grateful to be celebrating our second business birthday in a far stronger place. I’ve built a wonderful team who I adore, we work with clients that align with our values and most of all I love that what we do helps to make a big impact by helping women to find their voice and the confidence to use it through the power of positive mindset, strategic business and powerful PR.

“I’m so proud of how far both the business and I have come in a really tough year and can’t wait to see what we achieve next!”

The agency has the privilege of representing inspirational female entrepreneurs, including; business coach and independent Instagram® expert Maggie Colette of Think Like a Boss, Leeds-based money mindset coach and NLP practitioner Amy Crumpton of Social Cactus Coaching, Elisabeth Clare, MD of medical device suppliers MBST UK, Lucy Wheeler, independent lawyer and founder of legal services company Lucy Legal, copywriter and founder of creative agency By The Way Creative, Stephanie White, and Elaine Ball, founder of Yorkshire-based Geospatial Marketing agency Elaine Ball Ltd, as well as a full roster of coaching clients.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rhiannon Bates .