Victoria Kennedy, CEO of Victorious PR
Victoria Kennedy is a Wall Street Journal best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and well-respected authority in public relations. She is the CEO of Victorious PR, an award-winning, multi-million dollar PR agency that has helped dozens of entrepreneurs become the #1 Authority in their niche by getting them featured in top podcasts and press.
What's your industry?
Public Relations
How did you end up sitting where you are today?
My career started out as an opera singer, and I had the amazing opportunity to travel all over the world, performing with some of the biggest names in the industry. However, when my singing career came to a close, I decided to follow my passion for public relations. It may seem like a drastic change, but I realized that the two worlds weren't as different as I initially thought. Musicians need to promote their work through public relations campaigns to reach a wide audience and achieve success, and that's where my experience and skills came into play. With this in mind, I launched Victorious PR, helping artists to promote their work and achieve the same level of success that I experienced in my singing career.
What kind of work does your daily role involve?
As the CEO of Victorious PR, my job involves overseeing the daily operations of the agency and providing strategic direction to the team. It is to ensure that Victorious PR delivers top-notch PR campaigns to its clients and stays ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving industry. I believe that my expertise, leadership skills, and passion for PR enable me to lead my team to success and help our clients achieve their objectives.
What gets you excited about your industry?
Some people are drawn to PR because of the creativity involved in crafting and executing campaigns that build and protect a brand’s reputation. I, on the other hand, enjoy the strategic thinking and problem-solving that goes into navigating challenging situations and building relationships with clients. I find the fast-paced, always-changing nature of this industry exciting.
One thing that people should know about PR is that it is much more than just getting media coverage. We play a vital role in helping organizations build and maintain trust with their stakeholders, which is critical for long-term success. We work behind the scenes to shape and manage the public perception of a brand, and in doing so, can have a significant impact on its bottom line. Additionally, PR is a constantly evolving field, with new technologies and communication channels emerging all the time, making it an exciting and dynamic industry to be a part of.
What's the best advice anyone ever gave you on your journey in business?
“You are not defined by your past.”
At any moment you can become something else because every new day is a decision to redefine oneself. Make a different choice. That’s what I did from becoming a nun to to an opera singer and now a high powered publicist and a successful entrepreneur.
You can always change, every single day — every single minute! Do not let your past moments define where you are going. The future is defined by the unknown. You can write a new future for yourself, over and over, until you are living your dream life. I am blessed to be living mine now, and it is not by chance. I reinvented my future each day because I did not let my past define me.
What's the most challenging project or situation you've overcome to date?
I had to climb my way to the top within the PR industry as I did not have any officially well-known background in PR and marketing. (I had been doing a bit of my own PR while I was singing in Europe.) I started out by enrolling myself in a program on how to become a marketer and learnt the ropes of the business through firsthand experience. I discovered how to build and scale a business from the ground up. This included making valuable connections with the media, networking with industry experts and learning how to help entrepreneurs build their business with the right messaging. Not to mention, all of this was done as Covid-19 hit the scenes!
Are you using any AI tools right now to help grow your business or, if not, do you plan to use any this year?
Yes. We love trying out new technologies all the time in our firm. Because we are a fully remote business with team members who live all over the world, using technology brings us closer together. Many people are afraid AI will replace their jobs, however, what we have found is that computers can never replace that human touch that truly good PR provides. The part that tells a story is so crucial to good PR. So, we use any tech tools we can get our hands on, because they are just that: Tools to make the genius in the Victorious PR team able to work better, faster, smarter, or more creatively.
Overall, do you see AI as a good thing for business?
Yes. AI is a great thing for business, and it is not something from which to shy away. Further, it is coming whether you like it or not. That is the crux of the issue: You can either learn all you can about the various ways in which AI can be tailored to your business’ systems and processes, or you can stick your head in the sand and let time and tech surpass you — running the risk that your business might get left in the dust. It all depends on whether you approach it all with a positive or negative lens. Use the tools available and embrace them, and you will be in great shape. Fear them, and you might end up losing more than you expect. Plus, AI can only do so much — humans will always need to input commands or create certain pathways in which said AI will run. There will always be new and exciting jobs, even jobs we can’t imagine now, created in the future when one becomes obsolete. It is the way of the world, and it is beautiful.
Overall, do you see AI as a threat or an opportunity in business?
Opportunity. Opportunity. How could it not be? A threat is defined by Oxford as “a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not done.” An opportunity is defined by same as “a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.” Truly, by definition, the amazing capabilities of artificial intelligence make magic possible where it never was before!
If you had one wish for the future of your industry, what would it be?
If I had one wish for the future of the public relations industry, it would be for it to continue to evolve and adapt to the changing media landscape and technological advancements. I believe that the future of public relations will require a deep understanding of the ever-changing media landscape, as well as the ability to harness new technologies and data to create effective communication strategies. I hope that the industry will also continue to prioritize ethics, transparency, and authenticity, as these values are essential for building trust with audiences and maintaining credibility in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. Ultimately, my wish for the future of public relations is that it will continue to play a crucial role in shaping public discourse and promoting meaningful dialogue between organizations, individuals, and the public.
