Podcast: Founder-Turned-Investor on the Value of PR
If you’re in the startup world and wondering if you should invest in a PR strategy, listen to Brickyard’s Cam Doody explain why you should prioritize PR for the long haul.
Just over a decade ago, fresh off closing their Series A fundraise, the leadership team at Bellhop — a high-growth moving startup — brought me onto their marketing team. I was a communications generalist at the time, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that focusing on public relations, especially earned media, would allow me to deliver the biggest impact.
While I had done some PR in prior roles, this was the first time I committed fully to the discipline. Fortunately, the co-founders at Bellhop saw the potential and gave me exactly what any PR pro dreams of: trust, resources, and the freedom to figure things out.
The results? Transformative — for the business as well as for my career.
By crafting an earned media strategy focused on three compelling narratives — 1) the rise of the sharing economy, 2) providing well-paying jobs for college students and young adults, and 3) offering a modern solution to the universally loathed chore of moving — we built a wave of media momentum. That strategy landed us coverage everywhere from local publications to major national outlets.
In a recent episode of my Feed the Narrative podcast, I had the chance to reflect on that experience with Cam Doody, one of Bellhop’s co-founders. Today, Cam is general partner at Brickyard, a Chattanooga-based venture group where he still sees the value of early, smart PR, especially for startups trying to stand out in a crowded landscape.
As Cam puts it, PR (done well) can move the needle in all kinds of meaningful ways. It can help with:
- O-1 visas and international hiring
- Enterprise sales support
- Recruiting top talent
- Gaining attention from investors
- SEO
- Cultural alignment and credibility
- And more…
In short, PR isn’t just about press hits. It’s about creating a narrative engine that supports your company’s long-term goals.
Even more insightful is Cam’s advice for founders who are tempted to treat PR as a one-time push. Once you start investing in public relations, he says, don’t take your foot off the gas. The momentum you build is an asset, and letting it stall can be costly and hard to kickstart again.
So, if you’re a startup founder, investor, or someone running an accelerator or venture group, carve out 30 minutes for this episode. You’ll walk away with clear, candid insights about how PR can drive startup growth, and why it’s one of the smartest early bets you can make.
Pro tip: Bring a notepad. I can guarantee this one’s got takeaways you’ll want to remember.
About The Author:
David Martin, partner at Heed Public Relations and author of the book PR for Startups and Growing Businesses, recently launched Feed the Narrative, a weeklong online training program for people who need to Learn PR at Hyperspeed. You can read some of his other bylines on Hypepotamus here.
