Maleeka T. Hollaway is an award-winning publicist and entrepreneur and the founder of The Official Maleeka Group (affectionately known as The OMG), a full-service public relations and brand communications agency and Social Proof Success™, a brand offering practical and actionable DIY public relations solutions for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
As her knowledge and expertise has influenced over major 25 brands, you can see her published articles (and her clients) in and on MSN, Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Good Men Project, Addicted 2 Success, Business Insider, Black Enterprise, and Essence. She has also worked with various companies, universities, and non-profit organizations in the areas of brand development, content creation, and public relations. Her goal is to support SBOs and entrepreneurs to position themselves to grow sustainable businesses and brands.
Please tell us a little bit about your business – what is The Official Maleeka Group all about?
My agency, The Official Maleeka Group, LLC., is affectionately known as The OMG, is a full-service public relations and brand communications agency specializing in business lifestyle and entrepreneurship. Our bread and butter is working with CEOs who want to set into the spotlight and stop hiding behind their companies. They have a wealth of knowledge and insight to share; they often don’t have the time to do the work themselves to find and secure opportunities to boost their personal brands. That’s where we come in. I adore working with my small business owners. Before we take on new clients, we first have to be in love with the person and what they stand for. I have found that successful entrepreneurs have the most engaging personal stories that make me want to help them get the message out to the masses. The clients we work with help make complex business principles simple. Just like what we aim to do with our PR work. We make brand communications simple.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your business?
When The OMG first started, we were an editing and ghostwriting company. I started my business out of a necessity to put my attention and focus to something productive after the ending of a bad marriage. My business really took off and gained traction before I even knew what it was. I can thank Periscope for that. The more I showed up for myself, learned what parts of business I liked and disliked, my path became clear. Sales and marketing is my jam. And with that being so, PR became my focus and passion.
How do you plan to grow this business?
The business is already growing! To take it to the next level of growth, I’m expanding our partnership and joint venture pool as well as tapping into government and state contracts. My goal was never to grow fast but to grow right where the business can be sustained without me. I’m on my way to having THAT happen right now.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from it?
I would say the biggest mistake I made when I started out was chasing the money. I didn’t have a plan nor did I have clarity as to what I wanted to do. I accepted any client that came my way. I accepted opportunities that I should have passed up. I would tell anyone new to entrepreneurship to fail fast so you can recover faster and get the clarity you need to succeed.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
I spent a lot of my time educating on the ins and outs of the industry to demystify what public relations is and the power it can have on a person or business. In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges in the PR world is the management of expectations. Many times those so-called professionals in our industry do not have a robust understanding of all the things we can do to support our clients therefore there is a lot of overpromising and under-delivering. In addition, with digital marketing and social media marketing on the rise, the public often limits our abilities to being a glorified social media manager. We stay in our lane and focus on our one thing which is PR.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
I think. Thinking is a lost art. I am able to be much more creative and productive when I take time to let my mind breath and wonder. Intense focus is necessary to move the needle but allowing time to process what’s happening around you and in you is valuable. Everyday, I spend at least an hour of time just thinking. It works!
What are three books or courses you recommend to entrepreneurs?
- Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
- 80/20 Sales and Marketing by Perry Marshall
- The Path to Wealth by May McCarthy
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I’d spend $1k on an assistant to help me organize my life. For so long, I tried to do everything on my own. Once I started hiring help, everything shifted for the better. My quality of life and business improved drastically. I would tell anyone to invest in help FIRST and sooner than you think you need it. It will save you time and money in the short and long run.
What is your favorite quote?
“Just do it.”
– Nike
How can we get in touch with you?
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at @officialmaleeka. Also, learn more about my online community at www.socialproofsuccess.com and www.yournewpublicist.com. (P.S. Find me on LinkedIn too!)
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