Today we’d like to introduce you to Francis Perdue.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey to publicity came in many forms. It started in college where I was always drawn into radio. I loved R&b and grew up on “old school” music and a blend of current music. Listening to Phats Domino with my father or James Brown was the norm.
When I entered college, I was a classic “over-achiever” so it was kismet that I landed a gig as an on-air personality. One night my best friend was visiting and we were listening to Soul on Sundays, the Black Music Day, and decided to call in and have fun picking music. We stayed on the phone with my now long friend Kevin “KC” Morris and he became interested in me as a DJ. We left my dorm room at Pentland Hills and went over this dirt road to the radio station. I got my interview later by the GM and had training with the Music Director and it was history from there. I spent four years on radio while making a lot of friends, community connections and artists colleagues like Bishop Lamont who would lead me to becoming a publicist. They called me the “Hub” of information because I figured things out for people to be connected and solutions to problems.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
This has definitely not been a smooth road but it has been a necessary road for me. Evolution through the process of finding solutions for clients has lead me down a unique path that transcends publicity in a traditional sense. Becoming a “solution maker” has been more of the theme of my journey.
Struggles along the way of becoming and being a publicist has been an array of challenges that come in the form of racism, sexism, bias or downright negative people. Being an African American woman in a male-dominated field has made life interesting. The climate is hopefully changing but the “white privilege” definitely plays a factor in a lot of the struggles in publicity. Getting equal pay for work has been the main issue in publicity from my perspective. When you set a price based on the work to be rendered if they feel you are not worthy of that price they compare you to your white counterparts who either do not have the same skill set or simple aren’t qualified to implement the level of services that you present.
The latest challenge isn’t money believe it or not. It’s definitely finding clients who are realistic about the results that are given and limitations of their budgets. For some reason, clients now think that they can take tidbits from a scope of work and do it themselves. They usually come back and asked for reduced pricing because ” They were taken advantage of” or were “burned.”
So, as you know, we’re impressed with PS Media Talent now known as Perdue Inc., Burgerim Birmingham – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My Company, PS Media Talent is now known as Perdue Inc. We are a full-service Public Relations Firm and Business Consulting Firm. Perdue Inc. runs the business organization of my first business venture, Burgerim Birmingham.
We stand out because we think outside the box and connect the dots where others do not know to look for connections to creative solutions for projects.
I’m most proud of my turn around time for product placement in events and on television shows like The Doctor’s TV Show. During the last couple of years, we have taken on Sponsorship and product placement. A former great producer of The Doctors TV Show, Alicia Clark, Emmy Award-winning producer, was referred to me by a friend from college. They couldn’t get a trade-out for a family that was guests on the Doctor’s TV Show. The son was told that he’d never walk again after a horrific accident and he just got up and walked again suddenly. He loved Legos yet Legoland had not responded. I went through a great Facebook group called Czars and a journalist connected me to Legoland Florida and they fulfilled the trade-out for me plus a couple of other companies came through for us to fulfill the product placement and we accomplished that in three days.
What sets us apart from others is our out of box thinking and variety of services that we offer. Services include but not limited to talent and influencer wrangling, traditional and non-traditional public relations, product placement, marketing, sponsorships, endorsements, franchise services, connector services and more.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our largest change is the re-branding of the company to Perdue Inc. which will house all of our ventures. My plans for the future include creating a Social Justice Endowment, completing my invention Heel It and creating a department of Perdue Inc. that is dedicated to Influencer Marketing.
I’m working on several projects right now.
Currently, I have purchased my first franchise through Burgerim, https://www.burgerim.com/, that we will open in Birmingham, Alabama.
Imaginetainment, https://imaginetainment.org/, is a non-profit that I sit on the board for and hold the title, Director of Strategic Partnerships. This organization will touch on all aspects of assisting young people in
We are working on a film with Triwen Productions, entitled, Coffee Pot with my long term client, Charnele Brown.
One product line entitled, My Beverages, https://www.my-beverages.com/, I am the Chief Communications Officer for this start-up. It is very exciting to be in the waterline of products. They have two products, My Artisan Water/ My Hemp Water and an Electrolyte Water entitled My Sport Water.
These products will help people enhance their water selections and inevitably improve their health; athletes will improve their recovery as well as have quality alkaline water that’s affordable.
In my position, I’ve been able to start an influencer team with chefs, artists, djs, producers, athletes and more that will be out of Beta testing soon.
Pricing:
- Ranges for pricing start at $3500 – $10,000 per month depending on the scope of work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.francisperdue.com
- Phone: 323-325-1776
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burgerimbirmingham/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/burgerimbirmingham
- Other: www.my-beverages.com
Image Credit:
Lionsgate, Diverse Representation Panel, Professional Picture of Francis Perdue, Photographer David Solis/UntouchableMagazine, Business Mogul Magazine feature
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