We recently had the chance to connect with Grayce McCormick and have shared our conversation below.
Grayce, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
Public relations stands apart from advertising and sales, offering a unique value proposition. While I can’t guarantee a ‘buy now’ click, I can help you cut through the noise, ensuring your audience knows who you are, trusts your story, and recognizes your value.
Public relations (earned media) is not about quick wins or flashy headlines. It’s a strategic, nuanced process that involves building authentic, lasting relationships with media, audiences, and communities. It’s deeply rooted in storytelling that resonates with people.
Another misunderstanding is the timeline. Public Relations impact isn’t instant. It’s cumulative. It’s the podcast interview that leads to a feature story months later. It’s the reputation we build brick by brick, not the viral moment that fades by morning.
And finally, many don’t realize how personal this work is. It’s not just about pitching a client, it’s about understanding their vision, their mission, and what they want to offer the world. That’s where the magic of PR lives. Done right, it’s a form of advocacy, a conscious communication that shapes perception with purpose.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the founder of Lightfinder PR, where heart meets hustle and strategy meets soul. I have been based on the West Coast for years. During the pandemic, I got a second place back in my hometown in the Midwest to care for my mother, who now has Alzheimer’s. Being able to show up for her while continuing to work remotely as a national publicist, with international earned media wins, has been one of the unexpected gifts of this chapter.
My professional journey has been a strategic expression of conscious creativity. I’ve navigated through various industries, including entertainment, the arts, public affairs, philanthropy, conservation, and social advocacy. Some of the key milestones in my career include producing President Jimmy Carter’s 95th and 96th birthday celebrations on the talent side, representing Olympic icon and attorney Anita De Frantz, spearheading the PR campaign for Jim Carrey’s 2014 commencement address on Transcendental Meditation, serving as publicist for David Lynch’s “Mysteries of Love” music video, securing quotes from David for artist and filmmaker clients, and consulting with the David Lynch MFA in Film program at MIU. However, some of the most rewarding aspects of my career have been the privilege of partnering with impactful nonprofits, such as the Aldo Leopold Foundation and World Tree, on conservation campaigns that truly make a difference.
I’m currently producing a limited series based on my late client, Captain Jerry Yellin, who flew the final mission of World War II, and his wingman, Phil Schlamberg, the last known American veteran killed in action during the war, and the granduncle of actress Scarlett Johansson, who recorded two PSAs with us. My producing partners include the iconic Brian Frankish (Field of Dreams and The Fugitive) and retired JAG attorney and best-selling author Don Brown, who wrote The Last Fighter Pilot (2017).
For the past two-plus years, I’ve also been a contributing writer and part of the editorial team at See Beyond Magazine, a soulful SoCal publication. My column, Relationships Unwrapped with Grayce, was born from a radio show I created and produced years ago for AM/FM stations and Howard 101/Sirius XM. I’ve always been fascinated by the human connection, and I bring that personal touch, curiosity, compassion, and sparkle into everything I do.
What makes Lightfinder PR unique is the way I blend high-level strategy with empathy and a touch of magic. I believe PR isn’t just about promotion, it’s about truth-telling, relationship-building, and helping people feel seen. I infuse my work with practices like Transcendental Meditation and sound healing (shoutout to my brilliant kundalini teacher in Topanga!), because I’ve learned that clarity and alignment lead to the most powerful storytelling.
I’m working on a diverse range of projects that reflect my broad interests and expertise. These include ventures in publishing, film, civic engagement, and wellness, each one igniting my passion. I strive to help people and brands shine authentically.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
In my experience, what breaks bonds isn’t always dramatic; it’s often the quiet buildup of unspoken pain, misperceptions, and missed moments. It’s when we stop seeing each other. The ego steps in, assumptions replace communication, and suddenly, we’re operating from fear, rather than connection. The bond weakens when empathy is absent.
But here’s my truth: the only way to change anything, whether it’s a relationship, a system, or a story, begins with the first principle of alchemy: perception. How we see each other determines how we treat each other. Shift the lens, and everything starts to transform.
Restoring connection takes vulnerability, authenticity, and the courage to drop the mask. It also requires creativity and a creative mindset. The intention is to reimagine a better dynamic, to co-create a different outcome. When we approach others with openness, artistry, and empathy, we breathe new life into even the most fractured situations.
Whether I’m helping a client reclaim their voice, guiding a brand through a crisis, or writing about the messiness of life in my “See Beyond” column, I return to this: empathy repairs what ego breaks. And perception, when infused with creativity, boundaries, and heart, is where healing begins.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Like many, I’ve experienced great love and deep pain. Some of the most defining wounds in my life have come from relationships where I chose emotionally abusive partners. It took me years and a great deal of inner work to understand why I kept attracting those dynamics and how much of it was rooted in old patterns, subconscious beliefs, and a need to feel seen by someone outside of myself.
Along the way, I realized something important: deeply empathic people can attract narcissists like bees to honey. That was a wake-up call. I’m not just empathic, I’m also clairaudient and clairsentient, which means I not only feel energy, but also hear and sense it, and carry it with me. Without firm boundaries and deep self-awareness, those gifts can become burdens in the wrong relationships.
The real healing began when I stopped trying to fix or understand them and started turning inward with compassion. Meditation, shadow work, writing, sound healing, and some raw honesty with myself cracked me open in the best possible way. I stopped dating four years ago, not out of bitterness, but out of reverence for my peace. That space allowed me to fall in love with my own company, my creative path, and the joy of a peace-filled life.
I’ve found profound freedom in solitude. But don’t get me wrong, if RAYA ever finally adds me to their elusive platform, I’ll curiously reconsider my hermit era. (Seriously, what does a brand whisperer and boundary setter have to do to get a RAYA invite?)
At the heart of it all, I’ve learned that healing isn’t a linear process; it’s a layered and evolutionary one. But choosing yourself again and again? That’s where the real alchemy begins.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Radical inclusion, with genuine curiosity and compassion.
I’ve lived in major cities like New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Scottsdale, and spent time in quiet, spiritual, artistic communities like Fairfield, Iowa, and of course, Topanga, CA. My hometown roots are in Milwaukee. I’ve traveled to nearly all 50 U.S. states and across Europe and South America. One thing has become crystal clear: the world is vast, layered, and beautifully diverse, and we are never done learning from one another.
I protect the cultural value of deep listening, especially when someone’s lived experience differs from my own. Whether I’m in a boardroom, a creative session, or a community gathering, I believe every voice matters, and the stories that challenge our perspective are often the ones that transform us the most.
It’s easy to speak about diversity, equity, and inclusion in buzzwords, but I believe it’s about daily, conscious choices. Choosing to center underrepresented voices. Choosing to acknowledge privilege. Choosing to ask, “Who’s not in this room?” and then doing the work to make space. And choosing kindness and accountability, even when it’s uncomfortable.
My work in PR and media is rooted in elevating purpose-driven people and messages, but behind every headline, I hold one quiet intention: to help create a more empathetic, equitable, and human world. And that starts with protecting the value that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and respected.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
What would remain is my essence, the part of me that’s always been there beneath any labels, titles, or accolades. The quiet knowing. The deep empathy. The love that pours out when no one’s watching.
Without my name, my roles, or any material possessions, what remains is my energetic presence. The ability to sit with someone in their pain or joy and hold space. The unshakable belief that people, even in their messiness, are worthy of grace.
I’ve spent years helping others shine, crafting narratives, and building brands, but when it’s all stripped away, what’s left is the heart behind the work. The woman who prays over projects, who uses meditation to clear her path, whose frequency listens with more than her ears. The one who’s fallen, gotten back up, and chosen to BE LOVE, again and again.
What remains is my capacity to feel. To connect. To create. To heal.
And maybe that’s the point. When we release the external, we return to our truth: we are not what we do—we are how WE LOVE.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lightfinderpr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightfinderpr/
- Other: See Beyond Magazine: https://www.seebeyondmag.com/
Image Credits
images by Grayce McCormick
headshot by Margaret Muza
