In today's Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Spotlight, we're diving into the inspiring journey of Rachel Dickman, the visionary behind RMG Communications. Rachel's path from a government job to the founder of an award-winning public relations agency showcases the power of following one's dreams and the courage it takes to leap into the entrepreneurial world. With a focus on public-sector and nonprofit clients, Rachel and her team at RMG Communications have carved out a niche for themselves by helping these organizations creatively and effectively share their stories, thereby forging stronger community bonds.
Rachel's story is one of transformation and tenacity, from dreaming of entrepreneurial freedom in her mid-30s to overcoming imposter syndrome and leveraging AI to revolutionize her business operations. Her journey is not just about achieving personal success but also about making a profound impact on her clients' ability to connect and communicate with their communities. Prepare to be inspired by Rachel's story of grit, growth, and the unconventional strategies that have propelled RMG Communications to its success today.
Hi, Rachel! Thanks for joining us today. Tell us about your business. Who do you serve, how do you serve them, and what's the impact that your business and work makes?
RMG Communications is an award-winning public relations agency with a personal touch. We specialize in working with public-sector and nonprofit clients, and we help them effectively and creatively share their stories. Our services in communications, public relations, and outreach empower our clients to forge meaningful connections with their communities, fostering a sense of trust and assurance.
Tell us about the moment you finally felt like you went from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur.
It's a challenge to not suffer from imposter syndrome from time to time--even now! The exact moment was a couple of years ago, when I had about five agencies reach out for services within one week, and it was all through referrals from our current clients. I am still blown away by our clients constantly referring us to colleagues. People want to work with those they know, like and trust, and I'm grateful that our clients love to work with us.
Describe the moment or period in your life/career that motivated you to make the entrepreneurial leap.
In my mid-30s, I would daydream about how wonderful it would be to go out on my own. I had friends who had started their own businesses and never looked back. I craved the freedom chart my own destiny and wanted flexibility in my life that my current job did not provide. In 2018, the realization that I was nearly 40 occurred. I realized that if I didn't leave before I was 40, I would be one of those folks that would never leave because I was too worried about not receiving my pension or having health benefits through my employer. I've never looked back. Being an entrepreneur is better than I could have imagined. Once you decide to follow your dreams boldly, amazing things start to happen: I began to attract incredible clients and other opportunities. On the personal side, I had flexibility with my schedule to travel and work from anywhere and during this time, I met my future husband. He was living in Arizona and I was in California. Since he has his own business, too, we’ve traveled all over together. Weeks in Hawaii, Sedona, the Pacific Northwest and on the beach in Miami are the norm. You never know what will happen when you trust in the journey of the unknown.
Describe a tool, service, or software that has been a game-changer for your business. How does it contribute to your success?
AI has revolutionized the content creation process, enabling me to efficiently produce content for both my business and my clients while preserving their unique brand voices. The time saved thanks to AI technology frees me up to concentrate on other critical business operations.
We know that success is very often a non-linear path. Tell us about a failure, pivot point, or lesson that changed your course or direction and helped to get you where you are today.
I woke up one morning and realized I had everything that was supposed to show success, and I wasn’t happy or fulfilled. Thankfully, I had an opportunity to leave working in government for good and start RMG. In the first few years, I made substantially less than I did overseeing a team at a large utility agency, and I made sure to live accordingly. My kitties and I moved to a small ’granny flat’ on my mom’s property. I enjoyed time with her, beautiful sunsets and rolling hills, and growing my business without the stress of renting an office or an expensive apartment.
What unconventional strategy did you employ that significantly impacted your business?
A few years ago, Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics, released a book called “Believe It,” which chronicled her journey from a scrappy start-up to selling IT Cosmetics to L’Oreal for a billion dollars. In the book, she reflected that she did not pay too much attention to the competitors because it would dilute her team’s secret sauce and what they were good at. I took this advice to heart. While being aware of your competitors is helpful, it often does more harm than good if you go down a rabbit hole of offering services that may not be in your zone of genius because another agency is doing it.
What’s something you wish you knew sooner that you’d give as advice for aspiring or newer entrepreneurs?
Just get started! You may not have the perfect branding or know how to write a proposal, but if you have grit, hustle and heart, you'll learn. I was going through some files the other day and found an old proposal I did. At first, my cheeks reddened because it was so simple and not very professional. Then, a wave of pride washed over me; I was proud that I had the courage to send it out (and land the client). Would I send that same proposal out today? No! But, if I waited until it was perfect, I would still be waiting.
- Visit Rachel's business website
- Tune in to Rachel's podcast, PRessing on in Public Relations
