Spotlight On: Sally & Chrissy from TMC PR

The Chief Maids at TMC PR (previously Tailor Maid) – Sally Brown and Chrissy Biasotto – compliment each other’s style, drive and vision and have created a publicity engine room and a force to be reckoned with. We talked to the ladies about their time overseas, the changing industry and what’s next.

Hi Guys! Thanks for spending some time with us.

Flaunter: How long have you two been in business? How did you first meet? 

TMC: 7 YEARS THIS MONTH!!!!!! We met working together at Marchant Communications in 2001.

F: You’ve both worked overseas – how does Australia compare?

TMC: We have had experience in both the US and the UK, both are very different to Australia.  From experience we believe that overseas the thinking is about collaborating and cross-pollinating brands/businesses in order to get ahead and get the most for their clients.  If something is discussed it almost always comes to fruition.  The opportunities are endless.

In Australia we find that businesses, PR businesses particularly, are more inclined to keep to themselves instead of connecting with other like-minded businesses.  We just get the job done.
We are not suggesting that either approach is better than the other as both seem to work, however in our experience we like the international approach…  “How can we help you so that you can help us?”

F: Running a busy PR agency means juggling many balls at once – what does a day look like for you?  

TMC: We both train every morning – it’s a great way to start the day and get the mind fresh and ready for the working day ahead.

No one day is ever the same at TMC, we have learnt to become very good multi-taskers and have been lucky enough to employ exceptional staff who are able to carry some of our workload. We would love to say it’s all champagne and Jimmy Choo’s but it is bloody hard work.  We have the occasional networking lunch, or events we attend, but to be honest we spend most of the day chained to our desks.

And thanks to modern technology and international clients, we are generally working around the clock.

F: The industry is changing – have bloggers and social media changed the way you work?

TMC: 100%. We like to employ the mindset that bloggers should be treated the same as print media; bloggers are part of the future media.  The online community is forever at the forefront of our minds when planning and forecasting PR strategies for our clients.

TMC uses Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as a way to communicate with our followers. They are great platforms to showcase our clients’ work and achievements.

F: No 1 shared moment at Tailor Maid?

TMC: It’s hard to narrow it down to just one moment! We are doing what we love, working with brands that we love… what could be better than that?!  Winning new business is always a memorable moment, that’s what we strive for. Hearing that you have won a pitch is a pretty amazing feeling; we still get tears and goose bumps when we receive the good news!

F: What are your favourite sites/blogs/tumblrs for fashion/lifestyle/creative inspiration?

TMC: There are so many! Here are just a few of our faves:
Pedestrian, Gary Pepper Vintage, Harper and Harley, Lifestyled, Mumbrella, The Cool Hunter, The Vine, Pages Digital, Broadsheet and Etsy.

F: What do you love most about your job?

TMC: We are so proud of everything we have achieved, the fact that we have created our business from scratch with no funding or extra help is pretty satisfying.

The best part about our job is being creative. We are very selective with the clients we represent; therefore we are working on brands that we truly love. And to add to that, we have a fantastic team who all get along famously – it’s like one big happy family.

Oh and being your own boss is pretty sensational.

F: Top 3 items on your must-have lists for AW13? 

TMC: Lots of leather, capes and fur.

F: Cheese or chocolate?

TMC: Chocolate. Our new thing is raw desserts – heavenly without the guilt.
Can we say cheese too? Sometimes there is nothing better than Friday afternoon wines and a cheese platter at our favourite wine bar and restaurant, Vini.