Today we’d like to introduce you to Valese Jones.
Hi Valese, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Where do I start? I’m from Birmingham, AL and a graduate of The University of Alabama.
I majored in Communications and actually started my career as a journalist. I didn’t enjoy being in front of the camera as much as I thought I would. My boss at the time didn’t want me to quit, so he asked that I move to the PR and Marketing department. The rest is history that is currently in the making. I was laid off from my first job after budget cuts, and the same thing happened at my second job. I’ve experienced toxic work environments and terrible bosses, just like everybody. Couple that with being 9 hours away from my immediate family and the growing pains that come with being an adult, and it’s been an interesting journey. But I stick with it because I love being able to be a part of making my client’s visions come to life and watching their dreams be fulfilled. I hope to continue stretching myself and learning more about different parts of the industry so that I can offer clients an even better experience with Sincerely Nicole Media.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Absolutely not! As I said in the previous question, I’ve been laid off multiple times. In 2020 the pandemic completely shook up my world. I lost 6 figures worth of income in a matter of months. Luckily, I have an amazing support system, so they’ve always helped me weather the storms. Nothing about being a full-time entrepreneur is easy and I do not recommend doing so if you don’t have a safety net and a certain level of self-motivation and discipline.
We’ve been impressed with Sincerely Nicole Media, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Sincerely Nicole Media specializes in public relations, brand strategy, brand management, and event production for small business owners and brands. I feel like I’m known for my multifaceted, hybrid approach to public relations strategies that make it easier for me to work across several mediums. Because I actually know how to do all the things from social media marketing, traditional marketing, pr, event production, and pretty much anything media-related, my clients get to just pay one person to execute their entire vision vs needing multiple firms and professionals. My proudest moments thus far are being able to broker partnerships that resulted in some great events this year such as Civilized Fest: Juneteenth Edition in Dallas, TX, that was powered by Heal America and hosted by my client ShySpeaks & Big Thought non-profit. I also was able to produce Wine & Waterfalls with my client, Outdoorsy Black Women that was fully sponsored by REI. Being involved from the very beginning when these things are just mere thoughts in my client’s heads to helping them bring their visions to fruition is so much fun for me. Despite it being exhausting and frustrating at times, I’m truly enjoying learning more about event production, raising sponsorship money, and doing event pr. My can-do attitude and genuine spirit put me in positions and rooms, that I probably shouldn’t be in based on arbitrary standards but, I am the moment and so are my clients. If you’re into kicking doors down and disrupting the status quo, I’m the publicist for you.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
According to my parents, I was very vivacious, loquacious, and inquisitive. I’m inclined to agree with their assessment. I would also describe myself as a disruptor because I never have believed in going along just to get along. A lot of my teachers would tell me I was a natural-born leader and needed to be more conscious of my behavior because of how easily I influenced my peers. I was always in trouble at school. There was one time a teacher wrote my friend up for waking me up in class. I was on a first-name basis with most of my principals. I loved sports and was an athlete, played tennis for 15 years. I was in the choir because of my love of music and singing. Of course, I was involved in different clubs and community organizations. Mostly all of them were related to writing and oratorical skills. If you ask anybody who knew me as a kid and still knows me now, they will probably tell you my personality has not changed much, outside of getting older and wiser. I believe I’ve successfully combined my interest and personality into a pretty fulfilling life and lucrative career thus far.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sincerelynicole.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sincerelynicolemedia/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/snicolemedia
- Other: https://thequeendombbtx.com/
Image Credits
The Plug ATL XO Creative Media
The Fellowship Initiative Dallas
Books Trent Out Loud
