Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose Mercado.
Hi Rose, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey started with a clear frustration: independent musicians and creators weren’t getting their moment, so I built one myself. I launched The Friday Night Frequency on Stationhead, an independent web radio show dedicated to highlighting independent musicians. It was grassroots, intentional, and it taught me everything about what artists actually need: direct access, real conversations, no gatekeeping. It also brought me into the world of producing high-quality media formats for a specific audience.
That work revealed what I was really drawn to: the infrastructure that gets creatives seen and heard. It led to Photobombshell Media, which I founded to do PR, media strategy, and production at a level that independent creators could actually access, including press campaigns, content strategy, web development…the full scope.
Then came PLLRS with my cofounders Keith Nelson Jr. and Reg Calixte. We built it as a premium interview and live events platform highlighting untold stories of success and the partnerships that make it all possible. Won of One: A PLLRS Podcast soon followed as a natural extension to the work, but the philosophy was the same: long-form conversations with the architects of culture, done with intention and no algorithmic thinking.
Coming from an established background and career in higher education leadership before getting into podcasting and radio, creating structure and making media consumable grounded my thinking around institutional power and how systems actually work. Today I’m working with a roster including artists like Umraan Syed, Messiah Ramkissoon, RichFraz, Phantom Fields, and shows like Milfshake Podcast and The TOP Lessons Podcast. Every project connects the same dots: visibility, strategy, authentic audience building, and platforms that the creative both owns and controls no matter how the digital landscape changes.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No. It hasn’t been smooth, and I think anyone who says building something real is smooth is either not telling the truth or they’re not actually building anything.
The first challenge is bandwidth. I’m running two companies simultaneously (Photobombshell Media and PLLRS) with multiple clients across music, podcasting, and live events. That means I’m doing press campaigns for Umraan Syed’s album while managing event production for a celebrity gaming event while writing code for client websites. I am one person doing the work of a team. You learn to prioritize ruthlessly, but there’s always something that I wish I could assign more time to.
The second is resources. Larger agencies have sales teams, account managers, designers, and developers on staff. I do most of it myself. That means I’m constantly choosing: Do I spend time acquiring new clients or deepening work with existing ones? Do I invest in tools or in hiring? Do I sleep or do I finish this pitch deck? It’s a different kind of problem than not having clients, which I am incredibly grateful for, but I can see the work that needs doing, and I’m constrained by reality.
What keeps me moving is that the work matters. Independent artists and creators are getting real support. PLLRS is building something that didn’t exist before. That’s worth the friction.
As you know, we’re big fans of Photobombshell Media. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Photobombshell Media is a boutique media strategy, PR, and production firm built for independent artists, creators, and podcasters who are doing serious work but operating outside traditional industry infrastructure.
What we do is comprehensive: press campaigns from concept through execution, writing pitches tailored by outlet type, building media contact lists, managing relationships. We tackle content strategy and production packaging, podcast booking and guest placement, live event production, web development, SEO… really the full ecosystem that usually requires hiring three different agencies.
What sets us apart is embedded understanding. I’ve worked in streaming radio. I know how journalists think and what makes a media outlet say yes or no to a pitch, how to time moves in creative spaces for impact, what podcasters are actually looking for in guests, and how audiences build in real time. I’m not a generalist agency; I understand the specific problems independent creators face because I’ve lived them. My clients aren’t competing with major labels or mega-platforms. They’re building real careers from the ground up. That requires a different strategy.
I’m most proud of the consistent wins that build momentum. Umraan Syed has landed repeated press mentions and podcast appearances that are actually moving his audience and his music. PLLRS is creating real buzz, stacking itself against legacy media and winning attention on its own terms. Then there are countless unspoken wins: artists who booked venues they didn’t think were possible, podcasts who found their rhythm and their audience, event partnerships that became sustainable revenue streams; the work we don’t talk about publicly but that changed trajectories.
Brand-wise, Photobombshell represents the power of the Invisible Hand, the behind-the-scenes work, the infrastructure, and strategy that actually moves things. I want readers to know I’m not interested in surface-level PR. I’m building sustainable visibility and credibility for artists and creators who deserve to be seen and heard.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If you want to work with Photobombshell Media as a client, that conversation starts with understanding what you’re actually trying to build. Email rose@photobombshell.media with specifics about your project, timeline, and goals for a discovery call. We take on press campaigns, content strategy, production work, podcast booking, event production, and web development, whatever the scope demands.
Beyond traditional client work, I’m actively building partnerships. I’m looking for brands that want to reach independent artist communities and creators, venues interested in co-producing events, sponsors who want to align with authentic cultural work rather than algorithms and vanity metrics, event partners, and media collaborators. If you see a way to create something together, that conversation happens at the same email.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://photobombshell.media
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photo_bombshell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photobombshellmedia
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemercado/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Photo_Bombshell
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@photobombshellmedia
