Being a powerful woman in the communications industry seems like an oxymoron, especially when most PR girls are expected to be agreeable, demure and friendly. Fatou Barry is attempting to break that stigma with her company PR Girl Manifesto. As a woman who hustled her way from gigs to launching her own PR and media agency, Fatou has not only mastered being the alpha woman, but she is helping other women in media and communications learn how to balance being a BAUCE and being themselves. As a PR maven herself, Fatou makes sure she continues to teach and empower women while still enjoying the best parts of life. In this interview with BAUCE, Fatou shares how she got into the communications industry and talks about the impact she wants to have in the world.
What specific need in the media industry did you want to fill for women?
Fatou: Women were being judged based on their age and race in the workplace. I noticed a trend among some of my fellow friends in the industry, our work was being closely looked over by higher-ups. I got frustrated with this and knew we, as women, needed a safe space for our work and to receive knowledge of media and communication. PR Girl Manifesto was first created for women in public relations but turned into a platform for women in communications all across the board like digital media and much more!
What difficulties do you find yourself encountering while growing your business, PR Girl Manifesto?
Fatou: Oh man, our biggest difficulty was when we first started PRGM, we didn’t know exactly what we wanted to do. There were so many different avenues to take and we wanted to take them all, which lead to a lack of direction. After taking time to evaluate what our platform would be, we realized that we really wanted to lead with the community component. Now that we’ve established that, we’re working on how to monetize it, which is another difficulty in itself! How do we monetize the platform we’ve created and scale it in a way that makes sense?
What can we expect from PR Girl University?
Fatou: Ah, PR Girl University is an extension of PRGM. We felt like we weren’t targeting our women in college. A lot of women in college who are majoring in communications aren’t getting the knowledge and tools they would need post-grad. During college, a lot of personal development occurs and we wanted to make sure we created a safe space and community for our college girls. We want to give the real narrative of communications to them while they’re in college, before they reach post-grad, and don’t have the resources to pursue their career. So we’ll be building up communities there and providing courses that reflect the pace of public relations is now outside of colleges.
What would you say your ultimate goal is with PRGM?
Fatou: I would say my goal for PRGM is to be an umbrella company. We want to keep expanding and adding extensions on. We want to be international! We’re working on a event series alongside Personally Rachel Group, and planning our first conference for 2019. I think the end goal always changes in regards to what our organization looks like, but the main priority is always to continue helping our women in the communications network and educate each other.
When it comes to networking, what has been your best strategy?
Fatou: When it comes to networking, I would say don’t be afraid to slide in someone’s DMs! A lot of my business relationships were formed by one of us sliding in the others DMs and just telling each other how we liked the work we were doing and wanting to connect. So shoot your shot! Also, I find that a lot of times when I first meet people, they’re so ready to hand you their business card right away and it kind of comes off very aggressive, as if that’s the only reason you’re speaking to me. Develop strong relationships with people!
What does being a Bauce mean to you?
Fatou: Being a BAUCE to me isn’t about a title or just a ‘oh you own a business, you’re a boss’. I think it’s more of a girl knowing what she wants and doing what she needs to achieve it.
What can we expect from you, as an individual, in the near future?
Being a powerful woman in the communications industry seems like an oxymoron, especially when most PR girls are expected to be agreeable, demure and friendly. Fatou Barry is attempting to break that stigma with her company PR Girl Manifesto. As a woman who hustled her way from gigs to launching her own PR and media agency, Fatou has not only mastered being the alpha woman, but she is helping other women in media and communications learn how to balance being a BAUCE and being themselves. As a PR maven herself, Fatou makes sure she continues to teach and empower women while still enjoying the best parts of life. In this interview with BAUCE, Fatou shares how she got into the communications industry and talks about the impact she wants to have in the world.
Want to keep up with Fatou and PR Girl Manifesto? Be sure to follow her pages at @astoldbyfatou
@prgirlmanifesto to stay updated with her new ventures coming!
