Meet Petrona Joseph | At Home with Publicist & Mental Health Advocate Petrona Joseph

We had the good fortune of connecting with Petrona Joseph and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Petrona, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The key factor behind my success as a publicist and mental health advocate is my ability to allow myself room for error and to embrace vulnerability as a pathway to growth. Being an entrepreneur means becoming a lifelong learner. Just when I think I have mastered one aspect, I find myself faced with the need to learn something new. This is a humbling experience, as there are times when I lack the patience or bandwidth to dive into a new challenge. However, the mistakes I have made throughout my career have been crucial to my development.

Do I beat myself up over my mistakes? No. I let the initial embarrassment fade, then I take the time to process what happened and learn from it. This approach also applies to my mental health advocacy. When I give a speech or address a large crowd, there are times when I mispronounce words or make grammatical errors. Instead of getting discouraged, I focus on learning from these experiences for the next opportunity and keep moving forward.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What sets me apart from other publicists is that I started my career on television as a host for a fashion segment. I purchased the airtime, but after a few episodes, I realized I was over it. While being on television came with a lot of fanfare and fame, I found that the people around me were often insincere, and they all seemed to have the same question: “How did you get on television?” That experience led me to become a publicist. With my knowledge of the ins and outs of television and radio, I was able to consult my clients from the perspective of a former TV personality.

I take great pride in having built my business slowly and from the ground up, with little to no debt. Since my first business—a storefront grocery store—I have been careful to take my time with each venture. Now, as I enter my ninth year as a publicist, I only pay for the products and services I truly need, often in cash. I pay my contractors with cash on hand and have never taken out a business loan.

My journey has required a lot of hard work and perseverance. There were countless nights when I cried because I felt I was disappointing my clients, and many days when my stress levels were through the roof. In those moments, all I could do was cry and wait for my motivation to return.

One of my biggest challenges as a publicist is navigating people’s egos. Not everyone can achieve their moment in mainstream media as quickly as they expect. Building a digital footprint takes time and resources, and without patience and a solid understanding of how public relations work, clients may become difficult and start to complain. I constantly manage expectations and meticulously review every action taken to ensure a smooth process.

The greatest lesson I have learned as an entrepreneur is to always trust my instincts. I have signed business deals and taken on clients that I sensed would be problematic, only to face legal fees and unnecessary disappointment later. Additionally, during the hiring process, I’ve learned the importance of not being afraid to let someone go, even if I have a personal liking for them. In the long run, it will save me from more mental distress.

I want others to recognize my PR agency as an ethical establishment with a hands-on approach..

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I find this amusing because my best friend visited Atlanta, and we went to a popular breakfast spot in College Park. I am still getting to know the city and there are so many places I would love to explore. So far, I have enjoyed the Ritz Carlton, the Botanical Gardens, and some random restaurants. My goal is to go out more and discover more of the city. It truly is one of the most beautiful cities I have lived in.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to shout out Aleesha Carter MBA, a local Atlanta Celebrity Publicist who has mentored me since my expansion to Atlanta. I would also like to thank Kevin Willams who was the first Publicist to meet with me in Atlanta and gave me the gift of my first local media list. Shoutout as well to the network of Publicists who help me in navigating this new PR landscape that I am newly in – lastly my clients namely Terry Allen from the hit show BMF on Starz who took a chance on me.

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