Steve Turner shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Steve, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I’m finding much joy in a new book I am writing titled PR THAT WORKS-Great Strategies. Great Campaigns. Great Results. The book is scheduled to be released this fall. It serves as part memoir but mostly a “how to” book for those who want to learn and advance in the field of public relations based on my 30+ years in the business. It is targeted at both young and veteran PR professionals. There are great strategies, detailed campaigns of what made them work, and interviews with some of the top minds in PR today. It’s the book I wished I had when I started my career some three decades ago.
It will be available on Amazon.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a Principal and Owner at Solomon Turner PR in St. Louis, MO. We have been providing public relations and marketing services to businesses for over 30 years. We take a customized approach to help clients build their brands and achieve their goals. All campaigns are designed for the particular needs of each business. Our focus is on traditional media, social media, thought leadership, and creating special events to meet objectives. I have worked with many well-known names such as Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Steve Forbes, Coldwell Banker, Northwestern Mutual, and companies in construction, healthcare, and retail. Our firm has been named a Top PR Firm in St. Louis for the past 17 consecutive years. I was named a Rockstar Publicist by Authority/Medium magazine and have been featured on TV, radio, and podcasts discussing PR trends. My PR That Works, has over 55,000 page views. I have also been quoted in print articles and books discussing public relations. In addition to the book I am writing, PR THAT WORKS, we continue to work with authors and clients in automotive, interior design, professional services, retail, and technology.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Originally, I wanted to be a baseball play-by-play announcer. I attended the University of Missouri and graduated with a Journalism degree. Then I embarked on a path to broadcast sports in smaller markets. This included radio play-by-play of high school baseball, basketball, and football. Eventually, I secured a job broadcasting sports in Ft. Myers, Florida. The Florida job enabled me to broadcast Kansas City Royals spring training games and minor league baseball. I also sold advertising and always loved the creative aspects of writing radio commercials. Eventually, the radio career hit a wall. I moved back to my hometown of St. Louis and started my own Public Relations firm. After two years on my own as The Turner Group, I merged with an advertising agency, S. Solomon & Associates. The agency was run by Shelly Solomon, one of the first female ad agency owners in St. Louis. She became my partner in business and life. We renamed the agency Solomon Turner and have been married for over three decades.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
You learn more from suffering than you can from success. We almost lost everything during the recession years of 2007-2008. Somehow, we made it through. It forced us to reexamine not only our business but ourselves. We examined every aspect of the agency and, when things started to turn around, offered new and different services to clients. Our firm heavily pursued new business. Eventually, we got back to sustainable growth.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I saw an interview with Todd Graves, CEO of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. On his bio he not only lists himself as a CEO but also a fry cook. He started from scratch with one restaurant, built a chain of hundreds of Raising Cane’s, and is now worth around $20 billion. He is extremely down-to-earth and gives generously to over 30,000 causes nationwide. He possesses great character and is a role model for those who wish to embark on the entrepreneurial journey.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
My customers would miss my industry knowledge, connections, and flexibility to help them achieve their goals. There are other agencies they can work with, but I believe our fees are efficiently priced for both large and small businesses. We have clients we have worked with for several decades, and prefer to establish long-lasting relationships instead of short-term plans that will drain a budget with mixed results.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://solomonturner.com, https://rockstarpublicist.com
- Instagram: @rockstarpublicist
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveturnerpr/
- Twitter: @steveturnerpr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steveturnerpr
Image Credits
Photos courtesy Solomon Turner PR
