Ben Finzel: Public Relations Leader With a Focus on the Environment

In this episode of OutBüro Voices featuring LGBTQ professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders from around the world, host Dennis Velco chats with Ben Finzel, founder of RENEW PR.

Ben Finzel, is not a typical business startup entrepreneur. He launched RENEW PR, a public relations firm that primarily focuses on #renewable energy, sustainability, environmental, and LGBTQ topics. He is an out gay business owner (LGBTQ entrepreneur) with over two decades of top PR agency experience in Washington, DC. With experience at prestigious firms such as Edelman, FleishmanHillard, and others.

• 00:50 Personal background – the beginning of a gay entrepreneur
• 05:00 Development of critical thinks core
• 05:30 Begining at Edelman
• 8:45 Changes in pitching to journalists/reporters
• 11:00 Delving into launching ReNew PR – transitioning from being an employee to an entrepreneur
• 13:00 A short clear explanation of your business is key
• 13:50 A benefit of starting a business after a long a rich career is the professional network of past coworkers, clients, and industry contacts.
• 15:00 He clarifies ReNew PR’s scope is both specific and broad – energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainability, climate change, clean transportation, natural resources, air/water/land use all broadly. A great client would be one who offers sustainable products, say that reuses, reduces, or upcycles as one example.
• 17:45 Honest discussion of transition into being an entrepreneur, the assumptions and adapting
• 19:20 As a business own leveraging technology tool to make the dreaded yet necessary tasks easier such as invoicing.
• 20:20 Shifting from big PR agencies to own small business, created new realizations, new opportunities, and new partnerships
• 21:15 It is not pie. There is enough for everyone.
• 24:00 Focus and differentiate your business. ReNew PR is a certified LGBTQ Owned Business by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
• 25:30 Formation of the Change Agencies a network of multicultural owned agencies
• 27:00 Networking with other LGBTQ communications PR professionals in Washington DC

Connect with Ben Finzel on OutBüro at https://www.outburo.com/profile/benfinzel/

Join Ben on OutBüro, the LGBTQ professional and entrepreneur online community network for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, a.lies and our employers who support LGBTQ welcoming workplace equality focused benefits, policies, and business practices. https://www.OutBuro.com

Would you like to be featured like this? Contact the host Dennis Velco. https://www.outburo.com/profile/dennisvelco/

About the author: Dennis Velco

An LGBTQ social entrepreneur who focuses on strengthening the global LGBTQ+ through connecting, engaging, online, and in person.