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Meet Melissa Perlman of BlueIvy Communications in Delray Beach

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Perlman.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Melissa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up in South Florida, I was a competitive high school runner… and found myself in the local newspaper’s sports section quite often. I can remember waking up in the early morning hours, running out to the driveway in my socks, and picking up the South Florida Sun-Sentinel or Palm Beach Post. I’d go straight to the sports section looking for the articles and photos of me and my Spanish River High School teammates. It was exciting and fun; and it still is to this day for me, for my BlueIvy Communications colleagues, and our clients.

After graduating from Brown University in 2004 with a B.A. degree in Expository Writing (their term for non-fiction/journalism) and having interned and worked at various local and national TV stations and newspapers, I decided to move back to South Florida and seek out a career in writing and communications. I joined the Office Depot Corporate Headquarters’ Public Relations and Corporate Communications team where I grew and learned my craft for seven years.

In 2011, I decided it was time for me to go off on my own. That my years of practice, creative brainstorming and contacts/relationships developed had adequately prepared me to start my own business and help others grow and succeed. In June 2011, I founded BlueIvy Communications. (The name, BlueIvy, which one year later, became globally known thanks to Beyonce and Jay-Z, actually was a tribute to my mom – who loved my blue eyes and had always wanted them herself when she was a kid – and my alma mater Brown University – a member of the Ivy League).

From my home office in South Florida, I began the process of cultivating leads, reaching out to potential clients, marketing myself via social media and my personal network, and writing (a lot). Immediately friends, former colleagues, family members, neighbors and others from the community started reaching out to me offering to link me up to those in need of writing, PR and social media, and sometimes asking for support with their own businesses. I could feel the buzz; what I was doing was needed, wanted, and as long as I continued to perfect my craft and work hard – my future options were endless.

For the last seven years, I have turned my one-person start-up operation into a six-figure plus business, that continues to grow every single year. I have also hired three team members that allow me to take on new clients, execute larger and more complicated projects, and offer a broader set of services. BlueIvy is growing. Our client roster includes national restaurant chains, law firms, non-profit organizations, a global travel cruise agency, temples, mental health professionals, SCORE, treatment centers and corporations in the IT and procurement sectors. Out service offerings include: Public Relations, Media Relations, Social Media, Writing and Editing, Content Development, Event Coordination/Marketing, Newsletters and more.

Our secret? I am committed (as is my team) to consistently create awesome and creative content, using top writing/communications skills and nurturing our relationships with the media, community and our clients. My goal is to continue to get great results for our clients, grow to meet the needs of more businesses and inspire the future PR and Communications generation!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’ve been lucky that my growth has been pretty consistent and the road hasn’t been too bumpy. That being said, there are times of frustration, of worry and of panic. I think the reason for my road being smooth is that when I decided to start BlueIvy Communications, I was prepared and ready. I had seven years under my belt and thought long and hard about how I would go about freelancing, working on my own, etc. I had seen others do it before me and had confidence that if they could do it, so could I. I also had a great support group behind me – family, friends, acquaintances and former colleagues have pushed me along the way, referred new clients and cheered.

My biggest struggles?
1. Help, But Not In That Way! In the beginning, there were lots of people who wanted to “help” me grow my business and would try to trade/barter services. It was kind of them, but at the end of the day, I realized what I really needed was money to pay my bills! It was tough to be strong and tell people that wanted to help – that I needed customers more than “trades.”
2. Independent and Not Independent. Going at it alone was tough. Having to attract and attain new clients, write press releases and pitch media, research reporters and contact them, manage business operations, and then chase down invoices is tough work. Only recently (last year) did I bring on a COO to handle a lot of the operations work, and an Account Executive to assist with research. But with the new team members, comes another challenge – being able to delegate. I can’t do everything but I also have to be comfortable with others doing some of it – and not micromanaging. That’s a skill in itself!
3. Other interests. I love my work – and don’t mind running my business 24/7. But at the same time – I have other interests in my life, including running and coaching. For the past six years, I coached cross country and track at my high school (Spanish River). I ran with the kids, mentored them, and traveled across the country. I also travel internationally quite often to compete in races in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Berlin. This summer I plan to travel to Minnesota; next summer I will go to Budapest. Running and racing are my loves… and it’s tough to run a business when you sometimes need to step away. I’ve managed to do it by working nights from across seas and emailing/calling my clients a lot. But now with the extra team members – this should also get easier!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with BlueIvy Communications – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
BlueIvy Communications is a South Florida-based PR agency focused on helping businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs achieve their communication goals while simultaneously growing their customer base. BlueIvy Communications offers an array of services, including media relations; PR strategy; newsletter design, development and writing; social media management and consulting; website content and editing; crisis communications; speech writing; local event marketing; corporate social responsibility; video production; media training and more.

We specialize in media relations and relationship building – with our clients, the community and the media. We are known locally for our influence, the stories of our clients and the success of securing media placements. I have grown up in South Florida – and know this community, its businesses, and the media outlets. And, I am proud to continue to help other small, medium and large businesses grow.

I am most proud of our ability to help new businesses launch, celebrate their beginning and watch them grow. When a new business hires BlueIvy just as it is starting off, we are able to meet with them, get to know their story and their hopes, assist them in developing their message and ultimately communicate their message to the public and to the media. We have launched a Yoga Studio in Delray Beach, a Cardiologist’s practice in West Palm Beach, and a new Fast Casual Restaurant Concept in Ft. Lauderdale; we have helped grow a psychologist’s Boca Raton practice, turn a Boynton Beach Chiropractor into an expert resource, and assist in securing hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for our non-profit clients nationally.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We hope to continue to grow BlueIvy Communications. We want to be able to take on new clients an offer them a larger team of support; we also are growing our social media department – doing our own live video and providing more educational videos for our client sand fans. A lot of what we do can be taught – and I believe that for those that can’t afford to have a PR agency of record – should be able to still secure media placements and participate in social media on their own. It’s our goal to create more quick-learning opportunities for our clients and the community.

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Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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