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As a part of the Morning Lazziness sequence highlighting empowering girls who’re making a outstanding impression with their concepts, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tabnie Dozier.
Tabnie Dozier is a devoted Emmy-Award-winning journalist and supporter of girls’s and minority equality. Storytelling is Tabnie’s ardour, and being a proponent for marginalized and silenced voices is what led her to pursue a profitable and dynamic profession as a Native Information Anchor. The eloquent chronicler, who’s a Lexington, KY native, has pivoted away from heavy headlines and has propelled her producing, internet hosting, copywriting, beautiful writing, and management expertise right into a extra constructive realm of schooling and advocacy. She has launched her personal media firm, Tabnie Dozier Enterprises LLC, providing Media & Public Talking Coaching, Visible and Written Storytelling Manufacturing, Disaster Communication, Advertising Consulting, and extra. She’s a graduate of Western Kentucky College, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporate,d and served as a Founding Board Member for Costume for Success Reno-Northern Nevada.
On this interview, she delves into the challenges, successes, and knowledge she has gained from over a decade of reworking on-line companies.
What impressed you to start out your personal PR company, and the way did you get your first consumer?
I’m an unintended entrepreneur; this was by no means my dream. My background is a Native Information Anchor. I’m an Emmy Award-winning Journalist. After a devastating lack of a liked one, Stavon Williams, in 2021, I acquired no bereavement or psychological well being help from the information company I labored for. Even after enduring racial unrest, a worldwide public well being disaster and creating distinctive and historic content material because the market’s solely Black Important Anchor.
It was clear I used to be only a quantity and never a human, so I pivoted and knew that nobody would ever inform me the right way to grieve or who I might grieve, ever once more. I now make the most of my journalistic experience in a mess of constructive realms, it’s the freest and most impactful I’ve ever felt. Visible and Written Storytelling, Press Launch Distribution, Purple Carpet Internet hosting, Media Consulting and Public Talking Coaching are a couple of avenues of my media firm. What I acknowledged was viewers tuned in every day, not for the heavy headlines however for me, they felt a connection. My angel, Stavon who handed away, he all the time used to encourage me to personal one thing of my very own. I wasn’t listening to him on Earth, however I heard him loud and clear as soon as he transitioned to the Divine. He’s my guiding drive and it’s clear God was molding me throughout my TV profession to be bolder, larger and storytell alone phrases.
What distinctive challenges have you ever confronted as a girl entrepreneur within the PR world, and the way did you overcome them?
As a Black-woman owned firm, historically companies like ours obtain lower than 3 % of federal and personal funding initiatives. The most important problem we’ve confronted since launching is securing capital. I can’t say that we’ve overcome this hurdle simply but. This nation has a behavior of attempting to silence and cut back the excellence of Black girls. My religion is my basis. Being fearless within the pursuit of a life that offers me autonomy of my time, storytelling with no limits or commercials and bringing pleasure to consumer’s faces after they view the completed product are why we’re getting into our third yr and have remained afloat all the time. Tenacity, consistency, religion and being an organization rooted in integrity are why our shoppers return and refer us!
How do you keep forward of tendencies in an trade that’s continuously evolving with media and expertise?
By doing what works for us and our shoppers. We will’t spend each second leaping on the bandwagon of the most recent app or development. It’s extremely overwhelming. That’s to not say we aren’t trendy and don’t discover new retailers. However what works for one company is probably not the precise match for one more. We assess and give attention to our consumer’s wants first and pursue the very best expertise, work circulate and outcomes that match our type.
What’s your go-to technique for constructing robust, lasting relationships with shoppers and the press?
I’ve the immense blessing of being a former Information Anchor, and I’ve constructed connections all around the nation. The belief I’ve maintained amongst colleagues and likewise viewers across the U.S. implies that individuals worth and consider in me. That’s a privilege I do know many PR professionals might not have. The pitch is vital. Understanding the outlet, the group profit, timeliness and respecting the craft of journalism are vital. Journalists aren’t business tellers, should you’re trying to promote your consumer and there’s no group profit, then go to a gross sales division. If you happen to’re a PR specialist that values significant storytelling, you’ll have significantly better success curating relationships within the earned media areas with print, radio and information journalists.
Are you able to share a marketing campaign or media second you’re particularly happy with—and why it stands out?
TDE has the immense honor of being the main media company for the inaugural Northern Nevada Black Enterprise Month celebration in August 2023. This stands out to me as a result of my company was barely a yr previous, we curated press conferences, information releases, significant storytelling, and elevated consciousness for Black owned companies in our space. Northern Nevada holds lower than a 5% Black inhabitants, the response from the group was spectacular. To steer a press convention the place the information company I used to work for, confirmed up and lined the occasion, was surreal. It gave me the enhance to know that I wasn’t solely profitable attributable to big company name letters behind my identify. My validity, experience and media excellence can shine brighter underneath my very own model with much less restrictions and extra storytelling freedoms!
Which platforms or ways have been simplest for rising your personal model visibility?
Instagram and Fb are our strongest platforms of followers and engagements. Consistency is the tactic that works finest. We all the time submit 2-4 reels or photos every week, whereas concurrently reporting and fascinating with our shoppers, sharing inspirational content material in our tales. The reels might be firm promos, consumer spotlights, or significant storytelling that we produce. The most effective posts for us are those that characteristic our workforce in motion, working occasions, internet hosting, consulting and main public talking coaching classes.
What position has mentorship performed in your journey, and the way do you pay it ahead to others within the trade?
Mentorship means a lot to me. It’s my mission to offer like to my teenage and younger grownup selves. I want I had a Tabnie once I was getting into highschool and navigating lecturers, sports activities and part-time work and volunteer alternatives. I want I had a Tabnie in faculty to assist me with cash administration, psychological well being, and exploring my profession fields. It’s my absolute pleasure to uplift the generations after me. Through the spring semesters of 2024 and 2025, Tabnie Dozier Enterprises signed up as an worker associate for the College of Nevada Reno’s Pack Internship Grant Program. Each of our paid interns graduated in Might 2025 from the college with levels in Journalism.
We led them by means of 120 hours every of actual world video enhancing, tv and digital script writing, on digital camera mechanics and different foundational journalism expertise that may serve them of their careers. These are significant strategies to pay it ahead to others who’ve wishes to enter the industries of public relations, communications, journalism, and video manufacturing.
How do you deal with high-pressure conditions or crises, whether or not for a consumer or your personal enterprise?
Disaster communication is considered one of our avenues of service. We’re calm, factual, and strategic relating to producing an official assertion, emergency press launch or consulting for behind-the-scenes points. Excessive-pressure conditions are eaten for breakfast by my workforce as a result of nearly all of us are skilled journalists, we’ve garnered a long time of expertise in breaking information, extreme climate, high-profile courtroom circumstances and deaths, political corruption and extra. Our shoppers belief our professionalism and know that we are going to by no means steer them into the darkish.
In the case of my company, I launch the identical calmness I’ve leaned on throughout my years as a TV Information Anchor. I breathe, assess and seek the advice of my workforce as a substitute of constructing rash choices primarily based on my feelings. I’m grateful for my media coaching that taught me to ‘by no means let ‘em see you sweat,’ it’s been an incredible drive in retaining my company afloat.
What’s one piece of recommendation you’d give to girls getting into the PR or communications trade in the present day?
A devoted piece of recommendation I’d share with girls needing to enter the PR or comms trade can be to not come into these areas for glitz and glamour. Corporations are trusting you with their picture, popularity and internal workings. If it is a self -serving want of yours to be on digital camera, obtain tons of social media likes and follows, then the leisure trade may be the way in which to go. It is a path for storytellers, changemakers and truth-tellers. Ladies who wish to elevate voices that aren’t usually heard, who wish to amplify the excellence of a model, product or mission. You’ll have to reply to a disaster outdoors of enterprise hours, or work occasions on weekends, these are variables to think about earlier than getting into this subject.
What are the 5 stuff you consider are important to beat self-doubt and construct confidence on this subject?
So as to overcome self-doubt and construct confidence on this subject, you could; have a robust knack for analysis and fact-checking. Public relations specialists don’t observe rumors, they give attention to details. If you happen to don’t have the area to ask the place a supply got here from or search it by yourself, this will likely be a tough subject to search out success. Put together and follow. Whether or not you’re a spokeswoman occurring digital camera for a model or prepping your consumer with speaking factors, follow, follow, follow! Follow your pitch, your solutions, your consumer’s responses, and ensure the responses are concise and on level. Love your self. If you happen to’re a girl who offers with insecurities and is harshly vital, this subject might eat you up. You could have thick pores and skin. Within the PR area, your writing is critiqued, video enhancing, strategizing, on digital camera look, data, are all introduced into the sunshine in your shoppers and the general public to criticize. Be sure you’re further variety to your self and arm your self with affirmations and the safety that you’re succesful and chosen for this second!
A powerful help system can also be key. That might be former or present colleagues, mentors, following the accounts of individuals you look as much as and people in your subject, childhood and maturity friendships, wholesome consuming, train, belief me! You want different non-judgemental and caring girls in your nook, life is extra satisfying that approach. Lastly, discover a constructive outlet. Is it strolling? Pilates? Portray? Volunteering? Journaling? Vlogging? Singing? Discover one thing that makes you smile, these areas assist hold you lifted and may tremendously contribute to an improved psychological wellness state.
Okay, we’re practically carried out. You’re a particular person of nice affect. If you happen to might encourage a motion that may convey probably the most quantity of fine for the best variety of individuals, what would that be? You by no means know what your thought can set off.
I’d like to encourage a motion that creates a common fund for creatives, entrepreneurs and the like. Being courageous sufficient to pursue your passions as a substitute of working a bland 9-5 within the identify of capitalism is so admirable. I left my childhood dream of being a TV anchor as a result of it not served my psychological well being and was resulting in a decreased high quality of life. I want I had a supportive service that provided to assist pay for my company’s enterprise license, or cowl a month’s value of hire or groceries once I was struggling to safe offers. I do know there are a whole lot of grants on the market, however only a few are geared towards Black entrepreneurs and typically these software processes include charges. I’d like to see an emergency fund for ladies creatives to allow them to know their concepts matter, they’re necessary and that life is a lot greater than paying payments and clocking in.
How can our readers additional observe your work on-line?
You possibly can observe my media firm on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
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