Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Finley.
Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I think I have a non-traditional background compared to most PR agency founders, as I didn’t have prior certifications, my MBA or agency leadership experience. Growing up, I was one of five homeschooled siblings in our family and the first to graduate from college. During my high school years, I was able to attend some college-level classes and learned early on that I could apply my interests in communication, hospitality and event planning to a degree in Business and Organizational Communication at The University of Akron. I have always loved bringing people together, whether hosting events or introducing people within my circles.
When my husband and I moved to Columbus, I needed to put those skills to work by introducing myself to companies and business professionals while on the hunt for my first job. I spent time freelancing for local businesses which helped me realize how much I love telling stories, coordinating media interviews and working with journalists.
I continued building my PR experience as a Marketing Director for Chick-fil-A, supporting regional campaigns and sales initiatives before leaving to join the PR team of a Columbus-based advertising agency. I quickly exceeded goals to earn 50+ local and national media opportunities weekly in outlets like the Wall Street Journal and Shape. While media relations was a highlight, the long, desk-bound workweeks and competition among peers elbowing their way into promotions took a toll. I shifted to a nonprofit role as Director of Events and Outreach with the Ohio State Chiropractic Association, but I soon felt called to create my own company.
I built Belle Communication on the foundation of a values-driven culture that puts people first, empowers meaningful work and supports thriving relationships. This idea preceded any clients or employees, but I was convinced that these essential elements and our core Belle-iefs would attract right-fit opportunities.
Today, the Belle Communication team of 23 is celebrating 10 years as a 100% remote culture-driven agency. We’re a Women’s Business Enterprise National Council company and consistently win Best Places to Work from organizations like Inc., PRWeek, PRovoke and PRNews. We also have been named Best Public Relations Firm in Columbus CEO’s Best of Business Awards program four years running.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In the beginning, building trust was one of the obstacles we faced. We were up against big, globally recognized agencies – why would someone choose us? We really had to develop a solid understanding and articulation of how we differ. One of the ways that we have been able to demonstrate this is by securing media relations results within the first 30 days of our agency-client partnership and consistently thereafter. That’s a promise we make because it’s what we’ve done since day one.
As a public relations agency, we are in the relationships business. Right-fit relationships are crucial to our success – on behalf of our clients and as a team. Throughout my career, I have been the one to prompt conversation around fit, even when it comes to client relationships. We say no more than we say yes when it comes to prospective client relationships.
Over the years, we have had to let clients go because of how they treated our team or the misalignment of values. This was especially hard to do early on because that means saying no to money, and that can be difficult to do as a business owner.
As any founder will tell you, one of the biggest challenges is wearing too many hats and not having enough time to work on the business instead of in the business. A game changer for me was discovering the book Traction: Get A Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman and following that model. It’s about getting the right people into the right seats to achieve measurable progress against business goals. I encourage any business owner to explore it – it’s one of the most valuable books available for leaders as far as I am concerned. I’ve also really enjoyed getting to know the concept of Radical Candor through books by Kim Scott. This is all about encouraging and empowering direct conversations out of respect for our colleagues. Kim explains how too many conversations go unspoken, which doesn’t help any party achieve their best results and offers practical tips on how to approach giving and receiving feedback at work.
Finally, going through a global pandemic was one of the hardest things I have ever experienced, and it took a lot of mental resilience. I had to remain a visionary while extending a calm, assured tone throughout the company. I’m proud of how our team showed up during that time and served as a glue to our clients who were also wading through upheaval and uncertainty.
Please tell us more about your business or organization. What should we know?
Belle Communication is an award-winning public relations, creative strategy and influencer relations agency based in Columbus. We operate nationwide with 23 team members in 9 states. We focus on a people-first culture, thriving relationships, inspired creativity, and award-winning work. We have earned the honor of “Best PR Agency” through Columbus CEO’s Best of Business Awards four years in a row.
We specialize in Public Relations, Earned Media, Creative Strategy, Social Media and Influencer Engagement, helping brands think bigger for now and next.
We are members of the Association of National Advertisers and advise small and global brands on how to maximize influencer engagement and navigate rising concerns around transparency, disclosure, AI and pay equity for diverse creators.
What do you do, what do you specialize in / what are you known for?
Since our launch in 2013, Belle has partnered with more than 100 brands across CPG, retail, restaurant, tourism and B2B sectors including Nationwide, Big Lots, First Watch, Hot Chicken Takeover, Fox in the Snow and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.
I’m particularly proud of our local and national media relationships and the resulting work we have achieved. We build campaigns through an “earned-first” creative approach, where our ideas are so unique that they help generate media coverage and engage target audiences. With shrinking newsrooms, it’s no longer enough to announce a company or product’s existence, and we thrive on exploring the strongest ways for each client to earn media attention.
Belle’s work with influencers has led us to advise on campaign best practices with industry organizations. Whether it’s partnering with a national food brand that requires 90 influencers to post within a matter of weeks, or helping a large enterprise navigate red tape to launch on TikTok with influencer-generated content, we have the expertise to find strong partners, inspire audience action and share detailed results.
We successfully positioned Jeni’s at the forefront of ice cream innovation and increased national awareness of its flavor collaborations by securing over 4 billion impressions from 2,000+ total media mentions, more than doubling Jeni’s media presence compared to the prior year. Jeni’s share of voice among key competitors increased 7% in one month, staggering over the next closest core competitor by 67%.
What sets you apart from others?
For our clients, it’s assuring that they will see results within 30 days of working together. Our constant communication and commitment to results make us an indispensable partner, and we frequently hear from clients that the way we work is unlike any of their past agency experiences.
We love to collaborate. Some of our clients like to brainstorm ideas and lean on Belle to implement them. Others turn to us for counsel in areas in which they don’t have bandwidth or expertise, such as with influencers and their contract negotiations or evolving practices on payment and disclosures.
For our people, it’s our culture. We focus on an environment where people know their work is valued. We create space for employees to pursue work that energizes them where and when they are most productive. Last year, we saw an average employee satisfaction rating of 90% – a metric that shines in comparison to engagement and satisfaction ratings across the U.S. which have dropped as low as 36%.
What are you most proud of, brand-wise?
We recently celebrated our 10-year anniversary and had the opportunity to bring clients, former clients, colleagues and industry peers together in Columbus to honor this milestone. I was humbled to see so many faces in the room, including those who have boomeranged back to us or referred business to Belle.
We have people championing our success, which makes me incredibly proud. I think about our culture and how we have stayed true to our core Belle-iefs, which is why I started this company. Being consistently honored as a Best Place to Work by industry organizations and Inc. validates our model. Our client satisfaction and campaign awards show that amid this time of pulling employees back into a physical office, the optional overhead cost isn’t a requirement for collaboration, creativity and results.
What do you want our readers to know about your brand, offerings, services, etc?
We want PR to be the first string that clients tap for creative thinking and insight-driven marketing. We want to be at the table when brands are planning for their overarching initiatives and annual campaigns. We help nail that “AHA” moment after wrestling with a problem and connect the dots across the marketing mix. When we are involved from the get-go, we can offer ideas for strong earned-first creative campaigns.
Influencer relations is our bread and butter. We’ve built our own network of 1,700+ influencers spanning coast to coast. These relationships go beyond one-off campaigns to produce high-impact, integrated content for our clients.
Who else deserves credit – have you had mentors, supporters, cheerleaders, advocates, clients or teammates that have played a big role in your success or the success of the business? If so – who are they and what role did they plan / how did they help.
The reason I am where I am now is because of the people around me. Elise Mitchell has been a wonderful mentor and was very generous with her time when I was starting out. She was so busy and successful in her own PR career, but she gave me her time out of the goodness of her heart. She is still my mentor today and has helped shape who I am as a leader.
I’m also grateful for my founder- peers in the Boss Society – a group I formed for Millennial women CEOs to connect and share about the struggles of scaling.
I am blessed to have so many supporters and cheerleaders, including my parents, my husband Daniel, my siblings, nephews and godchildren.
Our entire Belle team operates as one firm because we’re all driving toward the same goal. I would give a shout-out to each member of our team, but I know they would correct me and say, “No, it’s all of us!”
Contact information:
- Website: http://bellecommunication.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katefinley/
- Belle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/belle-communication/
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