Meet Tracy Teuscher of The Buzz Maker Public Relations

Hi Tracy, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
After serving as the communication director for an advertising and communication firm and for a national newsstand publisher, I founded The Buzz Maker®Public Relations in 2005 as a single mother.

I didn’t have a budget, a business plan, or a building, but what I did have was experience, integrity, courage, and the willingness to work hard, fail big, and stick around. I established a home-based office (long before it was cool or respected), developed a roster of clientele, and earned accreditation in public relations through the Public Relations Society of America. 

Since founding The Buzz Maker®, I’ve had the great pleasure of helping nearly 70 brands prosper with the collaboration, hard work, and support of incredible designers, fine artists, writers, photographers, cinematographers, and public relations mentors. 

This has not been an easy road. I’m a living testimony to God’s grace. Both the business and my family have survived seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Beyond perseverance and tireless work, what drives me still is the deep desire to contribute to positive change and the belief that love, creativity, and stories have the power to change the world. 

When I started my business, the three non-negotiables were to create a positive and supportive culture, to invest in lifelong learning, and to serve the community through both professional service and volunteerism. 

Now with more than 20 years of experience in public relations and 17 as an entrepreneur, I am working with organizations to reimagine destructive systems, to make creative changes, and to tell these powerful stories. This work has positively impacted individuals and communities. In 2020 alone, we contributed to the wellbeing and recovery of so many. 

As part of this commitment, I’ve earned certification in conflict resolution, and become certified as an Ohio naturalist (OCVN). In 2020 I founded a service initiative called Save Ohio Bees™ after I learned that 1 in 4 North American bee species are facing extinction. The launch aligned with the firm’s 15th anniversary.

The Save Ohio Bees™ mission is to help save bees, restore pollinator habitat, and fund conservation programs. The saveohiobees.org site offers free bee and native plant resources, news, events, sustainable merchandise, and a marketplace where local artists and beekeepers offer art and hive products. It’s like a one-stop-shop for Ohioans to help bees thrive. 

In less than two years, Save Ohio Bees™ has helped fund two conservation programs at the Wilderness Center, restored nearly 12,000 square feet of pollinator habitat through the Pollinator Partnership, and also contributed to the nonprofit arm of the Ohio Environmental Council. That’s pretty cool considering it only takes five flowers to feed a baby bee. 

Some people call this living on brand. I call it living on purpose. 

My business is still about ethical public relations. And, it’s still about those three non-negotiables. Yet the vision has been refined to align wholeheartedly and unwaveringly with my passion and my purpose. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being an ethical entrepreneur is not a smooth road. In my view, it requires taking the high road. The high road is often the rocky road, and the windy road, and sometimes the road gets completely washed out, but the view sure is better from the high road. The business and I have survived multiple recessions, persistent economic volatility, gender discrimination, unethical clients, profound personal trauma, and more recently the cultural trauma of a deadly pandemic, environmental destruction, deep societal divides, and wars around the globe.  

Thriving as an entrepreneur is definitely not something I’ve done alone. It bears repeating that I’ve had the blessing of working alongside some of the most wildly talented, creative, innovative, brave, optimistic, caring people. And, that includes my mentors and my daugther, Sharon, who have contributed so much and made me a better human.  

As you know, we’re big fans of The Buzz Maker Public Relations. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?

We’ve helped social and environmental impact brands thrive since 2005. Our people and our work have been recognized among the best. 

We specialize in a wide array of public relations, communication consulting, and naming and branding services, including for nonprofits. 

Supporting organizations during periods of robust change, evolution, and growth is a specialty. I’m a strong problem solver that helps brands quantum leap, position strongly, and build reputation and trust.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Passion, flexibility, perseverance, creativity, courage, humility, and the willingness to stay calm and curious in a storm.