Elizabeth Craven

Graduate of Florida State University

Magazine Editor and Communications Manager for Proad Media

Elizabeth is a wife, mother and local business woman. Liz is the Co-Owner of Proad media in Lakeland, FL with her husband Wes Craven. Proad media publishes Polk county’s leading women’s magazine, Woman to Woman as well as an acclaimed annual guide to senior living, the Polk Elder Care Guide. Being part owner of a small business means she, as well as her husband, fill many roles. In addition to being the editor for all of Proad Media’s magazine, Liz coordinates many of the public and community relations for the company, as well as advertising and networking.

How did you get started in the PR World?

It was never really my intention but when my husband and his former business partner started Proad I became part of the team too. We are a small company so we all share many responsibilities. We have designers and writers that drive our magazine production put because we are ad based and not subscription based, it was really important to have someone with the main focus of making connections.

What is some advice you would give someone starting out in the PR Profession?

Make communication your first priority. People appreciate prompt and engaging responses. This is one aspect that can not get pushed to the back burner. Lack of communication can mean the loss of a potential client or a burning of some very valuable bridges. Also, another thing is, knowing your audience. A lot of our readership are middle aged to elderly, so I noticed that there are a lot of technological advancements that are available for the purpose of promotion. However, I realized not all of it would be effective because we don’t seem to draw many techy early adopters.

What is the most difficult thing about working in PR?

Sometimes it’s hard to get out there and put on the happy face and attend endless networking events and meetings when it has honestly been a crappy day at the office. I get to see my husband stressed out when something goes wrong but then I leave the office and go to a chamber of commerce meeting and talk about how great things are going.

What do you like most about working in PR?

I love seeing the impact we can have on our community. As we build these relationships they are not only about how we can better the company they are also about really working with the people that believe in us. Being a small business, he have the opportunity to make a lot of individual connections and are able to help their business and help them succeed. It’s very rewarding.

Catch Liz’s Blog at WomanToWomanMagazine.com