YEDaily: Jennifer Love and Alyssa Fraser

Jennifer Love and Alyssa Fraser, founders of Duet Public Relations represent their clients every day and convey the messages to turn their small businesses into brand, household names. Having represented companies from fashion, beauty, arts, entertainment and hospitality industries alike, these well-versed women have a lot to offer…

Elevator Pitch: Describe your job in a nutshell.
It’s our job to get our clients in the news so the world can learn how wonderful they are. We obsess over the details (messaging, website, overall image) so our clients don’t have to. We take little-known brands that are doing great things and help turn them into household names.

Why did you start your company? What was the inspiration for this route?
Duet Public Relations hatched over many wine-soaked dinners we couldn’t afford. We were working in public relations and journalism at the time and discovered we had a concrete and mutual sense of what we could offer clients and how we’d like to offer it. We finally met for coffee, designed our own logo, bought our domain name and ordered 600 business cards. Starting with our first client/friend who just launched a made-to-measure shirt business and desperately needed (cheap) PR, Duet Public Relations was born. From there it has grown solely on referrals.

What is the best part of what you do on a day-to-day basis? The most challenging part?
Best Part: Learning so much about our clients’ passions and becoming experts by necessity. Ask us anything about formula one racing, horse-assisted therapy, wine, the club industry, real estate, wedding gowns or nutrition! 

Challenging Part: Saying no. We both want to please everyone and do everything, but there aren’t enough hours in the day so we’re learning to set limits.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
To be in the same position, but with amazing publicists helping to manage client accounts so we can take on more clients. Simply put, to multiply our current business model.

What does success look like to you?
Living a happy balanced life.

What is the most memorable milestone in your career?
Renewing our web-hosting plan for 5 more years. We suddenly realized that we both expect Duet PR to be around for at least that long.

Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
Set unrealistic goals. Of course there is validity to relying on carefully calculated equations to achieve realistic goals, but setting unrealistic ones will push you to achieve more than seems reasonable when looking at an Excel spreadsheet. 

Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is that important to you?
As a business, motionball was our first true love. In addition to doing such amazing work for Canada’s Special Olympics athletes, motionball has created a culture that fosters inspiration and growth among young professionals, encouraging our generation to not only give back financially but to really get involved.

What to you is notable?
Working hard and conducting business honestly. 

Blackberry, iPhone, Android, or Other?
Blackberries.