{"id":19459,"date":"2023-09-29T15:06:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T15:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/?p=19459"},"modified":"2025-01-14T12:53:46","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T12:53:46","slug":"pr-chat-tonya-mckenzie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/pr-chat-tonya-mckenzie\/","title":{"rendered":"Prowly #PRChat with Tonya McKenzie, Founder at Sand&Shores Firm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever wondered what it\u2019s like to host a podcast? How much effort does it really take and how to find the time for it? If so, you\u2019ll find answers to these (and many other) questions in this #PRChat<\/strong> with the PR and podcast pro - Tonya McKenzie<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonya is a founder of the Sand & Shores PR and Leadership firm<\/a> with over 20 years of experience. She also hosts not one, but two amazing podcasts: My Morning Coffee and Leaders & Learners, and organizes #PRLunchHour - live meetings on Twitter Space. Since September, Tonya has become Prowly\u2019s<\/a> brand ambassador, meaning we support each other with all activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently she joined the PR Episodes online event<\/a> where she shared her guide to \"Working Through a Reputation Crisis.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n


What differences do you see between creating PR strategies for non-profit and private organizations?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Non-profit organizations<\/strong> are deeply rooted in doing good, contributing to society, and being a solution. It comes with the branding of being a nonprofit<\/a>. The general public already knows that you do good things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge comes with sharing who you help, how you help them, and the story or stories that have brought you to the present point. The strategy is based around which story, the elements of that story, and how you are impacting lives as opposed to private companies. They do not necessarily have to contribute to any charity or cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With private companies<\/strong>, the strategy is based on who they (the company) are, what they do or produce, and why their target audience should care. The strategy has to find creative ways to communicate their differences, their unique selling proposition, and how they are solving a problem in a unique way. Most importantly, the strategy should include a cause to champion that is authentic to the company\u2019s brand and mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Can you tell us a bit more about the podcasts you're hosting?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Leaders & Learners<\/a> is my company\u2019s podcast. I speak with elected leaders, organizational leaders, experts, authors, and artists. They share their stories of overcoming trauma, tragedy, and setbacks, and how they learned to triumph. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In PR, many times we as practitioners struggle to get clients to understand that the best PR isn\u2019t flashy and sexy. It\u2019s the stories that resonate with the public and trigger them to get to know, like, and trust our clients. It\u2019s showing how one expresses their thought leadership. Leaders and Learners can be heard on Spotify, Apple, Google, and other places you listen to and watch your favorite shows. Spotify is audio and visual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I co-host My Morning Coffee Podcast<\/a> with Gia Neil, a 30-year plus Lieutenant for the Los Angeles County Sheriff\u2019s Department. We are both members of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and we lost a sister to suicide a few years ago. Our effort to heal and exploratory revelation motivated us to start a safe space where we can talk about the tough issues in a nonjudgmental way with others that may be going through tough times or even have news to celebrate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our conversation is always hot, bold, and full of flavor! Nothing is off limits, and everything is on the table. From celebrities to small business owners and grassroots activists, My Morning Coffee is the best way to start your morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


How do you manage to have time to host two podcasts and not run out of content?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One thing is for sure, change is inevitable. And that makes people uncomfortable. We love uncomfortable spaces. Having discussions that matter, that teach, that elevate, and that empower always delivers an unexplored path. Our best content comes from people. None are the same. No problem is the same. Even with solutions, math teaches you that we can all get to the same answer but how we get there can vary. The journey is the story, the content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


What are the best three storytelling examples you've ever seen in PR?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n