Conversations with Claudia Greene on Starting Her Booming PR Firm
A PR lead, a mother, an immigrant from Sierra Leone, who came to America with her family fleeing the civil war in the 90s over blood diamonds. Being a Nigerian/Sierra Leonean immigrant, she was instilled with a hustler mindset her parents taught her to reach for her dreams and be the best in any career or industry she pursues.
These are all titles held by Claudia Greene, the founder of Mayhem Entertainment Public Relations, a Boutique PR Firm in Los Angeles and New York currently serving over 60 clients across the East and West Coast.
We caught up with Claudia to talk about her trials and triumphs working in the entertainment industry and crafting her way into being heralded as a PR leader.
Greene graduated college as a journalist major and started her career in entertainment as a writing intern with Entertainment Tonight. She then went to become a production assistant at TMZ and an online writer for TooFab (sister outlet to TMZ), before deciding to step into the world of Public Relations. As a publicist, she started out as a junior publicist at AEPR (Andrew E Freedman PR) until she decided to start her own PR firm.
Know Your Worth
“I have a bachelor's degree in Communications at University of Miami and a Master's degree in Writing and Producing for Television at Loyola University. When I started AEPR, we negotiated,” Greene tells us. Greene worked hard to prove herself, but she wasn't afraid to walk away when she did not receive equal pay. For Greene, the move was about starting something new, but also knowing her worth. "They offered me a lower pay than what I asked for. I was okay with it but I was on a trial basis. After three months of work, I felt like my work was above and beyond but at the time they weren't able to offer me more so I decided to take my services elsewhere."
Greene's experience, though unfortunate, is not uncommon. Black people, often not getting paid the same amounts as their white counterparts, especially starting out in the industry, is common. There's also an issue of representation. While there are several Black boutique agencies, the majority of representation for A-list talent often goes to white agencies.
Greene faced challenges while building her new business. Making a name of her business that people can entrust that she will provide quality work, having people look past any racial barriers and see that publicists of color can be looked at as great publicists in the industry, and trying to pave the way for future aspiring Black publicists who want to get into the industry.
But soon grew her PR firm to include a variety of clients ranging from actors to influencers to businesses and corporations. “When you start off, especially being a Black female, you're already at a disadvantage. No one heard of me or my company in the beginning. It is hard enough having people to entrust in an unknown firm but throwing in the fact that I am a Black publicist it was an extra hurdle to overcome. I am so grateful for the clients I worked with and continue to work with because they have been so loyal and trusting in what my company provides is quality work,” Claudia tells us.
Her first client was Gregg Daniel, a series regular on the HBO series True Blood and recurring on HBO's Insecure. One of the biggest names she’s ever worked with is Tara Reid. She also represents Stacey Dash and Emmy nominee Asante Blackk, who played in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us.
The Need for Diversity in PR
“When it comes to the bigger events. The award shows, the Emmys, the Oscars, the Golden Globes... I still do not see that many of us [Black people] handling the biggest stars.. A lot of Black talent are still going majority white PR firms… ..I wish that more A-list celebs will allow Black publicists to manage them when it comes to PR representation," she tells us.
Greene also says there needs to be more diversity on staff at PR firms, especially within corporation companies, so they are less likely to make social mistakes within their PR and marketing strategies.
"Majority of top PR firms have a majority white staff. I'm not saying that they shouldn't be, but when it comes to promoting a certain A-lister, who is a minority or who isn't Black, some are missing opportunities to have that talent engage with more urban media outlets especially at red carpet events. Why are they not allowed to speak with Essence Magazine or RollingOut on the carpet? Why are they being pushed to go inside of the event after speaking with the first few outlets on the carpet? Alot of the times, the urban media outlets are towards the end of carpets, so I make a conscious effort to have my clients speak with those outlets and show them love."
In addition to discussing representation, Greene also talked about the importance of juggling priorities, both working in entertainment and being a mother. Greene is a woman that wears many hats, as far as being a mother and working in entertainment. While she does run a business, she understands the resources needed to make projects happen, even on a small budget.
“I’m grateful that I had my own company before I had my child, that way I am able to work at home. A lot of companies don’t offer that advantage aside from the pandemic.”