Episode Details

Podcast 341 - Free PR and Marketing Tips Every Dunwoody Business Can Use - Dori Mendel - Totally PR

I've been doing What's Up Dunwoody since 2018, and I had never once sat down with a PR pro and asked what I'm doing wrong. So I did it on the show. Dori Mendel has spent more than 20 years helping companies tell their story, and she launched Totally PR in Dunwoody seven years ago. A sign she bought at a Dunwoody boutique that first week still hangs behind her desk: "Don't be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try."

Her approach starts with one question. Where do you want to end up? Instead of throwing spaghetti at the wall, Dori builds the plan backward from the goal, then lets the data decide what to do more of and what to drop. She's big on keeping one consistent tone of voice, so people recognize you whether they meet you at a Dunwoody event, land on your website or open your email. She also reminded me that every buying decision is an emotional one. People do business with people they trust.

She made the case for authenticity over polish, for promoting your wins instead of sitting on them (like the time Atlanta Magazine featured What's Up Dunwoody in its 2019 Best of Atlanta issue, which I never told anyone about), and for using what's already around you, like client testimonials and your own team. Content ideas are everywhere. Most people think we have a short attention span, but Dori put it better: "I think we have a short consideration span." If you run a small business around Dunwoody, there's a lot in here you can use this week, no big budget required.