Today we’d like to introduce you to Monika Bernthal.
Monika, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Once upon a time, I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Journalism. Fresh out of college, I was the business editor for a small paper and then a reporter for a regional business journal.
I loved the diversity of the subject matter, but wanted to apply my skills beyond simply reporting and writing articles, and craved the idea of working in more of a team environment. I discovered that PR and marketing had checks in all the right boxes and entered the agency world. Soon thereafter, I met my would-be husband and became the PR and marketing director for his business, Ocean Sailing Academy.
We sold the business at the same time as our children began coming into the world. I took a hiatus from work to stay home and raise our three amazing kids. During that time, I picked up occasional freelance jobs to keep me in touch with the PR and marketing world to which I knew I would one day return.
As I pondered how to fully re-enter professional life, I was approached to produce a festival in St. Augustine. I jumped in feet-first and created Made in St. Augustine Fest, a one-time event that happened in 2018. The festival was a smashing success with more than 7,000 attendees.
The festival gave me an epiphany, opening my eyes to several key points: 1. I had hidden talents required to successfully produce large-scale events 2. There were hundreds of incredible local businesses who desperately needed PR and marketing, but for them this line item was cost-prohibitive 3. I had the tools and skills to give back to my community.
Just a few months later in 2018, my passion project unfolded as I launched STA Marketplace, an online platform and directory for local businesses. We provided local businesses a webpage on the site and promoted them through the platform’s social media. At the same time, I rolled out a series of mini events, STA Marketplace Samplers, to showcase local makers and creatives. The in-person events came to a screeching halt with Covid, but we then pivoted to temporarily provide members an online store where they could continue to sell their products.
The success I achieved for members through STA Marketplace naturally progressed into clients requesting additional marketing work – logo creation, website builds, copywriting, consulting, creation of marketing materials, media relations campaigns, social media management, event production and pretty much anything that falls under the umbrella of PR and marketing.
And so there was an organic rebrand to STA Marketing & PR. STA Marketplace still exists (and many know us only as such), but now we offer promotion through the platform as a free added benefit to our marketing clients.
Our agency has seen tremendous growth in the past couple of years and we have expanded our services to clients beyond the local market. Our customized and holistic approach to our clients’ marketing needs has served us well. Almost all of our clients come to us via word-of-mouth or referral which creates instant synergy and our work revolves around incredible people and amazing projects.
For me personally, everything has come full circle. I enjoy the diversity of the work, am surrounded by the most talented team, am immersed in the local community and absolutely love what I do. In the words of Confucius, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For the most part, the path to STA Marketing & PR has been smooth. The only brief hiccup was Covid. However, we simply pivoted our business (and helped our clients pivot theirs) to online and e-commerce strategies and tactics. Unintentionally, this demonstrated our skillset and talents to our community and clients, and ultimately grew our business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about STA Marketing & PR?
STA Marketing & PR is a full-service agency working with clients of all sizes, any budget and across every industry. By taking a holistic approach to marketing we combine tried and true tactics with out-of-the-box strategies to provide customized solutions that help clients realize their full potential.
Our services include:
Website Design and Builds
Branding and Logo Design
Print Marketing
Digital Marketing
Social Media Management
Copywriting
Media Relations
SEO
Consulting
Event Production and Management
What makes us unique is that we take on every client and their business as if it were our own. We understand first-hand the challenges and successes of starting and running a business and apply our personal experience and knowledge – along with sweat, tears and laughter – to every project. Work for our clients keeps us up at night, consumes our shower thoughts and our achievements and successes bring us the same level of satisfaction and joy as if the client’s business were our own.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Podcasts: I Love Marketing, The Joe Polish Show
Books: Life Gives to the Giver by Joe Polish, Breakthrough Creativity by Lynne Levesque, Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith, The Father of Spin by Larry Tye
Contact Info:
- Website: stamarketingpr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stamarketplace/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STAMarketplace
