In a galaxy far, far away but closer than you may think lived a company called Start Me Up PR.
Landing in YYC first — because even extraterrestrials love the mountains — to invade the local and global tech scene, they set off to support emerging-founders, the investors who help rocket fuel them and the shit-disturbers – ahem – disruptive-digital-changemakers and industry outliers alike.
Helping the planet’s most groovy tech companies tell their truths, and proudly unpack their universe-changing solutions to humankind’s problems, while leaving a major awareness (mic drop — boom!) mark on the galaxy (heavy on the integrity, easy on the spin(ing) saucers), brings the crew at Start Me Up Public Relations super galactic joy.
HOW?
With their strong storytelling skills, eclectic, diverse team and surprisingly old-school tactical approach to communications, media & public relations, word-of-mouth-marketing and storytelling, mixed with new media outreach strategies, the Start Me Up PR crew is equipped with the most creative heads and hearts.
Everyone has a story, and we all deserve to have our stories recognized.
Working with Start Me Up PR means embracing Authenticity, Creativity, Experimentation, and Empowerment. As well as an appreciation for diversity and equity, and a thirst for untapped perspectives, as well as tasty cocktails (Saurian Brandy or virgin Romulain ale alike).
Founded from a cosmic spark of creativity and passion (… and maybe just a bit of mid-life: “Oh crap, what am I going to do next — hmmm, I know I’ll start a PR agency!” inspiration) by Theresa Tayler, in 2021, Start Me Up PR planted roots in 2022.
With nearly 20 years of experience in content strategy, brand-storytelling, media relations, communications and journalism, Theresa fell in love with fostering innovation, STEAM and technology sector stories while honing her career in journalism, media relations, as well as digital and print publications roles as a Canadian journalist turned media relations lead at a science centre and then an editor of publications at a university.
“I didn’t expect to fall in love with technology and science. I started my career as a pop-culture and music journalist, news reporter and photographer,” Theresa says. “If I have a superpower, it’s probably my ability to ask sometimes strange, maybe even ‘dumb’ questions to get super smart answers from brilliant and interesting people. That approach is the core of journalism and storytelling in general. Getting to the heart and core of people’s why and what drives them — unapologetic curiosity to know what fuels those around us, and drives people.”
The Start Me Up PR team’s beliefs are: Don’t sell, tell. Don’t tell, if you can show. And when you can’t show, or tell, then try singing or dancing. The algorithms are always changing, your story shouldn’t.
“Once you have your story straight the sky and stars are the limit for the potential of digital marketing. But it has to start with a bedrock that is real and meaningful,” says Amber Rowden, Start Me Up PR Digital Marketing Lead. “Our clients and partners come to us because they want to document their purpose and ultimately create a basis of meat around what they will achieve and what problems they will conquer. The ads, the buys, the ‘sign-up-here’ stuff – that can’t happen until that story is in place and everyone feels proud to tell it.”
WHO ARE THEY FOR? EVERYONE, NO MATTER IF YOU’RE MADE OF SCALES, TENTACLES, OR KNEES AND TOES
Start Me Up PR is for every emerging innovator and team in the galaxy, empowering their clients and team members to become thought leaders in their businesses by providing them with the strategies they need to own their story and amplify their voice, especially if those voices have been historically silenced.
The strategies in telling stories revolve around the belief that strong diversification of ideas and perspectives brings more to the creative table.
“That’s a universal human experience. Sometimes the most celebrated and shiniest rockstars in our sectors, feel like illegal aliens in their own communities, families and industry. Start Me Up PR was born (crash landed) to support the unicorns and aliens alike. Refuel your ship, and make the universe fall in love with everything you, your business, your team, product, movement — you name it — is and will be,” Theresa says.
CLIENTS INCLUDE:
- Soft-tech, Hard-tech, XYZ,LMNOPtech, SaaS, and sassy entrepreneurs alike
- Indigenous changemakers and innovative entrepreneurs and artists who are moving the pendulum on Truth and Reconciliation across Turtle Island
- Private investment groups, funds and VCs fueling innovation
- Founders and businesses, from the unbootstrapped outliers to those already scaling to new heights
- Social Enterprise and NFP models focused on equity within the innovation and tech spaces
- STEAM and STEM based artists and organizations
THE HEAD AND THE HEART
At the heart of their strategies, the Start Me Up PR team lead with their heads and hearts to ensure the approach is raw, polished and real.
“We’ll shout your stories from the moon and back — loud and proud,” says Emily Robitaille, Start Me Up PR, Visual Story Lead. “We thrive on telling it like it is with kindness, morphing to a client’s needs and we won’t appease you for the sake of a dollar bill. It’s about creating trust through action and ultimately getting clients results, not vanity metrics.”
The team thrives on cutting through the nitty gritty and the bull and getting dialed into the authentic core stories of those they work with. The next growth stage for the emerging PRTech company will be a virtual PR agency and hub, with resources accessible to all and at any level of scale.
“Your story matters. So own it!”
