Lisette Paras is the President of Gravitate PR. Lisette is a thought leader, influencer, visionary, and successful entrepreneur. Lisette provides the leadership and energy that has inspired the creation of Gravitate PR. Lisette Paras joins other leading Bestselling Authors, International Speakers & Entrepreneur, and President ‘s taking part in our Leader Roundtable Interview Series. The DotCom Magazine editorial team is delighted to have Lisette join us for our Leader Roundtable Interview.
Let’s start by telling us about your business.
Gravitate PR is a U.S. boutique public relations firm that transforms high-growth technology startups into market leaders.
Q: Please tell us how you make sure your customers will become raving fans of your company?
We have a comprehensive and integrated approach to transforming high-growth tech brands into market leaders. This is achieved by our broad experience in media relations, analyst relations, digital marketing, journalism and other marketing disciplines; our knack for uncovering “non-obvious” topics and trends to tell compelling stories; and our own diverse backgrounds as a team.
Q: Please tell us the one thing that separates your business from the competition?
Our vast experience despite being a small team means that our clients benefit from having in-depth, integrated marketing approaches without needing to go to a big brand that could also have a lot of overhead. It also means that we can recommend different paths to solving our client’s problems – and we’ve got a lot of grit in our company DNA that makes us highly results-focused.
Q: And to finish this section, please tell us what is the one major key to your company’s success?
Passion and persistence. Particularly this year when COVID-19 has affected every business and industry worldwide, companies need to find solutions and ways to build/rebuild/grow. As a public relations firm working with so many different startups over the years, we recognize that you have to not only love what you do, but also continue to demonstrate curiosity, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking within our teams and for our clients to achieve amazing results.
Q: our readers just starting to build a company, what advice can you give entrepreneurs just starting out with a new venture?
- Believe in yourself. The road to being an entrepreneur is never straightforward or easy. Keep moving forward and stay resilient, even in the face of adversity or struggle.
- Clearly identify what makes you unique and the value you provide to your customers. This way, you can truly stand out from your competitors while clearly articulating the “pain” you are solving.
- Surround yourself with a positive and supportive network. Find people – such as mentors, peers or employees – who can help you inject fresh ways of thinking into your business, sharpen your performance and ultimately help you succeed in the long term.
Q: For entrepreneurs seeking to build a business as successful as yours, what big piece of advice can you give them when times get a little challenging?
Like I mentioned earlier, resilience (what some people call “grit”) is crucial. You’ve got to really believe in yourself, keep your chin up and focus on moving things forward. Sure, there may be times when things seem tough, but entrepreneurs all fail, and fail often. When that happens, assess what happened, use it as a learning opportunity, and find ways to grow from the experience.
Q: today’s fast changing business environment, how do you stay abreast of things?
Being a public relations firm, we’re in the business of partnering with brands to help them build their brand profile and reputation. A cornerstone of what we do is identifying the key industry issues and trends relevant to their business, so my team and I are constantly reading the news, thinking of fresh ideas and talking to each other, our clients, the media/influencers and other stakeholders to get to the heart of the challenge we’re looking to solve. It’s a very fast-paced industry, and you need to always be absorbing information with a critical eye to stay ahead.
Q: What is your “Why”? In one sentence, why do you get up in the morning?
I’m a “builder” – I get enjoyment and fulfillment from being able to continuously learn and grow. When I’m not focused on building the reputation of the brands I work with, build opportunities for my team to be excited about new projects and expand the Gravitate PR business, I’m looking at other ways to personally grow each day. In the past year I’ve read dozens of new books, made well over 100 new recipes from home and am in the midst of learning a new language.
Q: In one sentence, what is the most important thing one has to do to be a great leader?
Understand people’s motivations/passions to help them reach their full potential.
Q: In one sentence, describe how important your customers are to your business?
Our clients are our business!
Q: In one sentence, describe a positive way that technology can make the world a better place?
Technology can truly make the world seem like a much smaller place. At Gravitate, we work with many startups who started in other markets, so we’re constantly talking to execs or teams in countries such as the UK, Germany, France, Israel, Australia, and many others. As someone who moved to the U.S. 9 years ago – and particularly with the COVID-19 pandemic – I’ve been thankful for how technology has enabled me to get in touch with friends and family from around the world to see how they are doing, in countries including Australia, the Philippines, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia and others.
Q: In one sentence, tell us how something positive to motivate our readers?
Positivity is not just an emotion, it’s an effect – and how you share this with others can lead to magnificent consequences.
Q: In one sentence, tell us how you start your day to get ready?
I have a highly-active dog, so my husband and I go for a run with her in the mornings for about an hour. It’s a very effective way of waking up and getting into the swing of the day!
Q: In one sentence, describe how you handle rejection and setback?
As an opportunity to see how I can learn and improve – especially if a similar situation were to present itself again.
Q: In one sentence, describe what your hiring philosophy is?
Hire for attitude, not skills (someone recently said, “will not skill”, which I also like – you can always improve on skills if the attitude is there, not vice versa).
Q: In one sentence, describe how you keep your sanity in a competitive business environment?
A former boss once told me, “It’s PR, not ER” – public relations and being an entrepreneur can be a high-pressure job, but you’ve got to take things in stride and in perspective at all times.
Lisette Paras, thank you so much for participating in the DotCom Magazine Leader Roundtable Interview Series. We appreciate you participating in this important roundtable interview series, and helping our readers learn more about what it takes to build a great company and become a great leader. We wish you, your family, and of course Gravitate PR, nothing but the best.
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