We had the good fortune of connecting with Marcella Giuffrida and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marcella, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Coming from a family that instilled an insane work-ethic in me, and looking up to my parents (who are both business owners), I always knew that one day I would own my own business. I went to college in New York for fashion and kind of fell into public relations through a couple of fashion PR internships. I loved PR, but knew that if I continued working for fashion companies or agencies, I would always be limited in pay and creativity.

A common theme I was seeing was that I had all of these big ideas that companies weren’t willing to go through with. I started to focus on freelance PR when I had my first job out of college. Immediately I started acquiring new clients and the workload from two jobs became so much that I decided to leave the company I was at and work on the freelance PR full-time. I love to work on multiple projects at once, I really thrive in chaos. Working for myself allows me the flexibility to execute ideas that large agencies were rejecting, it also gives me the freedom to work with different types of companies and people. My clients range from artists and clothing companies, to restaurants and preschools! I am very much a people-person and I love that MG PR gives me the opportunity to work with so many amazing people.

Since quitting my job in November 2022, I have 15 clients at MG PR (my company name) and I have meetings lined up with potential clients until the end of February! Now, I can execute my creative ideas and have been surprising myself with the results my clients and myself are seeing. MG PR is still a one-woman company, but I’m hoping to onboard some interns in the near future and hopefully grow it into a full-service PR agency! A lot of my friends are also in the PR industry, so hopefully I get to a point where I can employ them and we can grow the agency all the way to the top of the industry.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career really started in New York, at my first Fashion PR internship. My classmate turned really good friend, Claire, was interning at Derek Lam and she got me an interview to be a Fashion PR intern. From there, I kept reaching out to fashion companies and PR companies and landed 3 more internships. Internships – especially in the fashion industry – are difficult. The amount of times I was treated poorly, cried in stock rooms, got lost and almost gave up are impossible to count. I worked late nights and weekends, usually for free, so that I could grow my resume and gain industry connections.

Even on my worst days, I was still so grateful for all of the opportunities I got! I got to attend NYFW, got behind the scenes looks at editorial photo shoots, met such amazing people, attended exclusive conferences etc. I was always focused on the bigger picture and watching how far I had come since I first started. I gained a ton of skills, industry knowledge and connections and learned a lot of lessons. The biggest takeaways from my early working days are – never turn down an offer (you don’t know where it will lead you), never take no for an answer and don’t be afraid to speak up!

Starting a career in any field is difficult, but starting a business in the PR industry at such a young age is so difficult because most of the time, you don’t have the connections that these huge agencies have. While I might not have Anna Wintour’s cell phone number, I can guarantee that I’ll find a Vogue editors email and write to them until they respond! I am an extremely passionate and motivated individual with an edge that a lot of large agencies don’t have – personality and endless new ideas.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I grew up in LA, left for college and couldn’t stay away. I moved back after graduating in May of 2022. I love this city and everything about it! I always tell LA-haters that they just haven’t discovered the best places yet!

My favorite places to take LA first timers’ is obviously In-N-Out. An In-N-Out run straight from the airport is customary here.

For a fun girls night out, I would suggest Casita in Sherman Oaks, a new Mexican restaurant that has quickly become an obsession of mine. I also love the bars and restaurants in Santa Monica, Belles Beach House, Elephante, Gjelina and Felix to name a few! The next morning we would have to recap with brunch at the Chateau Marmont.

My favorite bar in LA is Good Times At Davey Waynes – I love 70’s music and the decor is to die for!

A day trip to Malibu, Pacific Palisades or Montecito is a must! The beaches are unmatched and there are great restaurants and shopping in both places.

I know this is cheesy – but I think it’s so fun to take them on one of those Star Tour busses! It’s so touristy and most of the time all the information is wrong, but it’s fun to watch people take in LA as a tourist, especially growing up here, I never really got that thrill and excitement!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Honestly, there have been so many people that have influenced me and my decision to start this company. My clients are a huge motivation to me. I want to get to the point where I can execute any event, get any brand partnership they want or get them published in any magazine. That motivates me to think creatively, make connections and never take no for an answer. Parker Chrisbens, Made In Italy, Sharon Segal Nina Segal, Global Day of Unplugging … just to name a few!

Both of my parents being hugely successful business owners also influences me. My mom, Melisa Giuffrida and my dad, Alex Giuffrida, are huge inspirations, both of whom I look to for advice and inspiration.

My community of supportive friends and family who all encouraged me to chase my dreams and take risks are also hugely responsible for my decision to start this company! I would not be here without the support of my community.

Website: www.marcellagiuffrida.com

Instagram: @mgpublicrelations

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcellagiuffrida/

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