IAM684- Founder Provides Top-level PR and Marketing Consultation

Geo A. Ropert, APR is the founder and president of Ropert and Partners Public Relations. He is a nationally accredited, award-winning public relations and marketing communications professional with a diverse background and over 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. Geo is the person businesses and organizations turn to for top-level public relations and marketing consultation and services, providing proven results that rise above the rest!

• CEO Hack: Preparation
• CEO Nugget: You need to be the first thought or an afterthought
• CEO Defined: Having the opportunity to change a story, a brand or a life

Website: https://www.ropertandpartners.com/

Facebook: Geo A. Ropert
Facebook (business): RopertAndPartnersPR
LinkedIn: Geo Ropert
LinkedIn (business): Ropert and Partners Public Relations-Marketing Communications
Twitter: @PRTwentyOne

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Transcription

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[00:00:02.20] – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

[00:00:30.10] – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I Am CEO podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Geo A. Ropert of Roper and Partners Public Relations. Gio, it's awesome to have you on the show.

[00:00:41.10] – Geo A. Ropert

Nice to be here, Gresh. Thank you so much for inviting me.

[00:00:43.70] – Gresham Harkless

No problem. Super excited to have you on. And before we jump in, what I wanted to do is just read a little bit more about Gio so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing. And Geo is the founder and president of Roper and Partners Public Relations. He's a nationally accredited award-winning public relations and marketing communications professional with a diverse background and over twenty-five years of experience in both the public and private sectors. Gio is the person businesses and organizations turn to for top-level public relations and marketing consultation services, providing proven results that rise well above the rest. For Geo, are you ready to speak to the IMCO community?

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[00:01:16.50] – Geo A. Ropert

I am. I'm excited about this today. Thank you.

[00:01:19.20] – Gresham Harkless

No problem. Super excited to have you on, and I guess I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit and kinda maybe start from the beginning and hear about your CEO story. What let you get started with the business?

[00:01:27.90] – Geo A. Ropert

I started Roper and Partners. This is actually the second iteration of my firm. I had it about ten or fifteen years ago. And, actually, one of my very good clients ended up giving me so much work, and I was very small at the time that I made the mistake during a conversation and said, you know, you're doing so you're giving me so much to do. You make sure you just hire me as a, you know, your employee. And, of course, that was the that was the words out of my mouth. And then I said, oh my goodness. What did I just do? But it turned out to be a great opportunity, a place where I was really able to use my talents and skills. And so I stayed with that for a while. But then it got to the point where, again, just that entrepreneur in me came back out and then I said, well, I've gotta go out and then get back out on my own. And so I founded Roper and Partners, public relations and marketing communications. And I built the firm on a collaborative platform with not only myself but the people who are smarter than me. You know, I've always said I know what I know, but I don't know everything.

And so what I did was I built this company with other PR professionals and other public relations firms. I've got marketing companies and firms working with me. I've got copywriters, graphic artists, web designers. And so what we do is as a collaborative, we work together for the client. So I go in and I find out what the client needs, and then we're able to say, okay, you need to have some really great digital marketing. You've got a great website. So we don't have to work on that, but we also need to really build your brand and get you some recognition and reputation. You know, know and trust is so important these days when you're doing business. So it's worked out. I always believe the rising tide lifts all boats, so why not an opportunity to work with others? Everybody makes money. The clients are happy because they get a team that's designed especially for them. They don't have to go out and try and hire a marketing firm, a PR firm, you know, whatever their needs are. They get it all in one package that's managed by one person. So, again, you don't have that disconnect.

[00:03:35.50] – Gresham Harkless

That makes so much sense. And you create those win-win, kinda situations and, obviously, experiences for the client as well. But I love that you talked on, you know, how, I think people don't realize how integral, like, each of these pieces are. They're each unique, but having, the opportunity to be able to, have that synergy amongst those different services is definitely a huge thing because they all kind of have, that overlapping aspect.

[00:03:59.50] – Geo A. Ropert

And the other thing that I have found especially working with clients is, you know if they do go out and then they hire a PR firm and then they hire a marketing firm, well, they have no clue if those two are going to get along, if they're gonna work together, if they have the same, attention to detail, they that they're working towards the same goal. Oftentimes, they might work in silos, and so your messaging could be disconnected. You may not have the same messaging going across all of your platforms. And so if you miss that step anywhere and clients and customers, see that. They're so attuned to things today because of the access to the multiple levels of digital media, that they really will see those things happen and they don't do any business with you.

[00:04:42.60] – Gresham Harkless

Gio, I definitely appreciate you for breaking that down. And I find that a lot of people don't realize the synergies between kinda like marketing and PR and how they're they're not necessarily two dissimilar things. There's a lot of overlapping, and when you have two that are kind of synergetically working together, you really have, an awesome opportunity for results.

[00:04:59.39] – Geo A. Ropert

I do, Gresh. And, you know, one of the things, that I have found is that there isn't really the silo of PR and marketing as there once was. Today, those two need to work together for the messaging to be strong and to be, to have continuity, if you will, across different platforms. You know, so many times, PR wants to say one thing, marketing wants to say another thing. And if those two aren't talking to each other, if those two aren't on the same page saying the same message, clients are going to see that. Customers are going to hear that. So if they see one message or hear one message on one platform and hear another on something else that they read or hear, there's a disconnect there. And today's customers and clients, they're very savvy. They've got a lot of resources to be able to decide whether they wanna do business with you. So if they're hearing mixed messages, that confuses them and there's a good chance you're not going to get that client and keep them because they don't trust you. And again, I always go back to that knowledge and trust. So continuity cross-messaging is very, very important.

[00:06:03.89] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. It makes so much sense when you have that continuity as you as you spoke to. And as you said, sometimes when you don't have that in place, they can kinda block those opportunities that you potentially could have by having that robo kinda go in the exact same way with all that you're doing and all that you're communicating. So, I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce, and it could be for you personally or your business. But what do you feel kinda sets you apart and makes you unique?

[00:06:25.10] – Geo A. Ropert

The relationships that we build. I very much am, I feel I was born to serve that, that I have not only naturally, but through the upbringing that my parents gave me and everything else is that relationships are so very important and they have to be personal and they have to be real. So when I go into a client, I'm really paying attention. I don't wanna talk about who I am and how successful I am or the things I've done. I wanna listen to the client. I wanna hear what they have to say. And the questions I ask bring those things out. And so it's a genuine caring. It's not that I'm going through the motions. I really want to hear from the client. And I think that is probably one of the biggest things because I always hear from clients is that you listen. You paid attention. You're not trying to sell me something that you wanna sell me. You're trying to provide me with the things that I really need. And so, you know, call it secret sauce if you want. I just call it having compassion and love for people and wanting to help, wanting to serve.

[00:07:27.80] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. Good old-fashioned empathy and caring for others go so far, and I think that that's a great example of what you do. And I say this quote a lot that people don't care how much you know till they know how much you care in listening and engaging and listening to what they're saying and actually reacting to that. And having that good old-fashioned conversation is sometimes the best way you could do that.

[00:07:46.69] – Geo A. Ropert

I know I'm such a proponent for picking up the phone or face-to-face meetings or as we're doing nowadays, a lot more Zoom. You know, Zoom, Skype, whatever platform you use. People wanna see people. They wanna know who they're doing business with. You know, I always say, you could go through and you can do as many proposals as you want. You can write all the things you want to do. You can send them whatever you want. But at the end of the day, there is still a human being who is picking up the pen and signing the contract. And so if you don't have the connection with that person, then everything else is really all for naught, You know, it's really so important to keep that human connection. And, you know, a lot of people say, well, millennials don't have that or the Gen z's don't and, you know, and it's lost or I don't see that. I see more people than ever really wanting to be connected. And the ones who are doing it right are the ones who are successful because it's a gift, but it's also something that it's a lot of people just expect. They wanna they wanna see, they wanna hear, they wanna touch, they wanna feel.

[00:08:51.60] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. And I think there are just probably more ways that people can stay connected, but that essence of creating those relationships that you touched on and said so eloquently is something that, you know, everybody, I think, is craving for and everybody needs. And sometimes we forget when we get into the numbers and the mission statements and things of business. But kind of at the heart of it, it's made up of humans and made up of people, and we're all trying to connect and reach our goals and want to be heard as well.

[00:09:15.89] – Geo A. Ropert

This is these days, that we're going through and then, have really kind of, I think, reawakened that 2part of it. You know, I spend a lot of time, and probably even more so now, with these face-to-face, chats and on the phone and calls. And I find people are very open to doing that. You know, you still have text and you still have email. You need to have those because you speak, the inflection in your voice, man, pays off in dividends.

[00:09:54.20] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. No. You said it very, very well. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So that could be like an Apple book or habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

[00:10:08.00] – Geo A. Ropert

think it's preparation. Mhmm. It's when I go in and I'm gonna meet with a client before I, you know, I get the first call and, yes, we'd like to meet. So before that even that first meeting even takes place, I'm doing my due diligence. I'm going on to their website. I'm doing a deep dive there. Sometimes a little too deep because I start catching a lot of things. I'm I'm a punctuation, you know, like, I see it all. Okay. But at the same time, I go and I find out. I read stories about them. I find out, you know, find their LinkedIn profiles, their Facebook, all the accounts they have on social media. I Google them to find out if they've got stories written about them or anything that I can do. I do a competitive analysis. So I have an idea of who the people are that they have to compete against and to be able to rise above those others. And so I believe preparation is the key.

[00:10:57.79] – Gresham Harkless

so I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So that could be a word of wisdom or piece of advice, could be around PR marketing, or it might be something you would tell a client or maybe even your younger business self.

[00:11:09.00] – Geo A. Ropert

can either be a first thought or an afterthought. In your domain, wherever you are, that's your brand, that's you as a person. You can either be the first one somebody thinks of or the one they said, yeah, I wonder if it would have been even worth it. So I always tell people, man, do everything you can to be the first thought amongst your clients, your customers, and your prospects.

[00:11:32.29] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. And I think a lot of times, you know, we hear about first impressions and things like that. It Kind of along the same lines where if you are their first thought, you're the person they're thinking of. And I think that's, again, you know, going back to being noticed and being appreciated, that's what we all wanna kinda be known for within our, you know, zones of genius, the thing that we do to make sure that we are that.

[00:11:50.39] – Geo A. Ropert

I had one of my greatest mentors say to me, then this was many, many years ago. He says, Gio, you can either be at the top of the ladder or you can be the guy looking up his pant leg.

[00:12:02.50] – Gresham Harkless

We all wanna make sure exactly. We all wanna make sure we're we're we're we're, doing our part to be the first one That's right. That's out there. So, I appreciate that too. And so, I now want to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different, quote, unquote, CEOs on this show. So, Gio, what does being a CEO mean to you?

[00:12:21.20] – Geo A. Ropert

means having the opportunity to change. To change a story, to change a brand, to change a life. I take the honor of being the president of my firm very, very seriously. I am always looking out for not only the success of my firm but also the success that others experience because of it. I believe that to be a CEO, you need to be a leader. And that's not just saying and telling people what to do. It's showing people how to do that. Lead by example. It's it's being empathetic. It's being conscious. It's all those things that, you know, you have to do day to day. And when I say conscious, you have to do it consciously. You have to make sure that what you're doing, you have a reason, a rhyme, a method that you're doing it purposefully and with a goal in mind.

[00:13:17.29] – Gresham Harkless

goal is always to ensure my client's success and the success of my partners. Yeah. Absolutely. I think when we have that kinda holistic, kinda perspective and, and kind of, I guess, mindset towards everything that we're doing that, you know, we're not just making an impact, you know, just in our world, but we're making an impact in the people that work with us. They're our partners. Of course, the clients that we help serve as well too. I think when we have that, we start to understand, like, really those kind of small things we gotta talk about, others start to add up into those big things because we are kind of making the overall world a better place.

[00:13:50.39] – Geo A. Ropert

A a lot of little things, you know. And that's that's what you look at is how many little things did you do right. Not that big picture, you know, success story. It's all the little things that you did from the moment you woke up to the time you went to sleep. How did that, at the end of the day, impact somebody's life?

[00:14:08.20] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. And I I think that we sometimes forget that somebody's small things might be, somebody's everything. And I think when we understand that and we have that perspective, we understand that we should kind of behave and act accordingly in and understanding that we can, you know, make a big impact in anybody's life.

[00:14:24.29] – Geo A. Ropert

Think before you speak. You know? That's my dad taught me that and he was a stickler for it. And, he was a quiet man, but when he said something, it had meaning.

[00:14:35.10] – Gresham Harkless

And I've had an impact as well too.

[00:14:37.00] – Geo A. Ropert

Yes.

[00:14:38.20] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Well, Geo, truly appreciate your time. Appreciate that perspective as well too. What I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know, and, of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things you guys are working on.

[00:14:52.00] – Geo A. Ropert

yeah. We, you know, I always tell people, and I share that, we are your one-stop success shop. We bring together the best professionals to do the job that you need done to get you the greatest success. You can find us at roper and partners, the word and spelled out roper and partners dot com. You can email me personally, g o at roper and partners dot com. I am happy to provide a complimentary consultation. And when I say that, I don't mean I'm just going to try and sell you something. It's when I'm going to listen to you. I wanna know who you are, what you do, and how I can help. And before we get off the phone, I'm gonna even give you a couple of strategies that you can implement to kinda show you that, hey, I know what I'm talking about. And we also wanna see you start succeeding before we even set foot in the door.

[00:15:38.29] – Gresham Harkless

That makes so much sense. I think we all wanna be successful, so I definitely appreciate you for creating that success shop that allows people to be able to do that. We will have the links and information in the show notes. And, again, I think it's it's so important, as you said, you know, so eloquently to be able to make sure that you may not necessarily know everything. We all have our lanes, but if you know the people who do know other things that we don't know, that's truly how you create that, successful energy that we need to kinda crush our businesses and be successful.

[00:16:01.29] – Geo A. Ropert

Gresh. It's the truth every day.

[00:16:05.79] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. Well, Geo, truly appreciate you again, and and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

[00:16:09.29] – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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