About Us

Background

Handle Your Own PR was first founded in Australia by Jules Brooke and Simone Heydon in 2008. After finding success and desiring international expansion, Jules and Simone decided to find a U.S. partner.

Jules and Simone had been long time fans of the Daily Buzz newsletter and Build-a-Buzz and when they expanded into the USA, they were very excited to have Marina Echavarria from Realm Media Productions and Build-a-Buzz come on board.

About Handle Your Own PR (HYOPR)

HYOPR is a Do-it-Yourself (DIY) PR service that helps entrepreneurs and small, medium and home based businesses find success in PR. Our mission is to help educate small business owners on how to do PR and do it well, as well as to provide tips and inspiration for anyone in the PR industry.

On our website you'll find a variety of free PR tips, as well as low-cost media lists you can download and use as needed. We do all the hard work for you in helping you identify which media and blogger professionals you should pitch your story or product to. Our targeted media lists were created by us after doing work for clients on these very same topics. We also offer low-cost press release writing service too!


About Marina Echavarria

Marina Echavarria is the U.S. partner for Handle Your Own PR and the owner of Realm Media Productions, Inc. and Build-A-Buzz. From the U.S. to Europe and South America, Marina's global experience is impressive and today she's using this knowledge to help small businesses achieve success via effective public relations.

With a career spanning over 20 years Marina has literally seen and done it all. From counseling clients with crisis communications issues, implementing highly-effective PR campaigns to media training for CEOs. Based in the NYC-area, Realm Media Productions focuses on providing strategic public relations to a variety of clients in the lifestyle and fashion industries - helping small businesses and entrepreneurs who are looking for cost-effective ways to grow their business.

It was Marina's desire to help small businesses and entrepreneurs that led her to also launch Build-A-Buzz, a free daily newsletter and blog that provides valuable tips, resources and media and celebrity contact information to a legion of loyal followers.

While Marina has worked with Fortune 500 companies around the globe and served as Executive Vice President at top agencies in New York City, she's happiest when she can help small businesses make a big impact. As an entrepreneur herself, she knows entrepreneurs need creative and innovative thinking to elevate their brands to the next level. Through Handle Your Own PR and Build-A-Buzz, Marina is fulfilling a valuable need for entrepreneurs everywhere.

Marina lives in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys.

What is PR?

Most new businesses don't have a lot of money to spend on elaborate advertising campaigns. Rather, PR can help them achieve the same kind of awareness at a fraction of the cost. PR involves getting your company attention in newspapers, magazines and blogs. Good PR can spread the word about your company to potential customers, and can be used to generate sales leads, credibility and customer loyalty to your brand.

If you can't afford to pay a PR agency to do it for you, you can do it yourself with our very affordable DIY-PR tools.