After spending several years working for other public relations teams, this Miami, FL, native co-founded her own Louisville PR company, Lemonade PR. Did we mention she also runs a Louisville-focused lifestlye blog and Instagram account, co-hosts a podcast, and is a mom of three? Get to know this month’s (busy!) FACE of Louisville — Danielle Rudy Davis.
You wear a lot of hats. What’s your response when someone asks what you do for a living?
In the metaphorical sense, I’m mostly just running around, answering emails, and trying to hold it all together! But really, I’m the co-owner of Lemonade PR. We are a Louisville public relations and influencer marketing and content creation company. We’re a small, women-owned business. There are four of us — my business partner and two full-time employees — and we primarily work in the lifestyle, hospitality, and tourism space.
Is your background in public relations?
I have a degree in broadcast journalism, and I really wanted to be a sports producer. But when I moved to Louisville, I took a job at a PR firm and have worked in PR since. I left that firm to help start Boxcar PR, and that’s where I started working with my business partner, Lynsey Creech Trager.
I worked at Boxcar for six or seven years; then we decided to take the leap and try to do something ourselves.
Was starting your own business always part of the plan?
I’d always wanted to have my own business by the time I was 35. When I left Boxcar, I was 33, so I figured it was time to give it a try. Our thought behind it was that we believed in ourselves and our skillset, and we really wanted to focus on what we were good at. We told ourselves that if it didn’t work in a year, we’d move on and find other jobs. That was seven years ago!
Why the name Lemonade PR?
A lot of agencies use people’s last names, but we didn’t want it to sound like a law firm; we wanted it to stick out. Plus, at the time, we were kind of in a situation where life had given us lemons, and we were ready to make lemonade. We also wanted something with fun, colorful branding — and it had more of a feminine energy.
What’s it like being at the helm of a women-owned business?
We sometimes still run into this stigma that we’re doing this as a hobby or don’t take it seriously because we have kids. It happens less often nowadays, but over the past seven years, we’ve had to fight that stigma in a lot of meetings. Some people think this is just something for us “to do,” but that is not the case at all.
Lou What Wear is my hobby — Lemonade PR never has been and never will be a “side-hustle.” We take our business and clients’ work seriously. We’re doing serious work with serious businesses.
Who are some of your clients?
Our niche is primarily in the tourism, hospitality, spirits, and events businesses. We’re very lifestyle-focused. We do a ton of work with Brown Forman, and we work with a few hotels and restaurants, as well as events like Bourbon and Beyond and Louder Than Life. We also did the PGA Championships earlier this year, which was a lot of fun.
When we land major clients, we still have people say, “Oh, that’s a big thing for you.” And yes, it is fun to win big clients. But doing big things and having a business that we are proud of and can grow was always part of the plan. And while we have a lot of long-term clients, we’re also open to working on something that meets businesses where we are. We know that some clients don’t need long-term assistance; sometimes they just need help with a quick project.
When you’re not busy with Lemonade PR and other ventures, what are your favorite places to eat, play, and shop around Louisville?
My favorite places to eat are Enso, bar Vetti, and Butchertown Bakery. For play, I enjoy watching Louisville football, basketball, and volleyball games. I also like going to Puttshack. When it comes to shopping, I like Jones & Daughters, Him & Her, The Rocking Horse for kids’ goodies, and Clayton & Crume.
As the co-owner and co-founder of a successful company, what wisdom can you share with someone who is considering starting their own business?
Just do it! I think people overcomplicate it and create a lot of barriers in their own minds as to why they shouldn’t do something, as opposed to just getting started and trying to do it. Once you actually get moving, it’s not quite as hard as it seems. Also, you can Google anything. You just need to put the time into figuring things out.
In that same vein, what’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
As Dr. Seuss said, “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” Basically, don’t let the opinions of people who don’t want to see you succeed influence your decision-making. Also, just ask the question — the worst answer you can hear is “no.” I’m always ready to hear “no.” I hear it 100 times a day, but the one time I don’t, that’s when the magic happens.
Name three things you can’t live without.
Chocolate chip cookies, a great Aperol spritz, and binge-worthy TV. Right now, I’m obsessed with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, but I’ll watch pretty much anything. My family and I are currently gearing up for Survivor. I even got my kids on the reality TV train — I love television, so there’s not much that I won’t watch.
Thank you for chatting with us, Danielle!
**********
Stay in the know on the best of the South — subscribe to our daily emails!
