How I got my start in fashion
“I’ve never been very good at doing things in a traditional manner or at following the rules. I’ve always wanted to do things my own way. When I was in high school in Ohio, I sent a handwritten letter to designer Tracy Reese. She invited me up for a Fashion Week internship, and that’s how I first came to New York.”
The anti-PR agency
“I actually hate PR people. I hate them. I didn’t even want to call my company a PR agency and call it Sydney Reising Creative for a reason. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to start my own firm: because I couldn’t find an agency where I thought, I like the way these people do their job. If you don’t see anyone doing it the way you think it should be done, you might as well do it yourself. We’re no bullshit. There’s no generic PR push. Everyone that we work with is part of our family, and it’s a creative, collective mentality.”
How getting fired was the best thing to happen to me
“I started my own company when the people I was freelancing for fired me. They didn’t like the way that I worked — no one liked the way that I worked because it wasn’t money-driven. I’m creatively driven. And, I’m someone who won’t jeopardize the quality and the caliber of my work, whether it’s a $1K client or a $10K client. I’m going to work just as hard for both, which [some people think] is fucked up. So, in terms of a money standpoint, my boss wasn’t thrilled with me, I guess. But, there was a fashion show to do, so I thought, I might as well start my own company now.”
Learning from my employees
“Being a boss is a challenge, for sure. I’m learning how to be a good boss. I think it takes practice, and it’s something that I have to work at. I’ve always had employees who are older than me, and it’s better that way. I need to be surrounded by people who are wiser than I am.”
My PR motto
“I think people appreciate a sense of authenticity in an industry that’s not known to be authentic whatsoever. A lot of it is noise. I just want to give a voice to young, talented creatives, and it turns out there was a business opportunity in repping those people.”
The biggest risk I’ve taken
“Going out on my own was a huge risk. When I started my company, a lot of people were like, ‘What is she doing? She’s 25 years old.’ But, sometimes you just have to jump. If you fail, you fail. You pick yourself back up, and you go again. I 100% did not think this would ever be me. I don’t think my family understands what I do any more than I really do.”
What empowers me
“The thing that empowers me the most is the success at the end. You work really hard, and once you see the results manifest themselves, there’s a sense of empowerment that comes from seeing a direct result of your efforts that’s hard to compare to anything else.”