Ginny Richardson is celebrating 30 years in public relations. With the nickname GR-PR, Ginny Richardson Public Relations is located at 15 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 317, Hinsdale. 

The first 15 of those 30 years, Ginny did PR on evenings and weekends. Fifteen years ago, the sideline business had grown to a point where she was making more money than at her full time job as director of PR for Hinsdale’s Wellness House. She made a decision to pursue GR-PR full time.

Thousands and thousands of press releases later, GR-PR is a company that now includes her partner (and son) Andy Richardson.

“Andy’s worked with me for seven years,” Ginny said. “We have a lot of fun, and it’s very rewarding to teach your own adult child what you know and have him actually listen. However, once in awhile I encounter a ‘hint’ of exasperation about my feeble computer skills! ‘Mom, don’t double click!’ ”

Ginny’s strengths are writing and traditional media, which serve her very well, but that skill set alone doesn’t cut it in today’s changing media culture.

“Andy keeps GR-PR very up-to-date, because he is all over the social media aspect of public relations,” Ginny said. “Our clients are very much in the swim because of it. Today I am writing blogs and content for Facebook and Twitter as well as press releases. It’s a brave new world out there.”

Humble beginnings

Ginny’s work in PR began in 1979 when she said “yes” to the job of public relations for the board of directors of a not-for-profit organization. She was the new kid on the block and PR was the last committee to be assigned. No one else wanted it.

“I turned to a fellow board member and asked, ‘What does public relations actually mean?’ ” she said.

Through trial and error, she learned exactly what it meant. Several releases and resulting feature stories later, she was hooked.

“The power of the press, and now social media, always always amazes me,” she said. “I still get enormously thrilled when a GR-PR client receives attention. It’s why we work hard.”

That same year, she answered a two line classified ad for a young unknown Willowbrook dentist – Tim Robieson, DDS, who wanted a PR campaign. Ginny titled herself The Tooth Fairy and charged her very first paying client $5 an hour. A few years later, Ginny took over the publicity efforts of the Theatre of Western Springs to which she has belonged for 28 years.

In 1986, she was hired by The Doings Newspaper to write news and feature stories for the health, lifestyle and entertainment sections. At this job she observed hundreds of PR people calling and pitching story ideas.

“I knew which ones were terrific and why they were terrific,” she said, “Some of them ‘got it.’ They understood deadlines and could be counted on to deliver. I modeled myself from the best of the best.”

Ginny never forgot what she learned in the journalism world. She is convinced that she and her staff have won the trust of many reporters, TV producers, and columnists in Chicago and its suburbs by “getting it.” The GR-PR business philosophy seems to be working well. The awards in journalism, business and PR fill the award case and as many plaques and tributes hang on the wall.

“Ginny’s knowledge of public relations and the media, specifically in the Chicago area, is vast,” said Andy. “Learning from your mom can have its challenges, but no matter what happens, at the end of the day, I have a deep respect for Ginny and the terrific company she has built.”

“Certainly Andy is the heir apparent at this company,” Ginny said. “It’s a ways off, but I know when the time comes to retire, the company will go on, most likely with a new name. It doesn’t get much better than that!”

For more information, go to: http://www.gr-pr.com or call 630-789-8555.