It feels redundant at this point to say that 2020 has been a wild ride. In a move I could not have predicted at the start of this year, I am proud to announce that the Various & Co team has joined Clarity PR.
I started Various & Co as a creative communications consultancy in June of 2019 with the sole expectation of doing creative and interesting work with creative and interesting people. Over the past 16 months I have had the privilege of doing just that.
Whether it was telling the story of no-code website making with Universe, or building up awareness for another way to measure ads with Adelaide, sharing the importance of estate planning with FreeWill, bringing out the human side of technology with ASML, or giving the world a new way to date with XO there was no shortage of amazing companies to partner with. I am eternally grateful to all of the clients I have worked with for taking a chance and investing in me. Their visions for their businesses and their hopes for the way the world should be continue to inspire me every day.
It’s also important to note that I didn’t do this alone. Far from it. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it takes a whole damn universe to build a company and I want to recognize and thank just a few of the people who joined me to launch Various. First and foremost, are Emily McDonough and Adria Smith -- two of the most interesting and creative people I know.
Adria joined Various as our first full-time employee and rose to every occasion. She injected light into everything we did and she challenged me to think about our work in a more holistic way. Adria joins Clarity PR as a Senior Account Executive to work with startups and emerging brands.
Emily McDonough is someone I knew I wanted to work with before Various even existed. Emily is that rare combination of organized, detailed, and precise while also being thoughtful and inventive and warm. When Emily joined Various, it became a different company overnight. She deftly took on the work of creating a culture (which matters with even 3 people) and building out our systems and processes to make us the most effective we could be. Emily joins Clarity PR as a Vice President in our New York office to continue doing all of that.
I also had the good fortune to partner with freelancers like Alison Crisci Turner and Brittney Roth Eisenberg and Karlsson Banks -- talented PR professionals who said “Yes, and…” allowing me to stretch my capabilities. I owe them a debt of gratitude that money cannot pay (though I did pay them! hehe).
I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention and send an enormous THANK YOU to everyone who referred us business, answered my persistent phone calls and questions, edited documents, shared insights, collaborated on projects, or designed a logo. I genuinely could not have done this without you and I tip my hat to you.
And as for me? I am stepping up to become the Managing Director in NY just as Clarity, like many businesses, is staring down a new future. The media industry is evolving and shape-shifting before our eyes creating a new opportunity to define how we practice PR and deliver the impactful business results our clients have come to expect and depend on. Clarity’s East Coast team is a strong group of intelligent and driven communicators, who are making a meaningful difference for the companies we support. I am so excited to come on board and lead this team.
You can find me over at kara.silverman@clarity.pr and of course this Various address will still work. I hope you come along for this ride and that I see you on the other side!
Thank you for your support and your friendship!