Fanning the flames: Memphis PR veteran builds a fire with new firm
When PR vet Shannon Little Briggs was in college, she worked as an expeditor and server at Huey's. She later volunteered to be a marketing intern, which eventually led to Briggs being hired as Huey's first full-time marketing and events coordinator.
"It was a great core foundation of a lot of the skills that I use today. And, it taught me what I really love to do," Briggs said.
Briggs left Huey's to work in PR as a freelancer. Over the past seven years, Briggs has worked for some familiar names: The Bar-B-Q Shop, Overton Square, Kirby Wines & Liquors. She realized that she could use some help.
"I knew that the brand I had, which was just my name, didn't really reflect who we are and what we did anymore because it was way more than just me," she said.
To reflect that larger role, she has just formed Campfire Collective — a new firm of six.
Campfire Collective is Briggs and five freelancers: Ariana Geneva, Cecilia Fay, Mackenzie Grannan, Elizabeth Lambe, and Gaye Swan. Each one has her own particular strength, be it in writing, social media, or administrative duties.
Briggs brought them together to start brainstorming about the new firm's approach.
"We landed on Campfire Collective for a couple reasons," she said. "One, we think the theme and the visuals of a campfire really reflect our relationship with our clients. We love the neighborly aspect of coming together, where you're at talking or where you're at figuring out together what you need, and then making it happen from there.
"Then we liked the idea of a campfire as a way that we approach projects, too," Briggs noted. "It takes a lot of work to build a fire and get it going. After that, there's maintenance and management to keep that flame going. You have to kindle that fire and fan the flames."
Campfire Collective offers social media services, public relations, marketing strategy, and email marketing.
During her time as a freelancer, Briggs became known for her social media skills. But she acknowledges that the field is always changing.
"I told the whole team I wanted to use [Campfire Collective] as a playground to experiment and figure out what works, what doesn't, how platforms are changing, and play with the creativity on our own social media. Then we can bring that level of expertise to our clients, too," she said.
When Briggs left Huey's to strike out on her own, she was frightened, and cried. She said she's feeling more confident these days with the launch of Campfire Collective.
"Now, instead of figuring out how to run a business, it's how to grow a business and how to make each client experience the best it can be," she said.
