Meet Victoria Jett | Founder & Principal, Jett Public Relations

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victoria Jett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
I’d have to say my decision to move to New York City after college without a job or a place to live was probably one of the most crucial decisions of my life and my career. That journey and the time I spent living and working in New York definitely molded me into who I am today. That experience taught me so much professionally and personally. If you can live and survive in New York and find success there, you can do anything and be successful anywhere. Whenever I am talking to college students who are interested in PR and have the idea that they’d like to move to New York one day, I cannot encourage them enough. In my opinion, it is one of the best things you can do for yourself because it will make you grow up really quickly but you’ll get to have a hell of a lot of fun too. It might chew you up and spit you out, but you’ll gain incredible experiences and life lessons that others can only dream of. So if you’re thinking about it, just do it, take the chance and go – you might fail but at least you tried.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Jett Public Relations (Jett PR) is a Dallas-based full-service PR agency focused on telling compelling stories and building lasting brand awareness for our clients. We work across several industries including lifestyle, health and wellness, technology, non-profit, fashion, and more. To me, the thing that sets us apart from others is how diversified our experience is and the contacts we have across several industries. While we focus mainly on consumer and lifestyle, we are well-versed in other areas, allowing us to broaden our scopes and seek out incredible companies and brands that we’re excited to work with.

Having been raised by a single mother for most of my life, it is so important to me that we help lift up other women who are supporting themselves and their families. We are passionate about promoting female-owned and female-led businesses through thoughtful and strategic public relations strategies. Amazing brands deserve exemplary and cost-effective PR support. At Jett Public Relations, we’re in the business of helping women succeed and that is something that I’m extremely proud of.

To be honest, I never thought I would start my own agency, even though several of my friends apparently always knew that was the direction I was headed. Jett PR came out of necessity during the pandemic. In March 2020, I was living in Austin and working for an agency managing their consumer businesses, which were a lot of restaurants, health and wellness clients, etcetera. Then COVID hit and suddenly we had lost 50% of our business overnight and sadly I was now out of a job because of it. While it was devastating, it all worked out for the best in the end. I moved back to Dallas in April 2020 to be closer to my family and start the next chapter of my life. The only problem? Because of the pandemic, many businesses had cut their PR support in order to save on costs and keep their business afloat, which meant no one, and I mean no one, was hiring. I didn’t know what I was going to do or when I would work again. Then one day I got a text that would change the trajectory of my life and my career. That text led to a phone call, which led to some emails and more texts, which eventually led to my first client and later Jett Public Relations.

Owning your own business is challenging and every day gives you something new to learn and grow from. I didn’t go to business school, I got my degree in journalism – I specifically left the business school in college because I didn’t want to take accounting! However, I take every opportunity I have to learn from others and make connections with those who know more than me and are willing to help guide me along my journey. I am so grateful to the people who have helped me get my business off the ground and who believed in me enough to give me a chance.

There are good days and there are bad days when you own a business. There are days when you go, “Yes! This is why I do what I do and I love it!” and then there are those days where you say, “I hate everything and everyone and I don’t want to work ever again and I just want to win the lottery already.” However, when you love what you do and you get to see the difference you’re making for others, it outweighs the bad days by a million. There is no better feeling than when you know you’ve done right by a client and they are so happy and grateful for your help – it’s truly a joy-filled moment and one that you never forget. Not every day is perfect and not every client is your favorite but it’s the joy-filled moments that will make your career a memorable one.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh gosh, I always say Dallas is THE place to come for great food, fun nightlife, and amazing shopping. I’d probably take my friend to eat at some of my staple favorites like Carbone’s on Oak Lawn or Il Bracco in Preston Center, as well as Cry Wolf, Wabi House, and Alice. Some of my other favorite places to eat and drink include Lucky’s, Café Brazil, Shug’s Bagels, Boulangerie by Village Baking Company, El Bolero, Barcelona Wine Bar, Old Monk, Mayer’s Garden, Blue Goose, Terilli’s, Bown House, Atwater Alley, Hudson House, Postino’s, and Toller Patio. I haven’t tried Sadelle’s or Carbone yet but they’re both on my list!

I’d also take them shopping at North Park, The Shops at Park Lane, Highland Park Village, and West Village. There are just so many great stores and fun places to explore. We’d probably spend a day down in Bishop Arts and grab food at Paradiso, Emporium Pies, and maybe Eno’s while we check out all the great stores and local vendors. We might even make the trip up to Fort Worth to go to the zoo or a concert at Billy Bob’s.

We’d need to get some exercise after all that eating and drinking so we might take my dog on a walk around White Rock or down Katy Trail. I’d also love to take them for some activities like bowling at Bowl Lounge or mini-golf at Another Round or Top Golf. There is just so much to do in Dallas. One thing I know for sure, visitors never leave hungry, thirsty, or bored!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
How much time do you have, ha? I am where I am today because I have been blessed with some pretty incredible people who have supported me, encouraged me, and taken a chance on me. My parents and my family have always been a great area of support for me and I am incredibly grateful to them that they have always encouraged my goals and dreams and have never stood in my way but instead have helped guide my path and given me an outstretched hand whenever I needed it most. For most of my life, I was raised by a single mother who worked her ass off to provide me and my siblings with whatever we needed. She was and still is rather incredible and she taught me the importance of hard work. I learned from a young age that if I wanted something, I’d have to work to get it, nothing was going to be handed to me. I’m forever grateful for those lessons that she taught me. My stepdad and all of my siblings have been such great mentors to me as well. I have seen and shared in their successes and learned from their teachings and I’m so lucky to have them on my side, supporting me, encouraging me, and guiding me.

I also have so many incredible friends who have been at my side through the years telling me to keep going and to persevere whenever I’d question what the hell I was doing and why I got into the business that I did. They too have been my constants, ever encouraging and sometimes giving me the kick in the pants I needed to continue on. True friends are not only the ones who will hold your hand and tell you it’s all going to be OK but they’re also the ones who tell you to “Suck it up and soldier on!” when the time calls for it. My future husband and I met right when I was getting ready to start my business and he has been my rock since day one. He has always urged me to grow my business and explore every possibility even when I questioned and doubted myself. He can see my path more clearly than I can sometimes and I am so grateful to have him. I love that he sees what I’m capable of and tells me to pursue it. I am one lucky gal.

Finally, I have to give a shoutout to my first client, the person that gave me my break, my chance. To this day, I sometimes can’t believe she chose me to help support her and her cause. Because of the pandemic, I was at a time when I didn’t know when I would work again, and she helped show me what I was capable of and that I could do this on my own. Her faith in me is what led me to start my own agency, and I don’t think I could ever express my full gratitude to her ever. Because of her, I gained the courage to forge my own path, my own way and while it scares the hell out of me sometimes, it is also the most fulfilled I’ve ever been – and she helped give me that.

Website: https://jettpr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jettpr/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-jett-61987166/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JettPR

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jettpr/

Image Credits
Charly Dannis for Jett PR