Meet Julie Whitney | PR Professional and Children’s Author

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

Hi Julie, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I am a PR professional based in Cincinnati, and have had my own very successful consulting practice since 2000. Then along came 2020 and the pandemic. My husband unexpectedly lost his job as a Chief Corporate Pilot for on May 5, 2020 when his company decided to sell the Gulfstream Jet and eliminate the flight department since they weren’t flying during the pandemic. This was a huge shock and blow to our family. I went with him to clean out the hangar and his office that very evening and started weeping as I sat inside the interior of the plane for what would be the very last time. I was both sad and angry and my emotions got the best of me. I asked what would happen to this beautiful jet when she was sitting all alone in a dark, empty hangar day after day, and my husband said, “If someone doesn’t start her engines up every 28 days or so, she won’t be in very good shape.” I went home that night and channelled my emotions into writing a rhyming, picture book about the plane, and that’s how Astra The Lonely Airplane and my “Second Act” as a children’s author came to be. I literally turned tragedy into triumph! I can’t stop writing about Astra, and this book has turned into a series, with a second book due out in March, and a third one already written.

What should our readers know about your business?

I started my PR practice, Phillippi-Whitney Communications in 2000, after spending 17 years working on both the agency and client side of advertising, marketing and PR, and also in the media. I found a base client who was willing to put me on a contract to work 24 hours a week at home, while growing my hourly business at the same time. It also gave me much-needed flexibility to spend more time with my young son, and pick him up from school, help with homework, and take him to sports practices while working flexible hours, often at night after he was tucked into bed. Lessons learned are very many:

-Don’t tackle more projects than you can handle and know your limits
-If an initial meeting with a client doesn’t feel right chemistry wise, just say no, no matter what the potential income may be
-Choose to work with clients that are fun to be around and make you happy and who share similar values and goals
-Know when to say “no”
-Remember that there are valuable lessons to be learned with every setback and move forward with courage
-Be the person that the media comes to know and trust and only pitch newsworthy and relevant stories
-Don’t be the PR practitioner that “cries wolf” with stories that are simply not newsworthy. Tell your client “I’m sorry,
but we don’t have a story, you are better off buying commercial air time.”

I am proud to say that I still have clients that I have been working with from day one. I rely solely on recommendations by word-of-mouth, and have an excellent reputation. I have never looked back or regretted my decision to become an entrepreneur since day one. Some of my best clients have come to me upon recommendations by reporters, both locally and nationally.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take them to a Bengals, Reds or FC Cincinnati game, or all three, depending on the season. We would hit a rooftop bar overlooking the Ohio River and watch the boats, Riverboats and barges sail by as we overlook historic Covington, KY. The Cincinnati Zoo, consistently rated top in the nation, is also a must, with Hippo Cove and our superstar Fiona as a top priority, along with the Kangaroo hop-about! We would definitely spend time in OTR, and check out the wonderful bars and restaurants and shop in some of the cool boutiques. We might dine at Pepp and Delores or Sotto, if we can get a reservation! My historic neighborhood of College Hill is on the move! We have an influx of new businesses and restaurants, and we would definitely spend an entire day and evening there, having breakfast at the Sleepy Bee, taking in a wine tasting at Marty’s Hops and Vines and sampling Kiki’s Japanese food. But we also need to fit in time for a Turkey Reuben at Bacall’s! We also would have to stop by one of Jeff Ruby’s restaurants, a toss up as to which one, as they are all top notch, with regards to both food and service.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

My husband, Captain Dan Whitney, who is the best husband and pilot in all the land! He has been a very good sport about shooting the video that accompanies the book, and also about accompanying me, (when he is not flying the friendly skies), to schools and bookstores throughout Greater Cincinnati as I show children a powerpoint on airplanes and flying, before reading the book and showing them the accompanying video. I wear my pilot uniform, as does he! And he answers all of the tough questions such as “What makes a plane fly?” and “Why is it sometimes bumpy while flying in an airplane!”

I would also like to give a shoutout to Steve Brokamp from Junior Achievement of Cincinnati, who has been one of my biggest supporters and instrumental in reaching out to area schools on my behalf.

My publisher, Brandylane Publishers, Inc. who believed in me enough to publish the first book, and is in the process of the final layout for the second book in the series, Astra In Hollywood, which will be released in March, 2024 during “Right To Read Week.” They believe in the longevity of this wonderful book about a mighty and clever little airplane with grit and determination.

My illustrator Michelle Simpson who is based in Canada did a superb job of capturing exactly what was in my mind’s eye! She nailed the illustrations of both Astra and Captain Dan, and the colorful cast of characters.

Website: www.pwcommunications.net and www.astrathelonelyairplane.com

Instagram: @juliewhitneyauthor and @whitneyjulie

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillippiwhitneycommunications/

Twitter: BestCincyPRPro

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.phillippi.whitney and https://www.facebook.com/Bestcincyprpro/