For nearly 25 years, Eric Yaverbaum has been a staple in the world of public relations. His trailblazing career has seen the birth, growth and, finally, acquisition of a highly-successful NYC-based PR agency. However, in 2007, Eric traded in his high-rise office to start a virtual agency out of his home. Why? To spend more time with his wife, who continues to battle Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, and his two children. His unconventional decision has paid off in every way imaginable.
Q: What prompted you to leave a very comfy corporate position to start a company and run it out of your home?
A: My wife and kids.
While my wife has continued her two decade long battle with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, I’ve learned that all the financial success in the world won’t buy me one of the most important things I want in life. Her health. The decision to start a new virtual agency so I could be closer to home was completely influenced by this life circumstance.
Ironically after being home for a year I realized that money will never buy back my kids’ childhood and the precious family time that we all get ever so briefly in our lives either. Instead of missing one more little league baseball game…one more piano recital or one more Friday night dinner with my family…I get the best of both worlds professionally and personally.
Passion, purpose and 23 successful years of management experience running mid size public relations agencies gave me all I needed to know that I could build a better business model. Leaner. Better margins. Better lifestyle. Technology not only makes running a virtual agency possible, it makes it more efficient.
When I sat my kids down to get their opinion and let them know the realities of the “risk” of leaving a very comfortable and lucrative career in NYC, my son said, “Who cares? You’re better than money”.
Q: What was the hardest part about making this shift?
A: Besides changing the toner in the copy machine myself…not a thing! And, of course, if a squirrel happens to be in the way of my “morning commute” from the back porch to my office in the backyard 50 feet away!
Besides running a NYC PR agency for over two decades, I had written four books (and have a fifth coming out this May)…every word written from my home office in “off hours.” So, I did have some practice working effectively and efficiently from my home office.
Q: What fears did you have about making this change and how did you manage them?
A: No fear what so ever. That, of course, makes it significantly easier. I don’t think most entrepreneurs have fear of tomorrow. Everything we do involves risk. Further, I think we gravitate to it. Running a business in a new and different way is a terrific challenge in mid life. Running an organization with no walls. No overhead. No HR department. No fancy New York City address has been seamless. And, that’s what I thought it would be!
Q: What had to shift in your mindset in order to make this a successful endeavor?
A: My office is on my property in the corner of our backyard. I think the separate workspace made the mindset adjustment simple. Answering my own phones and not having an executive assistant took a couple of months to adjust to. I have found it to be empowering to do the simple tasks in my career like keeping my own calendar, and even being able to deal directly with vendors we use has been a welcome change. A lot of real nice vendors have worked for me over 20 years. It’s great to actually get to know them myself!
Q: In previous interviews, you mention that having an impact is very important to you. How does this affect how you ‘select’ your clients?
A: That’s what I meant about passion and purpose. I’m only partnering with organizations that will make the world a better place or can teach me and the 11 people we have hired (who all work from home offices) more about technology and all the ways it can be used by a PR agency and for its clients. Staying right on the “edge” of where technology is should be on top of any great communicators list if they want to stay relevant - whether an entrepreneur or running the communications department of a Fortune 1000.
Our first year has been great. You can check out some of the good stuff that’s been said about us in the press in the press room on my company website or just check us out in general at www.erichopr.com.We launched “Mogreet the Vote,” which is engaging the youth vote in this presidential election using mobile video technology that has never been available before. We also launched LoyalTV.com. And deepened our knowledge in technology during the first year as agency of record for Identity Finder. We partnered in launching Tappening, which has educated over two million people about the virtues of tap water. The products sold on the site were called one of the “hot products of 2008” by Good Morning America. HyDrive Technologies is helping trucks to burn fuel more efficiently. Juice Energy Inc.is providing an invaluable service while managing the volatility in the electric market for their clients and providing them with REC’s to make their energy consumption better for a greener planet. And “Garbage. The Revolution Starts at Home” is one of the best documentaries I’ve ever had the honor of being involved with.
And to be so involved with the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy and the Students for a Free Tibet is a priceless contribution to making the world a better place.
I finished my fifth book, “Everything Leadership” (Adams) which comes out in May and have begun writing my sixth, “Getting Heard-What the World’s Top Bloggers Can Teach the Rest of Us.”
Can’t wait for year two!
Q: How has your life changed?
A: Simply knowing everything I ever wanted in life is in my own backyard. Literally.
If so, inspire us with your story. How are you pursuing your career dreams on your own terms?
