By Noreen

Are you one of those people that believes that everything happens for a reason, that it’s all pre-destined, or that you make your own way? I have to say that I veer back and forth on certain days. But more often than not, I think of the order of how things have happened in my life and think there is no other answer than that somehow all that has transpired was one big interconnected highway, if you will. On the eve of our 15th anniversary, we have a new logo, a new website, a new awning and a lot of great memories and experiences to look back on.

When I started at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, the 1025 seat entertainment/dining complex on Chicago’s South side at the age of 14, I never knew that it would begin a long and passionate affair with live theater. Those that get bit by the theater bug find themselves suffering from a disease that involves the following: long thankless hours for little pay, generally no health insurance, and no traditional benefits. Side effects may include that you find yourself incredibly euphoric, emotionally fulfilled, and physically able to work two full-time jobs just to stay on course with your obsession.

From high school – to 16 years later! – I lived and breathed this Chicagoland institution thanks to Bill Pullinsi, Tony D’Angelo, Eileen LaCario and Donna Fryer Luce. I’m so sad that my children will never know it. Candlelight enjoyed a 38-year run, but three years before it closed, I decided I financially couldn’t manage working full-time as the PR Director during the day, and another 40 hours as the House Manager, to try and make one full-time salary.

In 1995, I left Candlelight for Hyatt Regency Chicago. Heading to my interview with VP Jerry Lewin, I wore a stylish hat being that it was a cold day, taking it off in the vestibule of his office. He told me that my PR experience was good but the fact that I had planned charitable benefits was what appealed to him, as the hotel at the time was a hub for huge parties. He told me he thought I could be the right person for the job but then added, “But we don’t wear hats at the Hyatt.”

I went back to my theater friends and said, “Do you think that I will fit in there? I’m not sure.” Thank God for friends, as I spent five happy, educational, challenging, stressful and absolutely phenomenal years on property there as PR Director. To go from theater to corporate was like getting a Master’s Degree in Business Management. The hotel is Hyatt’s flagship property, the largest not only of Hyatt’s properties, but the biggest hotel in Chicago. Many Hyatt employees finally make it to the “big house” after working for years around the world at other Hyatt properties. I remember sitting in Managing Committee meetings paralyzed by fear, as I didn’t even understand some of the lexicon – REVPAR and SMERF? I had never even worked at a hotel, but I wasn’t afraid to ask questions regarding what I didn’t know. Through the kindness of various mentors (Dave Jacobs, Dan McMenamy, Allan Farwell, Ty Helms, Matt Adams, Blake Piotrowski, John Moroney, Gary Marr, Steve D’Agostino and of course, Jerry) I learned by their generosity and willingness to share their knowledge.

Slowly but steadily, my love affair began with hotels. Hyatt Chicago had five restaurants at the time so there was plenty to keep me busy. I got married at a Hyatt; worked long hours and holidays; ate lunch and often dinner in the cafeteria; and handled many late night and early morning crisis situations. I was fortunate to build incredible relationships with not just my talented co-workers but with media, politicians, and meeting planners across the city. Working at this hotel was like being handed the keys to the city. I’m grateful to Jerry Lewin, John Orr, Ty Helms and Gianna Farago for the opportunity.

2000. Y2K, George Bush beats Al Gore, Mad Cow Disease, and on the personal front I left Hyatt for a New York based events company. The company turned out to be a mess, and I quit after two weeks. I cried daily that I loved and missed Hyatt. “Why did I leave?” I repeated over and over to anyone who would listen. I put out some feelers that I was job searching and got a call from Hyatt Corporate (thank you Tom O’Toole, and Lori Alexander) offering to hire me to represent the Eastern and Central divisions – 48 properties – as a consultant. Would I be interested? 1 hotel to 48? Of course. The second call that week was from Pat Kelly at WNUA. Would I be available to plan a Proctor and Gamble/Jewel Osco family festival and handle the PR on it? Of course again!

However, and this is where life’s little mysteries come into play, and not until you rub the film off the glass do you realize it…I still had no hopes to have my own gig. I said to my (now) ex-husband, “Hmm. Maybe I should start my own business?” He said, “You have your own business right now. You have two major clients. What are you talking about?”

So, without ever having worked at an agency, I started my own. My Candlelight bosses, Bill and Tony hired me to rep a new play that they were producing: OVER THE TAVERN at the Mercury Theatre. From there, business came in quickly – hotels, theaters, restaurants, not for profits, medical practices – even a sports team.

In year two, Kate Hughes, who became a 14-year employee and a Vice President, literally showed up on my doorstop (the idea for our new logo came from her). Lianne Wiker served as an intern ten years ago while a student at UIC. Today, she is a Vice President. Lianne is an incredibly smart, strategic thinker with an insane work ethic and is an enthusiastic mentor and teacher to younger employees and interns, on top of being a rock star publicist. Uber efficient and creative Holly Gustavson started six years ago – I honestly don’t know what I would do without her. Ellen Molina, our talented Senior Publicist, comes up with incredibly dynamic new strategies for clients and the agency, and the video that you will see on the website is her work. Caryn Smietana, Amy Oost, and Kelly Erdman, while not here quite as long as the others, have contributed in ways that I never even anticipated and are all go getters. I am grateful for our relatively new team members – Vice President, Jennifer Vander Sanden, a veteran TV news producer, and Publicist Courtney Gillen, who also started here as an intern. They have been fantastic additions to our team.

Check out our new video!

We have all taken our turns here saying when experiencing crises on the personal front: Thank God for each other and for our happy work environment here. Work is like a comfort to all of us and we are like a family here. It sounds clichéd but it couldn’t be more true. I’m not a big proponent of those corporate outings where you learn about trust by falling backwards and having your fellow employee catch you. Trust is earned every day, and only comes through kindness, loyalty and care.

15 years went really fast. Over that time, we have repped everything from the Taste of Chicago to Sesame Street Live to multi-million new construction and renovation projects to the largest medical practice out of Northwestern Hospital. One of my favorite testimonials from a client is from Frank Klaus of the Harlem Globetrotters:

“It’s not in the DNA of anyone at Heron not to work hard.”

We hope to continue to serve our clients well, grow, and always be on the forefront for PR, Social Media, Marketing and Advertising. And we do wear hats here, by the way.

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