Conversations with Hannah Gerber

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Gerber.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was executive assistant at a private equity firm for almost six years. I enjoyed it enough, I was good at it, and it paid well, which was exactly what I needed in my mid to late 20s. When a friend of mine quit her job to start her own freelance Affiliate PR business, I joked that if she needed an assistant, I was ready for a change. She was swamped and ready for help, and asked if I wanted to learn PR. I honestly didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but I knew I was open to change and learn something new. This was May of 2021.

So, I learned Affiliate PR from the ground up that summer. I learned the ins and outs of pitching media, of managing affiliate programs, of launching brands on affiliate (a must-have if you want to get your products in national media placements), and started to build relationships. I feel grateful to have been supported during such a big life shift and I began to really fall in love with PR.

I worked at that small agency for two years as a bit of a jill of all trades. When that business was shifting its priorities in May of 2023, I started helping out another friend with her freelance PR business. I love collaborating with other women in the PR space – everyone is tenacious, passionate, and would do just about anything for the brands they support. Then in August of 2023, I had my first referral. I dealt with some imposter syndrome about breaking out and doing my own thing in Affiliate PR, but ultimately decided to take the leap and accept my own clients.

This was a pretty massive change for me, and while I was so nervous about taking clients on my own, it felt natural. It felt right. I realized being the one in the driver’s seat actually made my day-to-day easier, and I was able to own my processes, create my own messaging. Referrals continued to trickle in last fall, and by the end of 2023, I was at full capacity with client work.

An incredible gift I’ve been given is when one of my former clients asked if I’d like to join their team as a founding team member. So now my work is multi-faceted – Affiliate PR for women-owned DTC brands as well as working with Daybird (daybird.co), an anti-beauty beauty brand creating clean, functional makeup for a one-step morning routine, as a founding team member.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Such a great question. I don’t know that any entrepreneurial journey is smooth sailing!

While some things have felt fun and effortless, one of the biggest struggles I’ve dealt with has been battling my own inner critic and imposter syndrome. While entrepreneurship makes my life less stressful in so many ways (being able to look how I want at work, being able to listen to music, being able to set my schedule and make big decisions without clashing opinions), there’s also no one to cover me when I’m out. I’ve found it difficult to take the time off I need to recharge and that is something I’d like to work on this year.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I run Affiliate PR programs for woman-owned DTC brands. It’s a combination of Affiliate Marketing, Commerce PR, and Traditional PR – it’s highly beneficial for brands to have everything under one roof.

I love working with indie brands that are looking to get their first inclusion in an article. I know a lot of PR professionals who will only work with more established brands, and I’m so proud of the way I work hard for small brands who might be struggling to make ends meet but really want to get their name out there.

As mentioned before, I’m also a founding team member at Daybird and am deeply passionate about our work to help people redefine beauty on their own terms. Our 4-in-1 Serum Skin Tint with SPF 50 is a must-have in sunny Colorado! I also love to model and create user-generated content (UGC) for brands.

I’m proud of the way I was willing to pivot away from a comfy cozy career choice and essentially flip my life upside down. I’m proud of how transparent I am with my clients (there’s a lot of education that goes into PR) and how consistently I show up for them.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
As a lifelong Minnesotan who tried out a year in San Diego before settling down in Denver, I love just about everything about Denver. I love that you get the sunshine of the West Coast and the seasons of the Midwest. I love being 20 minutes from a stunningly gorgeous hike and I love that the city has this energy of encouraging you to get outdoors and experience nature.

Least? While I’ve certainly found some great staples, the food scene leaves a bit to be desired for me. I love Kokoro, but if you have any other authentic Japanese restaurant suggestions, I’m all ears!

Pricing:

• Monthly Affiliate PR retainers start at $2,500
• Daybird 4-in-1 Serum Skin Tint: $39.50 at daybird.co

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mediamuze.com/hannah
• Instagram: @yourgrlhg

Image Credits
Ariana Van Anne at the Denver Photo Collective