Meet Christina Gorini, Senior Account Executive

Christina Gorini was the very first hire at VPR but she was a part of the heart and soul of the company even before that - she and Andrea met at an agency in NYC years before. This year she’s celebrating 9 years at VPR and we’re thrilled to share a bit of Christina’s charm, humor, and PR prowess in the next installment of Getting to Know!

Meet Christina Gorini!

1. What do you love most about working in PR? 

Dreaming big! I love sitting in a meeting with a client and listening to their brand story and what their dreams are and then pairing it with my own professional dreams to create something magical.

2. What is your personal PR Victory? 

Since I am the VPR OG there have been a few! The most recent was in the later part of 2019 I was struggling as a working mom while VPR was on an intense growth spurt. In hindsight, I was finding it difficult to keep up with the rocket speed and was barely keeping it together. After a few difficult but eye-opening conversations with Andrea, we unpacked what was happening and came up with a plan. The plan consisted of me finding myself in a different role which resulted in me securing one of our clients in a premiere segment on The Dr. Oz Show. Victories are not always pretty but I am so happy that during the darkness I was able to find the light. I knew there was more to my own PR story so I can continue sharing my clients’.

3. What advice would you give to someone hoping to leverage PR to grow their brand? 

Hire VPR!!! Lol - but in all honesty, the best campaigns are ones where the client works closely with their PR team to create impactful and thought provoking media messages. Teamwork really does make the dream work when it comes to PR.

4. What advice would you give to someone hoping to land a job in PR?

Applying for your dream PR job is the perfect opportunity to show your pitching style. Be creative, bold, and smart with your approach. That is what an agency is looking for in a publicist so why not show them right away the type of team member they are investing in.

5. Is there a trend in PR that you're particularly excited about?

I think right now is a big moment for female thought leaders especially in this COVID world. Women, at every phase of their lives, need strong female voices for encouragement and inspiration. Thankfully the PR industry has caught up and the voices of women are huge story drivers. I hope this trend is here to stay so that the next generation of female leaders can inspire not only me but my daughter.

6. What do you do to unwind?

I BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO! I unapologetically love myself some reality TV and if it's on Bravo it is for me. I also love a good pedicure, a hot cup of coffee, and listening to a woman in business podcast.  

7. What is your favorite motivational quote? 

Stay far from timid 

Only make moves when your heart's in it 

And live the phrase sky's the limit

~ Christopher Wallace

Cheers to 9 incredible years and many, many more!

VPR is Committed to Racial Equality

by Andrea Samacicia Mullan

At the start of the month, we at Victory PR made a commitment to be active listeners and dedicate ourselves to learning about how we can be even better allies to Black people. During that time I personally made some discoveries about myself and the company that were both difficult and empowering. 

Specifically, it became clear that my feeling that VPR is “too small” to meaningfully help improve the unacceptable reality that Black people face is nothing more than a cop-out. My moment of clarity came when I realized that in order for progress to be made, it is essential for even the smallest company to internalize the importance of racial equity in all elements of their business. While it’s true that the pursuit of racial equity must be its own effort for all companies, including VPR, we are passionately working toward a time when the principle of racial equity is an ingrained part of our company culture. My failing is that it was not already. 

During this time, we’ve established our commitment to having frank discussions surrounding race and holding ourselves and each other accountable. We made a contribution to The Loveland Foundation, an incredible organization focused on providing therapy to Black women and girls, and have made an active effort to surround ourselves on social media and in real life with powerful Black voices. We’ve also committed to actively seeking the understanding and education necessary to ensure that this drive, which is so strong in the immediate aftermath of inexcusable violence, does not waver with the passing of time. 

There are a couple of steps I took on behalf of VPR before this movement took hold that I believe will help to ensure we stay on the right path. They include our partnership with IFundWomen, which enabled us in June to contribute funds to five Black-owned businesses. They are: 

• Transformative Teach

• Urban Playground

• Harambee Collective

• Tending the Garden

• Print Everyday Birth Magazine

We also recently hired a new director, Jenan Matari. In addition to the traditionally impressive credentials she shared on her resume, Jenan is the founder and editor-in-chief of MissMuslim and in 2017 gave a TEDx talk entitled Embracing Your Identity. 

Her candor regarding her own struggle for acceptance and her longstanding commitment to vocally advocating for human rights, racial equality, and female empowerment are inspirational. While the decision to hire her was made solely based on her many impressive professional achievements in the fields of PR and journalism, having someone in a leadership role here at VPR who so fearlessly champions causes faced by BIPOC is crucial to our ability to do better.

Surely all of this is utterly inadequate, which is why it’s just a start. I welcome any feedback on how VPR can more effectively support the Black community and I will personally continue to actively seek the education and guidance I need to be the type of leader I aspire to be.