An Interview with Monique Pennie
By Emma Levy
Pristine makeup, oversized shades, bold jewellery
and a sleek fitted leather jacket. After prior notice due to the heavy London
traffic, Monique Pennie glides through the doors fashionably late like a
walking powerhouse. As she glances around at the cheaply furnished restaurant,
I curse inwardly at my choice of location. I made sure that I tucked away my
grotty trainers under the table as she glided over, easily over six foot in her
heels. To say the least, my first impression of her was pretty
intimidating. However, I could not be more wrong. She turned to me with a wide
grin exposing straight white teeth; Monique was clearly delighted to have been
asked for an interview. “It
feels a bit surreal because usually I’m
the one organising interviews for other people, to be asked to be
interviewed is like…wow.”
Monique is a Public Relations brain box. After
working with various companies she decided to start her own Music PR company in
2008, named Purple Reign. Not one to shy away from hard work she did the
majority by herself, from the name and logo design to the financial aspects. “It’s
like a baby that has evolved and grown, my little pride and joy.”
That’s
when I foolishly asked if the name referred to Prince’s iconic song, which caused her to let out a loud laugh, “No - but I get that a lot!”
The name choice screams style, class and regality. “I want my clients to feel royally treated
when they come to us. It’s
very personal, very hands on.”
Purple Reign has now developed into a successful business as Monique has her
own offices, a talented team of staff and over a dozen artists signed from
around the globe.
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| Poised and glamorous in office. |
The beginning of Monique’s career was not as smooth as it is now.
After a successful internship at the London Borough of Lewisham's Press and Communications Department, she was
headhunted and begun a full-time job in the New Initiatives department at the
council. She then went on to work as a Press and Public Relations Officer at
the Royal Marsden Hospital, there she stayed for three years before she began seeking a new job to expand her
portfolio. She knew that this was the right industry for her but despite
attending various interviews, she simply was not climbing the ladder. “It was always that final stumbling block. I had to really take a step back and evaluate why and I thought
maybe I needed that 'piece of paper'.” Although
it was not in her immediate plans, she applied for a Media Communications and
Journalism degree course, at Goldsmiths, London. Being a mature student as well as
raising her first daughter, life became a juggling act. “I didn’t really have the whole student ‘quote, unquote’
experience; fresher’s week, staying in the student union until God knows what hours,
pints at a pound each and all the student gigs because I still had to do the
school run or even leave halfway through seminars.” Despite all of that she loved her studies and used her time at
university to work to achieve her lifetime goal to run a PR company.
So far, the impression I get is that this lady
is very determined. At the beginning of the interview she does surprisingly
seem a bit nervous, but as we approach the subjects of music and Purple Reign her
passion becomes alive. So what is a typical week for Miss Pennie? The answer:
there isn’t one. In fact, she
found it hard to even sort through the blur of last week in the office.
Excitedly she described plans for upcoming events involving a European tour for
one of her international artists in the major cities of Paris, Amsterdam and
London. The way she speaks about her clients is with a proud, almost maternal
tenderness. So I asked, what is your relationship like with your clients? “I do get close to them; I do
become some sort of mum or trusted confidant.”
It is understandable after speaking to Monique how her artists feel comfortable
to tell Monique their worries and woes without fearing any judgement.
Choosing to start a company in the music
industry takes guts. So was it always part of the dream? “Music is a part of me like breathing, it’s natural. But in
terms of being a Music PR that came very organically and obviously now I think
it’s
meant to be.” Monique has always
had a passion for music. She grew up playing the clarinet and piano as well as
being a good singer. Someone in the music PR business has to constantly learn
the new tricks of the trade to keep up with the modernisation of the music
industry. As well as extensive reading she regularly attends conferences and
seminars to update her knowledge. “The
industry is changing all the time so if you don’t change you become archaic, like a dinosaur - you become extinct.”
In the near future, she plans to do another academic
course on the digital aspect of PR. She jokes back to the easy days of
cassettes and CDs, as now her job is heavily reliant on MP3 downloads and the
social media. “Daily things are
changing, new platforms are popping up.”
So, Monique, have you achieved all your goals?
No, not even close! Monique says that even her closest friends comment on her
drive as she always pushes herself for more. One piece of advice she was
adamant on was the importance of taking the time to celebrate when a goal has
been accomplished. Her words for it was ‘a happy dance’,
whilst playfully doing a couple of moves in her seat. “The problem is - I don’t
stand there long enough to do a happy dance!” Her company has yet to celebrate moving into their offices, even
though it happened in early 2013. One of her dreams is to have offices in
America, especially in the music centralised New York and Los Angeles.
As the interview comes to a close, Monique
hands me her phone to take my contact details and that’s when I see the Wonder Woman background. Perfect. That seems just
right. So any closing words, Monique? “The
journey so far has been eye opening, it’s been rewarding, it’s been bumpy, it’s been traumatic in some cases, it’s been heart-breaking at times.” Although her job seems tough, she admits that she would not change
any of it.
