Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Roger Darnell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Roger, thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?
In 2025, I will celebrate 25 years of operating The Darnell Works Agency (DWA), which is proudly committed to providing exceptional strategic communications solutions for bold people and organizations.
By the time I left specialized high-tech PR firm The Terpin Group (TTG) in LA to launch DWA, I had already come a long way in developing what I now consider to be the “key skill set” for communications professionals. To me, along with extensive soft-skills, this consists of solid working knowledge spanning Account Management, Customer Service, Planning, Writing, Media Relations, Measurement, and Reporting. Notably, it was only through my experiences at TTG where I was able to identify this skill set, by seeing myself and others use it to create amazing value for our clientele.
Growing up, my mother was a very down-to-earth, skilled, and charismatic communicator, who used all her faculties to build and maintain warm relationships, spanning the professional and personal spectra. For his part, my father built his career as an independent consultant, where sales and strategic marketing were among his fortes. Encouraged as a writer from an early age, my studies at UCF’s School of Communications and U.S. Air Force training gave me skills and qualifications that opened up some exciting work opportunities. Combining Dad’s independent-contractor outlook and diligence with Mom’s thoughtful charm and emotional intelligence, my experiences in Orlando’s burgeoning film industry opened doors that led my wife and me to LA.
Although I originally dreamt of success writing screenplays and novels, in LA, it became clear that the benefits of my work in the areas of my skill set provided my best bet for gainful employment. After demonstrating my rising expertise by serving in high-profile jobs as director of public relations and marketing, landing at TTG – and serving clients there successfully – proved my communications skills were extremely valuable.
While my confidence was very high when I launched DWA in 2000, I still never expected that this skill set would allow me to successfully relocate to the mountains of North Carolina, to continue to attract and serve illustrious individuals and companies worldwide, and to provide so much prestige and security for myself and my family.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
It’s very humbling for me to think about the good fortune that led me onto this career path. Obviously, whether we like it or not, most of us eventually have to get a job … and we can’t all be novelists and filmmakers<grin>. As an independent communications consultant, I am blown away by my abilities to create value for others.
Bear in mind, even during global pandemics, there are entrepreneurs and business entities that need people like me to consistently focus on applying solid promotional communications principles on their behalf. By combining intelligent strategic thinking with such focused effort, and doing good work, I have come to feel that almost anyone can seize similar opportunities to succeed in business, if they receive the right training.
About 15 years into operating DWA, I became motivated to share my education and insights into business through a step-by-step, guided curriculum. This led to the publication of two companion books, both published through Taylor & Francis/Routledge Books. The first is “The Communications Consultant’s Foundation,” which aims to help a new generation of smart communicators – in all fields – take their professional pursuits to the highest levels. From there, “The Communications Consultant’s Master Plan” supports experienced communications pros in fortifying and expanding their expertise, pursuing advanced career opportunities, and optimizing all aspects and phases of their and their clients’ businesses, from start-up through to succession.
Many people are familiar with the adage about cobblers’ children having no shoes. This stark insight also applies to many professionals and businesses, who fail to tap into their expertise for themselves. My work through DWA has shown me the importance of applying what I have learned to the benefit of myself (my “inner author”) and my business.
As I continue to ply my craft on behalf of myself and my clients, I continuously find that consistent strategic communications diligence and practices provide a constant source of game-changing opportunities. Adjusting the strategies and tactics deftly as you go, applying solid management and customer service efforts can fuel highly productive relationships, and continually increase mutual success.
Taking this counsel to heart, my poetic memoir “Arc of the Poet” was published in 2022, and more highly ambitious personal projects are in the works.</grin>
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Given how my career has progressed, I can’t overstate the importance of being comfortable as a wordsmith. My wife also studied public relations at UCF, based largely on her love for the hospitality industry. When a job came down to writing press releases and newsletters, her enthusiasm waned (happily, that led her to other areas where her bright personality and conscientiousness have made her a VIP far and wide).
While there is a lot to know about crafting effective strategic communications, being willing to try and improve are the first steps. As I’ve mentioned, I embraced writing aspirations early on in my life, but two things I did in college were hugely impactful. First, there was a broadcast copywriting class, where we learned about the copy platform. For a given writing assignment, it asks that you identify these particulars: client; objectives; target audience; sales theme; bonus items; and positioning. I have been using this essential template ever since; after filling it out, I am usually able to compose words that are very dialed-in.
The second big step I took in college was authoring a weekly humor column for UCF’s student newspaper. While that was an education in itself, embracing the challenges of being an experimental columnist with a regular deadline led to many invaluable career highlights, including winning a Scripps Howard Foundation Fellowship.
Something else I recommend for everyone – and certainly, for anyone intending to work in a communications capacity – is Julia Cameron’s book and related curriculum known as “The Artist’s Way.” Specifically, Julia advises us to write what she calls morning pages, which proves to be a very effective exercise for our writing muscles, and has the wonderful effect of allowing us to overcome the fierce intimidation we often encounter when facing blank pages.
In other words, learn to write, keep on writing, and wherever that leads, follow.
Here, I will also add a strong suggestion for the development of what are often called soft skills. My books go deep into many of them, including creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, willingness to learn, and empathy. In the age of smart phones, many seem to struggle with actual human engagement. As the name implies, the field of public relations is going to require in-person interaction on the regular. Plan accordingly.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Fielding this question makes me realize that all along the way, I have been impacted by people. Probably most important of all are my parents and elders, who guided me as they saw fit, and planted hopes and dreams that set me on the path toward achieving them, and provided so much invaluable support.
All the developments related in previous answers are takeaways from my interactions with people, many of whom took an interest in me and shared some gift that proved to be priceless.
Especially over the past 25 years, the list of those I honor for helping me become successful includes dozens of entrepreneurs from around the world, collectively representing DWA clients of the present and past. Also, former bosses Michael Terpin and Mike Garfinkel at The Terpin Group, business development specialist Lisa Cleff Kurtz, and business advisors Ric Peralta and Chad Hutson are among those who put their faith in me and recommended me to their colleagues wholeheartedly. Everything I have achieved through DWA – and as an artist – is dedicated to honoring their faith, and doing my absolute best to fulfill their extraordinary expectations.
Finally, the person I am today has everything to do with my family, especially my wife, brother, in-laws, and kids. Their belief in me inspires me endlessly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.darnellworks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rkdarnell/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/dwagency
- Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/darnell
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/rkdarnell
- Youtube: http://youtube.com/RKDarnell
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/roger-darnell
Image Credits
Credit for personal photo: Marc Pierre LeMauviel
