Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sharon Robustelli. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sharon, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Throughout my career in public relations, I have often been the only person that looks like me in the room. It still happens today, and it surprises me just a little bit every time because I know so many accomplished and worthy Black women in my field. What I’ve learned is to fully embrace the fact that I have earned the right to be where I am – whether it’s a boardroom or a lunch table – and if I was not meant to be there; I wouldn’t be. Also, I keep top-of-mind the understanding that I bring knowledge, expertise, as well as learned and lived experience to every situation. It’s a gift, kind of like a superpower. My ability to see a situation from multiple perspectives at once gives me an edge when it comes to strategic thinking and creativity. All of this helps me build campaigns for my clients that land with their target audiences in meaningful and authentic ways.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
At TEN3 Public Relations, my team and I focus on two areas – empowering female founders to elevate their brands and establish industry authority and creating impactful launch campaigns for brands and products across multiple categories. I have over 25 years of experience across industries, from entertainment to consumer goods. So, I’ve handled just about everything and still love seeing our work contribute to the success of a new brand or product. What I found interesting when I launched the agency in 2019 was that in addition to corporations and brands, we began attracting clients who resembled me—driven women excelling in their fields and now embarking on their founder journeys.
These women need a partner who understands their passion for building something meaningful from the ground up. That’s why, beyond offering brand strategy and media relations at the agency, I’ve launched a series of online courses called “The Female Founder’s Guide to Elevating Your Authority.” Each course delivers the exact strategies my team and I use daily to help women in business build personal brands, amplify their messages, and attract the right audiences through their unique expertise. Interested founders, business owners, and anyone who is thinking about putting themselves out there and sharing their knowledge with a wider audience can go to TEN3PR.com and sign up for my newsletter to get tips and find out about the latest courses. They’re full of useful information to build your brand such as developing your personal brand story to landing interviews and speaking engagements. They’re also a lot of fun, I promise!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, three qualities were most impactful in my journey. The first is adaptability. Marketing communications is ever evolving, and being able to pivot quickly has been key. Whether it’s navigating changes in media and pop culture trends or understanding new digital platforms, being adaptable allowed me to stay ahead and keep my clients relevant. My advice is make friends with change and don’t get too comfortable. Stay curious, keep learning, and be ready to evolve.
Prioritizing connection would be the second critical skill to nurture. Business, at its core, is about people. My goal is to build programs and campaigns that meet people where they are and connect with them on a deep level. This approach has been central to my success. From understanding a client’s vision to earning a journalist’s trust, I’ve learned that genuine connection is far more valuable than transactional networking. That’s why it’s important to listen more than you talk. Approach every conversation with empathy and a willingness to understand the other person’s goals and challenges. One way I do this is to take every new client through an Elevate & Illuminate session. It’s a 2-hour call where we walk through an exhaustive list of questions to help us get to the heart of their issue and goals, and then we create a blueprint of the ideal program that will meet those goals.
Finally, it is crucial to possess a high level of resilience. Every founder faces setbacks, but resilience is what keeps you moving forward. PR can be unpredictable (which is one of the things I love about it) and running a business even more so. I learned early on that persistence pays off. So, be prepared for ups and downs. Something that works for me is to use downtime to refine my skills and learn something new. I became a course creator because access to new information, new ways of approaching my work, and a community of other people who share similar challenges has helped me grow and embrace obstacles as learning opportunities.
For those starting out, don’t focus on doing everything perfectly because sometimes done is better than perfect. Focus on approaching your work with purpose. The growth and success will follow when you step out with intention in everything you do. And, if there’s any magic bullet, it’s consistency.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
The number one challenge I’m currently facing is reaching the women who are ready to move from being doers to becoming thought leaders. These are accomplished, driven women who are fantastic at what they do, but often don’t realize the impact they can make by stepping into a more visible, authoritative role. At TEN3 PR, we’ve been successful in helping many female founders elevate their brands, so ’m always looking to connect with more women who are ready to make that leap.
To address this, I’ve been focusing on creating more educational content, through webinars and courses, that speaks directly to these women, showing them what’s possible when they share their expertise. I’ve also been refining our messaging to make it clear that in addition to traditional PR; we’re focused on empowering women to position themselves as leaders in their industries.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ten3pr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ten3pr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ten3pr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-robustelli-464a3413/
- Other: Subscribe to my mailing list to get tips, advice, and strategies you can use to elevate your authority and amplify your message: https://ten3-pr.ck.page/b084346635
