Written By: Ericka Blackwell
Nicole K. Garner is the award winning president and founder of the Garner Circle PR firm. The Garner Circle is a full service agency located in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York. They have serviced clients ranging from the R&B singer/song writer Ne-Yo to non profits like AIDS Atlanta.
Garner was born and raised in Atlanta, Ga. She graduated from Georgia State University in 2004. While in college Garner was in involved with different internships. After graduation she attended and received a certification at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
When asked what inspired Garner to go into Public Relations she stated, “[When she was in college], figured out strengths and dealing with people, writing, event planning, and PR was what I came up with.”
Garner went on to explain PR wasn’t universally known or familiar, but her parents were supportive of her decision.
After Garner read an Essence article on Marvet Britto, she became her inspiration.
Garner explained that not a lot of agencies in the Atlanta market catered to fashion, entertainment, and marketing. This was her biggest influence in building up her own PR firm only two years out of college. She only worked for a PR firm for one year after college.
In time, after hard work, and loss of sleep Garner has received awards such as Top 25 Women, Power 30 Under 30, Atlanta Tribune Top PR Firm, and High Heels and High Places to name a
few.
Garner describes PR in one word, creativity. She also added, “Staying ahead of the curve. [Having a] PR thinking cap all the time. Making sure your clients have exposure. It becomes a lifestyle. Good time management.”
Garner’s advice to college students now going into the field of PR is, “get as much experience, it is very competitive, build connections, [when you] graduate be ready to go [companies want to know what you] can bring to the table.
