Meet Laurie Menekou | Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laurie Menekou and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laurie, what matters most to you?
At my core I value clear and transparent communication practices. I firmly believe that a city, agency, or company, could have the most impactful programming, initiatives, etc., however if they aren’t effectively communicated they will most likely prove to be unsuccessful. I believe this because I have seen it happen over and over again. It is truly what keeps me motivated to do the work my team and I do each and every day. We have the privilege of working with various public agencies, cities, and Fortune 500 companies to ensure the right messages get to the right people at just the right time.

What should our readers know about your business?
When I was 23 I took my first “real job” out of college. I landed an administrative role with the City of Weston. I served as the Assistant City Clerk, Acting City Clerk, and eventually, Assistant Director of Communications after receiving my Master’s in Mass Communications. In my eight years with the city I really gained an appreciation for doing work that actually impacted people’s daily lives. With my city manager’s approval I started a side hustle, providing public relations consulting services for nonprofits and private companies. Within two years, I was working my full-time job plus managing five to 10 clients at a time. I was really enjoying the work I was doing and really recognized a path forward – I saw the potential to start assisting other cities and agencies. There was a need for cities and public agencies to be able to have access to a consultant who really understood the inner workings of local government. It was a very hard decision, but I ultimately left the City of Weston in 2012 and launched Conceptual Communications. Today, my team and I work with various cities and agencies, a few private companies and select nonprofits and we get to do work that matters. One of, if not the most impactful areas of focus for the firm is crisis communications. Following the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, my team and I had the pleasure of working with the City of Parkland. It is perhaps the most impactful work we have ever done. I know I speak for my entire team, when I say that we will be forever grateful that we were able to offer a helping hand in the wake of such an unimaginable tragedy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I LOVE experiences. My best friend is my sister and she is the most fun. We would start our days with a diner-type breakfast (we were born and raised in NY – so diners are in our blood), then embark on some sort of outdoor activity (biking, paddleboarding, yoga in the park, etc.), and finish the day with a craft cocktail, maybe some shopping and a solid Italian meal.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate my shoutout to my husband. Without a 50/50 partner to help look after our 10-month old son Wrenly during quarantine, there is no way in h$%^ I would have been able to grow, let alone sustain my business.

Website: www.prbroward.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Conceptual_Communications/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conceptual-communications—public-relations/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConceptualPR
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conceptualcommunications

Image Credits
David Roth and Kara Starzyk