There’s a common belief that pro bono work is either “good exposure” or a total waste of time. In reality, it’s neither, unless you’re being intentional about it. Otherwise, it just becomes unpaid work that quietly eats your bandwidth.
Whitney breaks down how solopreneurs and small business owners can approach pro bono work strategically, so it actually supports Growth instead of distracting from it. The goal isn’t to say yes more often, it’s to know when it genuinely benefits your business long-term.
She also unpacks how easy it is to fall into overworking for free under the idea of “building your portfolio,” and why that mindset needs boundaries if you want to scale sustainably.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- When pro bono work actually pays off (and when it doesn’t)
- How to evaluate opportunities for long-term business value
- Why boundaries matter more than “experience building”
- How to turn select free work into paid clients later
- The mindset shift from obligation to strategy
If this episode made you rethink free work, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone stuck in the “just take the opportunity” cycle.
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Whitney Lee, APR, CPRC, is a marketing and PR expert and the founder of True Story Public Relations – an award-winning creative agency helping companies in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries get in front of the right people with the right message.
With a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Florida State University, an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), and a Certification as a Public Relations Counselor (CPRC), Whitney left her fancy corporate job in Destin, Florida, at age 26 and started as a freelancer, helping small businesses to get more visibility, clients and customers. Today, True Story has grown into fully-remote agency of ten, serving clients all over the US and internationally.
She was named Scarlett Magazine’s “Woman of the Year” in PR, one of the “Five Most Dynamic Women Leaders Ruling the PR Industry” in the CIO Times and one of United Way’s 40 under 40. Her insights are regularly featured in well-known media outlets like 850 Business Magazine, Emerald Coast Magazine, and the She Who Wins podcast with Renee Bauer to name a few.
Whitney is also a keynote speaker and the host of True Story: The PR Podcast where she shares marketing and PR tips, as well as insightful info on best practices of leading and working in a fully-remote agency.
