Business development doesn’t have to mean sending hundreds of cold emails. The best opportunities often come from building genuine Relationships and showing up in the right rooms.
In this episode, Whitney shares what she’s learned while growing her agency from Milan. She explains why relationship-first networking has been far more effective than transactional outreach, and how speaking engagements have become one of her strongest business development tools.
Building an international business has reinforced a simple truth: trust takes time. Whitney breaks down how staying visible, nurturing connections, and playing the long game can create more sustainable Growth than constantly chasing the next lead.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- Why relationships outperform cold outreach
- How speaking engagements can generate new business
- What building an agency abroad has taught Whitney about networking
- The value of nurturing connections over time
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and connect with Whitney for more practical insights on building a business that grows with intention.
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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.
