Today, we’re happy to share news of a transition that has been underway for many weeks. Long-time Solo PR Pro Premium member and frequent collaborator Karen Swim, who has worked alongside founder Kellye Crane since the blog was launched in 2008, has taken ownership of the company. As president of Solo PR Pro, Karen will bring new energy and fresh, exciting ideas to the organization, while continuing its mission as the premier resource designed specifically for independent communications consultants.

What change can Solo PR PRO Premium members and our wider community expect to see as a result of this transition? Not much. 🙂 Solo PR Pro will continue to serve its unique role in the industry, providing the tools, education, advocacy and community resources needed for communications consultants to succeed and grow.

“The time I’ve spent spearheading the work of Solo PR Pro have been the most professionally satisfying of my career – and after seven years at the helm, the time has come for me to step back from the day-to-day management, but never from this thriving community and its resources,” says Kellye. “Last year marked the 20^th anniversary of my company, and I will continue to participate online, speak at industry events, and provide strategic public relations services to enterprise technology clients. I look forward to continuing to serve Solo PR Pro as board member, community participant and its biggest fan!”

“With the success of Solo PR Pro, the opportunity to sell the business became a reality, but I didn’t want to cash out and leave it in the hands of some nameless, faceless corporation,” says Kellye. I was absolutely thrilled when Karen Swim expressed interest in taking ownership – she is without a doubt the best person to take Solo PR Pro to the next level. Not only is Karen a universally respected industry thought leader and my frequent collaborator (well-known to those in the Solo PR Pro community), but Karen also has an amazingly varied background that will be an enormous benefit to the independent communications consultants we serve.”

An accredited public relations professional who has run her own virtual agency for more than a decade, Karen Swim brings to her PR work an unusually rich background in sales, human resources, business and marketing, having started her career in HR in the banking industry and going on to lead top performing sales teams at Glaxo SmithKline and Quest Diagnostics. With many Solo PR Pros citing sales/business development and HR issues among their top challenges, Karen’s expertise in these areas is highly valuable.

In addition, Karen’s extensive experience as a consultant includes engagements providing high-level counsel and content to B2B service providers in industries related to Solo PR Pro, including MBO Partners, provider of business support tools and resources for independent professionals and their clients (regardless of industry), and Manta, one of the largest online resources dedicated to small business. She also ran a Career Marketing division of her company for 7 years, where she where she coached independents and corporate professionals and helped them achieve their career goals.

With this in-depth knowledge of the issues facing self-employed consultants, Karen is perfectly positioned to bring new levels of professional development content and advice to her fellow Solo PR Pros.

“Solo PR Pro is now an enduring fixture in the industry, and I am honored and excited to take the helm of this phenomenal company,” says Karen. “This organization has played a vital role in my own professional development, and I feel like my whole career has prepared me for this moment. I can’t wait to help my fellow solos advance their careers – we have a lot of big ideas for 2016, and it’s my honor to lead Solo PR Pro moving forward!”