Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Sims.
Hi Brandi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey into PR started long before I ever called it that. I grew up an Army brat — both of my parents served — and by the time I was eight, I’d lived in five states. That constant movement taught me how to adapt, connect, and communicate across cultures, which turned out to be the perfect training ground for a career in strategic communications. I spent over 15 years working my way up in PR and marketing, eventually reaching a corporate VP role, with experience spanning entertainment, sports, nonprofit, and consumer brands.
But the turning point in my story wasn’t a promotion — it was a paycheck. I discovered I was being paid less than my white male counterparts for the same work, and after advocating for myself and hitting a wall, I made the decision to bet on me. That’s how Brandinc PR was born. I wanted to build the kind of agency where storytelling, strategy, and integrity could live in the same room — and where clients, especially founders and creatives who are often overlooked by big agencies, could get big-agency thinking with boutique-level care.
Since then, Brandinc PR has grown into a boutique strategic communications and digital marketing agency rooted right here in Austin, serving clients across entertainment, sports, lifestyle, and small business. One of my favorite recent projects was leading the media campaign for Austin Bats Basketball, helping bring hometown sports storytelling to life with placements across local broadcast — proof that some of the most rewarding work happens in your own backyard. Beyond client work, I’ve expanded into education and thought leadership: I host the Brandinc PR Podcast, recently ranked among the top PR podcasts by Feedspot, I chair PRSA’s Entertainment & Sports Section, and I’m a Women in Media Alliance board member and former Forbes BLK Advisor for the Austin market. This summer, I’m also moderating PRSA’s Women of Impact panel in Chicago — a conversation celebrating women leading boldly in our industry.
The last few years have also brought a milestone I’m especially proud of: I completed my Ph.D., and this fall I’m joining the faculty at Huston-Tillotson University — Austin’s only HBCU — to teach the next generation of communicators. Pouring into rising professionals has always been a huge part of my “why,” and getting to do it in the city I now call home makes it even sweeter. Between the agency, the podcast, teaching, and board service with organizations like the Austin Women in Media Alliance, my days are full — but they’re full on purpose.
If there’s one thing my story proves, it’s this: sometimes the door closing on you is actually pointing you toward the door with your name on it. I didn’t just leave a job — I built a brand, a platform, and a life that reflects my values. And I’m just getting started.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth? Not even close — and honestly, I wouldn’t trust a PR person who told you otherwise. That would be a classic spin job.
The struggle that started it all was pay inequity. Like so many women — and Black women in particular — I spent years being overqualified and underpaid, navigating workplace cultures with outdated views of what women could contribute. The final straw came when I learned I was being paid less than my white male counterparts for the same work. Hearing about pay gaps around the water cooler is one thing; seeing it in black and white is another. That moment lit the spark that became Brandinc PR.
But entrepreneurship traded one set of challenges for another. In the early days, everything was scrappy — building media lists from scratch, finding talent on a limited budget, learning that as a founder, you’re the CEO, the accountant, the IT department, and the janitor all at once. Every project moved slower than I wanted, but each one was a step forward, and that season taught us grit that still defines how we work today.
Then I decided to raise the stakes: I pursued my doctorate while running the agency full-time. Writing a dissertation while managing client campaigns, podcast production, board commitments, and a family tested every ounce of the discipline my military parents instilled in me. There were plenty of late nights where I questioned my own sanity — but walking away with my Ph.D. was proof that the hard road is usually the one worth taking.
And the honest truth? The balancing act never really ends. Being a wife, a mom, a CEO, an educator, and a community leader means something is always competing for my attention. I’ve had to learn that boundaries aren’t a luxury — they’re a business strategy. I’ve learned to say no to opportunities that don’t align, to delegate, and to give myself the same grace I’d give a client navigating a tough season.
Every struggle sharpened something in me. The pay gap taught me my worth. The lean years taught me resourcefulness. The doctorate taught me endurance. I wouldn’t wish the hard parts on anyone, but I also wouldn’t trade what they built in me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Brandinc PR is a boutique strategic communications and digital marketing agency, and our sweet spot is helping brands take control of their narrative. We specialize in media relations, publicity, and strategic communications for clients spanning entertainment, sports, lifestyle, nonprofit, and small business. What we’re known for is simple: taking small brands and creating big messages. We’ve helped clients with modest followings land coverage with outlets like Univision Austin and KTBC FOX 7 — because a great story well told doesn’t need a million followers to earn the spotlight.
What sets us apart? A few things. First, we’re strategists, not just publicists. Every campaign starts with the brand’s vision and builds backward — we don’t do cookie-cutter PR. Second, we believe PR shouldn’t only be accessible to brands with five-figure monthly budgets. That belief led me to build something I’m really proud of: a full suite of offerings that meets people wherever they are in their journey. Entrepreneurs can start with our free media-readiness resources, grow into our DIY tools like the Pitch Kit and Pitch Like a Pro, book a one-on-one PR Power Hour for personalized strategy, level up through our PR Bootcamp, or partner with us on full agency retainers. Whether you’re a founder doing your own pitching or a brand ready for a dedicated team, there’s a door into Brandinc PR for you.
Third — and this is the educator in me — we teach while we work. I’ve spent years in the classroom and on stages across the country, and that same philosophy shapes how we serve clients. We don’t just execute campaigns; we make sure our clients understand the “why” behind the strategy, so they walk away media-savvy for life. That extends to the Brandinc PR Podcast, where I sit down with industry leaders, journalists, and brand builders to demystify PR for entrepreneurs — and being named one of Feedspot’s top PR podcasts confirmed that this conversation is one people are hungry for.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is that Brandinc PR has become more than an agency — it’s a platform. Between the client work, the podcast, the digital products, my role chairing PRSA’s Entertainment & Sports Section, and now teaching at Huston-Tillotson University, everything connects back to one mission: equipping people to tell their own stories powerfully.
If readers take away one thing, let it be this: PR is not a luxury reserved for celebrities and Fortune 500 companies. Your story matters, and it deserves to be heard. Whether you work with us or simply follow along for the free game we share, Brandinc PR is here to help you own your narrative.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I have a very specific relationship with risk: I don’t believe in reckless leaps, but I deeply believe in strategic risks. To me, the difference is a plan. A reckless risk is jumping and hoping the net appears. A strategic risk is studying the ground, building the net yourself, and then jumping — knowing full well it might still be scary, but that you’ve stacked the odds in your favor.
Starting Brandinc PR was never on my bingo card. I didn’t grow up dreaming of being an entrepreneur — I was climbing the corporate ladder like I was “supposed” to. But when I hit that wall of pay inequity, I had a choice: keep absorbing the cost of staying, or take on the risk of building something of my own. What turned that moment from a reaction into a risk worth taking was the planning. I evaluated my finances, my network, my skill set, and my market. I mapped out what the agency would look like, who it would serve, and how it would sustain itself. By the time I leapt, it wasn’t a gamble — it was a calculated bet on myself. Still terrifying! But calculated.
That philosophy has shaped every major move since. Pursuing my doctorate while running the agency full-time? A risk — of time, energy, and sanity. Saying yes to teaching, board leadership, and launching a podcast on top of client work? Risks of stretching too thin. But each one passed my test: Does this align with my mission? Have I counted the cost? Do I have a plan for when it gets hard — because it will get hard? If the answer is yes, I move.
Here’s what I tell my clients and students: the biggest risk is usually the one you’re not counting — the risk of staying still. Staying in the underpaying job feels safe, but it costs you. Waiting until you’re “ready” to pitch that story, launch that brand, or raise your hand feels safe, but the opportunity has a shelf life. Risk isn’t the enemy; unexamined risk is.
So no, I’m not an adrenaline-junkie risk-taker. I’m a strategist who happens to know that growth lives on the other side of the calculated leap. Every good thing in my career — the agency, the Ph.D., the classroom, the platform — exists because at some point, I did the math, packed my parachute, and jumped anyway.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brandincpr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandincpr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandincpr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandincpr
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/brandincpr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brandincpr
