Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanie Frank.
Hi joanie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Thirty years ago, a woman I worked for pulled me aside and said four words that changed everything.
“You are too good to be here.”
She told me to open my own business. And then she handed me my first client. That was how B Frank started, not with an MBA or a business plan, but with one woman who saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself.
I had been working as Director of Public Relations at an ad agency in Detroit. I was good at the work. But I knew the structure wasn’t built for the way my brain operates. I don’t work nine to five. I’m creative on weekends. I do some of my best thinking at midnight. When that environment stopped working, I left. On a wing and a prayer, with nothing but my instincts and my nerve.
What I didn’t fully understand yet was what I was actually selling.It took years to see it clearly. I could walk into any room, sit across from any person, and within minutes receive an immediate, intuitive download of exactly who they were, what made them remarkable, and where they needed to go. I thought everyone could do that. It took a very long time to realize they couldn’t.
There was a moment about fifteen years in when I left a new business meeting and called my best friend from the parking lot. “I don’t think everyone sees things the way I do,” I told her. She didn’t pause. “Joanie. Nobody does.”
That phone call cracked something open.
But realizing you have a gift and fully believing it are two completely different things. I spent years knowing before I owned it. Imposter syndrome has a way of making you shrink even when everything around you is telling you to stand up.
About five years ago I got on a Zoom call with a group of coaches and practitioners in the psychic medium space. A national client had invited me to speak to them about PR. I was terrified before I got on. And then something happened. As each person shared their story I started receiving immediate downloads, not ideas, not strategy, but a blueprint. I could see exactly where each person was and exactly where they needed to go. Every single one was different. Every single one was crystal clear.
The irony wasn’t lost on me. I was in a room full of intuitives. And I was the one receiving the downloads.
Four of those eight people hired me before the week was out.
That Zoom taught me something I had been too close to see for twenty five years. When people really see me in action, they are blown away. Not because of what I know about PR. Because of what I see in them.
Over the last year I’ve expanded what I do in a significant way. I still love being a publicist. But I have so much more to offer. I now work with founders, executives, and thought leaders as a visibility strategist and positioning advisor, helping people get clear on their story, sharp on their positioning, and visible in the places that actually matter.
It was time to stop keeping myself small.
Thirty years in, I finally know exactly who I am and what I bring to the table.
I’m a baller. I’m in it to win it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth? No. Worth every bump? Absolutely.
I grew up without a lot of confidence. That’s not something most publicists lead with but it’s the truth, and it’s shaped everything about how I work and who I work with. For a long time I carried that into every room I walked into, convinced that everyone else belonged there more than I did.
I left my first job on a wing and a prayer. No backup plan. No clients lined up. Just a boundary that got crossed one too many times and a bone-deep knowing that I was worth more than the way I was being treated. That’s how B Frank started, not with a business plan, but with self-respect.
Thirty years of running your own business means thirty years of feast and famine. The phone rings and you feel unstoppable. Then it goes quiet and you do the math in your head at 2am. I’ve had seasons where everything was firing and seasons where I genuinely didn’t know what came next. About fourteen months ago I lost several clients at once, long term clients, and it scared the hell out of me.
But here’s what I’ve learned: the hard seasons are where the clarity lives.
That scary season became the clearest moment of my career. When the noise fell away I could finally hear what I actually wanted, not just any clients, but the right ones. People who are ready to be seen, ready to build something real, ready to stop being the best kept secret in their industry.
I also spent years knowing I had a gift before I fully believed it. I could walk into a room and immediately see someone’s story, their positioning, their path forward, and I genuinely thought everyone could do that. It took a very long time, and a few pivotal moments, to understand that what felt completely natural to me was actually extraordinary.
Imposter syndrome is real. I still have to quiet my own voice on occasion. But the work, showing up for clients, watching someone finally see themselves clearly, delivering results that change the trajectory of a business, that’s what built my confidence. One client at a time.
I would never, not for one single day, do it any other way.
We’ve been impressed with B Frank Communications, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Please tell us more about your business or organization. What should we know?
B Frank Communications is a strategic advisory and public relations practice I’ve built over 30 years around one core belief: most people don’t have a PR problem. They have a positioning problem.
The name B Frank is personal. B is for Brooke, my middle name and the alter ego I created early in my career when I was still finding my footing. Frank is for exactly what it sounds like: be frank, tell it like it is. It’s a promise I make to every client and the philosophy that drives everything I do.
I work with founders, executives, entrepreneurs, authors, and thought leaders who are great at what they do, but can’t figure out why nobody knows it. They have the experience, the results, the track record. But their message isn’t landing, their online presence doesn’t match their reputation, and they’re exhausted from doing excellent work that nobody seems to notice.
I help them get clear on their story, sharp on their positioning, and visible in the places that actually matter.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for?
I specialize in visibility strategy, positioning, and public relations but what I’m really known for is something that’s harder to put in a job title.
I have an intuitive ability to see people clearly, often before they can see themselves. The moment someone starts telling me their story, I receive an immediate download of exactly who they are, what makes them remarkable, and where they need to go. Every single person is different. Every single one is crystal clear.
My clients call it a superpower. I call it thirty years of showing up and paying attention.
My superpower? Knowing yours — often before you do.
I increase visibility and build credibility, so my clients are no longer the best-kept secret in their industry.
What sets you apart from others?
Most publicists pitch stories. I build the foundation that makes those stories worth pitching.
Before I ever pick up the phone to call a journalist, I make sure my client knows exactly what makes them different, why it matters, and how to talk about it in a way that actually lands. That work, the positioning, the narrative, the story underneath the story…..is what determines whether a PR campaign succeeds or evaporates.
I also tell the truth. Always. If your idea is brilliant, I’ll tell you. If it needs work, I’ll tell you that too. Be Frank. We tell it like it is. Even when or especially when it’s not what you wanted to hear.
And I bring something no agency can replicate: thirty years of relationships, instincts, and a genuine investment in every single client I work with. I am the person behind the scenes making everything happen. Clients never quite get over how seamlessly it all comes together.
What are you most proud of brand-wise?
That it’s real.
B Frank is not a carefully constructed marketing persona. It’s the story of a woman who grew up without a lot of confidence, built something extraordinary anyway, and finally, after thirty years stopped keeping herself small.
The name, the philosophy, the work, all of it is completely authentic. And I think people feel that the moment they meet me or read anything I’ve written.
I’m most proud that after three decades, my brand still sounds like me.
What do you want readers to know about your brand, offerings, and services?
I want them to know that if they’ve ever felt like the best-kept secret in their industry,if know they’re good but can’t figure out why the right people aren’t finding them, there is a reason. And it’s fixable.
I offer three ways to work with me:
The Clarity Session — a 90-minute intensive where we figure out exactly what’s getting in the way of your visibility and what to do about it. It’s the fastest way to get clear.
The Visibility Intensive — a small group program, four sessions, for founders and experts who are ready to build their positioning, sharpen their message, and create a visibility strategy that actually works.
The Visibility Foundation — my signature 1:1 engagement. Four sessions, everything rebuilt from the ground up. This is the deep work that makes everything else perform.
And I still take a select number of full PR retainer clients — people who are ready for media and need someone with real relationships and real instincts in their corner.
I’m based in Michigan but work with clients all over the country.
What does success mean to you?
I think success is very subjective and it looks different for everyone.
For me, success starts with delivering for my clients and making sure they feel supported, understood, and excited about the results we’re creating together. Some of my biggest moments of success are the big wins for my clients. Landing a great media segment, securing meaningful press coverage, helping someone finally clarify their message, or watching a client gain confidence and momentum in their business never gets old for me.
But success is also much more personal than that. It’s building a business that genuinely aligns with who you are. Doing work that feels meaningful. Having the flexibility to live life on your own terms. And yes, being able to comfortably pay your bills.
Success is also about evolution. I’ve built a career in public relations but I’ve expanded into visibility strategy and consulting work that feels incredibly fulfilling. Having the freedom and confidence to grow, to stop keeping myself small, to finally stand fully in what I bring to the table after thirty years, that feels like success too.
At the end of the day, success for me is a combination of impact, relationships, stability, creativity, and happiness.
And honestly? Knowing I’m a baller at what I do doesn’t hurt either.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bfrankcommunications.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joaniefrank/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joaniefrankconsulting
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanfrankpr/
