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PrintCatching up with ... Renzi Stone
President and CEO of Oklahoma City-based Saxum | Public Relations
Renzi Stone
Now: 32; president and CEO of Oklahoma City-based Saxum | Public Relations. Saxum recently opened a Tulsa office.
How did you get started in public relations? I was working for a PR firm out of Washington, D.C., and they wanted to open an office in Oklahoma City … I thought it would be a great fit. After working for them for about a year, I realized there weren’t any public relations firms in Oklahoma City with more than two people … I thought if I could build a firm up, we could do great work for people and make a difference in the community.
Why does PR interest you? I think the ability to tell people’s stories to the right audience at the right time is great. Most people that hire us come to us and say, “We have this great story … ” I enjoy putting together the plan to help them communicate that story to the right audience at the right time in an authentic way.
Why did you open a Saxum office in Tulsa? We’ve been doing business in Tulsa for literally years … It became obvious that we had some big clients that needed more attention over here. And we knew that there was an old guard that was probably changing and there was an opportunity for some new blood. The combination of those two things created an opportunity that we thought would allow us to open an office.
What was it like playing basketball for the OU Sooners? It was incredible. Having the opportunity to represent the state and to play in four straight NCAA tournaments — it was an experience of a lifetime. It was a huge honor to play at OU and a great chapter in my life.
Tell us about your favorite memories of growing up in Tulsa. I grew up going to Boston Avenue United Methodist Church and still have a very fond place in my heart for that church family … Secondly, I was a basketball junkie. I knew where every pick-up game in town was every day of the week.
How did Tulsa help you prepare for your career? What I love about Tulsa are the people. Part of being good at PR is understanding that diverse opinions and backgrounds need to be taken into account ... Tulsa and OKC are two very diverse cultures. What works in OKC won’t necessarily work in Tulsa. Tulsa is a great place to practice PR, but you really have to understand that there are lots of different people represented. If Tulsa taught me anything, it’s that diversity is a good thing, and when you have a diverse market, it creates a rich cultural experience.
