Claudia Greene is the CEO and founder of Mayhem Entertainment Public Relations based in Los Angeles. In the early ’90s, she and her family escaped Sierra Leone when civil war broke out in the country. In the United States, the family resettled in Minnesota, with hopes of a better future. Despite English being her second language, Greene graduated at the top of her class from the University of Miami with a double degree in film and communications. In 2010, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a master’s degree in writing and producing for television at Loyola Marymount University.
Rolling out spoke with Greene regarding her business and its future.
How did you become an entertainment publicist?
I fell into PR, while I [working as] a journalist right after grad school. In 2010, I moved to Los Angeles to get my master’s degree while I was working as a writer for “Entertainment Tonight,” “The Insider,” “TMZ,” and “TooFab.” It was at “TMZ” where I learned about the world of PR. Even though I had little to no prior knowledge of the PR industry, I still had a solid background in writing. I began my publicity career as a junior publicist working at a very small PR firm. While working at this firm, I [gained] experience and knowledge of pitching, organizing an event, and handling red carpet events. After some time there, I decided to leave and start my own firm.
As the founder of your own public relations company, how would you describe your personal brand and your company’s brand?
I would describe my personal brand as young, creative, multi-layered, and hardworking. I wear many hats in my career. I am not only a publicist. I am also a mother, a fixer, and a nurturer. I bring a lot of that personality into my career and my company. This is why many of my clients find me very relatable. I like to listen to them so they know I value them. I also manage some of my clients as well. Whenever there is a crisis, I look into fixing problems and coming up with strategic solutions.
What separates you from others in your field?
I like to focus on the quality of my clients and not quantity. I strive to make sure my team and I do not neglect our clientele, so they in turn feel like we are properly representing them in the manner they like. Our firm gets a lot of client requests daily, but I like to take on clients who fit our brand and the demographic I look for.
What’s next for Claudia Greene and Mayhem Entertainment Public Relations?
Before Mayhem Entertainment PR’s 10th anniversary I want my company to have over 100 hundred clients with offices open in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami. I would like to get back into screenwriting for TV and film, launch my own production company and become the executive producer of my own sitcom or drama.
