Building a Sustainable PR Business: Vision, Discipline and the Hard Slog

Date: 17 March 2026

Time: 10:00 – 11:30 am SAST

Host: fraymedia Foundation

Venue: Zoom Online Webinar, register here to attend

Speakers: Paula Fray (CEO, fraymedia Foundation) and Janine Hills (CEO, Janine Hills Authentic Leadership)

Across South Africa and the continent, many communications and PR practitioners launch businesses on the strength of talent, networks and instinct. Yet building a sustainable PR business requires far more than technical skill. It demands strategic vision, intellectual rigour, brand clarity, financial discipline, relationship management, resilience and the stamina to endure the hard slog of entrepreneurship.

fraymedia Foundation is proud to partner with one of Africa’s most respected leadership and reputation experts, Janine Hills, for a grounded and candid exploration of what it truly takes to build and sustain a PR business over time. Drawing on more than four decades of experience across industries, Janine will share hard-won lessons on leadership, trust, reputation and resilience, in conversation with Paula Fray, CEO of fraymedia Foundation.

With more than 40 years of experience across telecommunications, mining, financial services, hospitality and aviation, Janine has advised C-suite leaders on brand, reputation, crisis management and visionary leadership. Through Janine Hills Authentic Leadership, she has developed tailored programmes that unlock executive potential, strengthen organisational reputation and build trusted brands.

This session will move beyond inspiration to practical insight: what does it take to build not just a PR agency, but a business with staying power?

By the end of the session, participants will:

• Understand the core elements required to build a sustainable PR business.

• Reflect on the intellectual foundations of reputation, trust and leadership.

• Gain insight into the operational and emotional realities of entrepreneurial leadership.

• Learn how to balance vision with discipline and creativity with systems.

  
  

Webinar Programme:

1. Opening Remarks (10 minutes): Paula Fray will frame the session by reflecting on the entrepreneurial journey within media and communications, and the need to pair purpose with profitability.
   

2. Keynote Address (35–40 minutes): Janine Hills will deliver a keynote on Building a Sustainable PR Business, exploring:

   1. The mindset of visionary leadership.

   2. The centrality of trust in business relationships.

   3. Brand and reputation as strategic assets.

   4. The realities of building a business: consistency, reliability, discipline and steady communication.

Drawing on her decades of cross-industry experience, Janine will share practical lessons and candid reflections on what sustains a business over time.

3. Q&A (30–35 minutes): Paula Fray and Janine Hills will engage in a moderated conversation that digs deeper participants own challenges and concerns.

The session will benefit proffessionals, including:

• PR and communications entrepreneurs

• Independent consultants and agency founders

• Women-led and emerging communications businesses

Building a sustainable PR business requires strategy, discipline, resilience and a clear commitment to trust. This practical session offers direct insight from an experienced leader who understands both the vision and the hard work required to build something that lasts. Essential for any woman building her own business, this conversation will focus on the real foundations of longevity and growth.