Young Journalist launches PR business

There is no single greater value to a company than having people talk about it. Where advertising sends a fixed message that you pay handsomely for, public relations create an objective conversation about your company or brand for a fraction of the cost. 

Advertising lends little to no credibility to your brand, whereas the editorial is independently verified by a trusted third party and is thousand times more valuable.

Hoping to assist businesses and persons tell their story through Public Relations is 25-year-old Gabriella Chapman. With a team of young and vibrant people, Gabriella is hoping to take companies and individuals up the notch. 

Gabriella was born at home on the 25th of July 1995 to parents Mareilyn Chapman-Wyatt and Ewart Fraser. This pageant veteran grew up in an extended family in Campbellville, Georgetown, before heading over Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni – Mazaruni). 

She attended the Stella Maris Nursery and Primary School. However, at age seven (7), which was in 2002, her mother got married to a Bartician and moved to that township. 

She moved to Bartica and left me in the care of my grandmother so that I can continue having access to good schooling, because at that time, Bartica hadn’t the best schooling we were told, and I was always at the top of my class in Stella Maris.

The bond Gabriella and her mother had was unbreakable, and as such, she cried many days and nights to be next to her. Could not take the crying anymore. Her grandmother then sent her to live with her mother in 2003. 

She then began studying at the St. John the Baptist Primary School in Bartica before hopping over to the Three Miles Secondary School. The young lady noted that life in Bartica was different when she first moved there. She explained that it was a challenge adjusting to the environment. 

“I was used to busy streets and bright lights, weekend family excitement at Pizza Hut in the tunnels, at KFC in the bouncy balls, the Sea Wall bandstand with the little motor cars, and so many more.” 

She continued, “But when I moved to Bartica, there was nothing of the sort, and at the beginning, I had difficulty adjusting. I didn’t care much about what I could no longer do, though, and what I no longer had access to, all I cared about was that I had my mother back, and at that time, I was her only child.” 

A year later, she welcomed her first baby brother, Trevor, and ten (10) years later, her second brother Joel. Though she did not have a luxurious lifestyle, Gabriella said that family was their luxury, and they were thankful. 

We spent a lot of time with family, doing bush cooks, camping activities, taking care of the farm, climbing trees, spending time at the creek in our backyard, typical rural/country life, but it was enough for us. Mother taught us contentment and embedded in us the sound principles of Adventism, which laid the foundation for our moral character.

In a nutshell, the colleen stated that her childhood was built on a mother’s unwavering love and sacrifices to ensure that her daughter and sons become the best they can be. 

Education was important to us too. My mother continuously pushes my brothers and me to do our best in school, and she encourages us to be bold. Throughout my school life, I was always well-spoken and outspoken, which caused me to win several impromptu speech competitions, and several best speaker trophies in debating, from the age of 9.

After completing her secondary education in 2012 with nine (9) subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), she returned to Georgetown with little to no idea what she wanted for the future.

She then ventured off to the University of Guyana that same year, doing Agricultural Science with a scholarship that was awarded from the Public Service Ministry.

Eventually, she gave up the scholarship and quit due to varying reasons and went back to Bartica and became a teacher at the Bartica Secondary School. She taught English, Agricultural Science, and Health & Family Life Education.

With a little more clarity on what she wanted with life, she came back to Georgetown and later started her Communication Studies at UG. In 2018, she landed a job at the Guyana Chronicle, which gave her hands-on experience in the programme.

In fact, not long after landing the job, she began doing some ice-breaking story that touched many’s lives. Recently, she resigned from the Guyana Chronicle and is now gainfully employed with Village Voice Guyana as a Journalist. 

The young businesswoman said that she loves the idea of having several streams of income, and the idea of being her own boss. She noted, however, that one of her major issues was figuring out what skill she possesses that can monetize and start her own business. 

After realizing that she loves sharing inspirational and motivating stories, and it showed that she was actually good at it, she decided to launch Gabriella’s PR Services on her birthday. 

“Now, during this pandemic, and even before, Guyanese have been championing innovation and creativity and entrepreneurship. There are so many businesses that have been created in the past few years and months, and there are still a lot of people who do not know about them.” 

She continued, “ Also, a lot of those businesses have amazing startup stories that are worth sharing with the world to inspire and empower the younger ones. Because of my love for telling these stories, tied with my love for wanting to have my own business, I decided to launch Gabriella’s PR Services, with the strapline ‘Let me tell your story,’ to create a platform/outlet, in addition to the regular media houses, to share these stories.” 

She added that the platform/outlet would be her website, which will be launched in November. The young entrepreneur revealed that she has over 40 amazing stories that she is in the process of writing so far. These stories, she said, will be shared on all her social media platforms. 

Startup businesses need certain assistance in terms of their branding and online presence. I have a team of skilled young people in the areas of graphic designing, website building, and more, who assist with the creation of logos and online content, building websites for businesses, etc. It is important to note, however, that my services are not just limited to businesses.

As her business flourishes, the young journalist shared that she aims to be able to provide employment for other female writers.

Some of the services offered by Gabriella’s PR Services is Social Media Management, Feature Articles, Video Features, Press Releases, Speech Writing, Logo Creation, Graphic Designing, Web Development, Photography, Videography, Voice Overs, Brand Ambassador, Event Emcee, and Pageant Delegates Consultancy. 

With her immense love for empowering young women who lack the confidence to unleash their full potential, Gabriella said she looks forward to inspiring a girl or two with what she says or does. In fact, she revealed that she mirrors herself with the works of Michelle Obama. She disclosed;

I know people say you should be yourself and not try to be anyone else. But the admiration I have for the former US First Lady, I truly feel she is a reflection of who I will be in the future and who I will be to my country – A woman who is hell-bent on creating revolutionary changes in the lives of disadvantaged young women, and young women who lack the indispensable tools to become productive members in our society.

However, she heeded that this is a work in progress, but is first working on her and getting herself where she needs to be in order to change what she wants to see. 

Contact Information for Gabriella Chapman

• • Telephone: 592- 616 – 7452
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Facebook Page: Gabriella’s PR Services
  • Instagram Page: gabriellasprservices