For Tiffany Barnes, a passion for PR, marketing and entrepreneurship recently led her to fly the coop of the corporate world and launch her own business.

Now the owner and president of Blackbird Marketing, located in Liberty Township, Barnes is the entrepreneur she always knew she was called to be. “Being self-employed is in my blood,” she says. Her mother owned her own company for more than 20 years, and has inspired and championed Barnes her entire life.

Barnes fell in love with two-way communication between a brand, its customers, and the influence the average consumer could have over a corporation’s decisions because of her mother’s influence. “It’s changed the way I view a modern day communication’s professional,” she says. Over the last five years or so, Barnes was inspired and immersed herself into the world of blogging, social media, and digital marketing.

Blackbird Marketing was launched in June 2016. “While blackbirds are not traditionally thought of as beautiful, there is something classic about them, in my opinion,” says Barnes. “In my mind, they seem loyal, a constant, and determined… those are qualities I admire.”

Barnes balances being a mother, along with working in the marketing world. She decided to start Blackbird Marketing so that she could spend more time at home, being a hands-on mother with her kids. Working for Blackbird has allowed Barnes to work from home, pick her kids up from school, and be present in her children ‘s everyday life with less distractions. “It put the balance back into my life and hopefully made me a better marketer in the process,” she says.

There are ways that marketing and being a mother are similar. Today, being in the marketing world involves considering the expectations of today’s audiences. “They expect something in return, they want to feel valued, and they are loyal to brands that leave them feeling heard,” says Barnes. “Isn’t that just like motherhood? Making sure your children feel heard, are loved and doted upon.”

The company provides full-scale services to small startups and medium-sized corporations without the budget of a larger business. With the time and attention Barnes is able to give all of her clients, she provides a variety of different services to help businesses flourish, such as public relations, social media, content marketing, influencer relations, graphic design and branding, and special events. Blackbird Marketing is a unique agency in the Cincinnati area. “Because Blackbird is small – only me and a few of the city’s best freelancers – we are able to take on work that a lot of agencies would pass up based solely on budget,” says Barnes. “We’re able to support the startups and non-profits in addition to the corporations. We feel called to always maintain that ability to support the “little guys” too.”

Success at Blackbird Marketing is different for every company that she works with. There are some clients who are looking for media exposure while there are others who want their sales to increase. “For Blackbird, success is defined by our ability to help our clients accomplish their goals and our ability to continue to love what we do.”

If you want to keep up with what Blackbird Marketing is doing, follow and like them on Facebook and Instagram, or visit their website.