No entrepreneur opens a business with failure in mind. They begin with big dreams, dreams of profit, impact, and value creation. But somewhere between vision and execution, many founders forget the question that every serious business must ask: “What happens if things go wrong?” When crisis eventually knocks, those without a communication strategy learn the hard way that reputation, not revenue, is the real heartbeat of a business.
In today’s world where attention is currency, the conversation around Public Relations (PR) has never been more urgent. Yet, PR remains one of the most misunderstood tools in the entrepreneur’s toolkit. As brands chase overnight visibility, they confuse publicity for strategy and noise for influence. “Most PR efforts fail because people want immediate results,” says Seye Joseph, strategic communicator, journalist, and founder of EnterpriseCEO. “Sometimes you must work on a PR plan consistently for two or three years before you get the exact result you are looking for.”
His tone is calm but firm, born from experience. To Seye, PR is not paparazzi. It is not a newspaper splash, a celebrity endorsement, or a few radio appearances. And it is certainly not a tool for covering up bad behavior. “PR is not for liars,” he says pointedly. “PR must be strategic, deliberate, and rooted in truth.”
It is a message many business owners do not want to hear, especially in a culture addicted to speed. But the consequences of ignoring it are clear: invisibility kills. A business that is not known, understood, or trusted will lose, even if its product is excellent.
Seye sits across from Melvis, host of The LIMBSimple Podcast, reflecting on the mindset that shaped his philosophy of storytelling and perception. His journey into media was accidental. He once dreamt of becoming a lawyer until admission challenges led him into Mass Communication, a detour that revealed his true path. Working in print, PR agencies, and newsrooms, he discovered the power of narrative, not as an abstract idea, but as a force that could change lives.
He recounts a story that marked him forever. “I once reported on a village that had never had electricity,” he says. “After the story was published, they got a transformer. Another time, I wrote about an abandoned health centre. An NGO saw it and rebuilt the facility.” That was the moment he understood storytelling not as a career, but as a tool for transformation.
Today, through EnterpriseCEO, Seye is amplifying the voices of African founders, innovators, and business leaders, reclaiming the narrative of African enterprise from the margins of global media.
Yet, even as storytelling remains timeless, the stage has changed. “Journalism isn’t changing. It has changed,” he stresses. The era of waiting for 4 p.m. television programming is gone. Radio is no longer the gatekeeper. Technology and social platforms have shattered the monopoly of traditional media. “If you don’t embrace digital tools and technology, you will be left behind.”
This evolution has also redefined PR. What once required ten journalists, he explains, may now require only two, paired with AI, data, and digital strategy. But with this evolution came new misconceptions. The biggest? That PR is only for big brands, and that PR delivers instant success. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Marketing can create quick sales, Seye says, but PR creates credibility, the kind that sustains sales over time. “Visibility without credibility is noise,” he concludes. “PR is perception. And perception, when shaped intentionally, becomes profit.”
In his view, every entrepreneur must grasp one truth: a business can recover from slow months, low traffic, or even financial losses. But it may never recover from a damaged reputation. PR is not an accessory. It is not a luxury. It is business insurance, business strategy, and business continuity. It is the difference between being seen and being believed.
And in the marketplace of today, belief is everything.
