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Well, Hello.

A Note from

Andrea Ball, Founder and CEO

To fully embrace big dreams, it’s important to start with the basics.

Andrea Ball, CEO

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A small snapshot into my day to day creating beautiful events, managing media, being a mom, and making PR magic for our clients and a tiny glimpse into the past at my first job in DC in 1998!

Dear PW Friends and Potential Clients,

 

Growing up in Rock, Kansas, I never thought my journey would take me to Washington DC. After working in the world of national trade associations, agricultural public affairs, and tourism promotions for over a decade, I saw the impact that good communications have in creating change, how well-organized events raise money and awareness, and in 2007, I started my company, PlanIt World.

We have grown over the last fifteen years.  We love the energy of the Nation's Capital and our headquarters, located three blocks from the White House on K Street, is surrounded by politicos, think tanks, lobbyists, and lawyers.  It's fascinating stuff creating change and shaping policies with effective communications, and we love it! 

In 2016, we opened our Mid-Atlantic office, to better serve our event clients. In addition to expanding our footprint, this location in West Virginia is centered in a HUB Zone. It allowed us to expand our event operations to include decor and audio-visual rental, add client file storage, and discovered some amazing local team members, who call WV home. We've been lucky enough to develop several tourism events in rural Appalachia. These events create tax revenue, benefit non-profits, draw in tourists, and provide community growth. We are thrilled to create measurable economic impacts in rural areas that need a boost and we've met the most amazing people.

 

Fast forward to 2020. After several successful years of building a business and becoming a mom to Kate, the Great, the Pandemic happened. We had to reset how we connect with people. Covid canceled 14 conventions from our books in '20-21, state legislatures put a moratorium on non-emergency legislation, and tourism events shut down. The future was uncertain.

 

The idea of PW PROjects was born when I had the opportunity to reconnect with my roots in rural Kansas during this challenging time. This time also allowed me to recharge in socially distant middle America and I remembered why I love what I do. Without question, effective communications, PR and marketing makes a difference in the lives of people and changes places for the better... and this is especially true in the small towns of rural America.

 

The silver lining of Covid, is that I had extra time to support some small political campaigns, help friends who were laid off with reimagined resumes, and grow some nonprofit organizations with operational consulting advice. I met some amazingly talented women who were also growing families and side hustles in the Heartland and found a historic building that needed some love and paint.

 

A passion project plan was hatched. Using my 20+ years of experience in running associations, managing non-profits, directing public affairs projects, campaign consulting, promoting advocacy issues, and planning conventions to drive the idea, I've now built a talented Midwestern team and we are launching a new (ad)venture in summer 2023... PW PROjects!

We have high hopes that PW PROjects will also allow us to have fun collaborating with smaller communities, promoting non-profits, and getting to know go-getters. We now have the capacity to take on smaller projects and "Do Good Work", such as applying for grants, organizing small business operations, promoting solo entrepreneurs, managing effective social media, building smaller budget websites, writing/distributing press releases, coaching individuals to grow their career, and even supporting local campaigns.

We also hope to use our extra space in our "new to us" building to encourage people to think bigger, accomplish more, and grow (personally & professionally) with classes, community clubs, and more! We know that big dreams become bold realities, if you work a lot, pray hard, fail a little, and learn from your mistakes.

 

To borrow from a favorite movie quote about building visionary things in the Midwest, "if you build it, they will come".  PW PROjects metaphorically speaking; is my Field of Dreams in my hometown and I'm so excited to see where this sojourn goes! Do you have other ideas for PW PROjects ? Send us a note and let's chat!  Sidebar: If you are a fan of Old Buildings or HGTV... check out the Before & After Gallery on our renovation.

Let's do "good stuff"... Together. 

Andrea Ball

PW PROjects CEO

a division of PlanIt World, llc

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