Tell us the basics: Who are you, what’s your company’s name, and how long have you been at this company?

I’m Steve Mullen, president of EndGame PR. I founded the company in January 2006. EndGame Public Relations is a Social Media PR firm that stands at the intersection of public relations and IT, providing a variety of services to clients, including, but not limited to, Facebook and Twitter marketing, search engine optimization, website development and management, email newsletters, crisis communications and strategic media relations.

How did you wind up in this business?

I started my post-college career working as a radio anchor/reporter and later a TV news producer. After realizing the hours and salary of those jobs were not for me, I jumped into a PR career, snagging a job at The Martin Agency. Unfortunately, I was laid off from that position during a business downturn. I then moved to Circuit City’s Corporate Communications Department … and you can guess how that turned out. After two straight layoffs, I figured I had to start my own firm and rely on myself. It was an interesting moment to start a PR firm, as social media was in its infancy. I saw a change coming, and as social media became more prominent I began using it for my clients more and more.

What’s coming up in the next year for you and your company? What about in the next five years?

I believe EndGame PR is at a turning point. With my client base growing, I’ll soon have to make a decision between staying small or growing. However, bringing on more clients, and thus staff, also brings complications in terms of accounting, management, and maybe even office space. It would be a big change, and in this economy I’d need to get the timing just right.

What’s a lesson you’ve learned during the recessionary environment of the past few years?

It turns out that the economy actually helped me in some ways. Companies need PR, as well as website design and management. Social media can’t be ignored, either. But, in this environment, many companies don’t want to pay the rates charged by the PR “big boys.” I’m able to charge less for the same work because I have very low overhead.

Is there a secret to your personal success? Perhaps a piece of advice you’ve always remembered?

I do my best to treat every client as if it’s the only one I have. It’s not hard, because it hasn’t been that long since I only had one or two clients!

What’s the part of your job you dread the most?

I despise writing invoices and tracking who has paid and who hasn’t.

What’s the part of your job that excites you the most, the thing that makes you want to hurry to work?

I enjoy the challenge of doing something a little different each day. That’s the wonderful thing about having a variety of clients in different fields. It’s hard to get stuck in a rut. I also enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when I learn to do something new, or when I solve a particular problem for a client or for my own business.