ABOUT US

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Sherri Fishman established her own PR agency, Sherri Fishman Public Relations, in 1991, starting with one client and working out of her home. Eventually, her reputation as a solid publicist and PR pro began to spread around the franchise industry, and her client roster gradually started to grow. In 1992, her husband, Brad, decided to leave the family business started by his father years before and instead join Sherri in taking her promising PR company to new heights. Consequently, they changed the name to "Fishman Public Relations."

By 1994, with more than a dozen clients in the franchise industry, Fishman PR leased out office space and hired employees to help support their growing client base. While Sherri spent the majority of her time managing accounts and employees, Brad was busy traveling around the world at franchise industry events, attracting new clients and establishing himself as an expert in using PR and other marketing techniques to help franchise companies generate leads.

Today, with more than 50 years of combined public relations experience in the franchise industry, Brad and Sherri have grown Fishman PR into the largest and best-known franchise publicity brand that continues to grow along with the industry. Currently, Fishman PR represents more than 75 franchise organizations and employs a staff of 25 media relations and public relations professionals. Currently, the agency's billings exceed $2 million per year.

Fishman Public Relations has built its reputation on solid publicity results based on customized PR programs for all types of franchise organizations. Our seasoned publicists generate powerful media coverage of franchise concepts and opportunities in the national media to boost brand awareness and generate franchise leads, as well as provide exposure in local markets for new and existing franchisees and in regions targeted for franchise development.

Fishman PR is known for securing media placements for its franchise clients in publications including Entrepreneur, Inc., Business Week, QSR, Restaurants & Institutions, Nation's Restaurant News, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today and Fortune, as well as business-page profiles in newspapers throughout the United States. Carefully training our staff on the most effective media relations techniques, Fishman PR has commanded the respect of high-level journalists for constantly suggesting newsworthy and accurate story ideas on behalf of our clients.

Executive Bios

Brad Fishman, CEO

As a noted franchising and public relations international speaker and expert, Fishman Public Relations' CEO Brad Fishman has spent more than 20 years helping franchise clients develop successful lead generation campaigns through successful public relations efforts.

Noted for being one of the most well-connected individuals in the franchise industry, many franchisors have joined the Fishman PR family to benefit from his power of networking.

As an entrepreneur, relating to fellow entrepreneurs and franchisees gives Brad the credibility to develop powerful public relations campaigns that have helped hundreds of franchise systems achieve their desired growth. Brad is also co-founder of Investor Awareness, Inc. and North Shore Public Relations. He also sits on the board of directors of Franchise Payments Network, FranFund, Franchiseworks.com and previously served on the Board of Directors of FranChoice.

He has previously been chairman of the International Franchise Association's Franchise Supplier Forum, as well as serving as a past executive board member and board member of the IFA. Brad also serves on the IFA's Membership Committee and the FranPac Advisory Board.

Sherri Fishman, President

Since 1984, Fishman Public Relations' President Sherri Fishman has been generating high-level publicity on behalf of more than 300 leading franchise concepts nationwide.

A noted expert on franchise PR for nearly 25 years, Sherri has authored several articles and has been quoted as a franchise PR expert in industry trade publications, including Franchise Update, Franchise Times, The Franchise Handbook, and Franchising World. As an advocate for women in franchising, Sherri formerly served on the board of the Women's Franchising and Distribution Forum (WFDF), dedicated to empowering women and providing opportunities for them to advance in any level of franchising. She also serves as a member of the PR and Advertising IFA Committee, helping review PR/Advertising initiatives.

Debra Vilchis, Chief Operating Officer

Since joining the company in 1999, Fishman Public Relations' COO Debra Vilchis has orchestrated strategic public relations campaigns for dozens of franchise organizations that have generated publicity resulting in quality franchise leads and increased consumer awareness.

With more than 20 years of real-world journalism and public relations experience, including reporting for the Associated Press, Debra has combined her sharp journalism skills with her creative public relations mindset to single handedly manufacture highly effective public relations campaigns for Fishman PR’s clients.

As Chief Operating Officer, Debra develops agency-wide systems and staff training programs to ensure best practices, she ghostwrites numerous articles on behalf of clients for industry trade publications, and frequently travels to client offices and conferences around the country to give PR presentations and train executives and franchise owners how to conduct effective media interviews for their franchise brands. She is a former co-chair with Chicago Women's Franchise Network, part of the IFA's Women's Franchise Committee.