The phenomenal and inspirational success story of Terrie
Williams began as the tale of a caring and shy young
woman who "wanted to save the world." The
early chapters of her life will chronicle that she was
a social worker by training that earned a Masters in
Social Work from Columbia University. But it was her
venture into the entrepreneurial world--as the founder
of The Terrie Williams Agency, one of the country's
most successful public relations and communications
firms--that made an enduring mark in the archives of
business history.
Since its launch in 1988, with superstar Eddie
Murphy and jazz legend Miles Davis
as her first clients, the Agency has handled some of
the biggest names in entertainment, sports, business
and politics. The likes of Janet Jackson,
Russell Simmons, Sean "P.
Diddy" Combs, Johnnie Cochran,
the Rev. Al Sharpton, Jackie Joyner-Kersee,
Sally Jessy Raphael, Time Warner, HBO, AT&T
and Essence Communications Partners
have retained the services of her company. Today her
Agency is a division of Players Govern Players Communications
(of which she is Vice-Chair), a multi-media firm that
develops cause-related campaigns for personalities,
products and entities.
As an author Williams has written three successful
books. Her first, The Personal Touch: What You Really
Need to Succeed in Today's Fast-paced Business World
(1994, Warner Books), is a perennial business bestseller.
Her second book, Stay Strong: Simple Life Lessons for
Teens (Scholastic, Inc., 2001), has been utilized in
school curricula and was the catalyst to launch The
Stay Strong Foundation, a national non-profit for youth.
Her latest, A Plentiful Harvest: Creating Balance and
Harmony Through The Seven Living Virtues (Warner Books,
2002), is her undertaking to help other achieve balance
in their daily lives, reconnect with their heritage,
and identify the needs of their souls.
Williams is one of the country's most highly sought-after
speakers, and has shared her unique brand of success
and personal development strategies with numerous Fortune
500 companies and countless organizations, including
the New York University Continuing Education
Program, The New School for Social Research, The National
Football League, The National Basketball Association
and the National Hockey League.
Her success story has been featured in dozens of publications
including The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Crain's
New York Business, The New York Daily News and People,
Adweek, Essence and Savoy magazines. The Agency's accomplishments
have been used as the basis for public relations seminars
and college classes, and Williams is quoted and featured
in college textbooks, industry newsletters and even
novels. A sampling includes: Public Relations: A Values-Driven
Approach (by David Guth and Charles Marsch); Basic Media
Writing (a college text by Melvin Mencher that has featured
Williams in every edition since 1989); Rogers' Rules
for Businesswomen (by Henry C. Rogers); Any Way The
Wind Blows (by E. Lynn Harris); Keys to Positive Thinking
(by Napoleon Hill of Think & Grown Rich fame); and
Show & Tell (by Nelson George).
Williams's early career path--one designed to help
others--lies at the very core of who she is, and is
continually reflected in her work and community service.
That driving force today is based in the efforts of
The Stay Strong Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization
geared to support America's youth. The Foundation encourages
corporate and individual responsibility, develops educational
resources for youth and youth organizations, provides
and coordinates internships, sets up mentoring opportunities,
and facilitates visits by prominent individuals and
business professionals to schools, libraries, youth
organizations and group homes.
Other programs of the Foundation, which has been honored
by The National Center for Black Philanthropy with its
Special Achievement in Philanthropy Award, include:
Terrie “Plus One,” an “outside the
office” opportunity for young people to join Terrie
and other professionals who are recruited at black-tie
fundraiser's, corporate and private dinners, movie premiers,
sports events, awards shows, speaking engagements and
special events; the Please…Listen! National tour
series of youth speak out sessions that raise awareness
of teen issues and engage young people in the solution
process; and Project Believe, a life skills and leadership
training and development initiative to help young people
see their dreams manifest and become leaders in their
schools, in their communities, and within various organizations.
Awards and honors Williams has received over the years
include The New York Women in Communications Matrix
Award in Public Relations (she was the first and only
woman of color to be so honored in the 30-year history
of the award); the PRSA New York Chapter's Phillip Dorf
Mentoring Award; and The Citizen's Committee for the
New York Marietta Tree Award for Public Service. In
1996 Williams was the first person of color honored
with the Vernon C. Schranz Distinguished Lectureship
at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Established
in 1979, the Lectureship is recognized as one of the
most preeminent in public relations.
In 1998, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of The
Terrie Williams Agency, Williams donated her collection
of business and personal papers to Howard University's
Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. The donation was
the center's first gift of material specific to the
public relations field. Moorland-Spingarn Research Center
is the world's largest, most comprehensive repository
of information and materials about and by people of
African descent, housing works by such legendary figures
as Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, W.E.D. DuBois,
Alice Walker, James Baldwin and Toni Morrison.
Williams is a success story that has been built on
a foundation of the countless contacts, friends, mentors
and business associates that have helped her rise to
the pinnacle of her profession. "I have been blessed,"
Williams says. "And I know that the best way to
say thank you to all those who have done so much for
me is to give something back and pass it on to those
who will follow us. I always wanted to save the world,"
she says with a laugh. "I can't do that, of course.
But I can do my part, and encourage others to do the
same."
TERRIE
M. WILLIAMS 