Ask a New Yorker: Tell us about yourself?
Debra: Kennedy, boy, it’s a lot. I’m Debra Dixon with Light of Gold PR. Our catch phrase is, “We shed light on the Golden you” through PR and promotion, marketing and media relations. We have a special concentration on new and social media. I have over 15 years in technology background and also have journalism, English degree. So I wanted to find a way to marry both industries. I decided to go into PR seven years ago to do something a little bit more creative. When that happened I’d say about four or five years ago I started seeing a transition to technology embracing the internet. Now we have this entire new and wonderful social media. I consider myself a techie and a publicist at the same time.
Ask a New Yorker: Do you always wear a gold Jacket?
Debra: I try to but that doesn’t always work. I wore this gold jacket just for you today for this interview. (Laughter)
Ask a New Yorker: I read you have a podcast. How is that going?
Debra: Actually I do a webcast that gets repurposed as a podcast. So we have a lot of podcast footage on YouTube. It’s called the Gold profile. We profile luminaries in business entertainment and technology. So we pretty much profile different companies and professionals.
Ask a New Yorker: I love the word repurpose. I need to repurpose my elevator pitch. How long should I give for my elevator pitch?
Debra: The elevator pitch should be about sixty seconds. No more than that.
Ask a New Yorker: Where did you go to school?
Debra: I went to Iona College up in New Rochelle. That’s my alma mater. I’m really excited to be back in New York because I lived in Atlanta for many years. I came back here about four years ago and started my PR firm which has really been growing. It’s basically a boutique firm. There are four of us that work here in New York and we have one person in Atlanta.
Ask a New Yorker: I love the term that describes women from the south, Southern peach.
Debra: I describe myself as an apple peach. I’ve lived half my life in New York and the other half in Georgia.
Ask a New Yorker: What’s happening on April 23?
Debra: The Greater New York Chamber of Commerce is having their business fair at Madison Square Garden. They do this every year. This year is their tenth anniversary. They will have panelist and booths and organizations will be there. It’s a free event. You can come to network and get some great information. I’m going to be a panelist and will be talking about ways to manage and bulletproof your career in this economy, which is challenging.
Ask a New Yorker: Have you had the Jewish Pizza down stairs yet?
Debra: Not yet. I need to. I’ve been in this building for a while. I need to try the Jewish pizza. (Laughter)
Ask a New Yorker: Are you married or single?
Debra: Single.
Ask a New Yorker: How’s the dating scene?
Debra: The dating scene is interesting. I date when I have time. When you’re a business woman you invest a lot of time, I definitely put in the twelve, fourteen hour days. So I date when I can. It’s all good.
Ask a New Yorker: What are the top three interviewing tips for someone to possess on camera?
Debra: Actually I think your referring to a site I was on asking for some interviewing tips just before I did my first webcast. One of the tips I was able to learn was really be natural, relaxed. Just make it seem like it’s a conversation with that person opposed to just running a lot of questions. You want to make it relaxing for both sides.
Ask a New Yorker: What do you really think about New York?
Debra: I think you get a deeper appreciation for New York when you visit other cities, not just in this country but internationally as well. I’ve traveled a bit. I’ve to been to Hong Kong, France, and Germany and a few other countries. I think it’s important to get a different perspective. Then you have a deeper appreciation for the city that you’re from.
Ask a New Yorker: Or you just might have less appreciation of where you’re from after visiting New York!
Debra: Kennedy, you’re right– I think there are two perspectives. They come here have a great time and are ready to go home and will have a deeper appreciation for their home or they might come here and realize that they’ve been missing on so many things in life, like they’ve been almost living under a rock. It’s like I need to relocate to New York and they come and move here. That’s how we get all these new people that move here every year.
Ask a New Yorker: Thank you so much for your Uberchicness, French, and some people may pronounce it Uberchick.
Debra: Well Uberchick I think is kind of cool personally. I like it. (Laughter) I do. I’ve been telling all my friends that I’m going to be featured as Ask a New Yorker’s April Uberchick. Now I’ve got to go back and correct everybody.
“I do believe New Yorkers have a certain characteristic, certain energy, possibly called aggressiveness. I know I’m assertive. But in New York you’re not looked at as aggressive, you’re just a go getter”
