PAUL FRASER Owner of Rephrase PR and Media
What were your career ambitions growing up? Like thousands of others, my ambitions all centred on becoming a professional footballer growing up in Seaton Carew. Having played to a decent standard, district and a trial here and there, it was always a dream of mine as a schoolboy. Unfortunately that never materialised but my love for football and sport did take me down the media path. A broadcasting and media management course led me to the Hartlepool Mail on work experience and to journalism college. The rest, as they say, is history. Tell us about your current role? After 19 years progressing to Chief FootballGolf Writer at The Northern Echo, covering matches across the country and in Europe when teams did well, I built up an extensive list of contacts within the worlds of sport and business as well as in the local and national media industry. That provided the platform to set up Rephrase PR and Media Services in October last year. Now I enjoy working with clients, including individuals, businesses and in education, to help raise their profile, tailored to the specific requirements they have in mind. What is your proudest business achievement? At this moment in time, seven months in, it has to be having the nerve to create my own business – particularly during a pandemic – and making it work during such times. Having had the idea in mind for a number of years, it was important to get the timing right. It felt right, despite what was going on in the world, and I am extremely grateful to those who have believed in me, including clients, family and friends. How has your industry changed in the last decade? Knowing how a newsroom works, it is more important than ever to work with newsdesks and clients to try to cater for everyone’s needs. Social media and the development of better websites provides every company with its own platform to create news and promote what they offer. On top of that, linking well with the various other media outlets can help your brand grow like never before. What are you currently working on? There are lots of things going on month-to-month at Rephrase, with regular clients expanding and tapping into new areas. I have been proud recently to help Hartlepool’s Orangebox Training Solutions shout about how they are rolling out courses across the country – and as far away as Dubai. Just last week Hartlepool College of Further Education was the centre of a media frenzy surrounding the May by-election too. Another of my clients, Evolution Risk Assurance, is delivering immersive training to global players such as BP and Thermofisher. Tell us about the team you work with? We are just a small team right now. I provide tailored consultancy to my clients and Bianca keeps the paper work in check, as well as running social media accounts. I do have all areas covered, with videographers, graphic designers and photographers all on hand to meet the demands of each client. Let’s see what the future holds. What is the best piece of business advice you have been given? Business can be like missing a penalty. Not all of the penalties you take will find the net, but just make sure you’re confident to be on the spot to take another – and if you take it properly then you’ve done your bit and you’ll more than likely score. What has been your biggest challenge? Like I alluded to earlier, it has to be stepping up and launching my business during a pandemic. A lot of my work has had to be done over the phone or on Zoom, even with new clients who I haven’t met before face-to-face. Who are your heroes inside and outside of business? Football and sport is about to come up again here! There’s a theme running through this isn’t there? When I was younger it was Kenny Dalglish and his No.7 shirt for Liverpool. Nowadays I try to listen to as many opinions as possible to help me grow as a person and as a business owner. And if you can surround yourself with people you like to work with and who you trust, everything stands a better chance of working. How do you unwind outside of work? If I get a chance, with three children aged 16, 12 and a one-year-old, you mean, while running a business too? But I do try! I still like to stay reasonably fit by running on a morning and playing football at Over35s or Over 40s level. Golf is a love of mine too and I’m a member at Seaton Carew Golf Club, where I can see the fairways from my office window. Oh, and wine (and beer). Favourite Book and Boxset? Any crime drama and you’re likely to have me sucked in. I loved Prison Break when that first came out and 24. I am a Line of Duty fan and anything else that crops up along those lines you will quite easily get me hooked. Books wise I am a big fan of an autobiography, but James Patterson’s Alex Cross series is top drawer too.
