About Us

Background

Handle Your Own PR is a DIY PR service for small, medium and home based businesses. This website will provide you with the process you need to follow, tips and hints about dealing with the media, targeted media lists and a media release writing service for you to purchase.

Most new businesses don't have big bucks to throw at an advertising campaign, particularly in the early days. That's where publicity can help. At a fraction of the cost, PR can spread the word very effectively via the media and editorial coverage. But even at a 'fraction' of an advertising budget, a full blown PR campaign can be too expensive for many new businesses.

That's where Handle Your Own PR comes in. If you can't afford to pay a PR agency like ours to do it for you, you can do it yourself with our very affordable DIY-PR tools.

Jules Brooke

Jules spent ten years in advertising sales (press) before moving into the graphic design industry where she was a partner in a successful design company before going on to hold senior management positions in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) and in London. Whilst in London she was a freelance Account Director for four years, working for a number of advertising, design, marketing and sales promotion companies.

Now she is an entrepreneur. Jules set up our 'traditional' PR agency, Handle Communications in 2003 and was joined by Simone in 2005. After many years working with small clients, the two women set up Handle Your Own PR in 2009 for people who need PR but may not have the funds to employ an agency and are happy to do the hard work themselves.

Jules and Simone also have a business called Handle Ideas where they create products for the (mainly parenting) market. They have a range of favour vouchers called I O YOU, as well as a couple of other great parenting products: Sucker (turns water bottles into baby's bottles) and Baby Sticky Bowl that secures children's food bowls to their high chair tray or any flat surface.

Jules is also, just for the hell of it, trying to get some TV show concepts off the ground. Not bad for one woman with a husband and three kids!!

Simone Heydon

Simone began her career working at DDB Needham on many 'below the line' projects including sales promotion, sampling and events for companies like Cadbury Schweppes, Bertolli, Cottees and The Australian Dairy Corporation.

In 1998 Simone joined Communicado Marketing Communications. For four years she managed sales promotions, point of sale and marketing material production and public relations campaigns for companies such as Dulux, Hard Yakka, Simplot Australia (Birds Eye, Edgell, Leggo's I&J, Big Sister), Australia Post, Danks (Home Hardware) and National Foods.
Simone became a partner at Handle Communications in 2005 and works across all clients and facets of the business. Together with Jules she has developed a number of products launching in 2009 and a new business, Handle Your Own PR. Her calm nature and focused approach gets great results for our clients.

Simone is also the mother of two gorgeous boys, Johnny and Henry.