33 Questions with Tenique Bernard, Founder of Tenique Bernard Consulting!
If you intend to workout during a WFH day, put your workout clothes on first thing in the morning...
Hello Friends! I come to you from my norovirus den. I’m still really sick but I feel marginally less nauseous today. The pounding headache won’t budge, however.
Anyway! I am excited to share PR ~Goddess~, Tenique Bernard’s 33 Questions today. :) I don’t think Tenique needs much of an introduction since she is pretty well known and very well respected in fashion PR land, but I’ll quickly mention that she started her consultancy, Tenique Bernard Consulting in 2021 after roles with the CFDA, Ralph Lauren and KCD. Chic.
As someone who overanalyzes EVERYTHING and is riddled with neuroses (I’m talking about me, not Tenique, Lol), I found this interview so refreshing. It was like opting for a tall glass of water with a squeeze of lemon rather than a sugary coffee first thing in the morning. Her answers are so to the point and provide all the information you need. After reading through them, I felt like bird being released from a cage of my own creation. A cage of mental chains I uphold under lock and key that probably keep me in patterns of imposter syndrome or not-enough-ness. I was like, “Whoah. Things can be simple! Things are simple!” As one of my former mentors, Michelle Pellizzon Lipsitz likes to say when it pertains to anything at all, “It ain’t that deep.” It’s so true and I think Tenique’s answers embody this sentiment. There is confidence, steadiness, and a collectedness that comes through in the discernment of her answers which I appreciate. As a chronic oversharer, I am grateful to you, Tenique! Lol. Your answer about putting on your workout clothes first thing in the morning so you can workout at a random time during the day set a lightbulb off in my brain. Genius! I am going to steal that one because sometimes getting in the skin-tight leggings is too much of a mental and physical load, let alone working out. (At least for me. Am I the only one?)
Let’s go!
What do you think makes an editor or journalist answer your email? If they know you or if you have a scoop/interesting pitch
Do you have a favorite subject line hack? URGENT! Lol, no, I’m joking. I don’t have one.
Why does the future of PR feel bleak right now? Do you have any tips for staying optimistic? I think the future is bleak if you think it’s bleak. I stay optimistic by thinking of new ways to work with my clients and deepening my existing relationships. When things are down, you have to think about the future and do what is best for you, not stay on a hamster wheel that isn't producing results.
What was the best gift you ever gave to an editor? I don’t think I can say!
Who is the one editor who is a great partner to you? I have a soft spot for the ladies who do a lot of market work. I’ve grown up with them; they always support me and my clients. Kia Goosby, Jac Cohen, MaryKate Boylan, and Sarah Zendejas, to name a few!
Did you ever get a glimpse as to what it is like to be on the other side? What was it like? I was never interested in being a journalist so no!
Why did you decide to work in PR rather than editorial? I never considered working in editorial. I wanted to be a designer! I was a fine art major and spent much of my high school and college life in the art studio, painting, drawing, and sculpting, so design was a natural next step. But I tried it and didn't love it!
What was the worst fashion faux-pas or PR faux-pas that you survived to tell the tale? I'm not sure if I can tell this story, but it involved Page Six and a BCC gone wrong. DM me for the link, lol.
If you could tell your younger self one thing when you were starting out in PR, what would it be? Keep going!!!
Where did you have the best coffee recently and why? My favorite coffee shop is in Flatbush; it's called Hamlet Coffee. I also tried out Antilles Cafe recently and it was fab!
Where did you have the best dinner recently, and what did you eat? I’ve been going to Hillstone a lot lately. I recently had their deviled eggs for the first time, and I love them.
Where is your favorite place to bring an editor for an IRL catch-up right now? I’ve been meeting people at the Ritz Carlton since it’s close to my office. I like Sunday in Brooklyn or Le Crocodile if I'm in Brooklyn.
Do you think it is time PR people have more of a voice in the fashion industry? Why or why not? In a lot of ways, we do have a voice in the fashion industry, we write all the interviews. Shhh.
Do you think the editorial world is too hard on publicists and what we’re doing or not doing? Not really, because when someone asks my client to do an interview or dress someone, and I don’t think it’s a fit – I say no. I think we all have to do what’s best for us! If the story isn’t hitting, or it’s not the right pitch for what they are working on, it’s okay for them to tell us to scram! And no response is a response for real. I don’t agree with outing dumb pitches, I think it’s mean.
What is one thing about PR that makes you turn into a werewolf? I’m obsessed with lists! I like them to be damn near perfect, nothing makes me crazier than getting an outdated list!
What is something you read, watched, or listened to recently that lit up your brain in fun ways? I listened to a Good Life Project episode with the author Terri Cole. It did in 60 minutes what I’ve been working on in therapy for four years! Wild. I’m reading her new book: Too Much, A Guide to Breaking the Cycle of High Functioning Codependency. Something I think a lot of us fashion people need.
Do you have a favorite quote? No
What are your PR survival tactics or self-preservation tactics? What keeps you sane? My team, family, friends, my therapist, and my trainer Ngo Okafor.
What was the most recent activity a brand did that you thought was well-done? Share a link! I like what the beauty brands are doing; that Rhode pop-up was cool. I didn’t go because I hate lines, but I liked seeing all the posts on TikTok. It feels like beauty brands have the budget to take a project to the next level and fully realize it. I also loved the Christopher John Rogers x J. Crew collab rollout. It felt seamless and natural, not like a forced influencer moment.
If you could do PR for literally anything in the world, what would it be? Politics! I thought Kamala’s campaign was so well done. I’d love to be a part of booking those big interviews and appearances.
What are some skills that you acquired from being a publicist that you think can translate to other industries or to life? We are the utmost problem solvers, and we pivot well. A lot of industries that are clunking along could use that type of quick-on-your-feet thinking.
What is your favorite lip-stick/balm/gloss/oil right now? (I am obsessed with lip ~anything~ so I must know what everyone is using atm) Share a link! How did you know lip balms are my obsession??? First of all, I have one for each scenario. My phone case is Rhode, so that's my emergency go-to lip gloss; I’ll always have it on me as long as I have my phone. Then I use Summer Friday Lip Butter Balm the most; I have one for each bag and room in my house. I love Topicals Slick Salve, but I keep misplacing it!
Ok, while we’re here, what is your favorite mascara? Share a link! I’m using the Ami Cole one right now, and it’s almost done.
What do you wear when you work in the office? Share a selfie! I’m almost always in denim—my fave is Rag & Bone—and a statement jacket or blazer.
What do you wear when you work from home? Share a selfie! At home, I’m always in a workout look. I try to take an hour a day to go to the gym at random times a day, so I put on my gym clothes first thing!
Workout clothes “first thing” = genius
What does your Mom (or Dad or the Boomer in your life) think you do for work? They think I work with celebrities.
What is your favorite PR item that was normal when you started out but has since gone extinct? The fax machine! I miss having physical paper trails for everything.
What is your favorite thing to ask Chat GPT about? Grammar
Name drop the first editor or influencer that comes up when you scroll through your text messages Nikki Ogunnaike!
Tell us a fun editor run-in story! He’s not an editor, but I ran into Jason Rembert at a Dave and Busters in Maryland with my entire family, and he was with his family!
What is your favorite outlet at the moment? I like Line Sheet, I always liked Lauren’s writing, and the fact that it comes straight to my inbox and is accurate and informative is a plus. I also love Ali Pew’s and Becky Malinsky’s Substack newsletters.
What is one thing you would tell a young person wanting to work in PR? Keep going!!
What’s a PR secret you can reveal? There are no secrets in PR! We are the most open of open books.
Best wishes,
Carrie
Love it