Joan Frank exudes warmth and authenticity. She is nurturing, but also a straight-shooting force of nature. Exactly who you want on your side, no matter the cause.
Frank is a leader in the public-relations industry — the founder and president of Birmingham-based B Frank Communications has more than 25 years under her belt making connections and managing client PR, locally and nationally (at the time of our interview, she was readying to accompany a client to the Oscars’ A-List Lounge in Los Angeles).
“I always knew that this was what I wanted to do,” Frank says. “I was very lucky — my dad owned an advertising agency [Robert Solomon of Robert Solomon & Associates, then Solomon Friedman Advertising] in Downtown Detroit. He was ‘the guy’ but I’m sure I didn’t realize that at the time.
“Every summer since I was 12, I lived there,” she says. “They’d stick me in different departments — but PR is the area that I always gravitated to.”
After studying communications at Boston University, Frank returned to Metro Detroit for a position with Renaissance Detroit. “We did the first Detroit Grand Prix — an absolutely amazing experience,” Frank says. “How incredible is it that they were able to create a Formula One race course through the city of Detroit? People came from all over the world to see it.”
Following a stint in New York City, Frank again returned to Detroit before getting married (she’s since divorced), having two children and dabbling in residential real estate (she sold a house to former Detroit Tiger Alan Trammell). Soon lured back into the world of PR, she landed the position of director of public relations with the Berline Group, where she ran accounts for Wendy’s, the Michigan State Fair and more.
Encouraged by the company’s VP to start her own shop, “gifting” her with an important client to take with her, Frank launched her own business, originally B Frank Public Relations before transitioning to B Frank Communications. The firm will celebrate its 28th anniversary in June.
Often described as a powerhouse by friends and clients, Frank excels at the connection, the media relationships, the telling-it-like-it-is but also listening to what the client needs and coaxing it out.
“I have an intuitive gift,” Frank says. “I can go in and talk to a client, and it’s like the universe downloads it to me — I know exactly how to spin their story and what’s going to work. But I also meet with clients who I don’t think are a good fit. I’m very honest about whether I can work with them or not.”
Starting out with local clients, Frank grew to having clients all over the world, “which I love,” she says. “Mine is a boutique firm — which means I’m always the person there for a client. Often clients come in after working with a big agency, where they were given the impression they’d be working with the CEO, but once the contract is signed, that’s not the case. If a client is happy, I’m the one they’re going to tell. But if a client is not happy, I’m still the one they’re going to tell.
“This is what works for me. I meet the client, come up with the angle, do the pitching — all of that is what I really love,” she says “I develop these crazy fabulous relationships with the media. Then I bring in really accomplished independent contractors who will do the writing, the graphic design, the social media — all aspects that have different skill sets than mine. Having a home office keeps the overhead low, so I can hire the best in each discipline.”
Frank has a diversified client base, which she loves. “It keeps me fresh and makes it so much more fun for me,” she says. “I’m a real ‘idea’ girl.” Among her current local clients are a cosmetic dentist (Dr. Robert DiPilla in Birmingham), a shopping mall (all the shops at Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield), a psychic medium (Lynn Darmon) and an architectural firm in Ferndale (Fusco, Shaffer & Pappas), which she loves working with “because the president’s mantra is that ‘you give back however you can, whenever you can,’” she says. “They’re a for-profit firm that works with nonprofits and has changed the landscape of Detroit,” even earning kudos from Mayor Mike Duggan.
She also works with New York City celebrity psychic Thomas John and bone-broth expert and author Dr. Kellyann Petrucci, who has changed the lives of celebrities in New York City and Los Angeles — and for whom Frank got her first TV segment.
Another client, local manifestation expert Dr. Michelle Barr, has been “the most incredible case study for me,” Frank says. “In two years, she’s gone from no footprint to having a weekly segment on Fox 2 Detroit, which is picked up nationally on Fox. She’s viral. She’s always on the front page of Yahoo after segments that are picked up in the U.K., Australia — it’s mind blowing.”
Sixteen years ago, Frank was diagnosed with thyroid cancer — and although she scheduled her surgery on Leap Day so she wouldn’t have an annual reminder, she has also come out ahead.
“Everyone says, ‘if you’re going to get cancer, that’s the one with a high success rate,’” Frank says. “That’s great, but when it’s you, and you’re going in for these scans and praying you’ll be able to see your kids grow, it’s hard. I had a fabulous team at Beaumont [now Corewell Health], and I went through my surgery and treatment. Everything is good now, I get my checkups.
“But before cancer, I never spoke my voice,” she says. “There was a huge shift in my life. You begin to prioritize what’s important — you take out the trash and trim the bs, whether it’s people or clients, because life is just too short.
“It turned out to be a very positive experience for me. I know that sounds weird,” she says. “But it was like, this is ‘Joan 2.0.’ I started understanding more about the spiritual realm. I became an Imerman Angel [founded by Michigan-native cancer-survivor Jonny Imerman to connect those touched by cancer to Mentor Angels].
“I’ve always been an empath, it’s very much how I work — I am maternal,” Frank says. “My job is helping my clients shine, and to help them do that, I have to help them identify what their story is. It’s all part of the package for me.”
Frank is grateful for her gift of “finding the story,” even more so post-cancer.
“I tell this to my kids all the time — I think that everybody has at least one gift,” she says. “One of life’s big challenges is identifying your gift. And if you can make your gift your career, you’re golden.”
JOAN FRANK’S TIPS ON BUILDING A BRAND
-You must have a logo, a stationery suite, a good photo, a good writer and a website.
-Any brand must have a social-media footprint.
-Invest in yourself and invest in the brand: For example, we will do a deep dive for award nominations — it builds your credibility and gives you the opportunity to share accolades with your client base.
“I have an intuitive gift. I can talk to a client, and it’s like the universe downloads it to me — I know exactly how to spin their story.” — Joan Frank
“Before cancer, I never spoke my voice. But then you start to prioritize what’s important — you take out the trash and trim the bs, because life is just too short.” — Joan Frank
