You really can’t thrive in this line of work unless you enjoy the thrill of the chase and know how to handle rejection
Chiquita Searle
For this week’s Founder Friday, we sat down with Chiquita Searle, a woman whose journey is all about reinvention and courage.
From starting out in fashion to becoming a publicist and now a serial entrepreneur, she’s never been afraid to pivot and embrace new challenges. As the Founder and CEO of Chiquita & Co, a Melbourne-based PR agency, she’s helped CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs grow their public profiles and achieve their business goals.
But her work doesn’t stop there. In 2022, Chiquita launched FemmeCon, a movement aimed at empowering women to take control of their lives and finances, challenging the norms that often hold them back. Through FemmeCon’s events and her podcast Modern Woman, Redefined, Chiquita encourages women to rewrite their own rules and build their futures on their own terms.
She’s also the founder of CHIQUITA Eyewear, where she designs bold, luxury glasses worn by notable figures like Clementine Ford and Chrissie Swan.
The beginning
Chiquita Searle, Founder and CEO of Chiquita & Co, says that starting her business wasn’t part of a grand plan—PR was something she “accidentally fell into.” After leaving a previous role without a clear direction, she spent a year freelancing as a copywriter. One of her clients, a major real estate franchise, later asked her to handle their media. “I was upfront about my lack of experience but told them I’d be happy to learn on the job if they were willing to invest in me—and they said yes.”
From there, the role quickly evolved into public relations, writing award submissions, building a speaking portfolio for the CEO, securing speaking engagements, managing events, and sourcing sponsorships. “Those early experiences shaped the skills I now use in my business,” she says. The success with that client led to new opportunities, as other franchisees began reaching out, which soon allowed the business to expand beyond real estate into a variety of industries.
She acknowledges that PR is a challenging, nuanced field with plenty of trial-and-error moments. “You really can’t thrive in this line of work unless you enjoy the thrill of the chase and know how to handle rejection.” Despite the challenges, she finds the work incredibly rewarding. “I still get a thrill every time we secure a win for a client.” For her, the journey has been an exciting, unexpected adventure—one she remains deeply grateful for.
Power of building a speaking brand
Our growth initially came from word of mouth, referrals, and social media, which helped us build a strong foundation.
Chiquita Searle says the early growth of her business was largely organic, driven by word of mouth, referrals, and social media. These channels helped build a strong foundation, allowing her to establish a reputation before taking a more strategic approach. “As we’ve grown, I’ve taken a more strategic approach by joining various business communities to connect with other business owners and expand our network.”
She believes that surrounding herself with like-minded business owners has been instrumental, not just for networking but also for gaining insights, exchanging ideas, and staying ahead of industry trends. The ability to tap into the knowledge and experiences of others has helped shape the way she approaches both challenges and opportunities.
Beyond networking, she has also taken the initiative to create her own spaces for connection. “I’ve also launched my own events for women in business, called ‘Hot Bitch Biz Lunches,’ which provide an intimate private dining experience for women to connect, collaborate, and explore opportunities to work together.” These gatherings have become a powerful way to foster meaningful relationships and open doors to new collaborations in a way that traditional networking events often don’t allow.
At the same time, the business has evolved its services based on client demand. Many of the entrepreneurs and executives she worked with needed more than just PR—they wanted a comprehensive marketing solution that covered social media and digital strategy as well. Recognizing this gap, she adapted her agency’s approach. “Many of our clients expressed a need for social media and digital marketing support, so we evolved into a ‘one-stop shop’ for their marketing needs,” she says.
This shift has allowed her clients to access a fully outsourced marketing function without the overhead of hiring and managing in-house staff. “The responsibility is on us to deliver results, which creates a different and highly beneficial dynamic for our clients.”
Why long-term client relationships matter
Chiquita Searle believes her business stands out because of the sheer breadth of services it offers. “We provide a comprehensive range of services under one roof—public relations, awards, events, sponsorship, social media, content creation, and now digital marketing.” Unlike many agencies that specialize in just one or two areas, her team takes a more holistic approach, giving clients the ability to streamline their efforts by outsourcing most of their marketing needs to a single team.
“We also specialise in building speaking brands for clients who want to share their stories on the speaking circuit,” she adds, highlighting a unique offering that sets them apart from traditional PR firms.
She explains that this model eliminates the need for clients to juggle multiple agencies, making the process more efficient and results-driven. But beyond the services themselves, she believes the agency’s real differentiator is its commitment to outcomes. “We don’t lock clients into contracts—we back ourselves to deliver outcomes that speak for themselves.”
This confidence in delivering results has fostered deep client relationships, with many choosing to stay with the agency for six years or more. She attributes this longevity to the trust they’ve built and the tangible impact they create. “We view our role as more than just an agency; we are their ‘power partner,’ working closely with them to build strong, impactful public profiles.”
For her, this work goes beyond business—it’s a privilege. “We’re incredibly privileged to earn our clients’ trust and consider it an honour to be such an integral part of their success.” It’s this deep sense of partnership, combined with a results-first mindset, that continues to set the agency apart in an ever-evolving industry.
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This Founder Friday, we sit down with Searle to learn her secrets to time management, her strategies for success, and how she manages to stay inspired Founder Friday, founder friday Dynamic Business
