Co-stars
Look out! Stacey Cohen is on the run.
There”™s no need for a 5 a.m. boot camp to stay in shape when she probably burns more energy during her long days in and out of the office of her marketing and public relations firm, Co-Communications.
Cohen”™s run for the front door is, according to her staff, more like a choreographed football play. One day it could be Lauren Kaufman, director of client services, trying to ask the boss one more question. Or maybe it”™s Beth Weiss, senior account manager, looking to have Cohen sign off on something. Or maybe Rick Hoolan or Kelly Lee are seeking out their boss. But Kat McKee, Cohen”™s executive assistant, is on high alert and runs interference as the boss dashes to her car.
But darn, Mike Dardano, senior vice president, was onto her escape and catches her before she can make her getaway.
It”™s a good thing she doesn”™t have to try to escape her other three staffers; they”™re up in the Simsbury, Conn., office.
That, they all say, is a typical day at the office.
The camaraderie, energy and commitment helped propel the company to winning this year”™s Small Business Success award from The Business Council of Westchester and land the firm in the 2008 Business Hall of Fame.
The president of Co-Communications gives her staff high marks. In celebrating the firm”™s 10th anniversary last November, Cohen said, “You inspire me every day … I”™m so proud of your individual growth. Because of your hard work, support, creativity and commitment, we are here today. I am privileged to lead such a brilliant and dedicated group of people.”
But that brilliance can be attributed to Cohen, who saw the good and the bad of public relations and marketing after graduating from Syracuse University. She learned the business at Marsteller Inc. and CBS/Fox Video, both in New York City. In 1991, she started her own consulting business, working out of her home.
She attributed the entrepreneurial attitude to her parents, Stanley and Faith, who had their own businesses.
In her youth, after babysitting became too dull, Cohen and a friend struck upon the idea of starting something a little more lucrative. They started a home-waitressing service in Rockland County in which the girls would set up, serve and clean up for families hosting dinner parties.
She had her epiphany when she was hired by a marketing firm to write an annual report for a biotech firm. The agency was so micromanaged that they didn”™t allow her direct access to the company. That moment of clarity hit her between the eyes. Co-Communications was born; and no, “Co” is not a derivative of Cohen. To paraphrase from a popular phrase, “It”™s about the collaboration, stupid.”
Cohen”™s biggest move came just a little more than 10 years ago when she moved her fledgling marketing and public relations firm out of her Chappaqua home to Main Street in Mount Kisco.
Since then, Co-Communications has moved two more times, and each time less than a hundred yards from the original office. From a back office at 295 Main St. with just an intern, Cohen outgrew the place in six years and moved with her staff of five down and across the street to 344 Main. With eight people sharing tight quarters a couple years later, Cohen then moved next door to a house at 332 Main.
Three years ago, a hardworking Jessica Lyon let Cohen know that she would have to leave the firm to be closer to family in Hartford. Cohen didn”™t want to lose a valued employee, so she impulsively suggested that Lyon open up a Connecticut branch of Co-Communications.
In September 2006, the Simsbury office opened and added two more staffers, Danielle Cyr and Collette Pelletier.
One of Cohen”™s first clients was the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester. It remains a client today along with some 25-plus others. Clients range from software to restaurants to real estate and health care to their latest client, a race-car business.
What sets her firm apart from others, Cohen said, is “our client-driven mission.” As technology constantly evolves, the firm uses everything available, from blogs and podcasts to You Tube to enhance their clients”™ communications and get their message to their respective audiences.
She said the business is a lot like playing chess: “There”™s a lot of strategy.”
And she said, it”™s more than just press releases. When residents of United Hebrew Geriatric Center in New Rochelle learned how to navigate computers a couple years back from students at Pace University, Cohen”™s firm capped off the end of the course with graduation ceremonies.
“We always go the extra mile,” she said. “If we can help clients other than through traditional means, we”™ll do it. It”™s all about client results.”