Stefanie Small, a blond woman wearing a black dress and large blown glass earrings, stands outdoors near a body of water and rocky terrain, with a blurred background of mountains and cloudy sky.

Hey there, I’m Stefanie!

(My mom chose this spelling after her numerologist told her an “f” would be more fortuitous than a “ph” for me. Hey, it was the ‘70s in LA, man…)

In my career as an arts publicist, I spent years helping Bay Area audiences discover and connect with cultural events.

The easiest projects to generate enthusiasm for were new works by people who were already famous. A national Broadway tour starring a pop star? Easy. A new Cirque production coming to town? People were already lining up because they trusted the brand.

Getting audiences to take a chance on a brand-new company was harder. But even then, there was always a segment of people willing to show up simply because something was new.

The most challenging assignments were the productions everyone already knew. The billionth local production of Fiddler on the Roof. The familiar play. The annual tradition. The thing people assumed they already knew everything about.

How was I going to make anyone care about that?

In situations where the art itself wasn't the story, I had to go deep on the audience.

What did they care about?

What would make this production feel relevant to them?

What assumptions were they bringing with them?

What would make them stop scrolling, pay attention, and show up?

Those are the same questions I ask today when helping professionals build their online presence.

Most industries are crowded. There are thousands of real estate agents, therapists, attorneys, consultants, and wellness professionals offering similar services.

The difference isn't usually expertise. The difference is clarity.

Why should someone trust you?

What perspective do you bring that others don't?

What values shape the way you work?

What makes the right client choose you over dozens of seemingly similar alternatives?

At this stage in your career, your challenge is rarely a lack of credentials. More often, it's that your online presence hasn't caught up to the depth of your experience.

My goal is to help you communicate your real value, not simply market what you do.

Whether I'm helping someone clarify their positioning, develop their messaging, or build an entirely new digital presence, my goal is always the same: to create an online experience that reflects the quality of their work and makes it easier for the right people to recognize its value.

If you're ready to build a presence that feels credible, distinctive, and authentically yours, I'd love to hear what you're working on.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about that production of Fiddler on the Roof? The story wasn't the show itself. It was that the actor playing Tevye was a beloved local high school teacher, and three of his students were appearing in the production alongside him.

The lesson has stayed with me ever since: people connect with what feels meaningful and relevant to them.

Finding that connection is where the real work begins.

Let's tell your Story together

A slice of the hundreds and hundreds of stories I placed in local and national media outlets.

Highlights of my life in PR

Getting stalked by an enraged woman while an intern at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
Asking Mikhail Baryshnikov to remove his street shoes before entering the dance rehearsal room at Cal Performances.
Photoshopping the nipples off the female dancers in the Tanztheater Wuppertal images so they could run in the (pious) American papers.
Declining marriage arrangement offers extended to Yo-Yo Ma (made by very well-meaning mothers) while he was in residence for the West Coast premiere of The Silk Road Project.
Directing national press reps (such as the New York Times) around horse poop for the remounting of a 17th-century horse ballet.
Wiping drool off my face in the presence of ABT soloist (and Charlie from Center Stage) dreamboat Sascha Radetsky.
Meeting Rita Moreno before the West Coast launch of AileyCamp and having a full half hour of one-on-one convo.
Getting manhandled by the mother of a performer when she showed up late and wasn’t allowed into the theatre. (Names withheld to protect the guilty.)
Watching 5 fully made-up clowns emerge from the misty woods at 4am and welcoming them into my car for early morning Ringling Brothers TV promotions.
Coordinating the Bay Area fly-over coverage for the raising of the world’s largest tented-touring show.
Welcoming hundreds of internationally renowned singers, dancers, theatre makers, ensembles, orchestras, ice skaters, and animals to the Bay Area to tell their stories.