#AHHPowerfulWomen: Gwendolyn Quinn Shares Why Balance is a Key to Being Powerful
Gwendolyn Quinn an Award-winning media strategist, publicist, writer, and producer. She is currently the founder of one of the nation’s leading independent publicity and public relations firms. Founded in 2002, GQ Media & Public Relations, Inc. (now Gwendolyn Quinn Public Relations) which is a full-service publicity and marketing firm that specializes in developing media strategies, coordinating special events and brand development for clients who span the worlds of music, theater, corporate, not-for-profit, faith-based, publishing, and the visual/fine arts. Quinn’s roster has included a wide range of clients including Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Isaac Hayes, Kirk Franklin, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Andraé Crouch, Deborah Cox, Johnny Gill, Fred Hammond, Fred Hammond, Karen Clark Sheard, Smokie Norful, Regina Belle, Keke Wyatt, Terri Lyne Carrington, T. S. Monk (Thelonious Sphere Monk, III), Coca-Cola (Nu Classic Soul Campaign), the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention, Mandela Day Concert in New York City, the Museum of Moving Image Salutes Will Smith, Radio One’s 25th Anniversary Gala, the Living Legends Foundation, Odyssey Network: The Ultimate Business Retreat, and numerous others.
Quinn career encompasses stints as vice president of publicity at Capitol Records (two tenures at the label), senior director of publicity at Arista Records during legendary executive Clive Davis’ tenure, and senior director of publicity at Island Records under the regime of Rock and Rock Hall of Famer Chris Blackwell. She has also held positions at Mercury/PolyGram Records, Flavor Unit Entertainment and ASCAP. Her work has paired her with some of the industry’s brightest stars, including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Prince, Queen Latifah, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, the Isley Brothers, Monica, CeCe Winans, Rachelle Ferrell, Lisa Stansfield, Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G., Vanessa Williams, Oleta Adams, Brian McKnight, Tony! Toni, Toné and countless others.
In addition to her publicity and public relations work, Quinn founded the African-American Public Relations Collective (AAPRC), a national and international group of more than 1,000 public relations and communications specialists that provide professional support to their peers in the communications industry.
Quinn is the recipient of numerous awards including the Media Award by the Living Legends Foundation, Inspired In Music Series, the International Black Broadcaster Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2014 Stellar Women of Gospel Awards. She was named one of the Top 20 Power Players in Roots magazine’s Annual Industry Stellar Gospel Music Awards Edition (2013), Black Enterprise magazine…