Stockton’s Own Sass
Sass PR began as an event management and promotion company. “In the back bedroom of my house is where it all started. Anna Sass was not my daughter in law yet,” said Carrie Sass. “We (Anna & I) knew that we just wanted to be in the community. We loved doing community events.”
The first event they planned together was with the Stockton Record. Carrie had maintained a strong working relationship with them as she had been their Community Relations Manager. She approached Roger Coover, long time publisher of the Record and asked if he would hire them to do Family Day at the Park, Literacy and Book Fair. He agreed and Sass PR has been holding the successful event ever since its inception.
When asked to define Sass PR, the duo replied, “We have a ‘can do’ attitude. There is nothing we aren’t willing to try to take on.” That attitude is exactly what has caused them to flourish. After handling the Record’s event, they took on St. Joseph’s Hospital Gala. Sass PR started to grow and expand from that point forward. And in order to keep up with the work, they hired a number of designers to join their team.
They moved from Carrie’s home office to an office space in University Park. However, it was not long before Sass PR started doing work for Lincoln Center. This eventually lead to their final destination, where their offices are now located in Lincoln Center.
Every year the Sass team puts on 20 different events. “Each event has a specific purpose, so it’s easy to want to do,” said Carrie. “We love our community and the people we work with and believe in the clients we have and what they’re doing.” While many of the events they coordinate happen to surround literacy and education, they enjoy taking on all kinds of other assignments for clients such as branding, marketing, advertising, and design.
When asked what they will be doing in 10 years, Carrie replied, “the industry changes so quickly. I don’t know what we will be doing, but I know we will be actively involved in the success of this community that is also rapidly changing. We (Ana and I) both have strong faith that has served us well. I see us holding hands and skipping into the future. At the end of the day, we are truly blessed with a great community, wonderful clients, and family for workers.”
Sass Public Relations extends its reach into all of San Joaquin County and into the Mother Lode. The firm is currently in its tenth year of providing quality design, event planning services and marketing solutions to an enviable list of clients throughout San Joaquin and Calaveras Counties.
Take a look at some questions we asked Carrie & Anna Sass regarding their experience in the Public Relations business as well as advice offered:
Karima: How do you handle the unexpected?
C. Sass: Take a deep breath, figure it out and move on. It happens all the time in this industry.
Karima: How do you deal with strong personalities?
C. Sass: We learn to roll with it, because we deal with entrepreneurs. It’s expected. I’m a member of the
Business Council and they have great advice. I have gained amazing wisdom.
Karima: Favorite Moment in the Business?
C. Sass: I don’t know if I have just one favorite moment, but I will say that I am particularly fond of the time that I was sitting in the back room of my house. I realized that my clients were experiencing success and that we (Anna And I) were a part of that and that the work was benefiting the community. It was really rewarding and still is.
Karima: Name your favorite event and please tell us why it is your favorite.
C. Sass: Well, one of my favorite events and largest that we do is the Family Literacy Day at the Park. It is really exciting, because it brings all kinds of great people together for a common cause. It is all about kids. It’s really a happy day and it’s free to everyone. There are interactive booths, arts and crafts, free books, & entertainment. The Grupe Company gives us the entire grounds for the day. All of these wonderful businesses come together to support literacy.
Karima: Any tips for businesses who want help promoting their event or image?
C. Sass: Sit down and get your vision because you have to know the outcome before you can see it accomplished.