This month, I'm featuring a series of interviews that highlight small business owners in the Washington, D.C. area. These entrepreneurs prove that a shaky economy doesn't mean their dream of operating a successful business must be placed on hold.

Meet Rhea Brown, a woman who turned her passion for marketing and website design into a successful business.

*** Interview with Rhea Brown ***

What is the name of your business?
PMB Media

What does the business do?
I am a Celebrity Brand Consultant. I teach small business owners how to magnetize their brand online in order to attract, capture and engage their prospects and customers.

When did you start the business?
I’ve been a consultant for over 10 years working in Marketing, Website and Graphic Design but I only started working on my own last year.

What did it take to get the business started?
First I started out with a personal blog over at TheCocktailCafe.com which I simply used as medium to express my opinions, thoughts and interests from a sassy, young wife and diva mom perspective (lol). When that took off and I started profiting from this personal soap box, I started interviewing some wonderful celebrity moms, award-winning authors and creative mompreneurs and that’s when I knew I wanted to somehow do this on a full time basis.

It took first a pen and paper. I learned first how to be a “social media observer”. I listened to what some of the problems small businesses were having with social media applications, finding customers and monitoring as well as managing their company’s online image.

I created, designed, and developed a professional logo, blog design and custom twitter and facebook page over at ProMomBlogger.com. I continued to write, speak, and attend events where my target market gathered and I would get offers from people to do work for them. And now, here I am.

How long did it take to make profits and why?
My social media ROI only took about a month. I invested the cost of a domain name, hosting, and of course a business blog. All of my creative designs are developed by me. I write my own content for now and that’s one of the things that attracts so many business owners to my site. Landed my first client within 3 days and haven’t looked back since. I am hoping to help more people achieve online success in a big way this year.

Why did you choose to start your own business?
I know what it’s like to have a passion and a gift, yet, no place and no one that can truly help you shape it into something beautiful, professional, and affordable. When you make the leap to becoming a business owner, 30% of your operational budget should go to marketing and advertising, yet most business owners overlook it thinking either they can’t afford it, or they can do it on their own. Poor marketing is one of the main reasons why businesses fail. I’ve spent years perfecting my creative gifts that I now share it with anyone willing to listen, learn, and truly build a powerful online presence for themselves and their businesses.

Most business owners can't afford to pay the high fees of a PR person, marketing executive, business coach, and webmaster. With me, they get everything in an affordable package that works for many of my clients. I offer my clients ongoing support, a clear road map and vision for success, and a professional online presence.

What are your responsibilities?
I develop first their social media campaign. I research their target market, help them to find their niche, discover what their prospect’s interests are and then I narrow this down to a tailored approach that will allow them to engage and build a deeper relationship with this target market. Then we create an online visual “brand voice” and presence based on what our finding are. I also select the social media applications that will provide more of a return on their investment (ROI).

What are some of the problem/risks with running your business?
The greatest problem I have found in my years in business as well as working for big business as a marketing executive has got to be investing in your businesses and having a marketing plan established a clear road map towards on and offline success in communicating value and long lasting connections with their prospects and customers.

In order to “recession proof” your business in 2010 and beyond, having a professional business blog, brand and internet business will surely make you stand out from the crowd.

What are some benefits of owning your own business and running it?
The best part about owning my own business can be summed up in 3 words… flexibility, freedom, and independence. I am thankful that I’m able to spend quality time with my children, my husband, and a little “me” time with my friends. I am thankful for the freedom my business allows and being able to be virtual and mobile. I am honored that being a business owner, I control my own destiny in how far and how big I chose to become.

Do you enjoy your job and why?
I love my job and I’m passionate about blogging, networking and social media. What I truly enjoy most is helping people. This is something I will always try to accomplish with everything I do.

Are there certain qualities you are looking in an employee?
Although I don’t have any employees, I do have a virtual assistant that I now consider my friend. If I were looking to hire an employee, I’d look for honesty, humility, a willingness to learn, and grow. I love a great sense of humor. They would have to love family because as a work at home mom (WAHM), everything I do centers around my family. And finally, they would have to have a thirst for learning and they must be a technology enthusiast for sure.

If someone wanted to own a business like yours what are some recommendations for the person?
Read, network, and become a digital citizen. Now, what I mean by digital citizen is, listen first and then join in on the social media, blogging and marketing conversation. In order to enter into something unknown, you must first know who the players are and their roles in the game you wish to play.

Find out what your strong points are. What are you skills and decide what area you would like to dominate. If you are a great writer, consider first becoming a guest blogger on another person’s well known website. If you are a great graphic designer, consider creating some cool social media buttons and giving it away to some prominent network or digital magazine online so that your name will be infamous with your design skills. If you are a great networker, consider creating a twitter account and posting some great ideas on how others can build better relationships online. Become the expert in your field and watch your inner celebrity shine.

Ms. Brown, thank you for sharing your story in the Examiner.

**** If you would like to contact Ms. Brown, she can be reached via the following online sources:

Twitter: @ProMomBlogger
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProMomBlogger
Web: hhttp://www.promomblogger.com/blogttp://www.promomblogger.com/blog