'How I Got Here' - Montarna Mcdonald

At 23, Montarna McDonald quit her job and launched her own PR agency without so much as a business plan. Now, at 27, she’s living the dream…

- Shari Nementzik

What challenges did you experience in the early days of your business?

‘How little time you have! Launching and running a business is a bumpy ride. I was so naïve in the early days, trying to do it all and learning things the hard way. Setbacks are all about perspective; just think, What’s the worst that can happen? ’

How did these challenges help shape you?

‘Every stage of my career has shaped me as a CEO. The positivity and politeness was instilled in me as a fashion boutique shop girl; I learnt how to make the most of every single minute of the day in a consumer PR agency and gained an understanding of the buying and marketing side of fashion in my role at [fashion boutique] Belinda. It all helped me find my own style of communications and create an agency with an industry edge.’