In 2006, Tess Finkle founded Metro Public Relations at just 22 years old. “I had no clients, no investment, hardly any training, and zero nepotism,” Finkle recalls. She attributes Metro’s growth to self-reliance and audacity.
Finkle dropped out of college to pursue a career in Hollywood. She was 19 years old when she secured an internship that “paid” with college credits, which she applied to her fictitious school “The University of Reseda”—an homage to one of her favorite films The Karate Kid. At 23, she met Laura Michael at a SAG after-party, and Michael joined Metro the next morning.
Now, 20 years later, the two remain at the helm of the company, having invested in digital before it was a priority for other agencies. This positioned Metro to serve as the PR and marketing partner for launches like TikTok’s U.S. debut and Instagram Reels.
Metro’s Client List
The company served as PR partners on Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast and launched Kylie Kelce’s show, which topped Apple and Spotify charts.
“We knew we weren’t made to work under the legacy rules of the traditional PR system,” says Finkle. “We have always been highly agile and comfortable with the reality that tides change.” Michael adds, “We’ve always been good at spotting where influence is moving and helping clients get there early.”
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Early Struggles
By 2012, six years into building the agency, Finkle and Michael were considering folding the company after a challenging year. However, their willingness to move into emerging corners of the media business would become a defining part of Metro’s growth.
A consumer technology company invited Finkle and Michael to pitch them in Las Vegas. They drove to the convention, built a pitch deck at an Olive Garden, and secured an invitation to the company’s party. By the end of that 3-minute walking Hail Mary re-pitch, Finkle and Michael secured an invitation to the party, a turning point that helped them win over the CEO’s assistant and secure a significant account for the company.
Adapting to Change
When the pandemic hit, Metro lost event-based work almost overnight. But its early bet on digital paid off, as companies looked for new ways to reach consumers directly.
Today, Metro is a fully integrated agency. “We’re helping companies think through how they build relevance and their narrative capital across the media, creators, executive thought leadership, owned channels, partnerships, live experiences and other places their audiences are paying attention,” says Michael.
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