Jane Olvera Majors, founder of JP Marketing, appeared on the March 29 edition of Central Valley Stories with Betsy Hays. Photo contributed

The Central Valley Stories podcast delves into the lives of industry professionals and how they manage the world of public relations, marketing and advertising in the Central Valley.

Hosted by Fresno State professor Betsy Hays, the stories of each guest allow the community and students at Fresno State to learn from real-world experiences.

Hays wanted to devise a way for students to learn and listen to dialogue about PR and advertising history in a national context.

“There is so much history here in the Valley of those two industries, and we are so fortunate to still have a lot of folks who have been doing this for 30-40 years that it feels like a great opportunity to do something about that,” said Hays.

 

This “oral history program” lets the students learn from industry leaders. The Media Communications and Journalism department at Fresno State previously had a similar program where oral histories about industry veterans were compiled. That inspired this new project.

Hays said she wanted to ensure that different angles were covered in the podcast, which is why it ended up being a baker’s dozen — 13 episodes.

All of the interviews were recorded in the fall, and Hays partnered with Fresno State’s radio station, 90.7 KFSR. General Manager Julie Logan helped Hays learn about editing and creating podcasts. After recording the episodes, they then decided to release each one during the spring semester to allow students to have a hands-on experience by getting to promote the podcast.

The individuals Hays featured on the podcast were Yosemite Ranger Scott Gediman; former Fresno State professor John Zelenzy; marketing guru Jan Edwards; Advertising Federation Hall of Famer Bruce Batti; APR practitioner Jill Wagner; founder of JP Marketing Jane Olvera Majors; CEO of Catalyst Marketing Mark Astone; Judy Ganulin Public Relations; Fresno Advertising Federation Hall of Famer and MCJ Fellow Blair Looney, 5th generation owner of Hudson Farms and accredited PR practitioner Liz Hudson; Spanish-language advertising  professional Jose Antonio Elgorriaga, Jr.; and PR veteran Leslie Botos.

“I’m always happy to support fellow females and their passion projects. When Betsy said she was taking a sabbatical and launching a podcast, that sounded like a massive project, but I was in. I loved that her focus was storytelling from local marketing industry leaders — in some cases, people who I’ve looked up to myself — so it was an honor to be considered. She’s just so easy to talk to, and her energy is contagious, so it was an enjoyable experience overall,” said Olvera Majors.

Olvera Majors was featured on the seventh episode, where listeners learned more about the entrepreneurial side of the industry and her impressive career. She founded her award-winning firm, JP Marketing, in 1994 and is a Fresno State alum.

“My advice to students always includes networking strategies. A podcast like this can give students insights into local marketing industry leaders, giving them an opportunity to reach out with follow-up questions and subsequently establish a relationship. In my opinion, this business is still rooted in relationships,” Olvera Majors said.

Hays recalled her interview with Batti, who is well known for his work and ownership at Jeffrey Scott Agency. With his experience in advertising for more than 40 years, Hays learned about the untold history of Fresno’s own “Mad Men” days.

Her conversion with Edwards inspired her because of how much of a pioneer she was in her career. Hays said Edwards was a woman in an industry that was a lot more challenging when she was starting out, and she was able to break barriers. 

“Just realizing how grateful, as women, all of us need to be for the folks who blaze those trails and did the thing first. Sometimes it was easy, and a lot of times it wasn’t. We have so many opportunities now as women and I think we owe a lot to the people that blaze those trails,” said Hays.

Students were all hands on deck with the project to help them understand what they might be doing post-graduation. In the fall, students helped capture promotional assets, so in the spring, a team of students put together all of the social media posts. They were able to use the MCJ department’s social media channels to promote the podcast. The students also teamed up with Fresno State resources to promote the podcasts and hosted a launch party in February to kick it off.

“So, the students were involved in all of that, which was wonderful, and they enjoyed it,” said Hays. “I’m so grateful that it all worked out the way it did, and that this opportunity was available for the students.”

Throughout the project, Hays said she received positive feedback. Students expressed that they enjoyed the experience. Guests for the episodes shared the podcast with their families and shared their reactions as well. Hays said many families had never heard of some of the stories told and were happy to gain a new perspective and memory of their loved one.

“We thought about how valuable that will be as part of these people’s legacy. That was an unintended beautiful consequence that they have this thing that talks about their career,” said Hays.

Everyone can enjoy these podcasts, even if they’re outside the world of advertising and public relations. Hays’ dialogue with these professionals sparks inspiration and an unknown history of the Central Valley. The podcasts are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.