Based in the Southern California area, Raquel Figlo started following her passions at 12 years old, when she began attending her favorite concerts. She wasn’t just a fangirl or a groupie–she was a family member of the rock and metal scene as if it was her birthright. Founding Raquel Figlo Public Relations and working with such bands was a natural next step in her career as an entrepreneur and publicist, having lived in the scene for decades already.

In her 15 years of experience in the PR industry, Raquel has worked with clientele ranging from celebrities, musicians, brand creators, influencers, fashion designers, and non-profit companies. Each client is diverse, but Raquel brings a commonality to them all: getting them the attention and press they deserve.

Raquel’s upbeat enthusiasm, go-getter attitude, and sympathetic nature raises the bar in client satisfaction. She doesn’t just care about their success; she’s genuinely invested in it. 

​Raquel believes life is for living, for taking a bite out of every opportunity you can, and for making a career out of what you love most…because that’s exactly what she’s done herself. She can do the same for you. 

Tell us a little about yourself and your experience.

My career path began with my love of music. The first time I heard Ozzy Osbourne and Guns N’ Roses on the radio when I was around 5 years old, I was hooked. My mother encouraged my passion for music and took me to a lot of concerts. I attended my first live show with my mom at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater in Orange County, California in 1993 when I was 13: Def Leppard with Ugly Kid Joe as the opener. A year later, I saw Metallica, Fight, Suicidal Tendencies, and Candlebox in San Diego with my 12-year-old best friend and her 18-year-old brother. I am still close with them to this day, and we often reminisce about all the amazing metal shows we went to as kids.

People often ask me to name the best concert I ever saw. There were so many great ones, but one of the most epic was the Halloween show at Irvine Meadows in 1992 with Danzig, Type O’ Negative, and Rob Zombie. Rob started a pumpkin fight with the crowd, Glen Danzig got hit –– it was super fun. Over the years I took my mom to many shows ranging from Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani to Megadeth and Black Sabbath. Having a venue like Irvine Meadows ten minutes where I grew up definitely influenced my career path. I was obsessed. Metal ruled my life and does so to this day.

My professional career began when I started working as the Event Manager at the world-famous Key Club on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. I was in charge of booking and managing events at the venue. I think of this experience as the one that changed everything for me. My position put me directly in the heart of rock n’ roll. I was right next to the Rainbow Bar and Grill, Roxy Theatre, Viper Room, the Whisky A Go-Go, and the now-defunct House of Blues. I was already in the music world as an avid concertgoer, but now I was making my way in the industry, networking with industry professionals, and working in the scene. 

One of my favorite events from my Key Club days was 2014 Dime Bash, an annual charity event of musicians coming together to sing Pantera songs in honor of the late guitarist Dimebag Darrell.  I had met Dimebag at NAMM in 2004, right before he passed. Who would have thought I would be working on this high-profile event and meeting my favorite rock stars, including Sabastian Bach, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, members of Anthrax and the cast of That Metal Show which at that time was HUGE.

Representing the Key Club, I made sure things ran smoothly and on occasion got drinks for the bands in the green room. That was totally fine by me since one of the was David Draiman of DISTURBED. I made sure to help where and whenever I was needed, meet as many people as I could, oh and of course as a fan I took photos –– lots of them! 

Fast forward eight years later, I worked on the West Coast press junket for Metal Show veteran Jim Florentine’s book, “Everybody is Awful (Except You)!” I got Jim high-exposure interviews on Jonesy’s Jukebox (KLOS), Dash Radio, as well as multiple others that eventually helped sell out his book signing/meet and greet at the world-famous Book Soup on Sunset Blvd, a mere stone’s throw from the Key Club.

Another career highlight that came about from working at the Key Club was meeting Rock N Roll Industries Magazine. I met Jessica Johnson from RNR Mag when they were looking to host an event at the Key Club. We got to talking and eventually became good friends. She asked me if I could write or had any experience as a journalist. I said yes, that I wrote in college, held a Master’s Degree in Communications, and had a lifelong passion for metal –– I can do this!

My first article for the magazine was a two-page spread on Zakk Wylde’s “Bringing Metal to the Children.” Since then, I have interviewed some of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal, including Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, one of my favorites. So that’s how I became a published music journalist covering hard rock and heavy metal. 

What drove you to choose your career path?

My love for music has led me to where I am now. I  knew at a young age that the only way I would be successful and happy in life was to do what I loved for a living. I loved music, so I made career decisions that built the road to where I am today. 

How did you go about getting your job? What kind of education and experience did you need?

I always had the entrepreneurial spirit in my blood. My family owned its own business, and it was something I wanted to do as well. From high school I went directly to college at California State University Fullerton. I then continued on to the College of Communications at CSUF for my Master’s Degree. Both degrees are in Communications with an Emphasis in Advertising.

My education definitely helped advance my career and win the respect of my peers. It opened doors because higher education shows discipline, responsibility, commitment and accomplishment. It is something to be proud of, and if you are able to go to college and pursue a degree in your field of interest, preferably your passion, I highly encourage it. 

What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?

I spend a majority of my time on the phone talking to bands interested in PR, on the computer writing proposals and responding to emails, and attending shows in order to support the scene and discover new music. I also spend a lot of time on social media because it’s free and the best way to quickly connect and stay in touch with people, new and old. 

What misconceptions do people often have about your job?

I always get the question, “what is a publicist?” No one knows exactly what we do, but they know it is important. Misconceptions about my field stem directly from unrealistic expectations. I like to say that I swim in many different-sized ponds, and my job is to help make my clients famous in their respective ponds, or to really torture the pond metaphor, to eventually move them to bigger ones. Obviously, an international rock star like Dave Mustaine swims in a much bigger pond than, say, someone just starting their career in metal.

So, my job is to see where my clients are when they come to me, assess and collaborate with them on their long and short-term goals, and then work as a team to make those goals a reality. But any PR professional who guarantees, for instance, that they can get a new comic with six months of experience on the Tonight Show is being less than candid, in my experience. Building a career, a reputation, a brand takes time and hard work. As the old saying goes, most overnight successes were twenty years in the making.

But despite all this, I tell my clients that I will be their biggest cheerleader, their most relentless advocate, and the person most dedicated to their career success. My enthusiasm is boundless, and that’s one of the main reasons I am successful. 

What are your average work hours?

In a sense, I work 24/7. I am always available to my clients and responsive to their needs, and also to any unexpected opportunities for them that might suddenly arise. But because I work for myself, I set my own schedule, which works for me in terms of balancing my personal and professional life. I recently took a great vacation in Maui, and it was wonderful to get away for a while, but the world doesn’t stop because I’m out of town – other than while swimming, my phone never left my side. My clients know I’m always “on call” for them!

What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?

• Hire freelancers to add to your team and do the busy work such as writing press releases, while you work on booking NEW BUSINESS.

• Get on social media, learn to love it even if you don’t. A social media presence is vital for both your business growth and your clients.

• Go to shows and network in person. Always have professional business cards at the ready wherever you are. You never know who you might meet, so you need to be prepared.

• Know your niche. Find your passion and go after it. Once you find your purpose you will find it easier to meet like-minded people who will help you. The universe wants you to succeed, but you need to know what you want in life first. 

What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?

I make friends with other publicists; I think we we are all in this together. I don’t see other PR professionals as competition; there is enough money to go around, and everyone has their individual strengths. Some of my best work has come as a result of collaborating with other pros in my field. Many gigs have come my way as a result of these relationships, and vice versa.

Do you have any advice for people who need to enlist your services?

My advice would be to think of this as a collaboration and have a clear vision of what your goals are before approaching a publicist. It is my job to then figure out the strategy to get you there. It’s also important to stay open –– the process is always changing because the client’s goals often change as new opportunities arise. 

What's the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?

When the client is not clear on what they want, or has unrealistic expectations. My personal pet peeve is when a client has totally unrealistic timelines in terms of achieving their goals. As I previously mentioned, moving a career forward is a daily grind and a lot of hard work, so patience is important.

What's the most enjoyable part of the job?

When the work I have done helps the client take a step forward in their career. Here are a few recent examples:

• I booked legendary actor William Shatner on Good Day LA promoting the Jack Webb Awards for the Los Angeles Police Museum, which he hosted.

• I secured placement of a feature print story in LA Weekly for Sienna Sinclaire “The Naughty Girl of Los Angeles.”

• I got Jim Florentine on Jonesy’s Jukebox on venerable rock station KLOS to promote his meet and greet at Book Soup for his book, “Everybody is Awful (Except YOU!)”

• I secured placements in Metal Injection for two-time Grammy-nominated guitarist Sin Quirin’s new band SIGLOS for two music videos, “Por Los Siglos” and “Morir Para Vivir.”

What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?

You can make as much as you put into the job when you work for yourself. It depends on your work ethic, knowledge, luck, opportunity, drive, and commitment. As far as luck goes, the great baseball manager Branch Rickey once observed that, “Luck is the residue of design.” So, if you work hard to build your client book, some good luck is bound to eventually come your way.

How do you move up in your field?

Have a good attitude, work hard, and be nice to everyone you meet. You never know who is who in this industry; also, today’s assistant is tomorrow’s top executive! This career is based on reputation, word of mouth, and referrals, so make sure to maintain a good reputation by always acting professionally. Lastly, always say yes to the opportunities that come your way because you never know where they may lead –– in my case, the Key Club and writing for RNR Mag were the early opportunities that opened up everything for me, career-wise.

I knew I wanted to be in the music industry, but I didn’t know those two decisions would lead me to where I am now. I had an idea, but this is exactly what I always dreamed of being: a successful business woman in the music industry. 

What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?

I think education is very important so get a degree in Communications or Public Relations if you want to be a music publicist. Do this first because it will help build your confidence, and you need to learn the basics of getting press and talking to media. 

Next, join professional organizations like Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Go to shows, support the scene, get involved, network, and have fun! 

When starting out, do pro-bono work either in an industry related organization or, if you want to take it a step further, ask a band if you can help them with their promotions for free. Write their press releases, manage their social media, reach out to media on their behalf. Experience is the best teacher, and it will help you build your resume.

Last but not least, find your passion and go for it! 

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