“There was this energy of the power of words, the power of presentation, the power of critiquing everything in that realm that translated to all areas of communication,” Pierce LaMacchia (‘12) said as he recalled the lessons that most impacted him while studying public relations at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
LaMacchia took that power and applied it when he opened a business with his brother, Michael, the year after he graduated. Well known by Knoxville locals, LaMacchia’s coffee shop, K Brew, has steadily expanded and has several locations across the city, including on the UT campus. They also run a bakery and coffee roastery to supply their locations with fresh goods. With its deep ties to the city and UT, it’s more than fitting that K Brew was #41 in this year’s UT Alumni Office Rocky Top Business Awards, which are given to businesses owned or run by UT alumni.
While his major is from the Tombras School of Public Relations and Advertising, LaMacchia minored in business as his sights were set on being an entrepreneur. In the classroom, he was most intrigued by communication courses that spoke to public relations in business, such as the crisis communications class taught by Professor Michael Palenchar.
“The area of crisis communications really appealed to me; the high pressure of a business in that situation and what do they do and what decisions do they make, and I was always very interested in business drama whether it was the corporate raiders of the ‘80s or an Exxon Mobile spill. His class was so fascinating,” LaMacchia said. “Palenchar’s class felt a lot like a graduate-level class, it was very discussion-based. He was definitely the guy who made the biggest impact, and I think part of that is because he was in industry for so long.”
These days, the K Brew owner would prefer to have no need for crisis communication and prefers to apply the skills he gained at the College of Communication and Information to branding and marketing. Whether it is emails, pitches, negotiations, or employee communications, LaMacchia said his awareness around messaging and knowing his audience has contributed to the success of the business.
K Brew’s biggest challenge is one many industries face today: the speed of social media. Whether it is maintaining a fast response time or across-the-board messaging, LaMacchia said it’s a challenge to keep up with the ever-changing trends, technology, and expectations that come with communicating via the internet.
He admonishes any CCI student who has an interest in business to take advantage of everything UT offers, including business minors that complement their goals. He’s also a big fan of internships, international travel, and other experiential opportunities that allow students to step outside their comfort zone and learn more about the world around them.
“I would tell any undergrad at CCI to really soak it in and take advantage of those three to five years and to not be so focused on industry that you miss out on the training, application, and refining happening during those precious years. Yes, that looks like getting good grades and acing those exams, but it also looks like a holistic approach during undergraduate,” he said.
LaMacchia said that, regardless of a student’s major or ambitions, being a competent communicator will already set someone apart in the business world. Whether it is writing amazing letters and thank you notes or being able to communicate well interpersonally, he said he could never imagine being a business owner and a bad communicator.
Out of everything he gained during his time at CCI and UT, there is one valuable tool he took with him that he cannot recommend enough: a network of Volunteers. During his time at UT as well as after it, LaMacchia has made it a point to stay in touch with other alumni, which he said has been invaluable to his success.
“Just the amount of people in Knoxville, really in Tennessee, who have a common cause in the University of Tennessee has resulted in countless opportunities, conversations, relationships, and fun tailgating opportunities,” he said. “Especially as we began to get more involved in campus in the past three to four years, that network has exploded for us and I can’t imagine being even close to where we are today without that network.”
If you are a CCI student and don’t know where to start with networking, LaMacchia said to get as many of your fellow students’ phone numbers as you can and make sure to call them once a year.
“That is just so powerful, keeping up with your fellow students; it might be one of the top three biggest things you take away from UT,” he said.