Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky Mosgofian.
Hi Becky, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I fell in love with writing early on. One of my core memories is sitting behind a typewriter in my grandpa’s glasses. That love started as creative writing and poetry, then evolved into journalism, where I could connect storytelling with real issues happening in the world. My sons (18 and 21) call me Nancy Drew because I love asking people questions and learning what fuels them — a great trait in business, less so in parenting. Ha!
At Cal Poly Humboldt, studying journalism/PR, business and studio art, I finally got to combine my loves of photography, writing and social change — running student government elections, volunteering on campaigns, writing for the college magazine and two newspapers.
After college, I worked in TV promotions and later in alumni relations at Cal Poly Humboldt, helping launch the Business Partners program pairing students with local companies. On the side, I started taking on my own marketing and PR clients, mostly female founders, while volunteering with nonprofits.
When my first son was born, I left the university to grow my own practice while working part-time with a jewelry company whose CEO devoured marketing books — he taught me so much! After our second son arrived in 2008, my agency had grown enough that I went full-time on my own.
I’ve also served as a marketing and PR advisor for the Small Business Development Center for 10 years, which led me to teaching PR workshops through SBDC, SLO CAL, and the Central Coast Writers Conference which is so rewarding! I also sit on the advisory board for DireLights, a student-run business at Central Coast New Tech, and watching them turn our conversations into real action is truly inspiring.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being a mother and business owner means daily decisions about how to show up for both my clients and my family. When my son was diagnosed with autism, I had to push hard to get him the early intervention services he needed while still managing my deadlines.
My biggest struggle is that I’m a driven person — tough on myself, always expecting to exceed my clients’ expectations, which means long creative hours and tons of research. I also love collaborating and volunteering for meaningful projects, so I can quickly get overextended.
Most recently, I took on the role of Social Media Manager for a local candidate’s reelection campaign. The offer came right after I’d been cleared of breast cancer, but I leapt at the chance to do important work for our community. Being on the computer all day and my phone all night led to vertigo that lasted for months. I pushed through, and he won — but I finally found my breaking point. My body was telling me to find a sustainable work-life balance. Fortunately, I have a supportive husband who reminds me of that — he calls me Dollface the Conqueror because I’m sweet but damn tough. Turning off my natural drive isn’t easy, so the compromise is being selective about the clients I take on. My heart has to be in it!
As you know, we’re big fans of YOBECKO. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
As a strategic storyteller and intuitive listener, I help founders, small businesses and thought leaders define what makes them unique, truly understand their customers and share their message with clarity, earning trust and building loyalty. We do this through media strategy, public relations, media training, digital marketing strategy, content creation and brand positioning.
This is actually the first time I’ve spoken publicly about what I do because I usually operate through referrals. I appreciate this chance to share my journey with interested readers. I started my agency in 2000 but rebranded to YOBECKO, Brand Cheerleaders & Storytellers in 2024.
What sets you apart from others?
I truly am a brand cheerleader. I love networking, connecting like-minded people and encouraging clients to get out of their comfort zone and enthusiastically believe in their vision. I love to brainstorm and challenge myself to always deliver fresh concepts and strategies. I’ve always believed everyone has a compelling story if they’re asked the right questions.
What are you most proud of, brand-wise?
Honestly, it’s hard to pick just one. A couple examples of the heart and energy I put into really understanding my clients and translating their “why” into successful messaging are Hapi Nani and Six Rivers Brewery.
Harpreet is a food scientist and the founder of Hapi Nani, a handcrafted loose-leaf artisan tea and spice blend company, launched in late 2023. Harpreet came to me as Santa Maria Tea & Spice Co. She walked out as Hapi Nani. The brand name combines her nickname “Hapi” with “nani” (Punjabi for grandmother), drawing inspiration from her childhood memories of custom spice and herb blending in India.
As we talked about her branding and her “why” for starting the business, she shared about growing up in India and the profound impact her grandmother had on her life and visiting the little general store together, the smell of spices and burlap. She realized that these cherished childhood memories we actually the inspiration behind her line of artisanal teas and spices. She had never really thought about the impact those experiences made on her until that moment and was surprised it made her a bit emotional. It was a defining moment. But that story was always there. She just needed to be asked the right questions.
Six Rivers Brewery, a PR client since 2010, needed a solid hook to attract interest outside of Humboldt County as they expanded distribution. Back then, the craft beer industry was overwhelmingly male-dominated. Six Rivers was one of only two all-woman-owned breweries in California, so we made that the hook, pitched it and it’s still defining their brand 16 years later. The right angle can become the story your brand is known for, even decades later.
What do you want our readers to know about your brand, offerings, services, etc?
We specialize in public relations and marketing strategy, business coaching and brand positioning for small businesses, startups, nonprofits, creatives and political campaigns. I also hold PR workshops for startups and small business owners through the SBDC and for authors through the Central Coast Writers Conference.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
As information fatigue and shoddy AI content drain us, the senior storyteller role will be worth more than ever because brands that tell compelling human-powered stories have the power to break through and truly engage their audiences.
Newsrooms are already skeleton crews, and content is being sorted and summarized by AI with little vetting. Between that and corporate media’s conflicts of interest, I believe the traditional media we grew up with will be nearly extinct unless something changes dramatically.
Independent journalists will keep growing through YouTube, Substack, podcasts and Threads, but they’ll have to carve a new path to stay visible and trustworthy while finding a way to monetize. That means leaning on AI for scheduling, rough editing and monitoring to avoid burnout.
Where PR “lives” will keep shifting too. People already research brands on TikTok and Reddit before Google, so the job now is making sure the story resonates with stakeholders enough to get picked up and repeated while staying agile to cultural shifts as they happen. But one thing that will never change in this business: you have to value relationships and honor the time of the people you’re pitching to get consistent results.
Yes, the tools will get smarter, the noise will get louder, but the winners will always be the ones who know how to authentically connect in a powerful way. And I think we will see a swing back to real life with fewer screens, more in-person events, more community and relationship building, at least that’s my hope.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yobecko.com
- Instagram: @yobecko
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckymosgofian
- Other: becky@yobecko.com
