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Member Spotlight: Gina Yager

Posted by admincarolyn on May. 24, 2026  /  Blog  /  Subscribe 0

We are delighted to feature PRSA Las Vegas Valley Chapter Member Gina Yager, founder and owner of GYC Vegas, a boutique public relations and marketing agency she launched in Las Vegas in 2017. Originally from Southern California, Gina earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from San Diego State University. After college, she worked two years at a mid-size agency in Los Angeles, then moved to Las Vegas – a city she now proudly has called home for the past 24 years – where she spent 15 years at a boutique/mid-size agency before launching GYC. “That experience gave me a deep foundation in strategic PR, media relations, client services, and agency operations and management,” she said. “Today, I’m proud to lead a talented team at GYC that serves local and national clients across a wide array of industries.”

Outside GYC, Gina is actively involved in the community. She serves on boards for the Las Vegas Science & Natural History Museum and the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, is a graduate of Leadership Henderson Class of 2023, and serves as a facilitator for High School Leadership. She also is a member of the Vegas Chamber President’s Club and Executive Women’s Council.

Gina shared with us her journey in launching her own agency.

“Honestly, it wasn’t a grand plan — it was a pivot. My initial thought was to freelance for a while, be a solo practitioner, and figure it out from there.

“But I learned something about myself pretty quickly: After a decade and a half of working in and leading teams, mentoring people, and thriving in collaborative environments, I am simply not wired to work alone. I missed that energy. So, I hired my first part-time employee, and it grew from there — organically, intentionally, one client and one team member at a time.

“What I had from the beginning was a clear belief in what Las Vegas deserved: a boutique agency where clients get senior-level attention and strategy through every step of a campaign. In a city that is constantly reinventing itself, there is no shortage of compelling stories to tell. I wanted to be the one helping tell them, with a team behind me that was as invested in the work as I was.

“Looking back, I’m grateful the path unfolded the way it did. GYC Vegas became something better than anything I would have designed from scratch.”

Gina shared great advice for professionals looking to launch a firm or agency:

• Be open to the fact that it might not look exactly the way you imagined — and that’s okay. My own path to launching GYC Vegas was not a perfectly mapped-out business plan. It evolved. And some of the most important things are those I learned along the way.

• That said, here’s what I would tell anyone standing at that starting line: first, pick the brains of your closest agency-owner colleagues for business advice, and second, get your financial foundation in order as early as possible. Understand what you need to bring in every month just to sustain the business, and hold yourself to that number. 

• Be honest with yourself about what you’re great at and what you’ll need help with. Build a team around those strengths, as well as your gaps, even if it starts small. And invest in your own development as a business owner, not just as a practitioner — running an agency is a genuinely different skillset than doing the work. I have leaned on mentors, consultants, and peer networks to grow in that role, and it has made an enormous difference.

• Lastly, protect your rates from the beginning. Pricing yourself below your value to land a client or be accommodating can become a real liability over time. Know your worth and stick to it.

PRSA played an important role in her journey. “When I launched the agency, I knew I needed more than just clients — I needed a community. I was looking for a place where I could connect with peers who understood this industry, who were navigating some of the same challenges, and who were committed to growing alongside it. PRSA was a natural fit. It brought together exactly the kind of professionals I wanted to be in the room with: people who care about the craft, who hold themselves to a standard of ethics, and who are invested in where the profession is heading. It gave me access to continuing education at a time when the industry was evolving quickly, and it gave me a peer network that I could lean on and contribute to. I found both here, and I haven’t looked back.”

Gina is a member of PRSA’s Counselors Academy and serves on the planning committee for their annual conference. She shares that it has been an incredible resource specifically for agency owners and leaders — adding that the peer community, consultants and programming are truly invaluable. If you’re a longtime member, new member, or prospective member, Gina’s thoughts on what she gains from being a part of our PRSA community are insightful.

• First, stronger colleague and peer relationships. There is enormous value in being connected to other PR professionals — people who understand the nuances of what we do, who you can call for a gut check, collaborate with, or simply commiserate with after a hard week. Those relationships matter professionally and personally. 

• Second, continuing education. This industry does not stand still. The way we reach audiences, the tools we use, the way AI is reshaping search and visibility — all of it is changing rapidly. I take my responsibility to stay current seriously, and PRSA is one of the places I can count on to help me do that. 

• Third, business support. As an agency owner, having access to resources, programming, and a network that supports the business side of what we do is genuinely valuable. PRSA helps me be a better professional and a better business leader.

She went on to share helpful learnings that have inspired her in her career, particularly a mindset that drives everything she does: “We are hired to be experts. Full stop. That means it is our job to know everything about our community and our market — who the key players are, who the business influencers are, and how to navigate and collaborate across industries with the people who shape it. We are not just practitioners. We are resources. We are connectors. We are the people our clients turn to because we know things that they don’t.

“Do everything you can to learn. Be constantly in the know. Read, attend, engage, and pay attention. The more you invest in truly understanding the landscape, the more valuable you become — to your clients, to your peers, and to the community at large,” she said. “I would also add: relationships are your most durable asset. Build them with intention, nurture them consistently, and approach every interaction as an opportunity to be genuinely helpful. That is what this business is built on.”

And, what advice might Gina have for PR professionals looking to grow in their careers? Get involved in the community and stay there, she said. “I mean that seriously — serve on committees and boards, volunteer, attend events, and show up even when it’s not convenient. Las Vegas is a relationship city, and the professionals who grow fastest here are the ones who are genuinely visible and authentically engaged.

“Do a leadership program through one of the chambers,” she continued. “It will expand your network and your perspective in ways that are hard to replicate. Network as much as you can – with the chambers, industry associations, and business groups – and not just transactionally. Network because you are curious about people and want to understand what they are building. This will eventually become your referral network.”

She recommends investing in continuing your education and pursuing resources that push your skills forward. And perhaps most importantly, she said, communicate and collaborate with your peers and colleagues. “There is so much to learn from the people doing this work alongside you. Don’t be competitive where you could be collaborative — this industry is better when we lift each other up,” she said.

Gina underscores the importance of expanding your knowledge base in one of the most dynamic markets in the country.

“Outside of hospitality, entertainment, and gaming, our economic diversity is vastly underestimated. Despite my prior agency experience working with majority tourism-driven clients, at GYC we have spent most of our nine years in business working with mostly off-Strip industries including healthcare, consumer products and services, technology, professional services, education, aviation, nonprofits, and more — there is always something interesting to work on and always something new to learn,” she said.

“I feel fortunate every day to do this work in this city. GYC Vegas was built here, for here, and I am proud of what the team and I have built together. If you are newer to the profession or thinking about what is next, I hope you will lean into this chapter, lean into this community, and reach out. I am always happy to connect.”

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