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By Jeff Tamarkin
NY Daily News
May 24, 2006
 "In my job," says Mike Paul, "you're surrounded by yes-people. Well, I couldn't be more the opposite."
As the president of his own Manhattan-based public relations firm, MGP & Associates, Paul doesn't always tell his clients what they want to hear, but he does tell them what they need to hear. It's no wonder that Paul, who landed his first PR job 18 years ago, is known in the business as "The Reputation Doctor."
Specifically, the 42-year-old upper West Side resident is a crisis public-relations counselor. He's the go-to guy when trouble seems insurmountable. His high-profile clients have included athletes caught up in steroid scandals, corporate CEOs caught "cooking the books," and political leaders and celebrities caught being naughty. Sports Illustrated once dubbed him "Mr. Fixit."
But Paul doesn't dispense advice only to the rich and famous. As an evangelical Christian, he is a firm believer in giving back, and much of his time is spent speaking — often pro bono — at churches and schools, delivering his message to those who might not be able to afford his high-end services but are vulnerable nonetheless.
"I enjoy sharing my profession with others," he says. "It's a passion I have. I also consider it kind of a ministry. It's a win-win situation."
Paul calls his stock in trade reputation management, which he describes as "building, maintaining and repairing a reputation." And reputation, he explains, is not to be confused with image.
"Reputation is built on truth," he says, "but image is a four-letter word, equal to spin. An image, like an image on a pond, you can put your hand through it and it's gone. A reputation is built with bricks, and the bricks that you use are honesty, truth, transparency, accountability, consistency, humility — all of those bricks create an excellent reputation. You can't fake it. If you're doing the right thing consistently, it's not a smoke screen. You don't have to talk it, you have to walk it."
Paul's own reputation, not surprisingly, is stellar. "He is ethical, intelligent and really committed to his work, to doing it well," says Pastor David Epstein of Calvary Baptist Church on W. 57th St., which Paul attends with his wife, Jody. "He is unwilling to compromise his values, and he treats those who are unknown as well as he treats those who are big names. I think it's rare to see anybody stick with their convictions so wonderfully and powerfully in the media."
Paul's route to the top of the PR world was direct and deliberate. Born in Brooklyn, he later lived in Huntington, L.I., and Dutchess County. He attended college at SUNY Cortland, where he majored in political science.
Paul was offered an opportunity to intern for the New York State Assembly and was placed in the office of a Westchester Republican. Always a driven individual, he pushed himself to learn as much as possible.
"I knew I was standing out because I was a person of color, the only one, and I decided to stay a little later," he says. "Everyone else was leaving at 5:01, but I'd stay till about 6:15. My boss said, 'What are you doing? Everyone else is gone.' I said, 'I'm really enjoying what I'm doing and I want to do it well.'"
Paul's first couple of political jobs eventually led to a staff position with then-U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.), who hired him while he was still taking graduate courses at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. During his tenure with D'Amato, Paul's involvement in politics morphed into an interest in public relations work.
"I realized that those who have political experience are really a step ahead of those who have not when you start translating it to corporate strategy," he says.
Paul then went to work for Burson-Marsteller, one of the top PR houses in the country.
"Early on, I put him on my personal watch list [of] young colleagues with the potential to grow into a highly successful career in public relations," says Burson-Marsteller founder-chairman Harold Burson. "What he didn't know, he soon learned. He has good judgment, an ability to befriend and work with diverse people, a tremendous reservoir of energy and a willingness to pitch in to get the job done."
Paul launched his own company in 1994 and credits his becoming a Christian three years later with providing the inspiration to pursue his specialty. "I saw that the biggest tool that I didn't have in my tool belt was to lean on truth no matter what," he says.
When he's not counseling newsmakers on how to repair their reputations, Paul may be found speaking on the value of truth and positive reputation to business groups or college students. He is particularly gratified to be involved with activities such as the "principal for a day" program sponsored by PENCIL (Public Education Needs Civic Involvement in Learning).
"I love to speak with various groups, and I customize my message regarding reputation management," he says. "Everyone has a reputation; it's extremely valuable, it's everything, and you really have to protect it. Even when someone is calling you something, and you know it's not true, it could still hurt you for the rest of your life if you don't defend [your reputation]."
Paul also hammers home to young people the importance of excelling at school, even if some of their peers might think it's uncool to do so. "I tell kids that their goal should be much bigger than to be liked. Their goal should be to get educated." He tells the story of one young man who was unsure whether he wanted to attend college because no one else in his family had. In order to reach the student, Paul dipped into his PR tool belt.
"I told him, 'That makes you a Jackie Robinson,' and that put a smile on his face. Leader means not only leading others. Sometimes it means being the only one ever in your family or in your neighborhood to do something."
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