Mamie Ruth & Co.

Last week, Bailor Group announced the Founding BAILOR Certified™ Coaches, expanding access to the Build to Scale™ program.

This moment reflects something we see every day in small business:
Growth doesn’t come from more information. It comes from structured ex*****on and the ability to make strong decisions as things evolve.

We’re proud to see Sonia Simmons Robinson included in this founding group, bringing her focus on leadership and decision-making through growth and transition.

We’re looking forward to seeing the impact this work will have on the businesses stepping into it.

🥂

Bailor Group announces the expansion of its Build to Scale™ program through the introduction of its Founding BAILOR Certified™ Coaches.

This milestone marks the next phase in expanding access to the systems and structure small business owners need to scale sustainably. The program is based on the BAILOR Method™ and extends a framework previously applied in mid-market advisory work into a cohort model for small businesses.

“Small business owners aren’t suffering from a lack of information; they’re lacking structured ex*****on,” said Sonya Bailor, Founder and CEO of Bailor Group. “What they need is proximity to an operator who understands their stage… and walks with them step by step, holding them accountable until the work is done.”

The Founding BAILOR Certified™ Coaches include:
• Melissa Chavez, focused on messaging, positioning, and marketing effectiveness.
• Sonia Simmons Robinson, focused on leadership development and decision-making through growth and transition.
• Jessica Barnes, focused on scaling businesses while maintaining culture and client experience.
• Rachel Brown, focused on strategic clarity, direction, and momentum.
• Ron Casto, focused on operational structure, systems, and ex*****on.

Each coach is trained in the BAILOR Method™, the firm’s framework for leadership, operations, and scalable growth.

The program operates through small, cohort-based groups, where business owners work alongside peers navigating similar stages of growth while applying guidance directly within their companies.

The founding coaches will graduate on May 1, 2026, with initial cohorts launching shortly thereafter. This expansion extends the reach of the BAILOR Method™ through a network of coaches working directly alongside the businesses they support.

Read the full announcement: https://whnt.com/business/press-releases/cision/20260406CL27758/bailor-group-expands-build-to-scale-through-founding-certified-coaches-to-increase-small-business-impact/

🥂

This week at Calhoun Community College, the North Alabama Student Writing Conference, a student-led event, creates space for reflection, expression, and leadership.

Centered on the theme “Our Histories, Our Stories,” the conference explores how the experiences we carry shape the stories we tell and ultimately how we see ourselves.

That idea sits at the heart of leadership.

Because the story we tell ourselves influences how we show up when things are uncertain, when capacity shifts, and when the path forward isn’t clear.

During the keynote on Practical Resilience, we’ll explore this idea:

Resilience is not just about pushing through.

It’s about understanding the story we’re carrying and choosing how we lead from it.

We’re grateful to the students who put in the work to create this experience.

That’s leadership.

Growth is about what we build.

It’s also about how we lead while building it.

The Build to Scale™ Coaching Cohort, developed by Bailor Group, helps small business leaders move beyond reactive growth and into structured, sustainable leadership.

Over 9 months, participants strengthen:
• Leadership habits
• Decision-making focus
• Systems that support long-term growth

Scaling a business requires more than effort.
It requires discipline, discernment, and intention.

Learn more: mamieruthco.com/coaching

Today, we will be out and about supporting the next generation of communicators and leaders.

Sonia Simmons Robinson will be speaking at the University of Alabama in Huntsville as part of:
A Day in the Life of a PR Practitioner

Investing in future leaders matters, and so does sharing real insight into what leadership and communication look like in practice.

We’re grateful to partner with organizations creating space for learning, growth, and meaningful conversation.

PRCA is building meaningful connections between emerging talent and industry leaders in classrooms across Alabama’s premier colleges and universities.

Today, PRCA North Alabama is proud to be at The University of Alabama in Huntsville, connecting students with professionals across corporate, government, and agency leadership through “A Day in the Life of a PR Practitioner.”

A big thank you to our panelists: Whitney Schmitt, Sonia Robinson, APR, Amanda Jarrett, APR, and moderator Adam Kelley, APR, for investing in the next generation of communicators.

Want to bring this conversation to your campus? Let’s connect.

Growth is not just about doing more; it’s about building better.

The Build to Scale™ Coaching Cohort brings together leaders who are ready to strengthen how they lead, structure their businesses, and create sustainable growth.

This is where focus meets action.

Learn more about the cohort experience and what it means to build with intention at mamieruthco.com/coaching

Leadership doesn’t just show up at work.

It shows up in our everyday choices, especially in the relationships that require intention, patience, and grace.

We’re excited to share that Sonia Simmons Robinson is featured on the Minding The Gap Leadership podcast, a space for honest conversations about leadership, growth, and the journey between where we are and where we’re called to be.

In this episode, she shares a powerful perspective on co-parenting rooted in respect, communication, and focusing on what truly matters.

It’s a reminder that leadership isn’t something we turn on and off — it’s something we live.

🎙️ Listen to “The Beauty in Co-Parenting.”
Available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, IHEART, and YouTube.

Mamie Ruth & Co. was never meant to be just one thing.

From the beginning, founder Sonia Simmons Robinson envisioned this body of work taking shape across four areas:

Writing
Speaking
Coaching
Teaching

Each one reflects a different way of supporting leaders. Coaching has always been part of that vision. Because over time, Sonia has seen something consistently.

Many founders are doing meaningful work. Their businesses are growing. But at a certain point, leadership begins to feel different.

The decisions carry more weight.
The organization becomes more complex.
What once worked no longer works the same way.

This is the moment when growth changes leadership.

Today, Mamie Ruth & Co. is proud to introduce the coaching cohort, grounded in the Build to Scale™ methodology developed by Bailor Group. As President of BAILOR, Sonia has an incredible vantage point on just how impactful Build to Scale™ and small-group coaching are for small business leaders.

This work is designed for founders and owner-operators who are ready to strengthen how they lead and how their businesses operate.

This is not about quick fixes.

It is about building organizations that can grow with strength and intention.

If this resonates, we invite you to learn more.

https://www.mamieruthco.com/coaching

When Sonia Simmons Robinson joined the Public Relations Council of Alabama (PRCA) as a student, she had no idea how much that decision would shape her career.

She simply wanted to learn from people who were doing the work.

What she found was something far more valuable than a professional organization.

She found a room full of practitioners willing to open doors.

Years later, that experience has come full circle.

At the 2026 PRCA State Conference, a remarkable group of students will serve as part of the Emerging Practitioners Initiative, gaining hands-on experience, supporting conference operations, creating content, assisting speakers, and helping power the event itself.

Because the future of our profession doesn't start after graduation.

It starts when someone invites emerging professionals into the room.

We're incredibly proud of this cohort and proud to support this initiative, in partnership with Bailor Group, as part of our commitment to developing emerging professionals.

Because strong communicators are shaped through mentorship, shared experience, and communities willing to invest in the next generation.

Mo’Bay Beignet Co. makes reading "Pause: Sometimes Stillness is the Strategy" a little sweeter. Our next stop on the book signing tour takes us to Mobile, AL, and beignets.

Saturday, December 6
2:00 - 4:00 PM
Mo'Bay Beignet on Dauphine Street