About Brian Hart
Rewriting the Rules of PR
Brian Hart didn’t climb the corporate ladder. He built his own, and then he wrote the manual. A Philadelphia public relations strategist and entrepreneur, Brian founded Flackable in 2014 on a conviction the industry has since caught up to: third-party credibility beats bought attention, every time, and now it decides who AI search engines recommend. That conviction became a national agency, a publishing company, and now a book: Credibility Marketing: An Insider’s Playbook for PR-Powered Growth, available now. From cold calls in a boiler room to the country’s most trusted business outlets, his underdog story is the proof behind the playbook.
The Underdog’s Journey
Brian Hart’s story is one of hustle and defiance. Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and shaped by Philly’s grit, Brian learned early on to turn challenges into opportunities. After graduating from Temple University in 2012 with a B.A. in Strategic Communication and a minor in Political Science, he hit a wall: the job market was brutal, and PR firms wouldn’t give him a chance.
Undeterred, he took a sales job at a small financial services firm outside Philadelphia, making 100–150 cold calls a day in a boiler room. It wasn’t the dream, but it taught him the language of growing businesses—their struggles, goals, and need for trust. Brian didn’t wait for permission to chase his passion. On his own time, he took over the firm’s social media, wrote blogs, and pitched media, turning a sales gig into a hybrid PR role.
That hustle built a portfolio that landed him at a top financial PR agency in New Jersey and New York, where he managed campaigns for national brands and pioneered digital strategies for the agency. But Brian saw a gap: small and mid-sized financial firms were getting press without the tools to turn it into growth.
In 2014, a single LinkedIn message changed the game. A Los Angeles wealth management firm, frustrated with the cookie-cutter PR services they had been receiving, read Brian’s article on third-party credibility and reached out. They didn’t want publicity—they wanted impact. Within a week, Brian quit his job, landed a contract with them, and Flackable was born.
He learned to run a business on the fly, watching YouTube videos and leaning on mentors. Ten months later, with clients pouring in, he hired his first employee, then another, steadily building Flackable into a national force.
Then came the test. The pandemic hit with the firm in full growth mode, and the talent wars that followed ground it down to a low point at the end of 2022, the same stretch when OpenAI released ChatGPT and rewrote the rules of search overnight. For Brian, the disruption was not a crisis of confidence. It was the greatest validation yet of the playbook he had been building his entire career: when machines started deciding which brands to trust, the answer was the same one he had been preaching for a decade. Earn credibility. Everything else depreciates.
featured articles:
Industry Influence
Brian Hart is a recognized voice in business, PR, and marketing, with a track record of shaping industry conversations through thought leadership and media presence. His bylines appear in top-tier publications like Inc., Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and PR Week, where he shares actionable insights on credibility marketing, entrepreneurship, and building trust in competitive markets. From dissecting how a single LinkedIn message sparked Flackable’s launch to offering strategies for small businesses to dominate through PR, Brian’s writing is a playbook for turning vision into impact.
Beyond writing, Brian’s expertise is sought after by major news outlets. He’s been quoted in The New York Times, CNBC, Reuters, Philadelphia Inquirer, and other leading publications, providing commentary on PR trends, business strategy, and industry disruption. His frequent appearances on industry podcasts—covering everything from pop culture’s influence on branding to emerging PR technologies—further amplify his voice, reaching thousands of entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals. Whether breaking down cancel culture or forecasting the creator economy’s impact, Brian’s insights resonate with those hungry for bold, practical strategies drawn from his underdog journey.
featured articles:
Local Muckraking
Brian’s grit extends beyond the boardroom, reflecting his deep-rooted passion for Philadelphia and its communities. As a proud Temple University alumnus, he became a vocal advocate for change at his alma mater during a turbulent period in 2023. Using social media, particularly X, Brian exposed leadership missteps, including breaking the story about a secret vacation by the university’s then-president and provost amid a graduate student worker strike and campus safety crisis. His reporting and advocacy earned him appearances on Action News and CBS Philadelphia, commentary in the Philadelphia Inquirer, and regular guest spots on Philadelphia talk radio, cementing his role as a fearless voice for accountability.
Brian’s Philadelphia passion also shines through in his irreverent, tongue-in-cheek campaigns, like the 2018 Bryan Colangelo billboard campaign. As a lifelong Sixers fan, Brian launched a digital billboard on I-76 near Passyunk Avenue, calling out the controversial 76ers general manager with the message, “#WOODERGATE: That is NOT a normal collar. Move on, Sixers, find a new GM.” The campaign, sparked by a Twitter poll where 96% of 1,087 fans supported the idea, went viral, landing coverage in NBC Philadelphia, CBS Philadelphia, PhillyVoice, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. It showcased Brian’s ability to blend bold PR tactics with Philly’s unapologetic spirit, rallying fans and amplifying Flackable’s name in the process. Whether holding institutions accountable or rallying the city’s sports fans, Brian’s muckraking reflects the same rebellious energy that drives Flackable’s mission.
featured articles:
Leading the PR Revolution
His credibility marketing approach, combining high-impact earned media with strategic integration into clients’ branding, has landed Flackable’s clients in outlets like The Wall Street Journal, CNBC and Forbes. In 2025, he launched AuthorPrime, a sister company that transforms industry experts into published authors. His raw, unscripted podcast and live show, Off The Record with Brian Hart, brings entrepreneurs, executives and journalists together to tackle business and leadership head-on. And in 2026 he put the entire system in writing: Credibility Marketing: An Insider’s Playbook for PR-Powered Growth, published by AuthorPrime and available now in hardcover, paperback and Kindle.
Why Brian’s Your Partner
Brian knows what it’s like to fight for every opportunity. That underdog mentality fuels Flackable’s relentless pursuit of results. Whether you’re a fintech disruptor or a tech innovator, Brian and his team don’t chase headlines—they craft strategies that turn your reputation into revenue. His advice? Don’t settle for sporadic press. Build a consistent, high-impact presence with a partner who’s been in the trenches and speaks your language.
About Brian Hart
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Brian Hart is a Philadelphia-based public relations strategist, entrepreneur, author and screenwriter. He is the founder of Flackable, the national PR agency he launched in 2014, and AuthorPrime, the publishing company he founded in 2025, and the author of Credibility Marketing: An Insider’s Playbook for PR-Powered Growth. He hosts the monthly livestream and podcast Off The Record with Brian Hart and is a Temple University alumnus.