Executive Suite: Steve Haweeli, East Hampton

'I had a PR firm before I knew what public relations was," says Steve Haweeli, president of WordHampton Public Relations Inc. in East Hampton.

In his 20s, he had been working in Manhattan as a bartender and as a freelance writer when he was asked to write a news release for a restaurant. "What's that? Can you show me one?" he says he recalls asking.

Haweeli, now 57, caught on quickly. He moved to East Hampton, where he tended bar for Nick & Toni's, the power restaurant that became his first client when he opened his business in 1992 in the basement of his home.

The agency, managing some 60 Facebook pages and 41 Twitter accounts for clients, now represents hospitality and real estate businesses, as well as events such as Long Island Restaurant Week.

On the drawing board? A look at possibly "taking our package of services to other geographic markets," he says.

What's your biggest headache?
Juggling the roles of sales and managing the business. "I have systems in place, and monitoring the systems can be challenging when I'm also out on the road selling and counseling with clients."

What significant trend are you focusing on?
Mobile. In two years, "more people will log on to the Internet from smartphones than from their desktops," having "ramifications for anyone involved in business."

How did you learn the basics of running a business?
"Study and a lot of trial by error. I was fortunate to have a tremendous consultant in Arizona, Al Croft. He taught me about profitability, hourly rates, how to run a public relations agency."

What early experiences influenced you?
"My freshman English professor at Hamilton . . . failed me, thus scrapping my jargon-filled writing style for one that's more direct. Also, working in restaurants. A really good restaurant worker -- waiter, bartender, maitre d' (and I've worked all three) -- is the consummate multitasker."

What do you look for in a job candidate?
A combination of skills and personality. "We've been wowed by personalities and realized the person can't spell." Job candidates are given a "quiz of real scenarios that happened to us, and we didn't know what to do. We like to see how people think on their feet. It's a riot."

What's your most fun workplace perk?
"We have an awful lot of fun. We have a [formerly] stray cat named Smokey. We celebrate birthdays. We have a spa day the last week of August and all go to Gurney's [Inn] for massages. We eat fried chicken on the beach. One of our mottos is, 'Work hard, laugh hard.' "

If there were a fire alarm, what in your office would you grab first?
"Probably the damn cat."

CORPORATE SNAPSHOT
Name. Steve Haweeli, president of WordHampton Public Relations Inc. in East Hampton

What it does. "For our hospitality clients (restaurants and hotels), we like to think 'we help put fannies in seats' and 'heads in beds.' " For all clients, they stay "abreast of every marketing tool that we can master and implement on their behalf."

Employees. Nine full time, in roles such as publicist, junior account coordinator, bookkeeper-office manager.

Revenue. $1 million