Lori Ames, founder of The PR Freelancer, Inc., in her...

Lori Ames, founder of The PR Freelancer, Inc., in her Babylon office. (Dec. 1, 2011) Credit: Barry Sloan

When Lori Ames' son was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last year, she quit her job as vice president of a Manhattan firm and founded ThePRFreelancer Inc., a company that offers publicity, marketing and public relations for authors, artists and small businesses.

Ames, 54, built her business from her son's ICU room at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, with the aid of only her iPad and cellphone, as Robert, then 22, endured surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy. Becoming an entrepreneur might have seemed impossible, but she had an asset. She'd spent her entire career "being nice," and in her world "being nice and being honest in all dealings makes everything else fall into place," Ames said.

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