In 1972, Brown-Olmstead formed an independent public relations firm to service clients in the southeastern corporate, commercial and civic worlds. The firm quickly became a full-service organization, and handled more than 800 accounts and projects -- on regional, national and international bases -- from real estate development, health care, manufacturing, food service, architecture and retail to consumer products, investment and security services, governmental agencies, political candidates, and financial services. The firm was a division of Shandwick plc from June 1988 to spring of 1996.

Brown-Olmstead is one of the industry's Fellows, a distinction held by only a few hundred practitioners worldwide, and is also fully accredited. She has been designated one of the Ten Outstanding Atlantans, was elected a member of Leadership Atlanta, was recognized as in "Women of Achievement" by the International Women's Forum, and is listed in Outstanding Atlantans and various Who's Who publications. She has been featured in Mademoiselle magazine, Business Week, Savvy, Atlanta Weekly, Atlanta magazine, and Movers and Shakers in Georgia. As writer and director of a television special, "The Land of Cotton," she received a Gold Medal in the New York Film & TV Festival. She is an active public speaker and has addressed more than 200 meetings and conventions in her 40 years of professional life.

Client programs under her direction have included the first three-way satellite news conference linking the mayors of Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles for Philip Morris USA, the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow, the development of marketing plans for the creation of the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain, a major environmental program for Waste Management tied to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in 1988, and the development of the step aerobics movement for The STEP Company.

Currently, Brown-Olmstead is a member of the board of Central Atlanta Progress, the Episcopal Media Center, the Advisory Board of Shepherd Spinal Center, the Georgia Chapter of the International Women's Forum, member of the Board of Councilors for The Carter Center, board member of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, member of ODK, board member of the Robinson College of Business, Order of the Phoenix, and an inductee of the Georgia PRSA Hall of Fame.

She has been actively involved in the development of CAP's Downtown Improvement District program through participation in the initial task force, development of uniforms and identity for the A Force, and communications training.