Her Story
About Sarah
I started my career at a law firm where I took on a minor marketing role in addition to my work as a paralegal and legal assistant. I thought I wanted to go to law school, but once I graduated and went to work at a law firm, I realized that the law was not for me. A friend working in entertainment PR told me about her job, and it sounded really interesting. I didn't really know about the field of public relations until later in my college career. I began applying to public relations positions, and eventually got an internship after continually tailoring my resume and applying over the course of a year. From there, I really relied on networking - the friend who worked at one of the most prominent PR entertainment firms at the time referred me for a job on that team, and that was my first full-time PR job. I ended up working in entertainment PR for about 2 years in Los Angeles. Then I decided I wanted to relocate to Texas, where I found a job that was more focused on public affairs PR, and that is the lane that I stayed in. My job now is closer to public affairs PR than entertainment PR, even though it's more corporate communications. At a crisis agency called the Mach 1 Group, I became a senior director thanks to the work I did with crisis clients to get them through very challenging moments. That role involved working on high-profile campaigns and being available pretty much 24-7 to support clients when there were controversies related to hot-button issues. My role was not just to insulate clients from controversy in a crisis, but also to build coalitions and work with stakeholders to strengthen our clients in the face of potential communication risks. One campaign that stands out is working for an industrial client that was going into a more rural area, helping them execute on their objectives more effectively. I remember being present at a town hall in the community where there was unexpected feedback from community members, and being there to support the client through that engagement was a really proud moment for me.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sarah
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that practical hands-on experience is the single most important thing that you can gain as a PR professional. Even if you might not be able to secure that first paid opportunity, whether it's an internship or an entry-level job, you can still gain PR skills, especially now that we have the internet and AI and all these resources, by connecting with nonprofit organizations. I was a volunteer social media manager for a nonprofit at one point because I wanted to build those social media skills, and there wasn't necessarily something that I had the opportunity to do at the time on a paid level, but also I just wanted to give back to the community. Second to that is when you're in PR, a lot of the time, especially if you're working at an agency, clients are looking for your perspective and your guidance. One aspect that I had to learn over the years is that, as a pretty analytical person, I tend to analyze both sides of something, and in my early career, I would be presenting the pros and the cons and giving an analysis, rather than giving that counsel. So I would also tell young women in this field: yes, it's important to analyze the pros and cons, and if that's what you're being asked for, then deliver it. But don't underestimate the value of your own guidance and your own recommendation, and sometimes you have to be willing to give a recommendation that you don't know 100% if it will work out, but you're using your instincts and the data you have and your best judgment to come to that conclusion. And oftentimes, I've found that that's the most effective path forward. But it's developing that confidence and developing that perspective that can take time, and that would be my biggest piece of advice - to develop that and trust yourself.
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