When I was 14, I would tell people I was going to be a reporter and host the Emmy Awards.
I would also tell people I was going to be a spokesperson for AT&T. I can’t tell you why I chose AT&T, but the Friends and Family campaign was popular at the time.
I achieved those childhood dreams, surviving six years in a television newsroom and becoming a spokesperson – not for AT&T but for Marion County Board of County Commissioners and now Duke Energy.
I’m not sure why my teenage brain chose journalism and public relations, but these are the four things I love about our profession.
- Being in the know. Call me noisy or perhaps just curious; I love having the inside scoop, being first to know and sitting at the table that makes decisions.
- Variety. Last week, I wrote project messages for a slide deck our CEO uses for earnings, launched a survey to measure an internal rebranding campaign, gave a presentation about a new business model, managed communications for a fire, updated our website, planned a plant tour and led a hiring process. Public relations is never boring, and I love the mix of strategies and tactics we use to serve our clients.
- Continuous learning. We’ll never get too full of ourselves in public relations. Just when I think, “I’ve got this,” something I’ve never experienced will happen. I love learning and growing.
- Tangible outcomes. I love proving how my work and recommendations influenced outcomes and produced measurable results.
You all are pros. What do you love about PR? Send me a line. I’d love to hear from you.
With kindness,
h.
Heather Danenhower, APR, CPRC