Since joining Walt & Company in 2008, this incredible team has become like a second family, and our office has truly felt like a second home. Over the years, this “home” has undergone many transformations, each one marking a new chapter in our journey together.

As a newish mom of two, work-life balance has taken on a completely different meaning than it did before. In the PR world where deadlines are tight, travel is the norm, client expectations are high, and the pace is quick, maintaining work-life balance can seem a bit overwhelming at times. And a couple of little ones add another layer to the balancing act. I know I’m not alone when I say it’s not easy juggling family, work and self-care. With barely over three years under my belt, I’m no expert, but I can tell you a few things that have helped me as I’ve taken on the new role as a working mom in PR.

Have you ever looked back at a past decision and realized it unknowingly set you up for future success? In college, I led campus tours for prospective students. Many of us remember these tours—whether being in awe of the campus, overwhelmed by the idea of leaving home or cringing at our parents’ never-ending questions. These tours are often a stepping stone to making a major life decision.

As a marketing communication major, leading campus tours honed my skills, teaching me how to showcase the school in ways that appealed to different audiences. Little did I know at the time, it was the start of my career in PR. Following are three PR skills that I gained while giving these tours…

I recently had the opportunity to get back to a tradeshow (it’s been a while!), and it was good to be back. I was thrilled to bring along a colleague who has never attended a tradeshow before to show her the ropes. This gave me a chance to reflect on the various aspects of the PR role at a tradeshow and some tips for success…

This week I had the opportunity to attend VMware Explore with my colleague Jordyn Amazeen to help facilitate press and analyst briefings on the show floor for our client Tintri.

Coming off the heels of a successful show, I wanted to take a moment to share some highlights and takeaways from this week.

There’s “no such thing as a dumb question.” It’s likely that we’ve all heard the phrase before. Perhaps it’s not universally applicable to every situation but for the purpose of learning, I would argue that the statement is true.

The concept that there are no dumb questions stems from the fact that everyone has a unique perspective and experience. In the field of PR, asking questions is critical. Without a deep understanding of clients, their business landscape and solutions, it’s just not possible to deliver effective communication efforts that fall in line with client's overarching objectives. “Fake it until you make it” only works to a certain extent.

With summer upon us, I can’t help but feel nostalgic. This time of the year brings memories of my first trip to #NYC in 2013. I traveled with the #WaltCrew to host a three-day media event to brief 100+ analysts, bloggers and editors.

While a trip to go and experience NYC sounded like a lot of fun, it was also a lot of hard work. This was an extraordinary feat to accomplish and there were months of preparation to put together such an event.

You may look at that title and say, “What?” Many clients take the summer or mid-year to review how the first half of the year performed and make adjustments to ensure business goals are met. I’ve heard it referred to as FP2 (fiscal planning 2nd half) or OP2 (operational Planning 2nd half). 

I liked that…for myself.

Maintaining motivation can be hard, regardless of the roles you hold at home or at work. As you advance in your career and take on more advanced tasks, you’re often expected to speak up and handle greater responsibilities. This can feel a little scary and overwhelming, especially when you’re “faking it till you make it.” During these times, I often find encouragement in inspirational quotes, the right quote for me can repeat in my head providing a quick boost of encouragement and confidence. Here are a few of my favorites that might help you too:

“Being fearless is having a lot of fears, but you jump anyway.” – Taylor Swift

Starting off with a good ‘ol Taylor Swift quote. This quote perfectly encapsulates the courage needed to face new challenges. Whether it’s traveling to attend an event for the first time, a local networking dinner, or tackling a new project, overcoming your fear of failure is crucial. Once you accomplish that, you’ll likely reflect on what you achieved with pride.

Throughout my years in PR, I’ve noticed sometimes you need to step away from your computer to tackle a problem or think creatively about a project.

Whether having inspiration strike in the shower (I can’t be the only one, right?!) or just as I’m falling asleep, I’ve often found creativity come to me when I’m not at my computer.

Carpe diem, often translated as “seize the day,” is a phrase used to express the idea that one should make the most of the present moment. For PR professionals, seizing the moment or ‘newsjacking’ has become a key tool in the arsenal for enhancing brand visibility and building credibility.

So, what exactly is newsjacking?

“Growth is uncomfortable.” This is something I’ve repeated over the years to interns and entry-level employees at Walt & Company. For new professionals, starting a job means embracing the discomfort of adapting to office life, collaborating with colleagues who have been in the industry for decades and understanding new, and often unspoken expectations. It’s an essential journey for career growth, but with the right mindset the transition can be easy.

I have always enjoyed working with interns and entry-level employees, sharing the tactical process of working, general office how-to’s and personal experiences that have grown my career, and in return watching them flourish.

I came across W Magazine’s “Who is Television’s Ultimate Fashion PR Pro?,” which I thought was an interesting perspective and analysis of three fictional fashion industry PR gals and their work. As a PR gal who appreciates a good pop culture reference and is familiar with two of the three characters, I enjoyed the read.

The article got my brain jogging, thinking about just how many characters in shows and movies I’ve watched have careers in PR or PR-adjacent fields. It’s always interesting to see how Hollywood portrays a character that works in the same or a similar field as you – like Samantha Jones, who owns a PR firm in S*x and the City, Olivia Pope, the crisis communications queen (and queen of the White House, IMO) in Scandal or Alexis Rose, owner of Alexis Rose Communications, in Schitt’s Creek.

I’d like to start this out by saying to all the kids out there who have had to move desks (perhaps several times) for talking too much in class, you may have a future career in Public Relations.

As a young “talker” myself, when being asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, my answer was often an actress. After several years of junior and senior high school drama – plus some dabbling early on in college – I decided the acting path wasn’t for me. I did, however, know that I wanted to work with the media in some capacity and in a field where “talking too much” would be appreciated (for the most part), instead of viewed as a distraction and forced to move.

If there’s one thing I can emphatically say about myself, it’s that I’m a die-hard fan girl.  I love the Golden State Warriors. I love the San Francisco 49ers. And I love the K-Pop group BTS. (Not to be confused with the acronym for Behind The Scenes.)

If you’re in the PR industry, it’s almost imperative to have a die-hard, go big or go home approach to life.  That’s how you get the big interviews, the front-page stories and the home run hits for clients. It’s precisely this attitude that found me standing in line outside Central Park starting early evening the night before to attend Good Morning America’s Summer Concert that started at 7am the next morning.

If you are ever invited to a Filipino home, you are likely to be greeted as part of the family and offered something to eat. Whether you have already eaten or are not hungry, you will be given a meal, snack or beverage – even if it is your first time meeting.

As a Filipino myself, I was raised valuing hospitality which is all about how we treat our guests. 

At Walt & Company, I’ve learned that hospitality is just as important in PR.

From sharing local community education, society and technology updates to reporting on national initiatives that impact our world at large, reporters work hard to keep us informed of important and interesting updates in the world we live in.  Those of us in the PR world value the time spent with journalists, the incredible working relationships established over the years and the time they put in to preparing a story…

Every once in a while I’m asked about a highlight from my career. After so many years in PR, there are several! But one always stands out – my day with Bobby Berk.

At the time, Bobby was best known as the design guru on Netflix’s Queer Eye (he recently announced he is exiting the show). We worked with client Sleep Number to bring Bobby to NYC for a day of broadcast media interviews and then in-person lifestyle/tech editorial meetings. Bobby shared bedroom design tips for better sleep and how a Sleep Number smart bed could help.

Let’s face it, all organizations – no matter how big or small – will face a major issue at some point. Especially in today’s connected world where information (or misinformation) spreads like wildfire, a crisis can be lurking just around the corner, causing unprepared organizations to potentially suffer major financial, operational and reputational losses.

Crisis communication is a vital function of public relations and below are 5 best practices to consider that can help you anticipate, mitigate and respond to PR disasters and critical events.