Staying Authentic within the PR Profession

Last night I got the opportunity to listen to a panel of eight women, led by Donna Renella, talk about their experiences as leaders within their companies. I went into the event not knowing what to expect but left hopeful for my place in the PR industry in the future. Coming into Newhouse I really didn’t know my place within the program. I chose Public Relations at Newhouse because of my passion to write but had no idea I would be encountered with some of the best people not just in the industry, but also who live authentically in their lives outside of work. Something that is really valuable to me is not wrapping up my entire identity in work, school, or basketball, but being able to separate what I do from who I am. Because of this panel of strong and very successfully women, it gave me hope that I will definitely be able to be successful in my career after I graduate while also being able to make time for my family and personal matters.

The panel director, Donna Renella, has experience coming from Fortune 500 companies and some of the top agencies in communications, according to her website, donnarenella.com. Renella established her knowledge within the PR industry after spending a decade being a top HR leader at Hill & Knowlton and Interpublic Group. She founded her own consulting and recruitment firm in 2007 called ABW Solutions. 

Donna Renella
via donnarenella.com

The panel discussion featured Leah Cooper, a recent Syracuse graduate who now works as an account associate for W2O Group, Mindy Gikas, Principal of MSG Consulting Group, Celina Green, Human Resources Manager of Spectrum Reach, Shazzia Khan, Global Chief of Staff and Global Chief Talent Officer of Havas, Shauna Milano, HR assistant of M Booth, Amy Onori, Talent Director of M Booth, Paola Santiago, Associate of H+KS, and Sneha Satish, Account Executive of Stanton. All eight of these women within the panel come from different backgrounds, but all had great advice to an audience of college students ranging from freshmen year to those of us in graduate school. As stated in chapter one of Regina Luttrell's textbook, business relations is very important to establish some degree of relationship within the community. Striving to interact positively to the public is a responsibility of anyone in a PR position to enhance reputation, relationships, and brand management. Each woman on the panel talked about the importance of this within their jobs. Another topic that I noticed a parallel within class discussion and in the panel discussion is the importance of personal branding on social media. That is when the topic of being authentic played a part as one of the main topics of discussion.

Every woman in the panel had great advice, but I wanted to highlight two women whose advice really stuck with me. Mindy Gikas has a role of being a global leader in talent and human resources, according to her bio provided to each person in the audience. She talked about how she works in a very face-paced environment where she makes an impact on her employees and colleagues by being very self-motivated and genuine. I could tell just by the way she carried herself and spoke, that she was a very authentic woman who knew how to balance her work life and personal life and be successful not only in her work, but as a mother and wife as well. I asked her how she is able to hold true to her values and not compromise her identity into being solely about work and her response was to stay focused on the task at hand. When she is at work, she stays attentive to the needs that need to be met at work. When she is outside of work, she is mindful in what she does as a mother, wife, and friend. Her advice will not only be beneficial for me as I start my career after graduation, but as a full-time student athlete this year trying to juggle the intense schedule of basketball and of grad school. I was really appreciative of the wisdom she shared to help me be more mindful in what I am doing in the moment.

Mindy Gikas
via LinkedIn

Celina Green is the Human Resources Manager for Spectrum Reach and leads her employees while also working in a very fast-paced environment. I asked her the same question as Mrs. Gikas, and her answer was about the power of “no.” She stated how important boundaries are in life, but also in your career. Sometimes it is appropriate to ask for vacation days or to take an important phone call from a close friend or family member. She stated that if a boss or a company you work for cannot respect your boundaries and does not share your values, no dollar amount in the world is worth compromising your “authentic self.” Her consistent message throughout the entire night was to be authentic and stay true to yourself. 

Celina Green
via LinkedIn

I am so grateful to have taken the time to listen to all of these strong women give off so much wisdom, and also glad that I asked that question to these two women. Both of their answers are things that I have been working on in my personal life in managing the fast-paced lifestyle of being a college athlete while also making time to study, be engaged in classes, and connecting with friends and family. I think it is really easy to neglect one area in our lives because we get so wrapped up in what we do, but it is important that we have a balance to make time for people we love and also enjoy our passion within our work. I really believe when we are able to enjoy where we are at in what we are doing, our best performance and the best versions of ourselves will shine through.  




Links to twitter with live tweets: https://twitter.com/PRBrookeA