PR Pros: Anna Sinclair Of Biola University On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro

An Interview With Kristen Shea

Be a lifelong learner. Whether through formal education or not, always have the attitude of humble inquiry. Learn. Learn more about who you are; learn more about PR and the constantly changing landscape of which PR lives. Learn about who your publics are; learn more about the organizations you work with. Have a growth mindset. The minute you think you know everything there is to know, that’s when complacency can set in. Don’t let it. Always be open to learning new things and exploring new avenues of creativity.

Have you seen the show Flack? Ever think of pursuing a real-life career in PR? What does it take to succeed in PR? What are the different forms of Public Relations? Do you have to have a college degree in PR? How can you create a highly lucrative career in PR? In this interview series, called “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro” we are talking to successful publicists and Public Relations pros, who can share stories and insights from their experiences.

As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Anna Sinclair.

Anna Sinclair earned her Bachelors of Science in Public Relations at Northern Arizona University and her Masters of Organizational Leadership at Biola University. Sinclair spent 12 years working in both non-profit and corporate PR. Sinclair transitioned from working in agency PR to become an adjunct professor, and then four years ago, a full-time faculty member at Biola University, teaching in the Public Relations and Strategic Communication Department. She is currently a dissertation student in the Organizational Leadership PhD department at Indiana Wesleyan University, and her passions include public relations, leadership, and advocating for the disabled community.

Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Back in high school, I knew that I loved making people feel seen in community. I have a physical disability and there were times I felt marginalized growing up. By the time I was in high school, everyone knew me and knew that I could run varsity track, dance, play soccer, etc., just like everyone else. My experiences gave me a huge passion for inclusion but I wasn’t sure how that translated into a major in college. After some research, I discovered that public relations was very much about community, relationship, and fostering public trust within the organizational landscape. Majoring in PR in college cemented my passion for the industry and practically applying the academic knowledge out into the field was energizing for me.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?

Now that I am a PR professor, my stories are mainly about my students and watching their transformation from first year PR student to graduating seniors ready to enter the workforce with passion for the industry. I’m always so proud when my students land an internship with organizations like Disney, the Make a Wish Foundation, and Edelman because they are able to translate the PR classroom experience into the working world.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I’m not sure how funny it was, but my overall “new to working” mistake was highlighted at my very first job at a music museum. I had no idea how to properly communicate in email to my supervisor (the director of the museum). Thinking back on it, I actually had very little tact or graceful humility with my ability to navigate my job responsibilities or to talk about expectations and requests, let alone manage conflict resolution. My supervisor had to bring me in to her office several times to set me straight. Because of those rather painful and embarrassing missteps, I make sure to teach my students the importance of communication methods before they begin interacting with professionals.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I am currently working on my PhD dissertation that is focused on the lived experiences of undergraduate students with seen and unseen disabilities within the context of faculty-led relational transparency in the classroom. I am a passionate advocate of the disability community and am very interested in linking the tenants of PR within the phenomenon of leadership.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Develop self-awareness. You cannot be focused in the field until you understand who you are and what makes you tick. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses and then determining why they are your strengths and weaknesses (yes, you have to go there and unpack your personal life a bit) is critical. Personal authenticity informs wisdom and ethics that can build and frame the internal elements of a leader, which enables that leader to the venture out and do well professionally.

Expand your capacity. The work we do in PR is so visible, so out there for the world to see, that it’s important to understand that our worldview is not the only worldview out there. Learn from others, ask questions, be invited into new and different communities from your own. Watch and listen. Then, share with them as well. If reality is truly perspective, then let’s widen the lens to what’s possible.

Allow failure, reflect on success. The only way we can grow and improve is by adopting the right amount of humble confidence needed to try new things and the maturity to recognize when we make mistakes. Stiff overconfidence will become brittle over time and will begin to tarnish (or just completely break down) one’s reputation in the industry. When you achieve a success, celebrate and reflect upon the experience. Remember who helped you along the way in that success and show gratitude. When you fail, own it, understand it, admit it, apologize when needed, and move forward.

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. For the benefit of our readers, can you help articulate what the different forms of PR are?

There are many forms of PR, and in fact, these forms represent almost a living and changing entity as our world continues to develop and respond to society and culture all around us. Universally, PR can be catalogued within verbal, non-verbal, and artifact-based communication objectives, strategies, and tactics. These include all content pieces such as press releases, flyers, brochures, newsletters, websites, social media platforms, blogs, vlogs, forums, feature stories, scripts, and the list goes on. Additionally, in PR there is verbal message delivery through speeches and other formal and non-formal addresses such as media PSAs and other broadcast communication. Also artifacts-based PR, or the more physical element of PR can include special events and gatherings as well as merchandize, mascot and other tangible campaign-related initiatives.

Of course, what to use, how to use it, and what you say, is all dependent upon the campaign goal, identifying who the publics are and what they need, and then crafting each message within the tactics accordingly.

Where should a young person considering a career in PR start their education? Should they get a degree in communications? A degree in journalism? Can you explain what you mean?

Finding the right university that will help you achieve your goals is very important. I intentionally found a university that offered a major in public relations because I wanted to hone my skills predominantly in PR. Within that, I also took classes in journalism, photography, advertising and communication as a part of my degree, which afforded me a holistic view of how other disciplines can enhance my PR work. Do be careful. In my opinion, a degree in journalism does not teach you the tenants of PR — they are two different fields. Also, be careful, as a degree in communication or mass communication does not give you the specific skills, knowledge or abilities to perform specific public relations work. An emphasis in PR definitely helps, but if you are a communications major with an emphasis in PR, be sure that every major assignment, internship, and capstone project is rooted in PR. In addition, including that specific PR experience in your resume will help employers see your PR potential for that first job post-grad.

You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?

Do not be afraid. The tendency right out of college is to shy away from mixers and events with PRSA or other organizations because individuals think they are too new, they don’t know anyone, it will be awkward, and that they don’t have anything they can contribute. But, the thing is, if you never go, you will never get out there and begin to be known in the industry. I once attended a function right out of college and was introduced to the owner of a very well-known luxury lifestyle brand. I knew nothing about the industry but I firmly shook their hand and we struck up a conversation. In another instance, for work I was introduced to a famous best-selling author and was asked to “keep him there” with his bodyguard for a few minutes while he was waiting to be escorted to the next event. For a good seven minutes, we talked about hiking. I had taken a geology class in college and had done some basic fieldwork in the Grand Canyon. Digging up (literally) my experience of discovering a fossil imbedded within the layer of sedimentary rock, I kept his attention and he actually remembered my name. You don’t have to be an expert to successfully network. You just have to remember the experiences you already have and talk about the right ones at the right time.

Also, utilizing LinkedIn and having a professional website keeps you searchable and findable. And, don’t underestimate the value of the follow-up. Show people you care — it matters.

Lead generation is one of the most important aspects of any business. Can you share some of the strategies you use to generate good, qualified leads?

You need to be organized, planned, and strategic. You need to fully research every aspect of what you want to achieve. Are you establishing a partnership? Are you reaching a new public base? Are you creating a new campaign? Who are the people impacted by the initiative or movement or piece of news you are rolling out? You need to be specific, inclusive, and always remember to create mutually beneficial two-way communication between your publics and the organization. If you are pitching to the media or to the client, you need to recognize the differences in approach and content management and always vet for credibility, accuracy, and be aware of any ethical implications that may arise. In short, you need to become the expert in the situation on all fronts.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro” and why.

Be a lifelong learner. Whether through formal education or not, always have the attitude of humble inquiry. Learn. Learn more about who you are; learn more about PR and the constantly changing landscape of which PR lives. Learn about who your publics are; learn more about the organizations you work with. Have a growth mindset. The minute you think you know everything there is to know, that’s when complacency can set in. Don’t let it. Always be open to learning new things and exploring new avenues of creativity.

Be proactive, not reactive. This is one of the most critical functions in PR that can make the difference between success or failure. In PR, you need to be constantly anticipating and identifying current trends that could affect your organization and your public. You need to conduct audits and have statements and plans ready to go in the event of any number of situations. Especially within crisis management, the only way you have a chance of maintaining public trust is by moving in front of the situation instead of stumbling behind it. Public trust is everything. Without it, PR loses integrity and credibility.

Have a mentor, be a mentee. When you’re first starting out, find a veteran in the field and reach out. You might find them at a networking event, or through someone you know, or it even might be your supervisor. Ask if they would be open to mentoring you, showing you the ropes, give advice, etc. And, after some time in the industry, be a mentor to a PR newcomer. Creating this cycle of professional development will have ripple effects within the PR community and will be a fulfilling experience personally.

Create and maintain your brand. PR professionals should know who they are. Specifically, you should know which genre of PR you’re passionate about (e.g., lifestyle, music, sports, political, nonprofit, entertainment, etc.). Representing that niche is very important and should be visible and understood on all social and professional platforms, your website, business cards, everything. Consistency is the key. This includes small design details like font choice, color palate, quotes, logos, other visuals — everything representing who you are professionally should be the same across all channels. This professional branding of who you are creates credibility and allows potential clients to find you, which creates reputation within networking circles.

Ethics is everything. Now more than ever, intrinsic values such as ethics, credibility, and integrity are paramount to the highly external, visible world of PR. In news and media, we constantly see examples of ethically decoupled organizations, scandals, legal battles, and tarnished reputations. We hardly ever hear about ethically transformed organizations, the ones doing it right. Mainly because it’s not eye catching news, it doesn’t create a buzz. But, why shouldn’t it? Wouldn’t it be great if we saw more individuals and organizations display virtues, stewardship, philanthropy, and have a moral sense of right and wrong? Again, remember public trust and reputation. In PR, being successful hinges on being an ethical agent of transformation.

Because of the role you play, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Similar to what Dove does with their Real Beauty campaigns, I would want to create a movement centered around human value, worth, and dignity that honors our differences of opinion, political leaning, religious belief, culture, physical appearance, and ethnicity rather than criticizing our differences. Breaking down barriers, stereotypes, stigmas and coming together as citizens of the world. I think our world could benefit from a little more compassion and empathy.

This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.