Job Shadowing, a unique experience at Outstand Communications
During ADandPRLab’s Leadership and EQ Lab led by Ms Dimitra Iordanoglou, we learned a lot about the qualities that a leader should and should not have, thus revealing some of our own competences. Reaching the last semester of our studies, we have been assigned our final project to give an epilogue to all the knowledge we have gained during these last months in the lab. Job Shadowing is an important process and method that we need to understand in order to understand what field one would like to work in. Also by observing a leader we will recognize some of these qualities that we have learned during this semester.
Finding a leader we would like to learn more about was not difficult a process. However, with the help of Nicole, who is a member of our team, we finally did it. Nicole works at the public relations agency Outstand Communications, so we decided to study this particular company. Although the interview took two days, shadowing the company and on-site observation was a daily process for us. Maria Papathanasiou Arones, the founder and director of the company, pleasant and willing, helped us in our final project. These features were not something new to us, since Nicole had described her to us exactly like that. Her accomplishments were the main reason we chose the PR agency Outstand Communications.
Maria Papathanasiou Arones is the president of Outstand Communications, which was founded in 2016 in Athens. About Maria Papathanasiou Arones’ education and development, she studied at King’s College London and has always worked in companies with an international footprint (from Johnson & Johnson to McCann), culminating in Vogue House, where at the age of twenty-one she worked alongside the legendary Isabella Blow at the prestigious Tatler magazine. She was then accepted at Bocconi University in Milan and went to Italy for her MBA. She then went on to work at Emmanuel de la Valle’s top creative agency Formapura. In Greece, his name sounds familiar because of his father — Tod’s group chairman Diego Della Valle. Soon, he chose her for the elite team that set up the company in New York as well. He lived there for another two years. In 2012, she followed her husband to London as she continued to work in fashion consulting while completing her degree in Garden Design at London’s prestigious Inchbald School of Design.
So, Outstand has also followed a creative and successful direction as a boutique communications and PR agency with large clients. Maria Papathanasiou Arones and the Outstand team were awarded at the Influencer Marketing Awards for the Reebok and About You campaign. She has stated that being focused, having specific goals and a great team are her strategies.
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So for our final project we decided to focus on this particular entrepreneur as she is a role model for the modern woman. Of course, female entrepreneurship is a topic that has been of great concern to society in recent years as there has been tremendous progress. Maria Papathanasiou Arones confirms with her attitude that there are no stereotypes. She proves that a woman can successfully combine her professional career with the creation of a happy family. Women should support each other in their workplace. “Creativity and renewal in the company you work for is an essential ingredient for a happy and balanced family.” Besides, equality means complementarity and reciprocity in the modern business era.
During the interview we talked, among other things, about what it means to be a leader, in the world of public relations as well as about the impact of Covid-19 in the business sector. Ms. Arones’ words were very motivating as when asked about the positive side of being a leader she mentioned that: “You see your business blooming like a flower every day, there is no limit to growth.” She stressed, the importance of working hard and loving what you do so that it is successful. Furthermore, we also asked her about the negative aspects of running a company. The answer was refreshing and pleasantly surprised us. Although being a leader is very stressful, her answer was not only about the pressures she faces to make her agency successful, but also the responsibilities she has to her employees. She wants them to be satisfied and thrive alongside the company.
Of course, we could not leave out of our discussion the situation that prevailed in business during the pandemic. So, Maria Arones talked about the consequences of the Covid-19 restrictions. She stated that “It was a miracle for us that Covid gave the organization a positive result.” With the lifting of Covid-19, companies wanted to connect with the public, so they turned to Outstand Communications to get it right.
The drive for outreach had led companies to PR , event planning and many other projects. She was very happy as with all these new clients, there were many new jobs and overall the company grew and became stronger. She explained that the CEO of a PR agency is responsible for the duties of the employees. She is responsible in maintaining a balance with her clients, other stakeholders as well as her partners. She believes that being able to multitask, stay organized and communicative are key points in the world of PR.
At her agency, problems are handled not only with the best interests of the company in mind, but also the employees. She believes that even juniors, like Nicole, need to be client-facing and trusted so they can improve their skills and grow.
These types of agencies, are ideal for young people starting their careers as they teach how to multi-task and work at a fast pace. When asked how young people can get involved in the business, he simply replied, “With eagerness” as he believes that the world of PR is a school for beginners.
Through our workshop, we learned that emotional intelligence is the number one trait if you want to be respected and take on a management position. So we also asked Maria Arones to give us her opinion on this topic. Of course, her answer was the one we expected to hear, having gotten a glimpse of her previous answers. In addition to emotional intelligence, empathy, composure and organisation are equally important.
Finally, we asked her about her future ambitions. She wants to take steady and measured steps, to be able to maintain the good quality of her work and to always protect the positive spirit of the “Outstand Communications” workplace.
If we want to sum up our overall experience, through our conversation with CEO Maria Arones, we realized that working and running a company like this is much more than just organizing an event and dealing with the world of social media. Behind every success of an agency is hard work and long hours of engagement, both on an individual and collective level. Arones showed us that a leader needs adaptability, flexibility and to be able to manage a large amount of responsibilities and duties in a very short period of time. A leader in this industry needs to be constantly updated on what is happening in the office, as everything is under his/her supervision, from the smallest report to the organisation of a big event. The atmosphere must be intimate, there must be a strong support system between members and management, and without hesitation everyone must ask each other for help. It is striking and remarkable for both Outstand and most PR agencies that leaders are very close to employees, as they project an approachable profile.
The whole process has been a great lesson for us. It was refreshing to see a leader who is ambitious care about the success of others as much as he cares about his own. After Covid19 and all those issues that happened in the world, many of us had become pessimistic. Ultimately we noticed that dedication to work and what you love fills you with energy and encourages you to achieve your dreams. Plus, we started thinking about our future with a positive mindset.
TEAM: Say It Social
Nikolina Thoma, Eftychios Roti, @antzoulatoumaria, Maria Christopoulou, Nikoletta Andreopoulou, Evelina Konsolaki, @helena michopoulou.