Communications Approaches & Knowledge From Our Experts
A Q&A with Chanel Miller
By Lara Bergthold, Hillary Moglen, and Chanel Miller
We asked Chanel Miller to address the following question hoping to get a first-person sense of what it feels like to work with media for the first time and how prep can help and Chanel responded generously with this answer.
Q: Now that you’ve been a client to a communications firm, what advice would you give to all communication professionals to best serve their clients, particularly clients new to media and/or clients who have suffered from trauma?
A: I’ve learned that it is important to start small. Buildup slowly. Even three months ago, I did not think it was possible for me to do an on-camera interview, the pressure too intense, the conversation too intimate with a stranger. I thought I’d be distracted wondering what the cameramen were thinking, self-conscious about how I was being perceived, if I was saying the right thing. RALLY helped redirect the focus to myself. What do YOU want to say? What do YOU want them to know? Rather than feeling like I’d have to bend and mold around any question that was asked of me, I began to understand it was my chance to show up and deliver a message. I was on offense, not defense.
For my first session with RALLY, we propped an iPhone up on the table and filmed me as I answered a list of anticipated questions. My homework was to watch the videos. I learned to pay attention and get familiar with my voice instead of obsessing with what was happening externally.
For the second session, I graduated to sitting in a chair with a nicer camera and one light, mimicking a TV interview setup. The space was safe, the stakes low, so I felt free to practice and flub up answers. In court, I felt punished or deficient if I did not know an answer. RALLY assured me you do not have to know everything. Nobody knows everything. You can offer your own experience with honesty and authenticity and that is plenty.
Once I got used to answering questions, there were subtle and less perceptible things RALLY helped me tune into. As I began to do one interview after the other, it was easy to switch into autopilot. RALLY reminded me to check in with myself, to sense if my energy was dipping. To request to take breaks, take a minute to stretch, to breathe, eat a banana. Small acts of self-care are immensely important, but easily forgotten or overridden when your schedule picks up.
Having been through trauma, I had been out of practice when it came to setting personal boundaries. You forget how to demand more for yourself, forget it is not normal to be constantly interrupted or shut down. RALLY helped lock in my safety and comfort as top priorities. I learned I was in a new place, where boundaries can be established, where no one can force you to do anything. If anyone compromises your requests or violates your privacy, you can choose not to engage. Sharing your story doesn’t have to be synonymous with sacrificing well-being. Disclosing your truth shouldn’t have to come at a high personal cost. You do not owe anyone anything. For the first time in a long time, I had control.
In the beginning, I was not able to verbalize my story without emotional overwhelm and exhaustion. Now, not only is it possible to speak my story, I feel calm at my center and stronger each time I do it. With RALLY’s guidance, I’ve learned to say, I expect to be respected, I will settle for nothing less. It’s time for me to speak, for you to listen.
RALLY is an issue-driven communications firm | Certified force for good by B Corporation
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