PR Pros: Katie Achille of The Devon Group On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro
Imagination: With so much noise out there, it’s up to PR pros to look for ways to craft messages that resonate with your target audience. Imagination is more than creativity; it’s also the resourcefulness I mentioned earlier. It’s a practice you can cultivate by giving your brain the time and space it needs to come up with new ideas.
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 Katie Achille.
Katie Achille is Managing Partner at The Devon Group, a tech public relations and marketing services firm. Earlier in her career, Katie worked in recruitment marketing and employer branding at Verizon, ran marketing at a lecture agency representing clients from Fareed Zakaria to the late Joan Rivers, wrote a book with a member of President Lyndon Johnson’s cabinet and paid her dues as a copywriter in the beauty industry. She is a Cornell University-trained crisis communicator, with a BA in Journalism and Media Studies from Rutgers University and MA in Historical Studies from The New School, as well as a competitive powerlifter.
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?
Like many folks, I never planned on working in public relations. It’s a familiar story. I entered the job market during the first rumblings of the Great Recession and took the first offer I got. Over time, I started to understand what I wanted and needed from my career, undeniably influenced by my entrepreneur parents. As I gained additional experience, I decided to bring my skills to one of the family businesses which led me here.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
I got to support a client at New York Fashion Week last year. We don’t typically see tech companies participate in events outside their immediate industry, so it was an exciting opportunity to be on-site, thinking outside the box. There are many ways to reach your economic buyer.
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?
Who doesn’t make a mistake or 12 when they first start? I quickly learned that my web-based background didn’t necessarily translate to the more traditional aspects of PR. Realizing that helped me tailor my communication style for the circumstances rather than rely on a blanket approach.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Many of my clients are in HR technology, which is seeing tremendous growth and attention given the conditions of the last two years. I especially love partnering with startups because they’re scrappy and willing to break a little glass — it keeps things exciting.
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?
- Resourceful — I’m that friend who pulls out their phone to Google an actor’s name when no one can remember, who looks up a cool new restaurant to try, etc. It’s an insatiable need for knowledge. At work, this enables me to find the research and data needed to support storylines and deliver answers where there are questions.
- Analytical — I often joke that I’m a better editor than a writer because I can take a piece of content, regardless of who provided it, dissect it, reconfigure the message, and tailor it to various audiences. It’s something I enjoy doing and serves to give feedback to my team and differentiate our output.
- Inspired — I draw inspiration from everywhere, informed by my various hobbies and interests. I use this to introduce new concepts to clients, encourage them to think creatively and offer a fresh perspective to the overall market. You don’t need to string a bunch of buzzwords together to get noticed sometimes, you have to help people envision what you’re saying.
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. Effective PR is the sum of its parts, and while the channels we use to communicate will vary based on the needs of the customer, it all comes down to the stories we’re able to tell.
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?
While I have the utmost respect for academia, there’s a lag between PR theory and its practice, so I don’t think your degree matters as much as your skills. It’s an exceptionally demanding field, where no two days look the same. Compound that by the different forms across different industries and sources, and you can see how dynamic PR becomes. Social influencers are a great example of how learning to build and engage an audience doesn’t always require a degree.
You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?
I know recent research debunks Dunbar’s Number, but I think there’s also something to say for the concept. Just because you can grow your network doesn’t mean you should. I used to try and be all things to all people and be known to everyone I met. Over the years, I’ve realized it isn’t easy to sustain ties to tons of people. Instead of knowing everyone, I focus on maintaining my core connections.
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?
Well, networking is definitely one. Having a recognizable brand is another. People overlook the value that being yourself can offer, even in business. If the voice in your lead gen campaigns doesn’t match who you are, people will see right through you.
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. (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Imagination: With so much noise out there, it’s up to PR pros to look for ways to craft messages that resonate with your target audience. Imagination is more than creativity; it’s also the resourcefulness I mentioned earlier. It’s a practice you can cultivate by giving your brain the time and space it needs to come up with new ideas.
- Receptiveness: I’m using a PR word — what I mean is you need thick skin. PR can be challenging, especially when you’re first starting. By being receptive and keeping an open mind, you will learn to accept any criticism that comes your way, take rejection in stride and improve your communications.
- Hard Working: Half-hearted PR doesn’t generate results. To get ahead, you need to be willing to work for it. Some weeks will be short and sweet, and you’ll nail all of your deliverables, and in others, you will end up pulling overtime and spending your weekend heads down. You have to be ready, willing and able to tackle both.
- Adaptability: Likewise, because PR is ever-changing and ever-evolving, even the best-laid plans get thrown out the window more often than I care to admit. By embracing the chaos, you begin to ride the waves, able to adjust to the ebb and flow of your clients’ news cycle. As you develop flexibility, you’ll find it leads to new channels and ways of thinking.
- Organization: PR consistently ranks as one of the most stressful professions. In this context, being organized isn’t about keeping a to-do list handy (though that’s helpful) so much as it is understanding what success looks like for you and managing your time accordingly. You can’t expect anyone else to offer you balance. You need to create that for yourself.
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. 🙂
I’m a firm believer in the John Lewis quote: “If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” I think many folks get overwhelmed and decide to hold back instead of pushing forward. It’s not about how much you can do; it’s about doing something. It’s about putting more positive energy into the world than negative, whether it’s a small act or a big one — both count.
This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.
PR Pros: Katie Achille of The Devon Group On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.