PR Pros: Jennifer Le of FIM Agency On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro
Don’t take things personally. When I first started out, I would take the smallest things personally and let it affect the rest of my day. Things move so fast in PR, so you have to be adaptable and remain calm and composed even in the midst of chaos. It’s not what happens to you, but how you recover and react to it that counts.
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 Jennifer Le.
Jennifer Le is Owner of FIM Agency, a public relations agency amplifying the voices of brands, creatives, and athletes based in New York City. With almost a decade of PR experience, she has a proven track record of securing top tier results for her clients. She was recognized as a ‘Rising Publicist,’ by Women in PR in 2020.
With a background in editorial, she started her career covering up-and-coming entrepreneurs, designers, chefs, and small businesses in her hometown in Southern California and prides herself in being a valuable resource for media. With a specialty in developing customized PR campaigns, she helps her clients push through the noise and earn the media attention they deserve. She has worked with brands including Disney, Rand McNally, SoCalGas, Vegan Oktoberfest, Cinderly, Apollo Box, and more.
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?
I don’t think anyone grows up thinking that they want to be in PR! In college, I wrote for a lifestyle magazine in Orange County, California and had the opportunity to interview numerous talented professionals in hospitality, interior design, and fashion. One day, I was on-site to interview an interior designer and their publicist was there to greet me. After chatting for a while, I remember just thinking, “I want her job!”
PR is a multi-dimensional field that enables me to do everything that I love to do all in one role. Shortly after I graduated, I got a job offer to work at a PR agency in San Francisco. This job gave me valuable hands-on experience working directly with clients and how to communicate with media. 9 months after I was hired, the office decided to shutter its doors. I decided to move back home to Southern California and start my own agency when I was 25 years old.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
I was invited to be a panelist at the Women in PR Summit, an event for public relations professionals to network, learn from each other, and discuss our industry’s hot topics. Over the course of that weekend, I had the opportunity to meet other talented professionals in my field who are doing incredible work, share my knowledge, and learn new valuable tips and tricks that I can apply to my own work. We’re better off in a community, where we can ask for help, support each other, and champion each other’s work!
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?
When I first started working for myself, one story involved staying up too late to take client calls, working and navigating different time zones while traveling, and missing my flight home from London to California because I overslept!
I was staying in London for a night on a layover before going back home to California. As you know, there’s a large time difference between the two. I stayed up too late working and on calls with my clients back home in California.I guess I must have fallen asleep on my laptop and forgot to set an alarm because when I woke up, it was 10 minutes before my flight was set to take off.
It was a silly (and expensive) mistake, but I learned to set boundaries, know when to say ‘no,’ and also prioritize taking care of myself!
I ended up booking an entirely new flight and making a mad dash to the airport, but my Uber driver was really funny and made me feel better about it.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
FIM Agency works with a variety of brands spanning across consumer products, the culinary space, and sports. We are selective in who we work with and vet for clients who have a unique story or offering and are passionate about their mission statement. We look for clients who are doing something new and that’s never been done before and making a profound impact on their community. These are qualities that set them apart from the noise.
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?
1. I beat to the tune of my own drum and have been this way since I was a child. I have never conformed to what everyone else was doing. Because of that, I think I have been less afraid to take risks when it comes to my work and be different.
2. I am empathetic and view business as more than transactional. I care about my clients’ well-being and look out for their best interests even if it means speaking up and giving pushback sometimes. The book, People Over Profit by Dale Partridge, has shaped how I view business.
3. I am generous when it comes to sharing what I know if it can help someone else. I don’t buy into a scarcity mindset and withholding knowledge or resources because of the competition or in order to gain leverage in order to be successful.
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 so many sectors to explore if you’re interested in a field in PR. There’s media relations, which is what I do, but I also dabbled in internal communications for a little bit. Investor relations, community relations, crisis communications, etc. The only way to discover if something is for you is to try it out for yourself!
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?
Well, I have a degree in English, so I didn’t have a ‘traditional’ route to a career in PR. I always believed that obtaining hands-on working experience was more valuable than anything you learn in the classroom. Of course, there are degrees you can get that can better prepare you for it, but almost everything else you can study has transferable skills, too.
If you’re considering a career in PR, I’d say to get as much experience as you can through internships or shadowing someone you look up to and whose career trajectory is similar to what you want to pursue. You can find a PR pro and ask them to coffee. People love talking about themselves!
You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?
My approach is to get to know someone personally and as a friend beforehand as opposed to just seeking connections that can do you a favor. People want to work with people that they like. Once you’ve earned someone’s respect, I’m positive that they’d be happy to share your name in a room full of opportunities.
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?
The best way to get new leads is through word-of-mouth and client referrals. This goes back to having a solid foundation in how you conduct business and how you treat your clients. Treat them well and they’ll be happy to pass your name along.
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.)
1. Don’t take things personally. When I first started out, I would take the smallest things personally and let it affect the rest of my day. Things move so fast in PR, so you have to be adaptable and remain calm and composed even in the midst of chaos. It’s not what happens to you, but how you recover and react to it that counts.
2. Believe in yourself! For the longest time, I would intentionally be low-key and kind of hide my business because I felt unqualified, too young, or that I did not have enough experience, but it all came down to how I viewed myself. That was an internal struggle that I had to overcome.
3. Set client expectations. My mantra has always been to underpromise and overdeliver. Many people have told me that they’ve had negative experiences with PR because they didn’t get the results they wanted or their PR firm failed to fulfill their promises. This is a conversation that should be had upfront — and never make promises you can’t keep.
4. Spend money in order to make money. This is one that I’m still learning, but invest in systems that can simplify your business flow. Attend conferences and events to sharpen your skills. Hire someone to lend a helping hand if needed. Essentially, you’re investing in yourself in order to scale your business and perform at your highest level. To me, that’s worth it.
5. Your clients are right at the end of the day. I view what I do similar to a customer service role. Stay humble. You don’t always have to be right and win every argument.
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 believe that we should contribute our talents for the greater good of society whether it’s by mentoring someone else or utilizing our skills towards causes that we’re passionate about. We all have talents unique to who we are and have the responsibility to use them.
This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.
PR Pros: Jennifer Le of FIM Agency On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.