The other day, it dawned on me: I’ve now spent 10 years in news and 10 years in PR.
That feels strange to say out loud.
Not because I’m surprised that I’ve stayed in the communications field. That part tracks. What surprised me is how much that neat little 50/50 split has had me reflecting on what I’ve learned over the years. And when I get to thinking, I get to writing.
As I've reflected on my two career chapters side by side over the last week or so, what stands out most is not a list of job duties or accomplishments. It’s people. They are the throughline, and that's why I loved the work I did then and why I love the work I do now.
I started working in news in my early 20s, right out of college. I learned a few things quickly:
1) Don’t wear sandals in the field. That was a first-day-on-the-job revelation.
2) Pack your essentials and keep them with you. You never know where you will end up that day.
3) Keep moving.
4) Ask the awkward question.
5) Figure out the heart of the matter fast. And maybe most importantly, understand that relationships matter just as much as skill.
Journalism gave me a front-row seat to life in our community: the good, the bad and the ugly. I waded through floods. I sat with families enduring unimaginable tragedy. I watched people show up for each other in the hardest moments. I also had those surreal “how is this my actual job?” experiences, like interviewing Warren Buffett and Lady Gaga.
Somewhere along the way, I became deeply familiar with Casey’s gas stations. I’m pretty sure I stopped at every one along the Missouri River. Beef and cheese sticks and a fountain Diet Pepsi got me through a lot. Not glamorous, but oh so effective.
A decade after I said goodbye to the newsroom, people still ask which stories I enjoyed most from my news days. The truth is, there were too many to pick just one. But like any journalist, I also carry the stories that stay with me for different reasons. One involved a missing college student. The other was a man who was shot and killed in his own home. In both cases, their loved ones never got the answers they deserved. These stories stick because they remind me that, unfortunately, not every story gets a clean ending. Some end with "to be continued." All you can do is tell it with care.
In news & PR, it comes down to one single question. Why should they care?
When I’m shaping messaging, thinking through a story angle or helping a client communicate something important, I come back to the lesson I learned as a journalist. If you can answer it, you have a story. If you can’t, you probably have facts. I come back to it so often, you could say this question is embedded in my DNA at this point.
Over the years, PR has stretched me in a few different ways.
It made me a stronger writer, yes, but also more strategic. More emotionally intelligent. A better leader. News trained me to react fast. PR taught me how to slow down, zoom out and connect research, planning and execution to the best possible results. And for me, the most rewarding PR work has never just been about visibility. It’s been about impact.
Recently, I helped with a financial literacy course for small business owners. I worked on video scripts and messaging around the launch. Later, hearing from business owners who said the course changed their lives meant a lot to me. It was a chance to witness the real impact.
At the end of the day, my drive and passion are tied to helping people. That was true when I was a journalist and still rings true as a PR pro.
Also true: experience changes perspective.
I see some things differently now than I did early on. For one, I did not have great boundaries. I was always on, and for a long time, I thought responsiveness meant 24/7 availability. Managing breaking news at midnight. Texts and emails at all hours. Experience has taught me otherwise. You can be dependable without being constantly accessible. You can care deeply about your work without leaving all your energy on the table.
If I had to name three personality traits that helped me in both careers, I’d say curiosity, empathy and humor. Curiosity helps you ask better questions. Empathy gives you a deeper understanding of what matters to people. Humor helps you survive a lot and stay steady.
So, after 10 years in news and 10 years in PR, what do I know for sure? Communication is more about listening than talking. Listening helps you find the real story. It helps you understand your audience, build trust and connect. I'm curious to see what the next 10 years will teach me. Stay tuned!