- Brea: Tell me about yourself
Maggie: I am a junior at Illinois State University majoring in Public Relations. I was born and raised in Chicago. I am a coffee addict and not afraid to admit it. You can always find me on my iPhone checking social media sites and staying up-to-date on the latest news!
- B: What do you like most about PR?
M: I like how there are so many directions in public relations. I love that it requires you to write, network, use social media, be creative and work with others. I love to write and I love social media, so being able to combine those two into a profession is what really attracted me.
- B: You recently rebranded your blog from PR Girl Maggie to imPRess PR, what was that process like? Did you learn anything new about branding?
M: I decided to create a brand that wasn’t so much about myself, but more about everyone I’m reaching out to. The process wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be because I had the help of Kayla Hollatz, founder of exPRessions PR! She really helped me with the visual aspect of my blog and after conversing with her, it helped point me in the direction of where I wanted to go.
The idea of rebranding had been a thought of mine since November of 2013 but I just didn’t have the time to commit to it yet. Using Weebly also made the process painless. Weebly gives you so many options to switch your look and idea without wiping out all your content, which was a plus! I also couldn’t have done it without the support of my Twitter followers spreading the word of my rebrand and following imPRess PR’s Twitter account!
- B: As Director of Relations at your university’s chapter of PRSSA, what are some benefits of joining the organization?
M: Oh I could go on and on for days about PRSSA! Being a member of PRSSA opens the door to so many opportunities that students don’t receive in the classroom. In class, you learn the foundation of public relations. But when it comes down to it, it is all about what you know, and what you’ve done. PRSSA gives students the opportunity to get hands-on experience whether it is in writing, working with real-world clients, going on agency tours or networking at fabulous PRSSA and PRSA events!
- B: I noticed you’ve had a number of internships and organization positions, which one of them has presented a challenge to you and how did you overcome it?
M: When I interned for WaterDrop Shop last spring, it was my job to plan the company’s first 5K event to raise money to build water wells in Africa. I had never planned an event from scratch before and we were on a bit of a time crunch. I had to become a person of many arms and reach out to sponsors, people to reserve a location, advertising, organize the participant and volunteer rosters and work with a small budget. We ran into problems along the way, as any event does. It was time consuming but rewarding in the end to see the event a success with over 300 runners, 50 volunteers and raising over $2,000 to build a well.
- B: WOW! That’s awesome, congratulations! So have your internships helped you determine what area of PR you’re interested in (or not interested in)?
M: Being in central Illinois, it has its disadvantages of not having access to any public relations agencies. I have held a non-profit and a health-marketing internship and although they were great experiences, I know now that it is not for me and that I really want to work in agency PR when I graduate.
Being a member of PRSSA and attending numerous agency tours has given me a pretty good inside scoop of agency life and that has helped me determine what size agency I see fitting for me.
- B: This is probably my favorite question to ask and I apologize for the randomness but what song best describes your life right now?
M: I would have to say “Run The World” by Beyonce. I’m at a really good place in my life right now and I feel like I am balancing a lot on my plate at the moment, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They are all helping me in some way or another to better my skills in public relations. The more I work my way up in the public relations world I realize how important public relations, and all that comes with it, is to society. PR could definitely run the world, and hopefully one day I will be a part of that impact!
Connect with Maggie: Twitter | Blog | Email: PRGirlMaggie@gmail.com
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