What PR means to me - I'm not a transponster

Public relations/strategic communication, whatever you choose to call it, plays a huge role in my life and has done for the past 25 years. I work in the industry; I teach the next generation of communicators studying post graduate courses and I study it. Yet still, if you asked most of my family or friends what I do, there would be that whole Chandler Bing moment from Friends where Rachel guessed his job was a 'transponster' (which isn't even a real job!).

When I'm out at schools doing careers talks, I often refer to myself as chief storyteller. While this is a tongue in cheek description, I do believe that a lot of my role is about storytelling, it's just the different forms that that may come in, from a brief to MPs about a project in their area or their specialism, an internal communication campaign based on data from a recent audit or keeping key stakeholders informed as a crisis unfolds.

Supportive industry

I've always found the Public Relations industry to be a supportive one with people giving their time to offer guidance and support when needed. I'm grateful to colleagues like Ella Minty, Stephen Waddington, Teela Clayton, and Amanda Coleman - the conversations are always pertinent and appreciated.

Membership of professional bodies

I've been a member of the CIPR for many years - where I've completed 21 cycles of Continuous Professional Development - yes I know that tells you a lot about me, hey I am who I am. I've also been an individual member of the PRCA for many years -- how I wish we had one professional body not two - but again, it is what it is and I get different things from each organisation.

It has been important for me to be a part of the professional bodies and become a CIPR Chartered Practitioner back in 2016. Just as it felt important to enter awards when I was first starting out in my career. In my mind it added a layer of credibility to what we do. I've been happy to move from award entrant to award judge in the last decade.

Doing good stuff

As someone who is very happy being behind the scenes, it can sometimes be a little daunting seeing lots of very vocal people, sharing lots and lots of great things on social media all the time.

This is a message for my younger self and also for those who are not necessarily the loudest person in the room: you don't have to shout loud and share everything you do, to be good at what you do. You can do great stuff, make a huge difference to people's lives in the sectors you work in and just because your hand is not straight up in the air to share it, or the post is not pre written for LinkedIn ready for that pat on the back, it doesn't take away from what you've achieved.

When my son left primary school, the teachers gave each and every child an award based on their time with them. He was given an award for quiet brilliance - I loved that and thought that is something to achieve. I'm aiming for quiet brilliance.

Sidekick PR

I have truly been blessed in my career to have met and set up Sidekick PR with two fantastic women, they are my friends, my business partners, my inspiration, my sounding board and my heroes. We juggle life and all that it throws at us, while running a business that we are really proud of.

We work closely with our carefully curated clients, as a team, and as a team we strive to understand what they need and develop the best way we can deliver it.

Teaching and learning

I've been an associate lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University for 15 years and now, as well as supervising post graduate dissertations I teach The History of PR - delving into both the good and bad that has come out of the industry.

My thirst for knowledge (remember those 21 CPD cycles!), has led me to Leeds Beckett University where I'm now a student again, just starting out in my third year of a part time PhD. Researching public relations and strategic communication is fascinating and it's helping both in my teaching and in my practice.

So, what does PR mean to me? It has taught me that listening is one of the best skills you can have, it has taught me that everyone has a story to tell, finding the right way to tell it is the challenge and most of all it has taught me that, although I am happier behind the scenes, I can still strive for quiet brilliance.