In college, I changed my major four times. Not because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I did: I wanted to do everything.
I produce my best work when it’s mission-driven. I knew that was non-negotiable in my career, despite not knowing exactly what that might look like in practice. My perpetual sense of curiosity led me to explore countless majors, certain each time that I had found the one. It wasn’t until I heard my intro-to-journalism professor refer to PR pros as storytellers that I landed on my future career.
Five years ago, if you had asked me what PR was, I would have described what I now know to be corporate crisis communications — cleaning up after big companies when they make mistakes. It wasn’t until I dove into the world of communications that I realized this was just one piece of the puzzle.
Working in PR doesn’t only make you a problem solver. You get to be a bit of everything — a strategist, a creative and, most of all, a storyteller. The more I learned about what it means to be a professional communicator, the more I saw how I could use PR as a tool to make a real impact.
It’s one thing to know what you want to do. Actually doing it is something else. I’ve been lucky to unite my sense of curiosity and my love for storytelling as an account executive at Fenton, a communications agency focused solely on the kind of mission-driven work I decided was my non-negotiable. Today, I work alongside national and global brands, nonprofits and foundations, using the power of communications to spark action.
I learned in this role that we’ve reached a critical point in our society. It’s no longer exceptional for brands to have commitments to sustainability, DEI, philanthropy, etc. It’s now expected and imperative. As PR pros, we have the special opportunity to ensure it’s done authentically, and we get to tell that impact story.
On Fenton’s corporate social good team, I collaborate with purpose-driven brands to help them make a positive impact through their foundation work, environmental, social and governance initiatives, employee volunteer programs and more. And because I work with such a wide variety of clients and issues, even though I landed on one career, I still get to satisfy my curiosity and explore a little bit of everything.
Working in communications allows me to tap into my own passions while helping my clients communicate theirs. My biggest piece of advice to young PR pros is to realize that there is a place for everyone in this field. You don’t have to choose between your passions and your career goals — there are jobs where you can pursue both. Your sense of curiosity isn’t a liability; it’s your superpower. You are a storyteller. All you have to do is figure out which story you want to tell.
Nicole Levi is a social impact account executive at Fenton Communications.