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Author: Sarah Hattman

PR People: Lindsay Priester

PR People: Lindsay Priester

May 22, 2017January 31, 2023 Sarah HattmanBlog, PR People, Public Relationsclient coverage, Communications, media coverage, NCPRSA, Raleigh PR, Raleigh PR Agency, Rountree Communications, RPRS

Lindsay Priester

Job title and function: I am the Senior Manager of Client Relations for Rountree Communications, a boutique PR agency in Raleigh. My job, like most in PR, hits on a little bit of everything! On an overarching level, I develop and lead PR strategy for our clients, which ranges from technology startups to retail brands. Each day is so different for me (which I love!), but on any given day I could be drafting press releases or other media documents, writing client blog content, creating and managing social media campaigns, meeting with clients or working at a client event. Basically whatever my clients need to get done in the PR realm (and sometimes not in the PR realm – I’ve been known to be an excellent supplier of coffee during an event), I do!

Most rewarding thing about working in PR today: There is no better feeling than landing your client coverage that is truly valuable for them. What that looks like varies. For some it may be a piece in the local newspaper; for others a white paper in a trade publication or a mention on a national news show. When we secure coverage that reaches a client’s target audience and helps move them closer to their goals, it feels great! Accomplishing that in today’s digital world where people are constantly bombarded with messaging from every direction is even more rewarding.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: Oh goodness, I know every PR pro has a million crazy stories to tell, especially in those crunch-time hours right before going out with an announcement or putting on a media event! One that immediately comes to mind – I was working at a press event for a race track where we offered the media ride-alongs in race cars with professional drivers. In order to be able to ride, you had to wear long pants and closed-toed shoes, and this particular member of the media had on shorts and sandals. Not wanting her to miss the chance for a ride-along (or the chance for my client to get some great coverage), I quickly asked her if she’d be willing to trade clothes for the ride. Luckily, we were about the same size and pulled off a quick change in the bathroom! I may have looked a little silly in my professional top with jean shorts and Tevas, but she had a fantastic time and even referenced our costume change in the article!

Advice for new PR pros: PR, on every level, is about people. Get to know the PR pros in your area and learn from them as much as you can. When I first started out in PR, I joined the Raleigh Public Relations Society and now serve on the Board of Directors as Vice President. I can’t begin to express all of the things I’ve learned from the people in that group.

Be sure to remember that your clients are people. Obviously you’ll get to know their business or product and goals very well, but take the time to get to know them on a personal level. Some of my favorite people in the world are clients I’ve gotten to know closely over the years. Not only are they great friends, but knowing them on a deeper level is really beneficial in helping their business or product succeed.

Are you interested in being featured in “PR People?” Send us a message on Facebook to share your story!

Sarah Hattman, APR is president-elect for the North Carolina chapter of Public Relations Society of America and has been working in PR since she left television news. She grew up in North Carolina and was excited to move back to her home state in 2012 and join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 
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PR People: Elizabeth Poindexter

PR People: Elizabeth Poindexter

May 12, 2017January 31, 2023 Sarah HattmanBlog, PR People, Public Relationsbroadcast journalism, donor relations, earned media, PR, Public Relations, Triangle PR, UNC, UNC Health Care

Elizabeth Poindexter

Job title and function: I am the director of communications for the UNC School of Medicine’s Department of Allied Health Sciences, a position I’ve held since October 2015. Our department is fairly complex. It houses seven different programs (including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology), in addition to several other programs and centers. I plan our department’s internal and external communication efforts. Internal efforts include our departmental e-newsletter, internal communications alongside the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health Care, clinic updates and donor relations. Externally, we promote our students, faculty and staff in a variety of different settings, including through earned media and owned media outlets.

Most rewarding thing about working in PR today: For me, promoting meaningful work is the most rewarding part of working in PR. Even though our department’s work is complex, I love distilling that work into meaningful stories that are easy to relate to for an outside audience. Not everyone knows about Allied Health, but almost everyone knows someone who has worked with a therapist or clinician regardless of the discipline. Forming a connection in someone’s mind between our work and how it relates to them is very rewarding, whether we are communicating with potential students, donors, faculty members or others. Similarly, with my background in broadcast journalism, it is rewarding to continue to do that type of work through different avenues, and I love having a more tailored, fine-tuned message to constantly promote.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: One adjustment I made in my current role included re-evaluating how my degree in journalism could still be a strong suit in the world of PR. There are several aspects I’ve carried over: the ability to write well, working on deadlines and interview skills. Other skills, such as maintaining objectivity, are an example of something I’ve had to occasionally reconsider. At the end of the day, I work to put our department’s best interests at the forefront of our communication and don’t necessarily approach that work as I would have in the newsroom.

Advice for new PR pros: If you haven’t worked in journalism or learned about it, you should! That is the one piece of advice I constantly repeat. My time in the newsroom definitely helped me understand what it is really like to work alongside PR professionals, and it also motivated me to do a good job once I transitioned into PR. I also recommend continuing to learn about new skills or ideas as the landscape of PR and communication changes; good PR doesn’t always mean a well-crafted press release.

Are you interested in being featured in “PR People?” Send us a message on Facebook to share your story!

Sarah Hattman, APR is president-elect for the North Carolina chapter of Public Relations Society of America and has been working in PR since she left television news. She grew up in North Carolina and was excited to move back to her home state in 2012 and then join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 
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PR People: Allison Fonke Blough

PR People: Allison Fonke Blough

May 4, 2017January 31, 2023 Sarah HattmanBlog, PR People, Public Relationsbusiness, Operation Enduring Warrior, PR, PR People, skydive, Storytelling, veterans

Allison Fonke Blough

Job title and function: My job title is owner/consultant of Anthem Strategical. We specialize in marketing solutions for small businesses. It’s important for me as a consultant to have the full picture of a business, from the owner’s personal branding to the business’s overall history in their market.

Most rewarding thing about working in PR today: The most rewarding part of this industry is discovering more about the people who make up the businesses. I love telling their personal stories as well as those of their companies. I believe that people connect with stories and that authenticity is the capstone. Truth often resonates with us in a way that we can’t even explain. We just feel it! I love that part of my job is being a storyteller.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: The craziest thing I’ve done for PR is jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. I was in charge of communications for an outstanding veteran nonprofit, Operation Enduring Warrior, and I was tasked with promoting their skydiving program for wounded veterans. At one of the promotional skydiving events, the opportunity to do a tandem skydive fell into our laps. I was then convinced that the best way to share the experience of skydiving was to do it myself, so onward and upward we went! It was amazingly peaceful, and I have to admit that knowing the feeling firsthand helped me promote skydiving with a greater understanding and build a stronger rapport with our audience.

Advice for new PR pros: My advice for PR professionals is to always be bold enough to take on new projects outside of your comfort zone. Good PR is more about helping represent the heart of an organization than being an expert in that field. You’ll be amazed at how much crossover there is and you’ll gain new experiences and opportunities as a result. We’re in this industry because we’re life-long learners, so don’t be afraid to go learn something new!

Are you interested in being featured in “PR People?” Send us a message on Facebook to share your story!

Sarah Hattman, APR is president-elect for the North Carolina chapter of Public Relations Society of America and has been working in PR since she left television news. She grew up in North Carolina and was excited to move back to her home state in 2012 and then join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 
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PR People: Eva Hornak, APR

PR People: Eva Hornak, APR

April 17, 2017January 31, 2023 Sarah HattmanBlog, PR People, Public Relationsmagazines, newsletters, PR advice, PR ethics, PR pros, Raleigh PR, Raleigh PR Agency, Social Media, special projects

Eva Hornak, APR

Job title and function: I’m the communications manager for S.T. Wooten. In a nutshell, we build highways, do commercial site work, and produce asphalt and ready mix concrete. We have approximately 950 employees. We’re also a private, family owned, third-generation led company.

I’m a department of one, so I handle anything related to PR, communications and sometimes marketing. I focus mostly on employee communications and corporate communications. This includes writing the 24-page company magazine three times a year, as well as two monthly newsletters and a benefits newsletter three times a year. I also work on various special projects as needed, such as recruiting materials, PowerPoint presentations, the website, corporate communications, etc. I also oversee the PR firm we hired in 2016 that works on such projects as our social media, blog and trade media relations.

Most rewarding thing about working in PR today: Our employees range from managers with advanced degrees to field employees without a high-school degree. We have employees who can’t read or read very poorly (making it a struggle to take a survey or fill out paperwork). Now – imagine trying to teach that person about health insurance. That stuff is confusing for most people with college degrees! I try to keep most communications written on a sixth-grade level. In the past few years, we’ve really worked on educating our employees about how our benefits help them, and I love it.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: Produced an event almost single-handedly on a very short timeline. Don’t do that. Get a team. Just stop, take a breath and get a team.

I also survived some very bad bosses. (See the next section for more on that.)

Advice for new PR pros:

1) Explore what’s out there. There are a lot of facets to PR, and you don’t know what job/setting/speciality you might like until you try it.

2) Make connections (within PR and the larger business community) and get a mentor(s). All of my jobs came from connections. All of my trusted peers came from previous jobs, the Raleigh PR Society and NCPRSA. Peers can help you get your next job, and they are your cheerleaders during the good times and your shoulders to cry on during difficult times. They will help shape and defend your reputation. And your good name is everything.

3) Have ethics. See #2 above regarding reputation and good name.

4) Always look for the right match in a job (or a boss). Yes, you’ll have to pay your dues. Yes, you’ll have jobs (or parts of jobs) that you learn are not for you. You’ll even have a job you love that has some tasks you hate. But don’t settle for a place that is a horrible match. Don’t stay somewhere (or with someone) that truly abuses you or actively blocks you from learning anything. Need a gut check? Ask your peers. See #2 above. And never, ever compromise your ethics because a job or a boss tells you to do so. See #3. You can always find another job. Seriously. Do I need to mention #2 again!?

Are you interested in being featured in “PR People?” Send us a message on Facebook to share your story!

Sarah Hattman, APR is president-elect for the North Carolina chapter of Public Relations Society of America and has been working in PR since she left television news. She grew up in North Carolina and was excited to move back to her home state in 2012 and then join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 
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PR People: Chris Cowperthwaite, APR

PR People: Chris Cowperthwaite, APR

March 23, 2017January 31, 2023 Sarah HattmanBlog, PR People, Public Relationsfake news, North Carolina Nurses Association, PR People, PR pros, value of PR

Chris Cowperthwaite, APR

Job Title and Function: Manager of Communications and Outreach for the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA). I’m the entire in-house PR department, so I do a little bit of everything. Responsible for managing the Tar Heel Nurse, NCNA’s bi-monthly magazine; writing news releases; fielding media inquiries; assisting with legislative advocacy; shooting/editing videos; social media; overseeing all e-newsletters (Inside NCNA, APRN E-News, and all quarterly regional newsletters); and anything else that falls under the communications/PR umbrella.

Most Rewarding thing about working in PR today: I really enjoy digging into complex/important issues and figuring out the best way to explain them to people who might not be in the know. When we get the message out and it’s well-received, it’s rewarding to see the appreciation from my “clients” who understand the value of PR.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: Craziest: Getting to wander around a gigantic solar array on top of a factory when I worked for Southern Energy Management. Most Challenging: A sustained legislative issue where our political opponents have had 10 times as many resources ready to deploy than we could ever hope to match.

Advice for new PR pros: Vigorously maintain your credibility in this era of alternative facts and “fake news.” Refuse to cut corners when it comes to ethics.

Are you interested in being featured in “PR People?” Send us a message on Facebook to share your story!

Sarah Hattman, APR is president-elect for the North Carolina chapter of Public Relations Society of America and has been working in PR since she left television news. She grew up in North Carolina and was excited to move back to her home state in 2012 and then join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 
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clairemontcommunications

Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media platform? It’s called Threads, and it’s being referred to as “the new Twitter.” Read everything you need to know about Threads in our latest blog post - link in bio!
SNEAK PEEK! @dellthepig landed at @wendellfallsnc SNEAK PEEK! @dellthepig landed at @wendellfallsnc (client) today, and rumor has it that @blah2voila has already been hamming it up with Dell! We know you want a selfie with Dell to post on Pigstagram, too!
We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of P We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of Public Relations Consultants Group, allowing us to offer clients expertise and support across the country! Clairemont founder, Dana Phelps aka @blah2voila, recently attended the PRCG conference in Oklahoma City.
2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Comm 2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Communications! Visit our blog for the full 2022 year in review!
As communications professionals, we wear a variety As communications professionals, we wear a variety of hats to meet our clients’ needs.
 
We’re writers, social media managers, photographers, marketers, editors, content creators- the list goes on and on.
 
Check out our recent blog post to learn what @olivia.noles , account coordinator here at Clairemont, does on a weekly and monthly basis.
#communicationsagency #communicationsmajor #pragencylife #pragency #raleighpr
This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voi This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voila , will be speaking at the 2022 @nc_prsa Strategic Communication & MarCom Conference! Phelps is a repeat presenter at this annual conference, and this year she is leading a session called Growing from Communication Technician to Strategic Counselor during which she will share three of her coined concepts: knowcasting, morecasting and collabolighthing. Visit our blog for the link to register for the conference!
@clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative g @clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative go together like the bacon and eggs! And speaking of bacon and eggs, have you been to @therainbowluncheonette yet? YUM!
Later this year, Clairemont client @wendellfallsnc Later this year, Clairemont client @wendellfallsnc, a master-planned community just 15 miles from downtown Raleigh, will welcome @parksideraleigh, a Raleigh-favorite restaurant known for its fresh, made-from-scratch dishes, to the community!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Parkside.
“What exactly does a PR Agency do?” Because we “What exactly does a PR Agency do?” Because we get this question often, we have a series on our blog where we dive into our recent projects to give you a look at what a PR Agency really does.
 
For example, a statewide resource for small businesses recently hired Clairemont to devise an executive visibility campaign to help position the organization and its director as the leading small business resource in North Carolina.
 
Head to our blog to read what exactly an executive visibility campaign entails and to learn more about our services!
So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let us tell you about our new favorite @drink321coffee ! If you are in Raleigh, go see Paul, the other Paul, Emma  or whichever smiling faces are working today. We LOVE this place and the coffee! ❤️❤️❤️
Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest mas Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest master-planned communities in the Triangle, closed on its first age-eligible rental community plan, Arden at Wendell Falls, that will offer 140 open-concept units and exclusive onsite amenities!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Arden at Wendell Falls.
Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by client @vitaviteraleigh for good snacks and great wine!🍷 Both locations are open normal hours Friday-Sunday and closed on Monday.
You never know who might be hanging out at The Cla You never know who might be hanging out at The Clairemont House. Thanks to @yellowdogcreative for helping save this buddy. Notice that we speak lizard. Or skink. Or gecko or whatever he is. Or maybe it’s the extra caffeine before our client presentation.
Yep, our town is pretty cool. #raleigh Yep, our town is pretty cool. #raleigh
Who wants to have a Friday afternoon porch meeting Who wants to have a Friday afternoon porch meeting?
Congrats to our new neighbor on Bloodworth Street Congrats to our new neighbor on Bloodworth Street South @raleighwineshop ! @blah2voila was there today representing Clairemont at the grand opening festivities and enjoying the @grandchamphospitality sandwich pop up. Yum! 🍷🥪
It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers ar It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers are needed more than ever! Many organizations with scarce resources rely on volunteers and would not exist without them. Visit our recent blog post to read about the organizations Clairemont has supported and how you can make a difference in your community!
Authenticity is trending, and research shows that Authenticity is trending, and research shows that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic. Read our recent blog post to learn about UGC, how it can benefit your brand and how to use it in your marketing strategy.
From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 has left an impact on every sector of life, including marketing. Read our blog on marketing in a post-COVID world to learn how things have changed and how that should impact your business strategy.
We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned eight awards, five gold🥇and three silver🥈, at this year's Sir Walter Raleigh Awards hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society!🎉 We are beyond grateful to work with so many amazing partners, clients and industry friends!
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