Our Blog: where do you stand?

How I Started Standing: Part Four

By: Mistie Thompson | 01/02/2008

"PR? Sounds great! Uh...what exactly is PR again?"

Thus began my foray into the world of public relations. I'm the "nontraditional" communications professional around Standing. Fortunately, I work with a wonderful group of people, and I've been here almost nine years, so the snickers and stares are finally starting to die down. No journalism or communications degree for me - I have a B.A. in history. Seriously.

Wait, it gets better. My master's degree is in - huh? - social work.

How did I con talk Cathy Dunkin into taking a chance on me? Well, it took a heads-up on an open job and a glowing recommendation to Cathy from my colleague Tammy (thank you, thank you!). She had worked with me on a couple of special events while we were both at other companies - me theoretically doing nonprofit development, but actually just doing anything they needed me to do. It also took me getting a crash course in at least the definition of public relations before my interview, and a cram session with an AP Style book (uh, what's that?) the night before my writing test.

God bless Cathy for seeing potential in me and for taking the chance on hiring someone from a totally different perspective. And believe it or not, my degrees really have helped me in the PR world. My history degree gave me extensive writing experience, and the education in social work grounded me in the ability to understand the human element that's so vital to PR, as well as differing socioeconomic perspectives that's so often missed in the business world.

And one more bit of my past has proved invaluable. After four years as a college dance team member at an SEC school (Go Hogs!), I was a longtime head instructor at high school and college dance camps and judge of many cheer and dance national championships. During that time, I had quite a few opportunities to do battle with the most ferocious enemy ever seen in a crisis situation - the cheerleader stage mom. After diffusing many a ranting, crazed, occasionally violent (no kidding!) mommy swearing that their child is the greatest dancer ever and that I am dooming them to a life of misery and despair by giving them a red ribbon instead of a blue, I had the experience I needed to handle any crisis situation thrown my way.

So, if you're in the market for PR help from someone with a couple of seemingly random degrees, nine years of great experience at the best reputation management firm around, and the ability to (verbally!) take down psycho parents with a Southern drawl and a smile, you know where to find me - standing my ground at Standing Partnership.

Posted in Culture, How I Started Standing