I set out to become a publicist in my 20s. When I finished an honours BA at the University of New Brunswick in 2001, I didn’t know what a publicist was. I moved to Montreal and had several jobs while I completed a Public Relations Management program at McGill University. I worked in old-school direct marketing where we created incentivizing campaigns for small businesses, and prepared large mail-merge packages for them to send to their growing lists of patrons. 

My first online communication work involved optimizing artists’ MySpace pages. It was great because before social media was what it is today, these platforms were the only way to post art and song on the internet. We’ve come a long way since then, but many of the communication principles remain the same to this day.

I returned to Atlantic Canada in 2008 and began a 13-year career as a communications advisor in the public service. It was then that I worked closely with organizations, businesses and all levels of government on issues like the need for foster and adoptive parents, removing red tape for small businesses, and the intricacies of selecting the right spot to construct a public school. I was no stranger to crisis communications and high-profile files. The key is always patience. It’s perhaps the most important lesson I learned during this period. 

My favourite role was as a communications strategist for the Nova Scotia Status of Women Office. It was there that I got to work with women-serving organizations and the tremendous people who help women and children in situations of violence. Best of all, I got to create and direct the communications plan to introduce the Men’s Helpline in Nova Scotia. The helpline is doing a lot of good in our communities, and it was recently expanded to serve all Nova Scotians. 

I retired from the public service to go back to my first love: publicity. I love helping people break down the biggest barrier to their success. My new practice will show people how to be more effective communicators, work more objectively, and plan for the work that’s ahead of them.