Welcome to the Peaceful PR Blog!
Encouraging a more peaceful lifestyle for PR pros, in and out of the office.
Hello! Noelle Fox, here. Thanks for stopping by the Peaceful PR Blog.
I started Peaceful PR in response to the fast-paced, high-pressure world of public relations. A world I’ve lived in for over 15 years. Almost 20, if you count my college career, where I picked PR as my major at freshman orientation and never looked back.
My Background
As an employee, I’ve worked in Major League Baseball, for county government, and for an international nonprofit healthcare system. I started my own PR practice in 2010 and have served clients in a variety of industries, including healthcare, commercial real estate, finance and nonprofit.
Having been in PR my entire working life, I’ve experienced first-hand how one grows up in this industry. I’ve copied news coverage reports to distribute around the office and picked up lunch orders as an intern. I advanced through the ranks in a large in-house PR department. I started my own solo practice, grew it to a small agency then went solo again when I realized running an agency with staff on payroll and a commercial office space (and commute) wasn’t for me.
I’ve worked in a portable with a team of three, in corporate office buildings with hundreds of co-workers, with a small staff in an executive office suite, and from home with only my cats to keep me company.
Many of the dearest friends I’ve made in the past 15 years have been my peers – either co-workers or fellow members and volunteers for the Public Relations Society of America. Beyond friendships, PRSA’s Tampa Bay Chapter has gifted me unparalleled opportunities to learn and grow in the profession and as a leader. For twelve years, I served the local organization in various committee chair, executive board and officer positions, including Chapter President in 2013. The organization also helped me earn the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), which I’ve held since 2009.
My Issues
Like many PR pros, I’m a type-A control freak recovering perfectionist who has had more than her fair share of proofreading nightmares. (Please tell me someone else has had these!) I’ve stressed myself out to the point of persistent heart palpitations, chronic neck pain and irregular sleep. I’ve overwhelmed myself to a level where it felt impossible to focus on developing consistent healthy habits, like eating well, exercising regularly and making time for creative pursuits.
There have been times in my career where I felt like work was my whole life. Even when I wasn’t working, I was preoccupied with it, or simply drained because of it. During those periods I always felt detached from myself. It was unsettling.
When the stress reached fever pitch a few years ago, I had to ask myself: Was it time for a career change? Or was it possible to find a way to make my career and business work for me? I hoped to figure out how to do the latter.
Peaceful PR?
I took a hard look at many aspects of my work and how it affected me. I aimed to streamline, simplify and set boundaries. I asked myself tough questions and answered them honestly. Over time, I found more balance and more peace in what can easily be a very stressful, overwhelming career field.
I don’t have it all figured out. I do still have stressful days. (I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to completely eliminate them in this business.) But they are fewer and farther between than they were several years ago. I can say that I’m healthier, happier and more well-rounded as a person since shifting my thinking and making these changes.
Not everything I share on this blog is going to work for everyone. I’d suggest taking it all with a grain of salt. Keep in mind that my experience and advice is just that – mine. If anything I share here gives someone an idea, or a different perspective or a new tool to try – and it helps make life in PR a little more peaceful – then I’ll consider this endeavor a success.
To you, PR pros!