This Women’s History Month we posed a few different questions to the women healthcare marketing and public relations experts on our staff. These questions were:
What are the biggest challenges you have faced in your marketing + PR career so far?
How do you manage to maintain a work-life balance?
What advice would you give a female newcomer based on your experience in the industry?
The responses the women on our team gave were transparent and empowering. We are proud to enforce gender equality in the workspace, and all of the effort we put in to maintain a diverse culture.
Laura Hill, Marketing Manager, Client Services
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is learning how to manage client expectations. Many agency clients do not understand the marketing methodologies and best practices, and most don’t care. They just want to see results, which is why they’re paying us, right? It’s our job to educate clients and set expectations early. We don’t have to explain all the nitty gritty details, but it’s important clients understand timelines, goals and KPIs. Educating clients and managing expectations are skills you must learn early in your career if you want to survive in marketing + PR..
Mariana Carballo, Inbound + Content Marketer
The best advice I can give a female newcomer is to lean in. Lean in to conversations, projects, and anything you’re a part of - don’t let people and situations discourage you from speaking up. Your thoughts and opinions matter. You can achieve or learn anything you set your mind to, no matter the entry-level. In order to maintain a work-life balance, I use my planner to identify gaps in my schedule to practice self-care and take mental health breaks. Maintaining a work-life balance is incredibly important to my professional life. It’s all about ensuring you have enough time during the day to get all your work done while being as productive as possible.
Sandy Gutierrez, Digital marketing Strategist
In this day in age, it’s almost impossible to keep a well balanced worklife. Some days are better than others yet something feels like it’s always lacking. With our life revolving around digital and on social media (not done yet)
Amy Roberts, Vice President of Communications + Client Services
Know your worth and don’t offer any discounts. Advocate for yourself and don’t be shy about your contributions and value. Women often downplay their achievements or are quick to share credit when and where it isn’t deserved. This can be detrimental when it comes time to ask for a raise or apply for a promotion. Keep track of your successes and don’t minimize your impact. Think of your contributions as currency.
Kodi Smith, Account Director
My best advice is to learn to say “no”. Quit accepting tasks out of guilt or a false sense of obligation. At the heart of it, you want to help everyone but being honest about your time and needs is the best course. If that project you are working on is going to cut into time with your family, let someone know. Ask for help! Don’t be afraid to admit you need help at home or work. No one benefits when you are burnt out or overwhelmed.
Mary Guiden, Media Relations Manager
One of the challenges I have faced in my PR career was making the jump from being a journalist to working in communications. I made the move in Seattle when it wasn’t as commonplace for firms to hire former reporters and it was baffling to hear in an interview how my journalism skills — including writing — wouldn’t be a positive asset for an organization. But fortunately, a nonprofit organization working in the Medicare realm did take a chance on me and I haven’t looked back.
Tiffanie Smith, Marketing Coordinator
My best advice to a female newcomer is to always have confidence + speak up and advocate for yourself. In an industry where the high level executives are mostly male dominated, women are often ignored, not taken seriously or just overlooked. You have to make your voice be heard and express your valuable ideas no matter who is in the room listening. Women are powerful + dynamic leaders of change and should be viewed as such.