What I Learned from Chicago’s Young PR Professional of the Year

Be Optimistic. Embrace Change. Value the Interns.

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the PRSA Chicago Skyline Awards and sitting proudly at the Zeno Group table as our colleague Heather Ribeiro, Senior Account Executive, was recognized as Chicago’s Young Professional of the Year. Following the tradition of our local professional awards, Heather made an acceptance speech, and I’ve included an excerpt here. (What I wish I could do is bottle the optimism and enthusiasm Heather radiated as she shared these remarks.)

“It’s remarkable all that has changed in the media landscape, and my career, in four short years – that in this time we started tweeting, Instagramming and logging onto Facebook to choose the next flavor of potato chips. What will prove even more remarkable is how much will change in the next 4 years, and especially how eager interns and AAEs fresh out of college will embrace the possibilities that these changes create. Among the work being recognized tonight, it’s impressive to consider that there are 22 and 23-year-olds helping create these award-winning PR programs.”

Heather’s right: the future is bright for all of us. We should all be optimistic about what lies ahead. This is an exciting career path where it is essential to adopt new technologies and re-invent the model of how we’re engaging with audiences.  And perhaps most important: tap into the energy, excitement and ideas of some of our newest PR practitioners – our success depend on them. (If you’re interested in what resonates with some of the industry’s youngest workers, take a look this research on millennial women and career recently conducted by Zeno Group.)

Heather’s speech set the tone for the evening where Zeno took home 10 awards for work in consumer marketing, corporate communications and digital engagement. The city skyline was aglow in a Zeno green in our eyes.