Ten Years On…Looking Back At PR Consultancy Life

A few weeks ago, I was at a music concert watching a colleague from my PR consultancy tenure perform with a new choir he was a part of. As I watched him sing (which I knew he did rather well) and play the guitar (a talent of his I was not aware of), I was filled with a sense of pride like he was still a part of my team and I was celebrating his achievement. As I later reflected on this, I realised it was 10 years since I had left the consultancy sector and yet, there were experiences so unique to it that I still miss. 

Expect the Unexpected

“Life is full of surprises and serendipity. Being open to unexpected turns in the road is an important part of success. If you try to plan every step, you may miss those wonderful twists and turns. Just find your next adventure - do it well, enjoy it - and then, not now, think about what comes next,” said Condoleezza Rice and this is could not be truer of consultancy life. The best of plans, the well-executed media interview, the most brilliant of pitches all have their moments…a dignitary cancels out last minute, an article appears with major errors, your key manager on the account decides to resign. There’s never a dull day. Every client has their moments and every moment has its clients. You learn to live with the knowledge of the unexpected and adapt to it through being resilient, responsive, flexible, tough and always ready to change course.

The Delight of Ink on Paper

The shriek of delight when a colleague saw his or her first client story out in print was always a celebratory moment for everyone…almost akin to a baby’s first steps. It was a confirmatory test of expertise and skill and, more importantly, a testament to their passion for what they did. I always believed that the day an executive failed to be excited by seeing their work in print was the day when consultancy life would cease to mean anything to them. Those were the days when PR was very media, and specifically print, dominated. I don’t know if today an online story can drive the same kind of excitement. There was or is something magical about ink on paper. 

Fireside (Luncheon) Stories

Lunch was always sacrosanct. It was ‘our’ time, a time when we left our work behind us and gathered around a table on the rooftop to talk about all things else…children, mothers-in-law, husbands and boyfriends, wives and girlfriends, movies, books, food, holidays and so on. It was where we destressed and got to know each other better, where we became privy to each other’s lives and the people who mattered to us, where we learned about each other’s cuisines as we broke bread together. I cherish those memories because through them I got to know my colleagues for the people they were.  Those stories are still moments of great discussion and laughter, and conversation starters, even today.

The Fun Quotient

Consultancy life is high stress not so much because of the workloads as much as occasional mismatched expectations (which is why it is so critical to ensure expectations are aligned) and the dependencies of so much of what one does on factors that are often beyond one’s control. We worked hard – really hard - but, equally, we partied hard. We celebrated our successes. We sometimes also chose seemingly frivolous reasons to celebrate. The reason or occasion mattered little. We once stole a few hours away from work to watch a World Cup Football match and South Africa play only because we had a colleague from South Africa. International Women’s Day and we would be at the most happening bar in town. Diwali and there would be a lunch at a restaurant that offered a festive menu.

A World of Discovery and Exposure

The diversity of industries one works with, the uniqueness of PR challenges and assignments, the amazing clients and people one interacts with, the incredible PR talent one has the opportunity to meet and, sometimes nurture and build, makes a PR consultancy environment an ideal starting ground for anyone exploring a career in PR. The learning environment satiates anyone thirsty for knowledge and new insights. We were privy to so many firsts, so much path-breaking information before the world knew it. Imagine how empowering and mindboggling this could be for a 20 something young professional.  

In various parts of my home are scattered memories of this tenure  – a Raza imprinted wall clock as a parting gift from a client whom we ran some incredibly successful campaigns for but who had to resign our account because of a group agency realignment; exquisite metal snowflakes - a gift from a US-based client, that go up as part of my xmas décor each year and rekindle memories; a best-selling business book of 2018 - in which I find a mention - by a client, who gave us creative license to do so much; a silver keychain, a gift from one of my most creative team members who knew nothing about PR when she joined us but as an independent PR Consultant today, is hugely successful and does brilliant work for her clients; a lovely appreciation letter from the Chairman of one of the world’s largest PR consultancies (this was when my former consultancy was still independent and we worked with several international consultancies on assignments); piles of delightful notes, cards and letters from colleagues and clients alike; and then stories and mails from former colleagues tucked away in my mail box and timelines…colleagues who have spread their wings far and wide…some who have grown within PR to head consultancies and communication functions in their organisations, some who have struck success as entrepreneurs, some who have moved out into other disciplines and doing great things. I love hearing their stories as much as I still love watching their achievements and accomplishments…like the singer and guitar player I started this post with. 

Note: The post is a reflection of the experiences I miss as I look back on my consultancy tenure. There is, of course, another side and a reason why I left consultancy life behind me and that is best left for a discussion.