For this week’s installment of Fearless Friday, we shine the spotlight on Account Supervisor and Division Lead of our Healthcare and Life Science Team, Jacque Seaman!
At The Fearey Group we believe everyone has a story to tell. Each Friday we shine the spotlight on one staff member helping them share their stories and give insight into what makes our firm truly “fearless.”
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Jacque Seaman: I’ll have checked off some more “bucket list” items; will be in a nicer apartment (or a house?); and will still be slinging PR that has a positive impact on our world and its people.
If you could dine with anyone living or dead, who would you choose and why?
JS: Nikola Tesla. We’d dine at his old stomping grounds, Delmonico’s, play with my iPhone and get to the bottom of why he hated pearls (because I don’t like them either).
What are your top five favorite movies?
- Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
- The Big Lebowski
- Coming to America
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
- Pollyanna
What is your favorite thing about the Pacific Northwest?
JS: SUMMER. Especially after living in NYC for nearly eight years and dealing with its nasty heat and humidity—and all the smells and sticky subway rides that came with it.
What does a day at the Fearey office look like for you?
JS: Get in around 8 a.m., turn on the Sonos and put on a playlist that I think will be agreeable to most people. Check the news, respond to emails, attend some meetings, and figure out how to get my clients press. Probably putting out a couple fires along the way, but not every day.
With your years of experience in health and nonprofit communications, what do you think is most important when working in the public relations world?
JS: You should never rely on your clients to give you a good story, or something newsworthy. Instead, you should be one step ahead, and do your very best to become smarter on the issues they touch, so that you can effectively insert them into the conversation. Also, never, ever become a “yes PR person” where you don’t have an opinion, or push back on bad ideas with better ideas.
What’s the greatest bit of advice a co-worker or mentor has given you?
JS: “You’ll never make enough money. You’ll make more, but it’ll never feel like enough.” I was 22, working in NYC at an agency making $31,500, but I was working on A-list nonprofits, like Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. Sure, I couldn’t afford to pay for a cab back to Brooklyn, but this advice helped me realize that money isn’t everything, and I was doing work that actually impacted people’s lives and made a difference in the world. That, at 22, was everything. It propelled my passion to keep going, pay my dues as a junior executive and get to where I am today.
Which part of your work at The Fearey Group are you most proud of? Why?
JS: I get the chance to mentor others. I know how important it is to work with people who can actually teach you something, and make you better at your job. I’m hopeful I can do that here.
Any tips for newbies entering the public relations field?
JS: Everyone will have a niche they prefer—whether it’s tech, consumer, pharma, whatever—but at the end of the day, it’s PR. Learn what makes a good news story; how to make something relevant to an audience; how to leverage new, emerging channels; and apply those skills to any area of the industry you pursue. Also, trust your gut.
Read last week’s Fearless Friday with Amber Benson!