We don’t often hire new team members who we’ve had no previous connection to – there’s usually at least “three degrees from Kevin Bacon.” Whitney Albert is one of our few exceptions! She found us at just the right time, and after a few interviews, it was apparent that she was a must-have commodity.

In her time with Obsidian, Whitney has become our go-to public speaker! She also works closely with Courtney on business development, so you’ll most likely see Whitney representing Obsidian at various events throughout the city!

While we know her well around the office, Whitney can be a little bit of a mystery. You won’t find her on Instagram or Snapchat, so we sat down and asked her a few questions so you could get to know her better!

• What most surprised you about moving to Memphis?

I had heard that Memphians are proud of their city, but I never would’ve thought the pride ran as deep as it does. I’ve witnessed firsthand how much the locals love Memphis eats, attractions, sports and the community overall. After two years of living here, I admit that I too am sipping the Memphis Kool-Aid. 🙂

• What’s your favorite activity to do with your niece and nephews?

Honestly, we love to just chill out and spend quality time together. Since I don’t get to see them regularly, I really value just sitting on the couch at my parents’ house and catching up on my nephews’ school and recreational activities. And as for my four-month-old niece, all I want to do is steal kisses from her chunky cheeks and there’s no better place to do that than at home!

• Have you decided on a favorite Memphis BBQ shop?

Yes! Central BBQ is definitely my fav. And, I love the baked beans. If your baked beans are good, you’ll pretty much win me every time.

• What’s the best bottle of wine you’ve tried recently or your go-to bottle right now?

I usually don’t go wrong with a red blend. Right now, I’m sipping a brand called Josh.

• Where can we most likely find you on a Friday night?

Friday nights are usually my ‘decompress from the week’ nights. So, I try to cook a nice meal and relax on the couch and catch up on some reruns of The Big Bang Theory (one of my favorite shows).

• How to Get Away with Murder is on a break, what’s your new TV show?

It takes SO much for me to get into a new TV show. Why? Because I’m a creature of habit and committing to a new show takes a very concerted effort. But, I have started watching Younger, and it’s pretty cool.

• As we’re approaching the fall season… how did you fall in love with PR?

Writing and talking are two things that I’ve always loved to do. When I learned that I could do both and get paid for them, I knew PR would be my thing!

• What’s one thing you wish we’d (PR professionals) adopt or change as an industry?

I wish there were more opportunities to garner ‘real-life’ experience at the college level to truly prepare incoming PR professionals for what it’s like to practice in this field. I was taught how to do things, but I learned the ‘why’ behind PR once I got out of college. If I had it my way, I’d create a college course called ‘PR Application’ or something similar.

• What type of work would you like for Obsidian to take on more of in 2019?

I’d love to see us grow in the health care space. There is so much knowledge to be garnered and information to be shared on how to live a healthy, productive life, and I’d love for OPR to be a player in pushing this message.