Staff Spotlight – Whitney Albert! 

One of our team’s greatest strengths is our tenure. With so many long-standing team members, we’re able to tap a deep well of experience and expertise for our clients. This month, we asked our colleague Whitney Albert a few questions about life as a PR professional. With more than three years of experience at Obsidian and more than 10 in the industry, she has a ton of knowledge to share with us. Check it out! 

• What is one thing you miss from your early days in PR? What’s one thing you’re glad that’s changed? 

When I started out 10 years ago, face-to-face meetings with clients and vendors was the norm. Remote working and videoconferencing was certainly a thing, but people welcomed face-to-face time. Because I love to talk and engage with people, I miss that original zest for in-person meetings. Relationships can be best built when you’re in front of each other. I am glad, however, that technology has advanced SO much in a decade. I laugh when I think about keeping hard copy files and printed media clipping logs for my clients. Such a waste of paper!

• What is one tip you have for someone who’s looking to break into the Memphis market as a PR professional? 

Attach yourself to someone who’s smarter than you – but, that also means you have to humble yourself. I’ve been extremely fortunate to cross paths with some of the most talented, insightful and just flat-out smart professionals throughout my career. And, all I wanted to do when I was starting out was to soak up as much knowledge and information that I could, while I could.

• Who is your celebrity inspiration or role model? 

Hands down, it’s Michelle Obama. She’s my shero. She is unapologetically who she is at all times. You go girl!

• Pick a character from a TV show or movie and tell us why they’d make a good PR person. 

I pick Bernadette from “The Big Bang Theory.” She’s smart, witty but also cutthroat when she needs to be. She could do this job!

• What do you think PR students miss most during their college studies? 

That’s an easy one. Application. We learn a lot of theories and hypotheticals in college, but what’s missing is the “now what” factor. Meaning, after you’ve read all of the books and taken all of the tests, what do you do in real-life scenarios? Much of our work in PR is learned outside of the classroom.

• What’s your favorite segment you’ve seen recently on GMA?

I loved the most recent segment on Coco Gauff, the African-American teenage tennis player. She and her parents were interviewed on GMA, and it just made me smile. She’s a true testament that hard work pays off.

• Do you have a proudest moment in your career? If so, what is it? 

Gosh, I’ve had several moments that made me happy to be in PR. There’s not one single one that stands out, necessarily. Let’s just say there’s no other industry I’d prefer to work in than this one.