Meet Hannah: Life & PR lessons learned from running

Meet Hannah: Life & PR lessons learned from running

Meet Hannah: Life & PR lessons learned from running

I’ve been running since I was about seven years old. I would ask my dad to drive around the neighborhood with his odometer reset so we could measure out a specific distance, and then I’d race my friends barefoot down the middle of our dead-end street. By the time I hit high school and college, I had formal coaching and a legitimate track to run on, but these days I still feel most at home running on the beautiful streets and trails Washington, D.C., has to offer.

I’ve come quite a long way since measuring course length by looking at telephone poles and street signs. But through this life-long running journey, I’ve realized that there are many professional and life lessons one can learn from running—including ones that easily apply to the world of PR and communications.

[bctt tweet=”Lessons learned while running can help you in your #publicrelations career too. ” username=”StantonComm”]

Strategy is everything

You wouldn’t approach the starting line of a long-distance race and try to sprint the whole thing, and you wouldn’t show up the morning of a half- marathon without putting in hard-earned training runs. You need to have a plan in your head to keep your pacing on point and adrenaline in check, as well as a solid training plan to help you meet your goals.

Similarly, in PR you would never begin a campaign by sending haphazard tweets or press releases without proper messaging and a content calendar. Take the time to think through your ideas and implement them according to your plans.

Results matter

In amateur running, you’re not trying to win the entire race, but results still matter. Results are part of what makes running fun and rewarding. It’s all about beating your own expectations and challenging yourself to achieve a certain result.

PR should also be results-driven and focused on meeting the goals for your clients. Just as it’s important to follow directions so you don’t run farther than you need to (my worst nightmare) or off course, during your campaign it’s important to stick to a plan and meet milestones along the way.

[bctt tweet=”Lace up your shoes, plan your route and get running. Who knows? It could help your #publicrelations career. ” username=”StantonComm”]

You got this!

Not a run goes by where I don’t tell myself, “I got this.” And, of course, a little confidence boost while you’re drafting a pitch, tweet or strategy doesn’t hurt either. In PR, you’re going to get a lot of “no” answers, but don’t be discouraged. Think about how you can pivot or tweak your idea to improve upon it, so you can get the results you’re after, whether it’s on the track or in the office.

 

Ready to Elevate Your PR Strategy?

Reach out now and let Stanton Communications be the driving force behind your next PR success story.

Read More

Skip to content