Author: Stacee Collins

A day in the life of a PR professional is, by nature, unpredictable. And that’s what I love most about being an account executive (AE) at Ketner Group.

Every day is a new day. The news cycle is fluid and every client need is different. So while it’s tough to pinpoint a concrete 9-5 experience, I’ll dive into some of the best parts of my day as a PR Power Ranger – my official unofficial title. 

A typical day as an AE

I start my day by checking my inbox, listening to NPR News Now and catching up on the latest trends via newsletters from Retail Dive and Retail Brew.

Since I lead media relations for several accounts, it’s important to keep a pulse on the retail space and weave client perspectives into the mix. For example, I might notice fashion reporters are focusing on red carpet looks at the Oscars, and then deliver a tailored pitch to Women’s Wear Daily leveraging relevant insights from a fashion market intelligence client. 

Depending on the day of the week, I attend a few client check-in Zoom calls to align on active projects. This could include brainstorming the media strategy for an upcoming product launch, finalizing an award submission in real time or solidifying next steps for onsite conference interviews with press. 

Regardless of the internal or external project that I’m working on, one thing stays the same. We’re in the business of relationships, and that’s one of the most rewarding parts of PR.

Whether I’m bringing a reporter helpful sources for stories or catching up with a client about the latest Wordle, nurturing relationships is key in my day-to-day life as an account executive.

Developing great friendships in Austin

Speaking of relationships, one of my favorite parts about my job is that its allowed me to develop great friendships with the Austin-based team. Transitioning from a fully remote job to Ketner Group’s hybrid environment has been so fulfilling.

When I’m not working from home alongside my favorite furry co-worker Odie, it’s nice to make the short 15-minute commute to our WeWork space and experience real human interaction. Everyone else has full length conversations with their pets… right? 

Our WeWork building is located near The Domain, a shopping hub with all the best local lunch spots. My sources say that every now and then, after the Austin team collaborates to drive client success at the office, you can most definitely find them eating way too many pretzels at Culinary Dropout. 

Whether we’re putting our heads together to craft a new business proposal or debating whether there are more doors or wheels in the world via our #WaterCooler Slack channel, the Ketner Group team is full of collaborative, fun and curious minds that I’m so thrilled to work with every day.

Three valuable lessons

My time as an account executive at Ketner Group has taught me three very valuable lessons:

1. Don’t ask questions, just eat the bell pepper – At my first official Ketner Group team dinner, I learned of a very odd company-wide tradition, in which new employees have to take a bite of a bell pepper. So that’s why they say, keep Austin weird!
2. Collaboration is king – Every account structure is designed with collaboration at the core. As an account executive, I can always depend on my directors for strategic guidance and assistant account executives (like my lovely friend Jenny) for support. 
3. PR is a highway – Much like the Rascal Flatts hit from critically-acclaimed blockbuster film “Cars,” something new and exciting always lies ahead in the world of PR. I knew I loved the industry before, but my time at KG has made me love it even more.

Howdy, I’m Stacee Collins!

I’m thrilled to be joining the Ketner Group team as the newest account executive. I come from an agency background, and am so excited to dive deeper into the world of retail tech. But when I was a freshman in college, I had no idea PR would become my career path. 

At Texas State University, I pursued a degree in journalism — reporting, copy editing and running social for the university’s newspaper. It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I was introduced to PR, and when I took my first intro class, I knew I was passionate about it. So, I transferred to The University of Texas at Austin as a junior and began building up my experience in the field.

Throughout my internships, I learned more about PR for sustainable energy, food and beverage and advertising technology. I ultimately landed a full-time role after graduation at Blast PR, where I spent the last three years driving success for adtech clients through media relations, speaking and awards and content management. 

Making client stories come to life

What I learned throughout all of those experiences is that I absolutely love making client stories come to life.

Whether it’s sifting through mounds of data to find the most compelling pieces of the puzzle, crafting engaging award nominations to establish clients as thought leaders or simply cultivating relationships with clients and reporters alike — I love the world of PR and am beyond happy and thankful I get to do this work every day. 

Enjoying my spare time

Other things that make me happy include: growing my frog collection, hiking with my sweet dog Odie, playing Donkey Kong on my Super Nintendo, discovering new music, taking care of my succulents, exploring Austin’s best happy hour spots and spending the weekend working on a good puzzle.

I may or may not be a grandma trapped inside a 24-year-old body, but at least I’m a grandma who is a part of Team Awesome now!