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Visit Boston for the PRSSA 2017 National Conference
While I certainly felt prepared from a
professional standpoint, I was taken off
guard when the professional pivoted the
conversation from talking about the “D.C.
PR market” and the up’s and downs of in-
house vs. agency practice to ask me about
my life and who I was as a person. She later
shared, “When I talk to my co-workers, I
want to know ‘What’s going on in ... their
life?’” and then she said this powerful
phrase: “I believe i n treating people like
people.” From that point on our discussion
left the superficial realm and we were soon
connecting about deeper issues that were
important to the both of us. Before I knew it,
we had been there for over an hour. Instead
of sitting with a potential employer, I was
sitting with a good friend. As we wrapped
up our meal, we snapped a picture together
and then made plans to “hang out” again
soon. Walking away from that experience,
I realized that those were the types of
conversations and experiences that I
wanted to fill my life with. communications is just as much work as it
is fun, but boy is it a lot of fun. One of the
best parts of the job was being able to work
with the full-time staff and listening to the
stories they would tell about some of the
biggest sports moments in school history.
One of those staff members was an old-timer
by the name of Ralph Zobell. Ralph and I
developed a great friendship as I taught him
how to use Twitter and he taught me how
to be a better writer and a true professional.
Whenever I worked a game with Ralph, he
would stop me before I left and ask, “So
what did you learn today?” Pausing for self-
reflection was sometimes a tough exercise,
but it showed me the importance of always
being curious and looking for a new way to
grow. Now, at the end of the day, I try and
ask this question of those around me. While
the question stays the same, the answers
I get are always different and it gives a
unique insight into what the people around
me value and helps me learn from everyone
I know.
“What did you learn today?”
Over the past two years, I have worked as
sports information director for BYU Athletics,
and let me be the first to tell you that sports “Man sieht sich immer zweimal im Leben.”
This is a German phrase that translates to
“You always meet twice in life.” It’s used
more or less as a reminder that treating
people well is an important habit and
that you should never burn bridges. I’ve
also found this to be true and I’ve never
regretted the choice to be kind to another
person. I first heard this phrase from a mentor
as we were walking through some key
decisions in terms of my future and hearing
this helped me see how friends have come
in and out of my life but that the best ones
always seem to return. Our industry can
sometimes seem like a “small world” and the
more you travel and meet people, the more
you’ll discover that we’re all connected in
some way or another. So always remember
to treat every relationship with respect and
to care and value the people you come in
contact with.
Now as we approach a new year of PRSSA,
I encourage each of you to invest in the
people around you and in the relationships
you will develop through this Society. Take
the time to be a friend and to learn as
much as you possibly can. Treat people like
people, ask “What did you learn today?”
and always remember, “You always meet
twice in life.”
Where Are They Now: Brandi Boatner
For Brandi Boatner,
By Riley Nordquist
Augustana University PRSSA 2008-2009
National President,
August 2005 was a
test. Born and raised in New Orleans, Boatner
had no idea what her life would soon
become. That summer, Hurricane Katrina
ripped through the Gulf of Mexico and left
behind a pile of debris and chaos.
Unaware that it would be the last time they
would see their home, Boatner and her family
evacuated and returned to New Orleans two
weeks after Katrina hit. What they found left
them speechless.
“I remember standing there just looking
at what used to be,” she said. “It was
heartbreaking. I literally thought my life was
over. How were we going to recover? Were
we even able to recover? The clothes that
we left with were what we had. But I knew
this couldn’t be how our story ended.”
Boatner wouldn’t let the setback of Katrina
stop her.
Boatner received her Bachelor of Arts in
public relations at Loyola University New
Orleans. Her class was referred to as “The
Katrina Class.” After the hurricane, she knew
she would be forced to finish her education
elsewhere, but Boatner did not wait. She
went to Hawaii Pacific University where she
earned her Master’s in Communications with
a certificate in international marketing and
served as the PRSSA National President during
the 2008–2009 academic year.
“My main goal was to advance the Society
and the future professionals within it,”
said Boatner, about her time as National
President. “I wanted to show people what
we do. I wanted to make people’s college
experiences impactful.”
Boatner’s positions of leadership certainly
didn’t stop after serving as National President,
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www.prssa.prsa.org/forum
as she has now taken her experiences to
PRSA where she serves as a co-chair of social
media for the national PRSA Tech Section
and is a former member of board of
directors for the PRSA Foundation. Boatner
also is the chair of IBM’s Black Network
of New York business resource group.
Formerly, Boatner held the positions with
PRSA New York Chapter, as member of the
Young Professionals Section of PRSA.
first time, every time. That’s not reality. Failure
makes you who you are.”
When I accepted an
By Brian Hammel
Otterbein University internship with a health
“Insanity,” said Boatner about the interview
process. “I didn’t hear back from them for
six months but then I got the call on my
birthday in 2009. I moved to New York and
started Jan. 1, 2010, and I’ve been here
seven years now.”
“My national presidency prepared me for a
large corporation,” she said. “It helped me
manage my time and it certainly helped me
in my ability to communicate with others.”
Boatner hopes current PRSSA members
take advantage of the opportunities of
the organization the way she did and
encourages students to remain committed in
the face of life’s challenges.
“Embrace failure,” she said. “People often
create this imaginary playbook of things
they can and can’t do, that nobody ever
told them. They just believe it. That voice in
your head is a liar. You need failure to get
to the path of success. Nobody is good at
ev erything. Nobody perfects something the
• Career Development Exhibition
•“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” Opening
Night Celebration
• Career Tours*
• Coffee with Champions for PRSSA
• “Boston Tea Party” Farewell Breakfast
• Resume Critique*
• Regional Conference Workshop
• Student-run Firm Workshop
• Fireside Chat*
• PRSA General Sessions
• Awards and Chapter Roll Call
• “Happy 50th Anniversary PRSSA” Awards
Ceremony and Dinner
• Chapter Development Sessions
• Presentations from more than 30 industry
professionals
•Numerous opportunities to engage with
students and professionals
* Preregistration required
What Comes Next?
Navigating the Post-Internship Supervisor Relationship
She is still employed at her first post-
graduation job at IBM. Boatner went from
Oahu to Manhattan for her interview at
IBM, which included six one-hour, back-to-
back interviews.
Boatner serves as the digital experience
manager for IBM’s Global Technology
Services department. When she looks back
on her time as PRSSA National President, she
thinks of how the position made her ready for
her career today.
What’s Happening in Boston? Nothing You’ll Want to Miss!
Photo courtesy of Brandi Boatner
“People often create
this imaginary
playbook of things
they can and can’t
do, that nobody ever
told them. They just
believe it.”
Fall 2017
care company my junior
year, I was nervous. Although the company
has a wonderful reputation, spending 40
hours a week in a hospital wasn’t the most
appealing setting to me. I soon learned
that the year I spent in the marketing and
communications department would be one
that changed my life, both personally and
professionally.
Along with the plethora of portfolio pieces
created and the exposure to a network of
more than 90 professionals, my supervisor
made my experience unforgettable. In just a
year, she taught me how to conduct myself
during meetings with executives, handle the
(minor) inevitable breakdowns and bring
genuine joy to the workplace, among many
other things.
Leaving my internship was tough for me. I had
spent a year developing a relationship with
a manager who was the first person to teach
me how to behave within a workplace. When
navigating the waters of
our new post-internship
relationship, I learned a few
things that might be helpful
for the transitioning intern.
Send a thank-you note.
Dust off those thank-you
notes sitting in your desk. Handwritten thank-
Fall 2017
you notes are not only important for landing
the internship; they are a crucial first step in
developing the post-internship relationship
with your supervisor.
Take the opportunity to show appreciation
for the experience and highlight what you
learned — both personally and professionally.
After all, you spent a considerable amount
of time with this person. Let them know they
made an impact on your life.
Configure your cadence and keep it organic.
When planning a public relations campaign,
you don’t want to overload your audience
with messages — every communication
should have a purpose and impact.
Communicating with a former supervisor is no
different.
Establish a specific timeline for how and when
you’re going to communicate with them. Do
you reach out for coffee every six months?
Check in via email yearly? Ask yourself:
Is what you’re sharing
newsworthy? Will it spark
a quality conversation?
Supervisors are professionals
who lead lives with busy
calendars. Plan accordingly!
Mind your (social) manners.
Social media is a
phenomenal way to connect to the world
around you.
During every internship, I follow the rule of
not friending my supervisor or anyone in the
department unless they friend me first. After
your final goodbyes, you may want to friend
or follow them on social media.
If you aren’t comfortable with seeing them in
your Instagram or Facebook feed, connect
with them on LinkedIn. Be sure to ask for
a personal email address, too. You never
know how long they will be with their current
company.
When it comes to social media, listen to your
instincts. You are the only person capable of
judging your relationship with your supervisor.
References available upon request.
Even if you ask for a reference when leaving
the company, be sure to reach out again
before every job or internship interview. It
may seem redundant, but it gives you the
chance to reconnect with your previous
manager and remind them of the great work
you did.
Internship supervisors are some of your best
professional assets. They can be mentors
and advocates, and they can teach you
so much more than tactical work. Nurturing
your relationship with a previous supervisor
can pay back tenfold — both personally
and professionally — for many years after the
internship ends.
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