TLCOMMUNICATIONS PR DIRECTOR CARLY ABEL WORKS HARD, MAKES LOTS OF LISTS, AND STAYS POSITIVE
Name: Carly Abel
Age: 31
Position/Company: PR Director, TLCommunications
Where did you go to school? Syracuse University
What was your major? Communications
First internship? Interned for MSNBC in their Public Relations Department
Did you move to NY to pursue your career in PR? Yes, but NYC was essentially my backyard. I grew up in New Jersey, so I was able to commute for a few months until I found an affordable living situation (or as affordable as NYC can get.)
Favorite part of your job? I couldn’t pick just one thing, so here are a few: I still to this day love trying new products, it never gets old. There is nothing like helping to build a new brand, watching them grow and knowing your team had something to do with it. I truly love meeting new people, who share my passion, and of course interacting with editors I’ve known for years and meeting new ones.
Least favorite part of your job? When your to-do list looks intimidating…
Favorite brands (brands you think are launching great PR campaigns)? Target – who doesn’t love their designer collaborations; Yes To Mama Hope – they are feeding 1,800 children a day in Kenya; Deborah Lippmann – I’ve been obsessed with nail polish forever, you can tell by my college photos where I’m sporting Chanel Vamp or purple and green hues. The new nail technology of holographic, chrome, matte neon, or the glitter is such an incredible form of expression and creativity.
Biggest accomplishment so far in your career? Starting at TLCommunications as the PR Director. I had managed smaller teams in the past, but this role was something I was extremely prepared for and excited to jump into. One and a half years later, I couldn’t be happier, and that is such an accomplishment - to truly love what you do, who you work with and who you represent.
Biggest lesson learned to date in your career? Fire drills, be it something in the media you don’t want there or an opportunity to capitalize on a trend, study, etc., are the best learning experience, and once you have had one, you can tackle anything.
Who were/are your mentors? My mom. She’s such an incredible role model and has always believed in me. My work ethic and organizational skills are a testament to her teachings. She always challenged me, made me want to do better and more.
Best work advice? Once you’ve found your dream job, work hard, make lots of lists, figure out what system works best for you, know that there is such a thing as a bad day and they are not all like that, and stay positive.
As a publicist, you can’t live without your…BlackBerry calendar – this keeps track of my editor meals, client calls, events, mailers, etc. Obviously the email part is important too so I can correspond with editors, clients and colleagues.
In order to succeed in PR, you…need to be eager, dedicated, outgoing and extremely detail oriented.
If you weren’t a publicist, you’d be…a professional organizer, although I do complimentary closet overhauls for my friends.
Follow Carly on Twitter at @carlya5 or her agency at @TLComm_PR.