TSG Speaks Out: Laura Silverman, vol. 2

So now that you know how I came to be a PR professional, why do I enjoy what I do? Well if you didn't realize from my first entry... I love working with people! The knowledge, experience, and passion that I get from others in the industry (whether its media or clients) is amazing. Everyone in this business, as you can tell from all the previous TSG Speaks Out entries, have found their way by a completely different path and that allows for me to learn and share my work with a wide breadth of people.

Getting down to specifics... the client and media interaction. When I first started in PR I was terrified of pitching the media, but now it's one of the things I enjoy the most! It's a true accomplishment when you offer up a story idea to a feature reporter about a small non profit organization and they roll with it! Subsequently, seeing the reaction from that non profit client is thrilling! That's what makes it all worth it.
(photo - WGN Reporter, Dean Richards, interviewing Jada Pinkett Smith and Jason Clarke at the 2008 Chicago International Film Festival)

I also love the event planning part of PR. Though rare in my day-to-day duties, I still get a thrill from working an event from the ground up whether it be a gala, awards benefit, or even a red carpet premiere! And to be honest they're fun!

And, the entertainment doesn't hurt. I've been fortunate to see a wide variety of entertainment including top-tier comedy shows, a live rodeo at the United Center, countless film screenings and theatre performances, a dog show, and much much more. The way entertainment can lift people's spirits (especially during these times) is truly inspiring. Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine and in PR I'm able to help more people experience that. The more coverage I secure for a client, the greater the number of people who can be exposed to it. (photo - Mayor Richard Daley with the World's Toughest Rodeo Cowboys at the United Center, February 2009)

But still, the number one reason why I am and enjoy being a PR professional is because every day I am learning more! Whether it's about a specific art form, a specific media contact, or even a type of media, my knowledge is expanding all the time. With the array of clients I have had the privilege of working with, the different media personalities I have met, and the ever changing face of the media there is always more to learn and build off of in this industry. So keep the knowledge and interesting conversation coming and I'll plan to be in the Public Relations industry for years and years to come!

TSG Speaks Out: Laura Silverman

How did I come to a career in Public Relations? I guess it stemmed from my childhood dream of becoming the next Oprah. However, when I realized that this was an unlikely career path and that I much preferred to be behind the cameras while my actress sister was in front of them, I turned to journalism. Then I realized that as much as liked to write, I liked people more. Take that and couple it with the fact that I'm a planner, love events, and am thirsty for knowledge and you get my road to Public Relations!

I think it was senior year of high school when I was applying to colleges that someone mentioned public relations, I asked them to elaborate, and here I am!

I studied PR at the University of Miami (Go Canes!) with a double major in Math (just because!) and for the most part enjoyed everything I was exposed to. From the research to the writing, graphic design, and especially my campaigns class, I was hooked! What most kept my attention, however, was the opportunity to work and interact with so many different people. My professors alone were from a wide range of professional and educational backgrounds as were my classmates.

My internship experiences only reinforced what I already liked about the industry... the diversity, the tempo, the events, and above all the chance to work with others. Seeing a pattern?

My first PR job was a result of an internship, in-house PR at a large regional theatre in Coral Gables, Florida. Though I truly enjoyed the work there, I wanted to move back to the midwest and wanted to be doing more than just theatre. My personal interests are so vast (hence the PR and Math degree) that an agency seemed like a great fit! The Silverman Group has allowed me the opportunity to work on a HUGE variety of clients (everything from mainstream theatre to film premieres and even a rodeo), always keeping me on my toes!

So that's how I got here... I guess I should thank Oprah because had she not inspired me to become her, I may have never discovered my own path.

TSG Speaks Out: Farrah Malik, vol. 2

Why do I enjoy Public Relations? What is it about my profession that really drives and satisfies me? After thinking long and hard about these questions, I came up with a few ideas about what really gets me going when it comes to PR…

I may not be the best dancer, painter or piano player, but I firmly believe that art, no matter what form it is packaged in, is something everyone should have access to. Chicago is such a culturally diverse city and this translates to a plethora of amazing artistic outlets. I feel that art helps us understand one another and the rest of the world as a whole. To have a musician from India, a vocalist from Greece or a dance company from Russia travel to America and collaborate with an organization here is something wonderful to see. To watch as an audience at Orchestra Hall is exposed to something other than Brahms or Beethoven is a thrilling experience. For a girl who grew up in Africa – watching this “globalization” makes me feel that I am working to promote a good cause!

Being at The Silverman Group has allowed me to experience and appreciate so many different cultures through the clients we work with. I have been able to meet the most amazing individuals and every season I am affected by these artistic geniuses that come into my life and invigorate my passion for my job. They have such a zeal for what they do and a desire to touch the world through their art forms – how could I NOT be passionate about working to bring them into the limelight?
(photo of Kiran Ahluwalia, who performed with the Chicago Sinfonietta in March 2009)




Of course, we PR folk would be nowhere without the solid group of media outlets who give us a reason to do what we do. I love working with the writers, editors, producers, on-air personalities, bloggers, and tweeters to get them all what they need, how they need it, and when they need it. It has been so interesting to watch the media world change over the last five years. That alone keeps our job interesting. New/social media has added a new and unique dimension to what we as PR experts do every day! (still of the Indian silent film "A Throw of Dice" with a new score by Nitin Sawhney, which had its U.S. Premiere as part of the Grant Park Music Festival's 74th Season)

So, I guess the long of the short is that my passion for PR really stems from what and who I am working to promote and not so much the act of writing press releases and pitching stories…. Obviously, those techniques led me to this career path (see my blog dated November 24), but I actively chose the area of PR I wanted to be in and THAT is what really satisfies me when it comes down to it.



(photo of visual artist Luis De La Torre creating the backdrop for Eduardo Vilaro's "Quinceanera")