Andrea Holland

I believe that with a Comms background, you can do nearly ANYTHING. As a Comms Pro, you're already wearing 100 different hats. You're supporting engineering, sales, marketing & executives. You know how to write, speak, listen & sell. You have a taste of everything -- you can go a mile wide and an inch deep, and you know enough to be dangerous. I've seen plenty of Comms professionals move into entrepreneurship, sales, customer support, content & even fields within psychology. Communicating value props is important everywhere you go & whatever you choose to do. While being a Comms pro is challenging because of the multiple hats, it's also the biggest blessing in giving you exposure to so many other industries and types of roles.

Networking -- your network is your net worth. If your network isn't strong and you are still building, I suggest niche job boards (versus larger ones). You'll stand a better chance with your specific skill set than trying to compete against the kitchen sink. Some of my strongest relationships started with a job and then evolved into a more longstanding engagement. RemotePRJobs.com is perfect for Comms and PR professionals looking for remove and hybrid work - because that's all it is, PR and Comms (built by a Comms person, so you know they are curated, legit, and not marketing).

In my experience, internal comms is never the first thing that a startup CEO finds important. However, it is arguably the most important. Communicating with your small team as you move quickly and nimbly is crucial, to keep everyone on the same page, aligned and engaged. From selling the same product to using the same messaging to understanding what's coming down the pipe to have a holistic view/picture of where things are going, the more you know, the quicker you can scale because everyone is informed. When you don't have that in place, everyone is talking about the company differently, selling something differently, and not being apprised of the big picture. Internal comms is king for startups, especially for scalability.

Thought leadership is all about personal experiences -- I don't believe you can have a thoughtful and solid thought leadership platform (whether it is speaking or writing) without incorporating your personal life and personal anecdotes and experiences. Our personal experiences are where we grow and understand ourselves. It's what makes us relatable to other humans and what connects us. People don't buy products -- they buy from people they trust, understand, like, know and relate to. Share your experiences - people want to be invested in your journey and support you.

In my experience, when I start with the "why" and the "impact" that it will have on that person, party, or business, gets me a lot further than explaining my "what." When people understand the gravity and how it affects them personally or their bottom line, they're immediately more invested.