When I moved to the Boston area two years ago, I came fully expecting to be met as an outsider;  someone who’s “old city” only had one thing in common with her “new city”:  I-95.  And my concern about this potential culture shock wasn’t reserved to certain Boston sports circles either ; no, I was equally worried whether a girl who began her PR career in New York would fit in to the New England media scene. And so I arrived in Boston with my biases and a whole lot of ignorance. Beginning my career in New York,  I truly believed that it was where  PR lived and died. Sure Silicon Valley has its thing , but New York was where it was at. The energy, the work hard-play hard attitude, the kill or be killed mentality. This was it- PR at its best.

Boy was I WRONG!

Since walking through the doors of PAN I learned two very important things that perhaps I’m just fully realizing more than ever two years later:

One; Boston PR is not just a scene; it really is a community unlike anything I have ever experienced.

And two, Boston PR people not only love what they do, but they are some of the most dedicated practitioners in the industry.

Now before I get a lot of nasty comments to this blog from my friends in New York, San Francisco or otherwise (which I’m sure my boss or webmaster won’t appreciate) let me explain.

When I say that Boston PR isn’t a scene, it’s a community, what I mean is that in my time here so far, I’ve been truly impressed by how much PR folks actually care about the state and health of PR in this region. I saw it less than a month ago when I attended the Pub Club’s Bell Ringer Awards. There was a great vibe at the event that really showed how much everyone in the industry cared about the work they do and a great spirit of competition and support even among rival firms.  The pride that teams had in their winning campaigns was really inspiring and for the first time in my career, I felt that I was a part of a group of professionals with a big impact on how the industry at large evolves.  I realized I was more than just an employee at an agency, or a PR flack trying to move her way up the ladder.

Regarding my second observation, it all starts with a certain arrogance I admit, I brought with me: New York equals PR and nothing else compares. In fact, I never paid much attention to what was happening in other regions. As a young PR professional I thought I had everything at my fingertips in NY. What I didn’t realize at the time is that while baptism by fire can sometimes be good, the flames will burn you up fast, and when the dust settles you want something a little more lasting. Coming to PAN and to Boston taught me just that. For the first time in my career I met practitioners, not just flacks. The people I’ve met and had the opportunity to work with have showed me that working in PR isn’t just a series of sprints; it can actually be a long distance run. So I guess what I’m saying is that my colleagues at PAN and the Boston PR community at large have reminded me that I love PR not just for the thrill of a few hits, but because it’s a great career I can grow into.

With that, I’d just like to say, thanks, Boston.  You’re not just a great place to live, but probably the best thing that happened to my career.

~ Your forever-grateful New York flack

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