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How I Got Here: Communications consultant Genevieve Phelan on forging authentic relationships

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE WILLIAMS

Words by Alyssa Forato and Fashion Journal

“Forge a career the way you want to, on your own terms, even if they don’t exist yet.”

Have you ever stalked someone on LinkedIn and wondered how on earth they managed to land that wildly impressive job? While the internet and social media might have us believe that our ideal job is a mere pipe dream, the individuals who have these jobs were, believe it or not, in the same position once, fantasising over someone else’s seemingly unattainable job.

But behind the awe-inspiring titles and the fancy work events lies a heck of a lot of hard work. So what lessons have been learnt and what skills have proved invaluable in getting them from daydreaming about success to actually being at the top of their industry?


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Welcome to How I Got Here, where we talk to women who are killing it in their respective fields about how they landed their awe-inspiring jobs, exploring the peaks and pits, the failures and the wins, and most importantly the knowledge, advice and practical tips they’ve gleaned along the way.

This week we speak to Genevieve Phelan, a powerhouse communications consultant who splits her time between publicity, copywriting and editorial work. Her consistent work-and-study juggle while completing university helped Genevieve forge a name for herself in the industry, where she quickly grew a curated stable of copywriting and PR clients. She’s also the Lifestyle & Careers columnist here at Fashion Journal, where we’ve had the pleasure of knowing her kindness and creative talent, both in and outside of the FJ office. Here’s what she’s learned along the way.

What do you do and what’s your official job title?

 

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I’m a communications consultant, which is just a fancy way of saying I offer publicity, copywriting and editorial work for lifestyle and fashion brands. I’ve run my own consultancy for a year now!

I’m also actually the Lifestyle & Careers columnist at Fashion Journal and am normally the one asking the questions, so this interview is a real pinch-me moment.

Take us back to when you were first starting out. Did you study to get into your chosen field, or did you start out with an internship/entry-level role and climb the ladder? Tell us the story.

The story goes: I studied Professional Communication at RMIT and did a split major in Advertising and Copywriting. It wasn’t really a thing to do a ‘split’, but I begged and showed evidence from my work in the industry from a six-month degree deferral. Vibes!

I interned, worked and built up a stable of copywriting clients all while studying, completing a PR internship at Hatching Communications and an editorial placement at Urban List Melbourne along the way. I ran a beauty blog (ha) in my late teens and managed to do some (now questionable) pro bono writing for a lifestyle title. This allowed me to attend lots of glamorous and novel industry events that were almost priceless looking back.

That event-attending is how I met prospective employers, publicists, mentors, close friends and incredibly seasoned writers who I’d later go on to learn from. I basically never stopped writing, meeting people and learning from the pros.

What challenges/hurdles have you faced getting to where you are now? Can you tell us about one in particular?

Self-doubt, undercharging and being taken advantage of. These are some of the biggest but most inevitable mistakes one can make, especially at the ripe age of 18 when I first started writing. It’s really hard to back yourself straight out of the gate. By all means, your age can denote experience, but if you’re 24 and you’ve worked in your industry diligently for almost six years, you gradually start to realise your worth has nothing to do with your age. It all comes down to your ability and work ethic at the end of the day.

 

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I have had to repeatedly challenge myself to resist the whole imposter syndrome thing. I’m seriously good at what I do, and it’s taken so long to be able to say that out loud (or in writing). When you’re nice, people can mistake it for naivety. I pride myself on being a good woman first and a businesswoman second, but you have to build a bit of backbone to stand on your own two feet in this field of work. Learning to evolve and walk away from something when it’s not right is hard but really worth it in the long run.

What do you want people to know about your industry/your role?

It’s all about relationships that extend beyond just ‘work’. You could be the best writer in the country, but if you’re mean or unfair to people, everyone will know. The clients, friends, employers, editors and fellow writers I’ve met over the years are what make this career feel fun and rewarding.

Forging strong and authentic (i.e. not out of selfish or ulterior motives) friendships with the people in your industry orbit is what will serve you in years to come. Your way of communicating and treating others (even via email or on the DMs) is your legacy. Your brand extends so far beyond a nicely-curated Instagram page or a slick website.

People will remember the way you made them feel at the end of the day, so be nice to everyone and take the time to help people as you would want to be helped. What goes around comes around, and I’m forever grateful for all the experts/mentors/employers who have gone out of their way to support me.

What’s the best part about your role?

The truest and happiest in myself I’ve ever felt is in receiving messages of understanding, relatability and shared experiences from complete strangers after reading one of my Fashion Journal pieces. My biggest goal is to one day write something that is longer than an article, whatever that may be.

The clients I work with make it all worth it, too. Feeling the ‘win’ of a stellar press hit in sync with your client is such a high. You feel included and integral in someone else’s business baby, muscling and hustling alongside them to achieve a mutual goal. Holding a physical copy of a magazine and seeing a client’s product staring back at you on the page is a feeling I thought would only ever be reserved for seeing a byline of my own.

 

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But now I realise that some serious expertise, storytelling, time and dedication go into publicity. It also means you can share the good feelings with others. I couldn’t decide whether I liked fashion or food or beauty or the arts more. But then I realised: supporting (mainly) women who are building local, values-driven, innovative brands from the ground up is the ‘niche’ I love.

What would surprise people about your role?

The unequal and totally random split of editorial time versus copywriting time versus publicity time that I spend working. Also, the fact that I rarely ever work an eight-hour day because I simply cannot be creative for eight hours straight. I thought it used to sound really entitled and lazy to say I didn’t work conventionally ‘full-time’, but I work in rogue ‘hours of power’ blocks. Some days I get NOTHING done, and others I’m getting two days’ worth of work done in one.

Gemma Watts once famously said she “wasn’t built for the desk life”, and I took this idea and ran with it. I love the flexibility, chaos and versatility of offering three pillars of comms services. I wish I could dedicate more time to my original and ultimately ‘core’ joy – editorial, thought-led, firsthand writing – but you have to figure out things like taxation and proposal writing and be ‘out there’ in the world.

Some people are like ‘oh my god, you’re out every night’, but I’ve learnt to say no to certain things and make time for myself outside of work, too. In saying that, people probably wouldn’t think that events are still one of the things that make my career feel so rewarding, magical and surreal, especially when I bring my friends or partner along for the ride.

What skills have served you well in your industry?

Being a writer first and a publicist second. This has allowed me to bridge the once-upon-a-time chasm between writers and PR. If you’re good at telling stories and can infuse realness and authenticity into your emails, you can send a great pitch.

Oh, and being brave to attend events/trips/things solo that might scare you at first! You never know who you’ll meet along the way and what they could enlist your help with in years to come.

 

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What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a role like yours one day?

Please trust your ability, play to your strengths and still remember to be really, really kind to people. Forge a career the way you want to, on your own terms, even if they don’t exist yet. Never stay somewhere out of guilt or selflessness or what you ‘should’ do. Charge more. Constantly seek advice and guidance from those who are more experienced than you, or who you admire — they are humans, too, and were once in the exact same spot you’re in.

Lastly, be bold and take big risks, because your passion, love and dedication to your craft — as well as the people you meet along the way — will take you to the top. It’s always going to be a team sport, even if you’re running a biz solo.

What about a practical tip?

Reach out to people whose work you deeply connect with and look up to. It will make their day, likely make your day, and could be the start of something special (workwise or otherwise). Also — because suddenly 100 tips have come to me — celebrating and publicising your own wins is HUGE and important.

Read the rest of the How I Got Here series here.

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