Stronger Than Fear

Posted By: Nicolette Jurkiewicz

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“Hope:  The only thing stronger than fear.”

It may be a line from a fictional character, but we cannot argue that it captures a grain of truth. Fear may always be a motivator, but for Dan Edelman, progressiveness, determination, spirit, and hope were his. Dan began his public relations career with a strong, progressive streak. Working for Toni, elbow deep in women’s products and setting foundations for the modern media tour, all while residing in Chicago, a city he knew little about. His determination drove him to plant roots in the Windy City in the name of PR, and spirit kept him here.

So where does “hope” play into Dan Edelman’s colorful life?

With his sister, Harriet. They had a special bond, two intelligent and ambitious siblings who took one another’s advice to heart. When she passed away from Mastoiditis, Dan carried that guilty burden for a long time. However, that never stopped him from carrying on his career, his life, or his spirit. As written in Edelman and the Rise of PR, “He persevered as if carrying on for the two of them.” Indeed, he continued to develop the practice of PR to the highest caliber possible, creating a communication field more thorough and specialized than ever before.

Dan’s story continues as the times keep changing – he desired expansion, particularly internationally. At this time, London’s budding public relations industry was ready to spread its wings amidst a “swinging” cultural era of music and fun. It was ripe for business. Still, he would be given another test of faith and hope, this time with his daughter Renée. She contracted rheumatic fever and the familiar feelings of guilt rose again. In these situations, all he could do is hope. Thankfully, his daughter fully recovered, and Dan would not let this slow him down; like with Harriet, it rejuvenated him, gave him new determination.

The rest of the tale occurs in leaps and bounds. Cultivating PR as its own form of communications, he was edging out advertising and business in favor of consulting and client-focused work. From public affairs work in the heart of D.C. to the establishment of far-flung offices in Asia long before many businesses even thought of crossing the ocean, Dan had an instinct for where the next opportunity was. This served him well throughout several decades of Edelman PR.

Behind every great man, there is determination, ambition, support from friends and family, a dash of luck, and a dare to hope. And if this makes you think of Dan Edelman, you would be right.

Nicolette Jurkiewicz is a DePaul senior, aspiring novelist, and caffeine enthusiast graduating with a B.A. in Public Relations and Advertising and a minor in Intercultural Communication. Originally from a suburb no one can recall, her goals are to improve cultural and communication relationships between America and Asia in the context of public relations and linguistics, and convince everyone that her town actually exists.

Contact at: 

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