My Evolution of Public Relations

Next week is the last week of school of my undergraduate career and as it draws to an end, reflection begins to take its place and the outlook for my future brightens. Dan Edelman was a man of many success stories and big career moves. As I continued my reading throughout his book, I never thought that I would be able to compete and keep up with such a legend and all that he has accomplished in his life. Dan Edelman is a Public Relations icon and one of the most motivational men to walk the Public Relations industry.

Edelman displays a classic example of how Public Relations isn't just a job but a lifestyle that you learn to love and become a part of. In the Fuji Film case study as displayed in his book, he was the man who learned to think off of his feet and come up with an alternative when a pitch wasn't going as planned. When the pitch wasn’t going well and the client came off as uninterested, Edelman threw out the idea of using Sports Illustrated and ended up winning the client over in the long run. These are the kinds of examples that Public Relations professionals are born to do and thrive off of. It’s about what the client wants and it’s about being able to come up with these successful business strategies off a whim.

As I look out to my future, who knows if I will ever become as successful and brilliant as Edelman is but I do know that I will always follow him and his tactics that he showcases to the world. He isn't a discreet man and is one who is always willing to share his business secrets with. He is one who works extremely hard to get what he needs accomplished and that is something that I will always be looking up to as I make my way through life and learn.

One of the most inspirational quotes of the book to me was, “He had moved to a new city and built a business through hardwork, new contacts, and out-of-the-box thinking” (Edelman, 71). This is was fuels me to want to work hard and mirror Richard’s career moves. There’s always hope when one strives for the best, makes contacts and makes their work their entire life. This book has definitely made an impact on the outlook of my career and it’s inspirational people that really shape where each of us want to be headed in life.