First discovering an affinity for public relations while working at a small internet marketing firm, Alyssa Brevick currently pairs her general interest in the field with her love for fashion at Cate Mowell Communications in Santa Monica, CA where she regularly works with fashion and celebrity stylists.
What is your background?
I received a BIS degree in Business and Communication from Arizona State University in 2010, after which I spent about three years working as a freelance makeup artist.
Why Fashion PR?
I have always loved fashion and had an interest in public relations, so naturally I thought that fashion PR would be a fit. I consistently aim to stay up-to-date with current fashion trends, and moving to a large fashion-forward city like Los Angeles has only prompted me further to pursue my dream career in this particular industry.
How did you land your internship/job position?
I received an email from a friend that I went to school with that knew someone that was looking for PR interns in Santa Monica. I sent Rachel (my current boss) my information and the rest was history! Being asked to stay on staff with Cate Mowell Communications after my internship ends has been a recent personal success story that has solidified my interest to stay in this fast paced industry.
What is an example of a typical day in the office?
A typical day in the office consists of organizing and putting back jewelry that gets returned from different projects, reaching out to stylists, introducing them to fitting clients, and setting up appointments for them to come into the office where they can see our fabulous jewelry.
What are your responsibilities?
I have heard stories from friends that did internships and were only responsible for was getting coffee and running unrelated errands for their boss. From the moment I began work at Cate Mowell Communications I’ve been given responsibilities that most internships do not offer. I am mostly responsible for reaching out by email and phone to stylists that we have worked with in the past or to those who are new to our database. I also do a lot of research on current trends in addition to my task of finding magazines and blogs that seem fitting to present our clients for recognition.
What challenges are attached to your job?
One of the greatest challenges I have experienced thus far is learning how difficult it is to lock down industry professionals’ time. Sometimes when I am reaching out to different stylists, they do not really seem to take interest in our services, such as providing jewelry for an upcoming project. I know that there are people in all careers that do not want to give up their time, so this presents daily challenges in pursuing client interest based on differing personalities and hectic schedules. The best way that I’ve found to overcome this challenge is persistence, persistence, persistence!
What is a recent success story that you have been a part of?
Recently we had a stylist request some pieces that she was going to wear for an interview on an entertainment news program. She didn’t give too many specifics on what she wanted so I just pulled a few pieces that I really like, and she ended up wearing them and sending my boss an email telling her how much she loved the pieces that I chose.
