Celebrating 15 F**king Years
On this date 15 years ago, I left my job as the Style Editor at The Charlotte Observer.
The newspaper industry was changing, and after having my hours involuntarily cut, I didn’t see a place for me, so I took a buyout. When I was trying to be funny, I’d tell people then that I was tired of crying in the newsroom, but they’d look at me with pity and quickly exit the conversation.
Being a journalist is all I ever wanted to do, and I couldn’t imagine not working in news until I was forced to consider alternatives.
I started Rachel Sutherland Communications in January 2010 with one public relations client, a plan to syndicate beauty content to media outlets, and the idea that freelance would help bring in money until I could build my client roster.
Within the first year, that model was out the window, and public relations work quickly took over.
In Year 3, I added interns and eventually an employee – Lauren Selles – who is still with me on this crazy ride.
I’d love to share some pithy comments about the importance of passion and hustle, but honestly, my Gemini defiance had a tremendous impact on my determination. As I shared my plans to leave the paper, an editor suggested perhaps I should reconsider, that I might not be able to make this work, especially without the Observer name behind me.
I didn’t say it then, but have thought it many, many times since: F**king watch me.
My endlessly supportive husband Patrick Sutherland has long questioned my having this date as an annual calendar reminder – why do I want to specifically remember one of the most traumatic and pivotal points in my life?
Because it reminds me – every year:
I am capable of hard things
Change is good, though it likely doesn’t feel that way in the moment
If you see a path forward that others don’t see, keep going
Just because it’s the way it’s always been done, it doesn’t have to be that way forever
Now, 15 years later, Rachel Sutherland Communications is a small but mighty team of six, defiantly challenging industry norms at every turn. Team building? Sure, but ours looks like a dedicated Bravo Slack channel and a weekly lunch date, not a ropes course. We believe social media strategy is absolutely necessary. And that it’s not entry-level work – it’s called strategy for a reason. Are press releases dead? Not in our book. We’re happy to tell you why – how much time do you have?
Public relations doesn’t have to be basic or gross. It can be beautifully empowering, story-led and intentional.
F**king watch us. 💖