Employee spotlight: Q&A with Kelsey Eidbo

Over the month of February, we’re focusing on showcasing some of Infinite Global’s top talent. We recently sat down with Senior Client Supervisor Kelsey Eidbo to learn more about life at Infinite Global and why, in her opinion, it’s one of the best places to work in PR.

Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in Fargo, North Dakota (like the movie), and went to college at Chico State in Northern California. Everyone always asks how I found Chico from Fargo — it was through a program called Western Undergraduate Exchange, which helps connect students with schools outside of their region.

They had a good journalism program, and I convinced the newspaper adviser to hire me as a news reporter my first semester, after he said they generally didn’t hire freshmen. It was a lot of fun, and gave me opportunities I wouldn’t have had without jumping in right away. I traveled to Reno — arriving around 4 a.m. — to report on Obama’s campaign trail, and through some investigative journalism, uncovered shady campaign tactics in Chico State’s race to find a new student president. I didn’t ultimately stick with reporting, but that is what led me to PR and living in San Francisco.

Outside of work, I enjoy workout classes, cooking and baking, trying new restaurants, and spending as much time as possible outside. And, yes, I have seen the movie “Fargo.” No, my hometown is nothing like that.

How did you first become interested in PR?

After deciding reporting wasn’t for me, I became a copy editor for the school newspaper, and eventually joined the student-run PR firm Tehama Group Communications, where I led the editorial department. While that role wasn’t specifically PR, everything at the agency had to go through me, so I had some level of involvement on every account. It piqued my interest in the messaging and voice behind a company’s content, and our role in shaping that, and I enjoyed working as part of the account teams to make sure we were creating quality product for our clients.

After college I decided to move to the Bay Area, and became interested in Infinite Global because it was one of the few public relations firms that wasn’t exclusively consumer- or technology-focused. I really liked the thought of being challenged by working on cutting-edge cases, and on issues that matter, and at a top legal PR firm.

What was it like when you started at Infinite Global?

I started in 2012 when the office was very small, and everyone had to wear many hats. I feel like I had the opportunity to participate in just about every type of project the company was working on, and that helped me determine what I enjoyed and my strengths early on. Despite the majority of our clients being law firms at the time, I worked on a pretty diverse list of accounts, which has continued now in a management role.

Even though we are now a bigger company than when I first started, I think Infinite does a good job of creating opportunities for our employees to learn new things and work on different types of clients. We put a lot of trust in employees at every level, and if something seems interesting to you that’s outside of your day-to-day work, there’s most likely a way to get involved. People are given the tools and guidance to carve out their own specialties.

How has the company helped you develop your career in PR?

As I mentioned, I had the opportunity to try out many aspects of PR right away, just due to the size of the company when I first started. From the very start I also received mentoring from senior members of the company and have had the opportunity to work closely with experienced people who have really shaped my PR career. I think this is something Infinite Global does very well — making senior and executive-level employees accessible to junior employees. It helps to see what a future with the company can look like and understand how important your role is at every stage.

Early on, one of the things I struggled with the most was time management, which I imagine is true for any new graduate, particularly at an agency, where you’re juggling multiple accounts and management styles while learning the job. My managers at the time were really helpful in offering guidance on how to manage my time. This is something I’ve carried with me to this point, as I’m managing my own account teams, getting more involved in business development, and traveling more and more.

What tips would you give someone interested in starting a career in PR?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, or admit when you don’t know something. Working on three to four clients — oftentimes in as many different industries — means you have a lot to learn right out of the gate, but you also have the opportunity to learn more in the first few weeks of a job than you might in other industries. Take advantage of that opportunity, and all of the smart people around you.

What’s next for you?

I’ll be helping to build out various arms of the business, and am looking forward to learning more about what that process entails. We’ve been continually ramping up our reporting methods, and using more data and analytics to drive media strategy. It adds a new layer to what we do, and I’m looking forward to figuring out more ways to use these tools in our work. I am also helping to strategize the buildout of our crisis work. The National Law Journal recently ranked us as a top crisis communications provider, and this is an area where we are experiencing significant growth.

Interested in a career in PR? Infinite Global is one of PR News’ Top Places to Work in PR. Check out the job opening for a junior account executive in our San Francisco office.