Talia Beckett Davis, Founder of the Organization of Canadian and American Women in Public Relations and President of Pink Pearl PR, is one of North America’s top public relations industry influencers, and is on a mission to help other businesswomen grow their reputation.
When you first started your career, how did you know you were ready and what made you start?
I’ve always set ambitious goals, but I started imagining what I wanted my career to look like when I moved to London, England to pursue my master’s degree. Each day, I walked along the canal – a scene ripe for fantasizing about the years to come – and thought about what success meant to me. I was aware of the obstacles facing women in business, and I wanted to champion female equality.
That’s when I met a mentor who had created a women’s network – something I, too, dreamed of doing. She invited me to an event, and I found her kindness admirable. When I thought of my future, I pictured a life resembling that of my mentor. I wanted to love my work as much as she did and inspire others in a similar way.
Today, I run an organization for women in public relations, and I help female entrepreneurs at my PR agency. Without having envisioned this future, I would not have found the motivation to pursue it. If you’re struggling to imagine your own success, connect with someone you admire. Doing so will give you a concrete goal to grasp, and a mentor for your own journey.
“Before you find success, you must imagine it. You must have a dream to motivate you through the challenges you’ll face along the way. It will remind you that “this is all worth it,” and make the triumph even sweeter when your dreams become a reality.” – Talia
If you could give yourself some advice, what would you tell yourself?
If you want to be truly in touch with life and build a successful career, do not lose touch with the people that matter to you. Make time for close friends and appreciate your team members. Truly successful, happy people are not all about work. They know the importance of nurturing and maintaining the relationships that make all that hard work worthwhile.
How did you find your confidence as a female business leader?
The world of business is full of powerful, brave women fighting not only to better conditions and representation for themselves, but also their colleagues.
Realizing the importance of supporting my fellow businesswomen allowed me to identify a purpose beyond myself, and I gained a stronger sense of confidence in my choices.
Particularly, I became a more self-assured public speaker. In the past, I had worried that others wouldn’t value what I had to say. However, when I began to speak about overcoming challenges that we face together in our industry, I knew that my voice mattered. In fact, it needed to be heard, and there was no stopping me.
Slowly, my growing self-confidence helped me to develop into a capable leader and encourage other women to find their roles as leaders too.
If you had told my younger insecure self that I would one day accomplish these ambitions, I never would have believed it. That’s why I can honestly say that you can do it too, even if you don’t believe it yet.
What do you have going on that you’d like to share?
I’m building an online PR community and education platform, the Public Relations Academy. It’s designed to teach female entrepreneurs and executives how to grow their industry influence and get featured in thought leadership publications. Inside the membership, we provide templates, PR training, and media leads to accelerate results.
I’m also writing a book to teach other female entrepreneurs and executives how to create a memorable brand image. Inside the book, I’m sharing different ways that you can grow your reputation and become a purpose-driven leader with a community of raving fans that want you to succeed. You can learn more about my book and podcast on Fempreneur.com
