Getting to Know: Faye

The latest installment of our ‘getting to know’ series is all about Faye Harris-Frost, our PR senior account manager. She’s had more than 15 years’ experience in PR, but what job did a personality test say would be ideally suited to her? Read on to find out!

 

Tell us a bit about your role at Harris

I’m a senior account manager in our PR department so my day-to-day responsibilities cover everything from writing and issuing press releases to selling in features and generally making sure that the clients I look after are getting lots of press coverage! I also work closely with our social media, photography, design and web teams as a lot of the campaigns I’m working on run across our full range of marketing services. And no, I’m not related to Jim…

How would you describe the culture at Harris?

We don’t have a very high turnover of staff here which means that many of us, myself included, have been here for a long time and we have been through a lot together – house moves, marriages, births. It sounds cliché but we really are more like a family here. Every member of the team is incredibly hard working and conscientious but we have a really fun and friendly atmosphere in the office. Plus, ensuring everyone has a positive work life balance is incredibly important, particularly in such a hectic industry as this, and I’m really proud (and grateful!) that this is something that we all work hard to achieve.

When did you decide you wanted to work in PR?

Although writing isn’t the only part of PR, it is what initially got me interested as I’ve always loved to write and I studied English Literature at University. Once I had resigned myself to the fact that I was unlikely to become the next J K Rowling, after briefly considering becoming a journalist, I decided to look into what PR was all about.

What’s your favourite thing about working in PR?

I love the variety of the job and the fact that it’s constantly evolving. I’ve worked in PR for nearly 16 years (yes, I really am that old) and so I can still remember when posting or faxing press releases was a thing. The explosion of social media in particular has had a huge impact and I really enjoy the challenge of learning new skills and looking at new ways of working. My favourite thing though is probably that I’m able to write every day.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

It’s not so much a piece of advice as just wise words that I have never forgotten. After I had my first daughter I was told that ‘even the bad times won’t seem that bad when you look back’ and it’s so true. Life’s too short and precious to sweat the small stuff so you should definitely always try and enjoy the moment. That said, when I look back at the sleep deprivation I had after my twin boys were born, well that still seems just as bad as I remember…

We know you love Christmas, but what’s your favourite thing about it?

I have many happy childhood memories of Christmas as my mum would always go completely over the top with the decorations and food! Now that I’m a mother myself I love creating new Christmas traditions for my children. We do have a couple of Scrooges in the office but we just play the Christmas playlist even louder to drown out their moaning.

What was the first, last and best gig you have been to?

The first gig I went to was to see Pulp with my best friend and ‘Common People’ is still my karaoke song of choice. I most recently went to see a band called the Dead South. They are a bit niche but incredibly talented and they are definitely worth looking up on YouTube. It’s hard to choose what has been the best but seeing the Foo Fighters a couple of years ago made me giddy beyond belief.

What’s your favourite place in the world and why?

I will always have a soft spot for Paris but visiting Morocco and particularly the souks in Marrakesh was an amazing experience. We’ve also had some fantastic breaks in the UK recently and Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland is just lovely. The beach there is very unspoilt and a great place for the kids to play while we kick back and soak up the scenery.

What’s your favourite meal?

There are fewer things in life more enjoyable than a cheeky cheese board as long as there’s brie, red wine and no judgement about how much you eat!

What was your childhood dream job?

A running joke in my family is how at the tender age of eight I declared I wanted to be a barmaid. I also once took one of those personality tests and it was suggested that being a park ranger would be my ideal job, so I’m not sure what happened there. Plus like most kids who grew up in the eighties I dreamed of being a pop star like Jem or a ghostbuster.