PRSay Houston

S3E1 Community Building In PRSA with Robyn Egbert

• Veronica V. Sopher, PRSA Member and Host • Season 3 • Episode 1

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Welcome Robyn Egbert, to PRSay – the podcast of the Houston PRSA Chapter.

On this episode, Robyn shares about Community Building In PRSA.

Robyn Egbert is a strategic communicator who thrives in connecting organizations and brands to their communities. Receiving her Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Houston, her background lies in developing and managing communication campaigns, public involvement plans, community outreach, reputation and stakeholder management, media relations, and digital marketing. She has spoken at national conferences, been a mentor to undergraduate public relations students, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Public Relations Society of America - Houston Chapter. Outside of public relations, she is also a volunteer with the Junior League of Houston and actively challenges herself to be a better professional and leader within her community. 

Connect with Robyn at:
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/balabanrobyn/
Email- robyn.b.egbert@gmail.com

Learn more about the PRSA Houston Chapter, our events and opportunities at www.prsahouston.org.

PRSay is brought to you by Veronica V. Sopher, Public Relations.

Veronica Sopher:

Welcome to PRSay, the podcast of the Houston chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. On PRSay, we spotlight our talented members and get to know each other a little better. If you are a PRSA Houston chapter member and don't get a chance to network as much as you'd like, or are unable to attend our in person events. Here's your chance to connect with your fellow members. Hello and welcome to PR say. This is the official podcast of the Houston chapter of Public Relations Society of America. I'm your host, Veronica Sopher, and I have the pleasure of coming to you and introducing you and reintroducing you to various members that we have in our chapter who are all committed to networking and making sure we have a very robust chapter supporting our communicators here in the Houston area. So if you are listening to the podcast, make sure you hit subscribe. We don't want you to miss any episodes of PRC, and if you are watching on Facebook or YouTube drop us some comments that we would love to connect. So with that, I'm going to go ahead and bring on our first guest of 2025. There she is. Hello, Robin Ebert,

Robyn Egbert:

hey, good to see you too long time.

Veronica Sopher:

It's been a while. Yes, we're so excited to start off a new season of PRSay, this is our podcast. Is a really great opportunity for us to reconnect with members.

Robyn Egbert:

No, I love it. I got to do it a couple years ago, and I was honored that you got to ask me to come back. And so I'm excited to be here. And even better, it's the first one of the year. So yay. Yay.

Veronica Sopher:

It is. We're very excited. So tell us what you've been up to since the last time we chatted.

Robyn Egbert:

Oh my gosh, I had two babies, I think in between, then I changed jobs. I'm now back at the Houston Galveston Area Council within the transportation department, and so I oversee the marketing and outreach for our commute Solutions Program, which is a beautiful program that really strives to connect our commuters in getting a more sustainable transportation option. So it's really cool, especially in Houston, traffic is always a always, I don't want to say an ache, and everyone's back, if you will. So yeah, I'm excited to be over there. I am now the Secretary on the board of directors with prsa. I planned not last PR day, but the PR day before that, where we got to have fun b Come in, which was a huge success, yeah, oh my gosh. I have shivers like chills, still thinking about that, we were able to get that, and I thought it was just a really big momentum builder. And I took the year off and I had Sophia, and I come back and I'm like, Oh my gosh, there's new faces in the room that the in person events are getting a bit bigger, and everyone just seems to be more excited and alive. And so it was really cool to end on PR day, take the year off and now come back and just really see how it's evolved and changed in just those 12 months. So yeah, oh,

Veronica Sopher:

that's so true. And I'm so excited for you and your family and opportunity to come back to the work that you love, and I want to talk a little bit about what it's like to transition back to an organization. We've got a couple of members who have done that, right? They've gone they've learned from different organizations, maybe we've gone to different agencies, switched spaces, and then came back into this space. What was that like for you? And what are some things that people should think about if they're considering a move like that?

Robyn Egbert:

Oh, gosh. I mean, I think the big one is just use the time to really build who are your mentors, who are who are your leaders, and who do you look up to, and really build that community for yourself. I think that's the big one. Because when you make those changes and those transitions, it's who can you call to talk to, to say, Hey, how can you help me guide through that? Because when you make those moves, it's all more about your soft skills. When you grow in your career, you really, you hone those arts, those hard skills. Like, I can make a press release, I can make a campaign plan, but it's, how do I make this bigger and more impactful and really relying on your network? Um, but behind you, and that was, like, the big thing with, you know, PR day or, sorry, prsa, I mean, I've called Terry Larson. I'm like, Hey, you're in crisis. Comms, I'm having this issue. Can we? Can you talk me through this? And when you really develop that out, it makes your transition so much easier. And especially, you know, Felicia is a mom. She launched her agency when she was having her baby, yeah, and she did her APR during when she had her second baby, and I've called her and I'm like, okay, Mom, how do we do this? Because, yeah, I'm in the same boat as you like. Can you give me some tips and tricks? And so I think that's the big one for me, is, you know, when you grow you get confident in your skills, but it's really, how do you navigate? You. Those changes. So I think that's a big one for me. Yeah, and I'd

Veronica Sopher:

Absolutely agree. And the beauty of our chapter in particular, because I, you know, I think I've shared with you before, I was in the Austin market and then Dallas market before that, but what I love about our Houston chapter in particular is that there is a true desire on everyone's part, no matter the generation, to learn and grow from each other. And I think that that's probably the biggest value that our chapter can bring to the profession. What are some ways that you think folks who are considering joining the chapter, or who have recently joined the chapter, how they can get more involved? You mentioned, you know, PR day and some of our networking events. What are some of the events and activities that you did to really grow that network so that you could just call Felicia or call Terry, or call some of the other folks that have been helpful to you? Yeah,

Robyn Egbert:

I mean, PRSay was definitely the big one for me. I planned it the last four years. Last year was the first one I hadn't planned in four years. And, you know, you start there, and you you know, you get you get to work with more, with Felicia, and then you get to work with more, with the laria. And I've volunteered with sages and seekers. I think that's where I met you. You were one of the sages, and that was really interesting. Because I think sometimes, as a professional and sometimes a student, is you kind of get siloed sometimes, and you forget that there's all these different aspects to PR, and there's different ways that PR can make a difference. And so when you attend a PRSA, just and seekers, even at happy hour, and just connecting with people, you really get to learn more about, you know, the industry and like our profession, truly. And I think as a student, one of the best pieces of advice I got, and this was way back in my younger days, don't ever be scared and always ask someone, okay, how did you do it? Tell me about yourself, because nine times out of 10 that person loves talking about themselves, and they're so willing to bestow knowledge. And when you show a little bit of eagerness, it just, it makes your name shine a little bit. And, you know, we're very to your point, like we're very inclusive, we're awesome. But just, I think it's, don't be scared and don't be intimidated. I actually sponsored a student to attend this last prsa, because she's, you know, growing her career. And I said, Okay, when the speakers are done, I'm introducing you, and this is how you do it. And long story short, she met with Tamara Washington from, I believe it's boom media, and she does sports PR, and she's fascinated with sports beer. They had a awful a sideline chat for an hour and a half. Got her business card, she set up virtual coffees. She's like on the radar for the internship program. And so I think for that, it's just one. Put yourself out there, regardless of the event. You know, open our email, stay tuned and just reach out to us. I think we're more than willing to, you know, if you want to learn, we're here to teach you. But also, just ask questions, and don't be afraid to say, Well, how did you do it? Tell me about your experience. I'm like we, we love to talk about ourselves. Yeah, so I think,

Veronica Sopher:

I think you're at not, you know, naturally, we have that gift of gavel. A lot of us do, and those of us that don't, sometimes we shy away. But the truth is, we didn't come by it. So most of us come by it, some of it naturally, but we didn't come to it as masters, right? We had to watch somebody. We had to have somebody say, Now, come with me. Let me take you over. Let me introduce you. And I think that's probably the most valuable thing that comes from in person, networking events, yes. And I would say, too, I got an opportunity this last semester to talk to a group of students, and they asked me, What is the one thing that we should be doing right now? And I said, practice going up to strangers and introducing yourself.

Robyn Egbert:

You have no idea how many connections I made, and I still do to this day. I go to conferences and I'm like, Hey, I'm Robin. You do something that's really cool. I want to learn more about it. Can we do a virtual coffee? But had I not attended all these other previous events, I wouldn't necessarily have the confidence to do to do it today. And I think that's, that's the biggest one is. And in person is, it's, I don't want to say it's, it's, allows for more informal opportunity to just talk to people, and more organic, whereas virtual, it's like, you don't know sometimes, and you get to like, yeah, in person just adds a lot more authenticity and organic feel to it. But that's the best way to make your connections.

Veronica Sopher:

Yeah, absolutely. So for those of you who are new to the chapter, new to the Houston area, or you're just visiting, come to our events. We've got wonderful newsletters that our board sends out. We've got great activities. Alright? So Robin, last question for you. If there was one piece of advice that you could give to someone watching who might be in the mid season of their career, can you know maybe they're having babies and they're are considering shifting jobs and they're trying to figure out what's next for. Them for the next 10 or 15 years, what piece of advice would you give them?

Robyn Egbert:

Oh my gosh. I think the big one is just, you know, think about where you want to be. And I think, you know, see what, what tools, what resources, and who do you have in your pocket? And you know, what is that community you have around you to support you as you make those transitions? And I think you know, for me personally, is, where do I want to be and where to how do I want to get there, and who do I need to talk to a little bit more and foster those relationships? I think, you know, the other big thing is just don't be afraid. Don't be scared. Jump in, because there's always, I know there's a big saying, and I can't think of it, you know, there's a lot of fear with the unknown, yeah, but when you when you become a mom, it's like, the coolest thing ever, and it's really hard, because we're go getters, and we have our careers, and it's really hard to take that step back. But just give yourself a lot of grace when you're in those mid level things, and just say, and when you're ready and you just want to talk, and have call your network and just say, Hey, this is where I'm at. How do we move forward? And do you have any advice for me? And just, you know, think about where you want to go, and how do you piece yourself there, but give yourself a lot of grace during that time.

Veronica Sopher:

That's honestly probably the best piece of advice I've heard anyone say, and when I asked that question, because I think a lot of times you get so focused on the career, and this was my plan, and this was my path, and then all of a sudden I had, I decided that we're gonna have a family, and this is how my spouse and I decided to do it. And then it doesn't quite work that way, or the, you know, there might be some different challenges, or the market changes, and you're like, wait, this was not part of my plan, but advice that you just gave, like, give yourself grace is probably true for anyone in any part of their career, but most especially for professionals in the mid section of their career, because I think that's where it we get caught up a whole lot, and then sometimes we look back and have regret,

Robyn Egbert:

Yeah, and I think when you do that, call somebody and just be like, hey, like, you know, talk it out and just, just be patient with yourself. It's a season, and you'll get through it and it's going to be okay. And I'm going to say this, your babies are only babies once, and all of a sudden they're going to be in college, and you're going to be like, Oh my god,

Veronica Sopher:

so true. Oh, and I'm gonna end with that, because that's absolutely the takeaway. That is the gem that you just dropped, because that's absolutely true. And I And people always ask, how do you what's the secret for balance? I was like, Yeah, balance is it's a myth. Yeah, yep, you got to figure it out. And every family is different, but Robin, great advice. I'm so glad that you are back into the groove of things. I am so excited. I can't wait to see you at future events, and we look forward to staying connected. So guys, Robin, how can people connect with you on LinkedIn? What's your preferred way of getting connected with our members?

Robyn Egbert:

Yeah, so my preferred method is on LinkedIn. It's Robin Egbert, please shoot me a message on there. I also think my email address is on the PRSA website with the board of directors. If you want to learn more, even just have a virtual coffee, by all means, send me an email. But most importantly, if you see me at an in-person event, do not be afraid to come up and talk to me. I would love to learn more about you and how I can help support you in your career or transition in you know that mid part of you know, finding that work life balance so awesome.

Veronica Sopher:

Oh, alright, Robin, will I will be sure to make sure that your email address and your LinkedIn is in the show notes. So if anybody wants to reach out, they can

Robyn Egbert:

Will do Thank you. Alrighty.

Veronica Sopher:

Alright. That wraps up this episode is our first episode of the year. We've got a new season, phenomenal PRSA members ready to sign up to come and introduce themselves to you every week on PRSA. Make sure you hit subscribe. We don't want you to miss any episodes, and we will see you in person at our next event.