PRactically Speaking Houston

PRactically Speaking Houston with Leslee Hackett

• Veronica V. Sopher, PRSA Member and Host • Season 1 • Episode 4

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Welcome Leslee Hackett to PRactically Speaking Houston – the official podcast of the Houston PRSA Chapter.

Leslee is a digital marketing and public relations consultant with 12+ years of experience developing data-driven communication strategies that elevate brand visibility and audience engagement. She specializes in social media strategy, content management, integrated internal and external communications, and multimedia storytelling, with a strong focus on analytics and performance optimization. Her work bridges creativity and strategy, helping organizations translate complex messages into compelling digital narratives that deliver measurable results. Currently pursuing her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) to further strengthen ethical, strategic communications practice.

Connect with Leslee Hackett at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesleeh/

Connect with Veronica V. Sopher at:
Website: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/
Social:@VeronicaVSopher

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

PRactically Speaking Houston is brought to you by Veronica V. Sopher, Public Relations.

Veronica Sopher:

Hello and welcome to PRactically Speaking Houston. This is the official podcast of the Public Relations Society of America Houston chapter, and I'm your host, Veronica vees Sopher, I have the opportunity to connect with all of our amazing members in our Houston chapter of prsa and talk about all the things public relations, communications, marketing, visibility, strategy, new trends and the exciting things happening in our chapter of PRSA. Now, if you are listening on the podcast, to make sure you hit subscribe, we don't want you to miss any episodes of PRactically Speaking Houston. And if you're watching on YouTube, LinkedIn or Facebook, drop us some comments, because my guests and I would absolutely love to connect with you. So we're going to go ahead and get this episode started. We have Leslie joining us. Hello and Leslie Hackett, thank you for joining us.

Leslee Hackett:

Hello, hello, yes, thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here and promote PRSA.

Veronica Sopher:

Houston, yes, for sure. So you've been a member for a while now, and you've got a leadership role. Tell us about your role in the chapter and some of the exciting things that we can expect for 2026

Leslee Hackett:

Yeah.So I've been involved with prsa Houston for about four years now, and I hit the ground running. So I found out about it because I wanted to get my APR. And I said, Oh, I have to be involved if I'm going to get my APR. And so I hit the ground running. I started applying to be on the board to volunteer, because I volunteer in so many different aspects in the PR world. And I figured, hey, why not continue here? And there's a lot of things that we have planned with Angelique. I will be serving this year as a vice president, so I'm super excited about this opportunity. And so for the year, we have a lot of events already planned, and it's great to have someone who's so organized and knows what their goals are for the year. And so there are going to be a lot of crisis communications, general PR skills that people can learn and dig off of networking events. And of course, happy hours, right?

Veronica Sopher:

Love it. Love the happy hours. Those are some of the best conversations that you can have for sure.

Leslee Hackett:

Yes, yes, for sure. And so yeah, I got involved with PRSA, because I wanted to get my APR. Now that is something I am still obtaining to do, because that's something I guess I didn't really think about when I I've been in PR now for over 12 years, and I'm like, Hey, I got to get in the game. I know how it works. I know the ins and out. But then when I started studying for the APR, I realized there's a lot of things that organizations are not doing properly that we should be following according to PRSA national guidelines and bylaws, right? Of how PR should be conducted. And so that was a wake up call for me, right? So I went through the whole process, took the exam. I'm like, I got this. I know how to handle crisis communications. I know how to handle working with CEOs and all these things. And I realized, whoa, there's a lot that's been missing, and so I'm very grateful for this organization to bring to light a lot of things that help to keep me learning about the PR field and staying engaged.

Veronica Sopher:

Yeah, that's so true, and I love it. Is a process. A lot of folks have tried and pushed pause a few different times, and there's nothing wrong with that, and you definitely get that lived experience. But when you hit the books and you really start to understand the academics, it changes your perspective. So kudos to you for being on that journey. Now, tell us a little bit about take a step back. Tell us a little bit about your 12 years in public relations, what does your path look like? I know we share some common, common points in our past, but I love our listeners and viewers to just learn more about you.

Leslee Hackett:

Yeah, so I got started working in K 12. So I come from a family of educators. My dad is a big family, you know, he's eight of eight. My mom is five of eight. So I come from a family of educators. It's just ingrained in me. My dad told me, while I was in college, go ahead and get certified to teach. And I was like, No, I see you guys, you know, complaining or just talking about K 12. I want no parts, right? And of course, I graduate college the you know, I graduate college in 13. So the recession was happening, couldn't get a job. And of course, I was like, You know what? Maybe I should get into K 12 and get my feet wet there. And so that's pretty much how I got started. I started working as a librarian and worked my way up into the PR world, even though I majored from I went to Texas Tech and majored in communication. So it is something that I've been doing since birth, essentially, right? I've always been communicating. Always been the strategic thinker of the group right in my family, and so I went and majored in communications, but it was just getting my foot in the door. And luckily, and by God's grace, I got in with K 12, and I learned a lot, right, like, what to do if there's a kid opening the emergency door in the school. So all the exciting things and the thrill of it made me realize, like, Hey, this is something that God has really skilled me with doing and using my gifts and talents. And so I started doing that. I did that for about six years, and then I moved up to higher ed working at the university level, and that was even more exciting, right? Seeing what it's like to work with college kids, right? You work with K 12 little kids all the way up to high school, and now here I am working at the university level. And that was exciting. That was also i. Wing as well, because they kind of operate like corporate even though they're higher, right? And so that's how I got into working with K 12. Like you said, US crossing paths along the way. And even now, right now, I work, I still work with other people within k 12, but also within the corporate life of the PR and communications world.

Veronica Sopher:

Yeah, that's so exciting. I love that path and that journey, and there have been a lot of our members who have either started out as reporters or media and then got into education and then transitioned back over to comms. And so I think that's a natural gap, or a natural bridge. I should say, is we're always learning, we're always asking questions as communicators. We're always trying to structure the message, and so that's what a lot of our educators do, whether it's K 12 or higher ed. So I know a lot of folks also moonlight as professors in the comm space, and so I feel like there's a natural progression between education and communication.

Leslee Hackett:

Yes, for sure. And like I said, it's been a learning curve, but it's been an exciting learning curve to go through the steps, like I said, even with me going through the APR process of realizing, Hey, this is what we should be doing, you know, and how we should be addressing our different publics, right? It's not just a general public. So essentially, it was teaching me, like, there's different types of audiences. Of course, I just like, oh, we work in K 12, our audience, of course, is the parents, the students, our staff, and just the general people who need to know about it. But I really love that the APR process taught me all the different steps needed to know that we're reaching the people that we need to reach. And so it's been an exciting, rewarding process overall.

Veronica Sopher:

Yeah, so I think that's that's very admirable. And so shifting gears just a little bit. What are some current projects you might be working on now, or some some things that you're doing that are new, that you didn't do before in your other roles that you'd like to talk about?

Leslee Hackett:

Yeah, so right now, I work with a lot of nonprofits, and so with the nonprofit world, you know, it's a lot of unknowns, right? Things that you're starting from scratch and and that's the thing I love about working with love about working with nonprofits, or just people with especially in the healthcare right, is that you are having to use limited resources. And that's, I think, the exciting part about it all, is that there's nothing that's really set in stone, and you can build a journey that you want to build and reach the people that you want to reach. And so those are the projects currently that I'm working on, is working in comms, within the nonprofit space, in the healthcare space, and it's been exciting. I love it because, yeah, as of course, you're learning along the way, but also you're seeing the the passion that people have with nonprofits and healthcare fields. They're not just doing a course for the money and the accolades, but you know for sure, there really are passionate about and I love working with people who are passionate about the things that they're doing. And that just brings out my passion, right? My love for working in the comms world.

Veronica Sopher:

Yeah, no, I love that. Because that synergy gets it gets really exciting. It gets real motivating. And when people are in it, because they feel like this is they're calling it just makes it all so much more worthwhile. I think, yeah, yeah. I love it. So Leslie, tell me a little bit about some of the work you've done in in leadership with prsa. I know you have been very involved. I know you have served on several different committees. What's one of the committees that you think is really making a difference and that you think is going to really bring some great stuff to our organization for 2026 Yeah.

Leslee Hackett:

So I started working as a secretary. So I love taking notes. I take notes on every little thing, mainly for my memory, right? Like parents say, You're too young to have memory loss, but it's really for me, and it's something that I've gained over the years is making sure I'm taking good notes. And so I did that for PRSA, and learning the back end part of how PRSAHouston works, I think, has been beneficial in a variety of ways, and I've also since I do comms, I was on the communications committee, so I was in charge of the social media, helping with the graphics, helping plan events, all the things that I do honestly in my day to day, I was helping with the organization overall. And I think, of course, that also helped me network, get out of my shell. I'm kind of introverted. A lot of people think I'm outgoing, and I would like to talk and go out to all these ways, but really, I like to keep to myself and not do too much. But I love that the

Veronica Sopher:

I love it. I love it. And yeah, and we actually have talked about that before on on the podcast, about organization is causing me to get out and, like you say, go to how important it is for us to honor who we are, but then try networking. Go to these happy hour events because I don't drink, but I love to go to these events is go and talk to people. So I'm glad it's it's bringing out my Yeah, introvertedness of to grow a little bit in that we talk about networking in real it all. life, and how that can be a little challenging for some of us, especially if we're used to being right, especially our writers, or just we're used to being behind a screen and behind a computer, and then all of a sudden we poke out and we go to real life events, and we're like, Ooh, I get to network. So it can be a little overwhelming, but I think our chapter is one that makes. It really easy, because people will just come up to you and start talking to you. You don't have to worry about going up and talking to them sometimes.

Leslee Hackett:

Yes, that's very true. And the thing is, I'm everyone's biggest fan, so if you follow me on LinkedIn, or we're connected in some way, I am cheering you on in every aspect of the way. So whatever you're posting on there, I'm commenting, I'm liking, I'm sharing, because I want us all to succeed, whether you're in the organization or not, but with us in the PR field, it's actually a small world. You know, no matter what city you're in, I'm realizing, like, even though I'm based in the Houston area, if I'm in Dallas or Austin or even Atlanta, like the PR world is very small, and so I'm glad this organization, Young said, is causing me to get out of my shell and learn more and speak more and connect more. And connect more. Because once you see everyone at these network events, you kind of feel like you know everyone, right? Yeah, and you're connecting in a good level. So I'm really grateful that PRC Houston has allowed me to network in to do that from a different landscape of things.

Veronica Sopher:

Yeah, no, I think that's so that's so true. So as we start wrapping up, give me a little, a little tidbit, or some advice for any new members, or any members who haven't renewed their membership lately, who have thought about, I don't know if I'm going to join this year. What are, what are some tips, or some some inspiration for those folks who are on the fence about rejoining PRSA?

Leslee Hackett:

Yeah, so a lot of people, I tell that if you're really on the fence about joining prsa, or just any or just any organization in general, it's just like, again, go to the networking event, see what it's what they offer. I know a lot of people. You know, there's so many organizations here in Houston, join ours. Okay? I know it's not a competition, but for sure, participate in ours, because PR, really honestly, is, like, I say the the top of the umbrella, right? Marketing kind of falls under that writing crisis comes, but we are essentially at the helm. So I'm not saying don't join the others, but we really have so many resources that teach you how to do marketing, how to do comms, how to do Yeah, crisis comms. If you want to get into broadcasting, like we have different avenues for that. If you want to be a solo practitioner, we have the resources and conferences, or so many things that you can do within prsa, not just here within the Houston level, but at the national level. And so I really want people to dig into that and go look at prsa nationals website. Look at all the different conferences that they have, the different resources that are available, free resources that are available. There's tons of webinars that are available on there? Yeah, of course, us within the Houston chapter, we have a lot planned for 26 kicking the year for sure, in January with the they're going to be on Wednesdays, so book out the second Wednesdays on your calendar for PRC Houston events. Angelique, and has a lot planned for us. And so I'm excited for what's in store. Yeah, absolutely. Oh, that's

Veronica Sopher:

a great segue. Alrighty. Well, we will make sure Leslie to put your LinkedIn into the show notes. We're also going to make sure we put a link in there to join, because we want to make sure our chapter stays one of the premier chapters from from the national level, because I know that as a city this size, we've got a lot of members that move in and out, but really staying connected to your Houston chapter is going to bridge so many relationships, because that peer to peer learning is so very important. Leslie, thank you so much for being on our podcast, and I look forward to your upcoming leadership and make sure people get connected with you.

Leslee Hackett:

Yes, for sure. Thanks so much. Looking forward to serving as your vice president.

Veronica Sopher:

Alright, that was Leslie Hackett, thank you for joining us, guys. We so appreciate you tuning into practically speaking Houston, the new branded podcast for the Houston chapter of pure essay. Make sure you hit subscribe. We don't want you to miss any episodes, and if you're watching on YouTube, Facebook or LinkedIn, drop us some comments, because we'd love to connect, and we'll catch you in the next episode.