The Three Disciplines That Shape Powerful PR Careers with Alliancé B. Daniels

In this episode, I’m joined by Alliancé B. Daniels, an Ottawa-based public affairs professional whose career spans government relations, strategic communications, public policy and advocacy. Alliancé shares how curiosity, relationship building and a desire to connect people and ideas have shaped her career. We explore what it takes to communicate effectively in high-pressure environments, build genuine influence and take meaningful action before you feel completely ready.

Tune in to hear more about:

• Why staying calm under pressure is not simply a personality trait, but the result of thoughtful preparation, sound judgement and the ability to anticipate risks and opportunities

• The behind-the-scenes skills that matter most in public affairs and government relations, including clear communication, project management, relationship building and knowing what to escalate

• How genuine influence is built by being useful, credible and consistent, and why following through on your commitments is one of the most powerful ways to earn trust

• Why intentional networking is about building meaningful relationships and acting on the advice you receive, rather than simply collecting names and contacts

• How confidence grows through action, and why saying yes, taking the first step and learning along the way can open opportunities you may never have planned for

• What Alliancé’s move from Vancouver to Ottawa teaches us about embracing change, relocating for the right opportunity and taking courageous career leaps into the unknown

Tune into this episode of Career Ambitions to discover how you can strengthen your credibility, build lasting relationships, use your voice responsibly and take the next step in your career, even when you do not feel fully ready.

Guest Links: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alliancebdaniels/

Substack: https://substack.com/@alliancebdaniels

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Career Ambitions, the podcast for corporate professionals who are ready to stop waiting and take control of their careers. If you're tired of sending applications into the void, wondering why you're not getting interviews, and watching opportunities go to people who are no more qualified than you, you're in the right place, my friends. I'm Joanne Sparrow, former HR Director Turned Career Coach, and I've spent more than two decades sitting on the other side of the hiring table. That means I know exactly what hiring managers think and what they say behind closed doors. Join me on this episode of Career Ambitions, where I'm pulling back the curtains on the hiring process and unapologetically exposing the truth, job seekers are never told to give you the strategy and confidence to move your career forward and land your dream job or promotion. Welcome to Career Ambitions. My guest today is Aliance, and we met at the Women in PR conference earlier this year in May in Toronto, and I knew right away I wanted her as a guest on my podcast. So welcome to the show today.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Thank you. Thank you, Joanne. Thank you for having me today. It's a pleasure to join you at Ream Disciplines and be an active member of your audience today. I remember when we met at the at the uh the conference and the conversation, I was like, hey Leon Sing, would you like to do a recording? I was like, oh my goodness, this is um it's the first time for me, and I don't feel ready. How about we we reach up on email and the scheduling of the recording? So I'm really glad and happy to be here today. Um for your for your viewers and listening today, I am Aliance Daniels. I am uh a little bit of a multi-fassionate person. I love everything to do with uh people and governments and businesses and communities and everything in the likes of the which I'm happy to dive a little bit into during our session together.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Wonderful. And I know your expertise sits at the intersection of three disciplines that are very powerful when they work together, and that is government relations, public affairs, and strategic communications. So being that you're in Ottawa, I'm sure you have a lot of great opportunities. Um, and you've made some really great moves in your career. So I'd like to start by asking about your career has moved through all three of those: public policy, government relations, and strategic communications, and also advocacy. So when you look back, what was the through line that connected all of those opportunities?

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Um that's a great question. And looking back, I don't really see four different careers. What I see is one consistent pursuit. You know, I've always been deeply curious about systems and their impact on society. Now, this curiosity naturally drew me to roles in policy comms, government relations, and advocacy. And over time, I realized that what I enjoy doing the most is really building bridges. And that really looks like um connecting people, sectors, and ideas and conversations because that's exactly where lasting change usually begins. So that has been my through the line, through my very, very sector of experiences.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Excellent. And and you have also advised senior leaders in high-pressure political environments. Uh, what did that teach you about communication, judgment, and staying calm when the stakes are high?

SPEAKER_00 3:38

That they're very important. All three of them are the magic ingredients that you need to be an excellent um public figure to communicate to the public. And you know, sometimes, most times, people often think being calm is a personality trait, but what I really think of it is that it's a preparation strategy. Do you know? Um, one lesson of learned is that meetings, when before a meeting, when the meetings happen, is not really where the work begins. It's where preparation before the meeting is tested, you know. Um, before the senior leaders are able to walk into a room to meet with persons or the public, really there was someone behind the scenes who was tasked with anticipating the questions, the conversation, weighing in what the risks and opportunities are, and really considering what multiple sector scenarios would be and what a women conversation would look like. And really creating opportunities and moments where the uh the seeking advisor can shine and also bring light into the conversation. So, my role has always been at the time to filter out the noise and really identify what matters and help leaders make confident decisions. And this is where I think uh judgment becomes just as important as knowledge and communication, working through all that is really key in delivering exactly uh the right of composition and the right decision into the conversation.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

Yes, your work is so important, the work you do, um, especially in these very turbulent political times that we're living in. And so for job seekers who want to work in government relations or public affairs advocacy, what skills actually matter the most behind the scenes?

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Well, we talked a little bit about communications, um, which I think is really, really, really important. But uh stepping back, really everyone thinks public affairs is the speeches and the media interviews and the networking, which is which is true. But honestly, BTS, what like behind the scenes, it really is a lot of project management, a lot of judgment skills, and a lot of relationship building um skills that you need. Um BTS, you really need to have the ability to communicate clearly enough so that someone can make a decision in the early minutes. Like as soon as they hear what you're communicating, are they able to make a decision based on the information that you shared with them? Um, you need to be able to build relationships long before you need anything. And you also need um the judgment that you need to know how to use your judgment and exercise it the right way. So you know what when to say something, what not to say, and what to escalate, what not to escalate, and really how patients can also be used can be used as a strategy to get a better outcome for everything that we need. So it really is better judgment, relationships, um, communicating clearly, and a lot of project management. Because you have to move things along the lines till the end.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

Those are all such important skills to have, and they're transferable skills as well. Yeah, very a lot of ambitious professionals want to make an impact, but they don't always know what that looks like in real life and careers. So, how have you defined impact for yourself?

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Do you know this question? And I was writing the question, I was like, how do I respond to this question? In the beginning, early stages of my careers, how I measured impact was through applause and conflating my to-do list. Like, how many people actually see what I'm doing and send me some good accolades or congratulation message or clap or give me a pat on my back? Um, but then today that has evolved. It has evolved in many, many different ways. How I see impact, and that really began since I joined government about five years ago. I started measuring impact um through how I make someone feel, or how I leave a room after I've been in the room. So really that looks like did I make a new partnership growth? Did I help make better decisions because I was able to provide the right information in the room or in the conversation, or did I help make someone else's career a bit better because of particular information that I was able to share with them or tip and open the door for them? So, really for me, it's not really so much about being remembered, but it's more also about creating something that really outlives my presence in the room. Um, that is how I measure the impact now and really how I navigate measuring impact with everything and every person that I that I interact with today. Maybe that will evolve too. Maybe that will really evolve as I continue. But at this point, that's where I'm at right now, and I think it's been really good. It's been really, really amazing.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

I love that. It sounds like you want to make a lasting legacy.

SPEAKER_00 8:59

Well, I think uh it is something to drive towards, you know. I think every person has just something they're driven towards, and for me is I want to live the world a better place than I found it to be.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

So yes, yes, yeah, and for me, very similar. Um, what how many people am I impacting in a positive way? Am I getting referrals and not from a self-serving um uh position or point? Um, but when I get a DM in LinkedIn and someone like from a stranger and they say, Oh, so-and-so suggested I reach out to you. I'm struggling with my career, that just lights me up. It's like, wow, that's you know, I love it.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

Exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

And so you've built a career at the intersection of strategy, relationships, and influence. What advice would you give someone who wants to become more influential without becoming performative or political?

SPEAKER_00 10:05

That is um a very good question, Joan. And I think the very time, as we know right now, the political um scene is that public does not want performance politics or engagement. Um, great question there. Um, what I can tell you is that I have learned influence is really not built by being the loudest person in the room, right? Influence is built by being useful, credible, and consistent. And really, one of the key things when I got into uh federal government in Kinotawa, one of my uh senior chief advisors, or my chief at the time, told me, hey Aliance, in this space, in order to thrive really well, you need to follow through. And in the beginning, I didn't fully understand what that meant, but in practice, by following through, you really are then able to build your credibility and your influence because then people see you as, hey, she can actually finish the project, she actually did what she said she'll do. And in turn, this turns into trust and you become a very credible voice and a person to go to. So really it's it's really thinking about what does that look like, and how can you then in turn um think about different ways of earning trust and really building visibility because visibility might get someone's attention, but trust is really what brings people back. So, what are you doing in the process to get people to really trust you and buy in your relationship? Um, as is it's a two-way street. So you need to think about all that in your in your in your in your influential book building pathways. Um and uh yeah, that's really how I would frame that um notion of influence. Uh really follow through being this whole being credible, being consistent, and eventually people will see what you're doing and yes goes forward with you.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

Yeah, and you mentioned trust, that's a big one. And you know, building your influence is not about beating others down.

SPEAKER_00 12:22

No, it's not.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

And we're seeing that a lot right now in our political arena, if you will. And um, I think that's the fastest way to discredit yourself and lose that ability to be influential.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Exactly, exactly. You need to be a person that brings light in the conversation, and um, you're really able to, I don't want to say tag on people's emotions, but really be a light that brings brightness in into an already dark conversation or a very yes, optimistic situation where you're in.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

So I love that. Be a light, you know, be bring that positivity and solutions to challenges that people are faced with.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

So what role has the net has networking played in your career, especially when you're moving into rooms where you may not have had an obvious roadmap?

SPEAKER_00 13:27

Thank you for this one. And I think I I can just begin by saying networking has played a very, very, very, very important role into how I got into the spaces I've got into and from there till where I am today. In the early times when I was really thinking about where to take my career after school and graduating, I had to learn and build up my confidence to start networking, but like in a very small way, because I had to understand through my um time as a student leader on campus that networking really is not about collecting context, but it's about being intentional. Really being intentional on the space you want to get to and finding the people in those spaces that you really want to connect with. And then when they give you advice, make sure you really follow through with it to see the outcome of it. Um, so in the beginning, for me, I did my early steps of networking by reaching out to a list of 10 people that I really, really wanted to talk to at the time in Vancouver that they were already working in the space of public affairs and that was very much new in the space. So I talked to them and they asked my questions on how do I get into the space, how do I break in, what does the pathway for this look like? And really, because I was curious and I was very intentional in my pursuit of conversation. I was then able to get the information that I needed and put action into it. So in your networking, it's not really about the collecting contacts, it really is about building credibility and really following through as I've mentioned. And over time, the relationships that you build through your networks become your reputation, and then those in turn can opportunities and recommendations your ways. So really it's about uh you know putting yourself out there, following through, and also living a memorable impression, if you can. Um networking has been absolutely everything, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

Love it, thank you. And so, what's one career lesson you learned in Ottawa that most people outside of government or politics would be surprised by?

SPEAKER_00 15:50

Well, you probably have heard the saying that Ottawa is a small bubble. Well, it really is a small bubble, like smaller than I initially anticipated it to be when I was coming in from Vancouver. And really, once you really get here, you understand how interconnected everyone is. And then what that means is that trust really matters in a circle where everything and everyone is very, very interconnected in one way than the other. And also that means that Ottawa has a very long memory. So the relationship, the relationships that you build today or that I build today will often shape the future opportunities or the future engagements that I may be able to access later on, and vice versa. So, really, it's about the relationships being the pillar that you need to move forward the complex words that you need moved forward. But then again, you really have to remember that auto is a small bubble, so you have to move with integrity um around everything and really think about trust and your credibility as you as you navigate this space.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

Um I think that applies to everybody's pain as it is, but in Audible, especially so yeah, I believe that um to be true in everything in life, and and really it's about what are people saying about you when you leave the room.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

Exactly. And how did you make me feel after you left the room? Because you know, sometimes perception is everything. Um and at times how you carry yourself could deter another person's ability to have a good relationship with you because that's how they received or perceived you to be, and it can take a lot of work to you know remove that perception and show them another side to you that would be better, or they missed or did not see in light of. So it really is it's everything. It really is everything.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

And so for early and mid-career professionals, especially women and people from underrepresented communities, what advice do you have in building confidence before they feel fully ready?

SPEAKER_00 18:10

Let me begin by saying this one thing, Johan. One can never be fully ready. Like, look at me today. I am here today. I was not ready for the podcast or being put out there, but I am because I said yes, um, I am now feeling a bit ready. Because then what this means is at the time when I used to think that I have to be ready to take one opportunity, that delayed my action and my uh momentum into getting the opportunities that I was supposed to get. So by delaying myself into thinking that, oh, I have to be ready to do the XOAZ, well, the opportunities have already left me. So one of the biggest lessons that I've learned is that really confidence is not a prerequisite for an opportunity, and confidence is accumulated through actions. So even when you don't feel ready, really just start somewhere, say yes and take a small leap, and you'll be ready maybe 10,000 steps into it. But you just need to start somewhere and then that will prepare you into feeling ready. Like before you run a race, you need like to start walking. So, in that perspective of things, you can never be ready. Just just do it and learn along the way. And you know, the the right opportunities that have always come to me and my way have always come at a time when I never really felt ready. But I had to trust myself to be ready and really just take on and learn as I go and feel forward if I may. And the worst that could happen is okay, I failed. And then what did I do? I learned something from it. Learned from it and I translate that into something else. So maybe that was not the right path. Maybe there's something else, then you will find your way towards that, but really it's not about being in medicine, it's just about just take the leap, believing in yourself, just stuck. Yeah, just stuck.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

And similarly to that point, I'm so glad that the two of us both said yes to the women in PR conference. Exactly. I hadn't attended the conference in the past, and nor had I sponsored any event in the past. And I just knew, I just knew it was the right opportunity, it was the right room for me to be in. And you and I wouldn't be having this conversation if neither of us had not yet. So well done to both of us.

SPEAKER_00 20:40

Exactly, exactly. Like you never really know what could happen. You know, I have a friend that you was once approached by a particular someone, and the opportunity came to them, and fast forward, they were just sitting in front of a conversation room with a very high-figured person talking to them about a book that they were publishing. And you know, it's you just have to be ready again, like just do it. Um, you can't ever be ready, like stuck somewhere, you know. You gotta set up your start, just do it. Really, just do it.

SPEAKER_01 21:15

Nike has it right when they say just do it.

SPEAKER_00 21:18

Exactly. And it's like, how do you think they know that that is the only through line that everybody believes to be successful in life is really just do it. Just take action, take action. First step. Big or small, just just start somewhere, just do it. Just you'll get ready.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

So when you think about the next generation of leaders, what do you believe they need to understand about communication, public trust, and using their voice responsibly?

SPEAKER_00 21:47

The next generation of leaders, which I'd also be sticking to myself, because I also believe I am the next generation of leaders, um, and and that is behind me as well. Um, what I think. Fully and fundamentally believe in is that the loud is voiced is not always the most trusted. Um it, that is my personal view. Um, and I think trust today, again, is earned through consistency, um, humility, and accuracy, and most importantly, being relatable, relatable in your messaging and in your actions. So I think those are what um the next generation of leaders will really need to understand about communication, public trust, and really using their voice responsibly for the future, even the now, where they are, like the space where you're in right now, put those into practice and just get better at it in the future as well. But that that is my advice or what I think of uh the next generation of latest for sure.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

Excellent. Okay, and one final question for you. If you could go back and speak to your younger self, the one who is just starting to imagine her career, um, what that would become, what would you want her to know today?

SPEAKER_00 23:07

At a time where it felt that I couldn't do everything and that delayed my action, I think one thing I would tell myself is you don't need like the whole map uh mapped out yet. Really just do one thing, and if you don't, it doesn't align, you can hop onto the next thing. Um it's very okay to be open to being agile to adapt to the new environment and to new opportunities. Um really to just keep showing up and really you never feel ready. You just need to take the step and understand that one step forward is better than no step and things sticking in your head than actioning on them. So, really, that would be the advice of my younger self, and it's something that I've carried after then, and it's helped me put action into that and really see a pathway forward through my very multi-passionate lifestyle and professions.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

Amazing. And you mentioned uh earlier about living in Vancouver, and it made me reflect on my younger self. I had the opportunity when I was living in Calgary and I was working for um Costco, and they were they were in North America, but they were expanding into Europe, and they actually put out a notice saying any employees that want to go to England, London to help us open, put your hand up. And I I didn't have children at the time, but I was married, and uh my husband at the time didn't want to go. That is the biggest regret that I have in my career to make a move even from Vancouver to Ottawa, but for me to have made a move from Calgary to London, England, that would have changed completely changed the trajectory of my career and where I would be today. So um when it comes to making moves, um uh go for it. If you have the opportunity to make a move, um the just the move itself, you'll get lots of lessons, but uh great um great opportunities will come out in to you in your career with uh big moves.

SPEAKER_00 25:33

Exactly. And and Joanne, really to build onto that, you know, a lot of my friends did not understand why I would want to leave the amazing, comfortable weather in Vancouver to stop to a weather that is always dark and cold in Ottawa. And and really for me, it was I really want to build a career in public affairs. And what a better environment to do that than in Ottawa. Like Vancouver, yes, we do have that. We do have folks working with the BC government, but I had bigger thoughts in mind that I really wanted to expand my opportunities. And and and I said yes to relocation, and sometimes you just need to take the big leap of the unknown. Um yeah, and you will you will find your footing, you know, it is it will challenge you and pull you in so many different ways because you're taken away from your very comfortable, familiar spaces, and you're now in this very big new world where you have to rebuild everything, you have the contacts, your relationships at work, um, navigating systems and environments and everything around it, but I think it pushes you in the right direction. So if you get an opportunity to relocate, really consider doing it and do it. And if you don't like it, you can always go back home. That's right. My parents tell me the same thing, Alianza. You know, wherever you are outside, if you feel like you have done the best you can, just come back home. And I'm like, that's good. I at least I have that. So it's a fun thing, but um, I'm very excited and very happy to be here, and who knows what the future holds as well. So exactly.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

And Ottawa is not a bad place to land. I really enjoy my time in Ottawa.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

Yeah, it's it's interesting, it's a it's a very it's local but also international in that there are a lot of people um that come from across the world that come to Ottawa to do many things, and there's also a lot of Canadians from coast to coast that also come to Ottawa to do a lot of great things. So it's a really nice hub of a mixture of really many great people, you know.

SPEAKER_01 27:43

Yes, yes, and I can't wait to my next trip to Ottawa. I don't know exactly when that is, but um hopefully we can do this again in real, in person in a podcasting room or studio. I would love to reconnect with you in person. So, where can people find you? Where would you like them to follow you on LinkedIn? I can put your link in the show notes.

SPEAKER_00 28:06

For sure. Well, you can find me on LinkedIn. Um, it's Alliance V Daniels. I'm also trying to put myself out there a bit more. Remember, we talked about you never feel ready for you just have to take action. I've started a substack as well. It's Alliance V Daniels. So follow me on there as well for follow along my curiosity pathways of everything I see around the world, but really on LinkedIn and SubStack is really good too.

SPEAKER_01 28:32

Amazing. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for listening to Career Ambitions. If this episode gave you a new perspective, a practical takeaway, or even a little spark of confidence you needed, I would love for you to follow the show and leave a review. And if you're an ambitious corporate professional who's ready to stop guessing and start moving with a clear strategy, I would love to invite you to my masterclass. Inside this masterclass, I teach the exact strategies my clients are using to land their dream jobs. You can learn more about the masterclass in the show notes or at joannsparrow.com. See you in the next episode of Career Ambitions.