Cory Sargeant’s Advice for PR Hopefuls & Side-Hustlers
“I love helping other creatives share their work with the world and connecting them with likeminded people who understand their vision.”
Cory Sargeant is the founder of Sargeant PR, designer/curator of Lady Sargeant, and creator of SAY IT DO IT.
What was the Lightbulb Moment that inspired you to fully dive into what you do?
I got into PR because I love helping other creatives share their work with the world and connecting them with likeminded people who understand their vision. I decided to leave agency life and start my own PR company, Sargeant PR, because I wanted to choose the brands I worked with and feel lit up by who I was supporting. I wanted their aesthetic, ethos, and personalities to mesh well with my own because that's when you see results translate the best.
What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your current career?
Firstly, that the most important thing in PR is managing expectations and it’s crucial for building longer-term partnerships. Whether that be with a client, an influencer I work with, or an editor contact. When I worked at agencies I felt pressure to be a “yes man” and it ultimately led to frustration on both ends. I try to be as transparent as possible proactively to avoid misunderstandings.
Secondly, that I am multi-faceted and I can have passions outside of PR. I started Lady Sargeant, a creative marketplace featuring thoughtful and playful designs, five years ago as a creative outlet for myself. I recently launched SAY IT DO IT, a truth or dare game to connect after a year of social isolation and as a tool to help us ease back into hanging with friends and family.
What often sparks your creativity or gets you into the creative zone?
Rest! Lounging in nature, taking a bath, a long walk, preparing a meal. Anything that helps me slow down and relax I find will spur creative ideas for my clients and my own projects. The idea for my game SAY IT DO IT came to me while taking a bath.
What is your unfiltered advice for anyone looking to break into your industry?
PR is not glamorous at the beginning. It's a lot of list making, running around town, sending shipments, etc. If you can can prove yourself to be reliable, build good relationships with your bosses, and be eager to take on projects outside of your comfort zone you will excel. PR is very experience-based, so find the value in all the little nuances, big learnings, and people you connect with along the way. In terms of starting a creative side hustle, finding time can be a struggle. I treat Lady Sargeant as another client of mine and l build it into my weekly task list to stay on track.
June 8, 2021
By Ashley Tibbits