Build Momentum - Thought Leadership for Education, Global Workforce Edition

S02E14 - Former Gates Foundation Media Lead Shares PR Best Practices | Amy Enright

March 01, 2022 Sarah Williamson / Amy Enright Season 2 Episode 14
Build Momentum - Thought Leadership for Education, Global Workforce Edition
S02E14 - Former Gates Foundation Media Lead Shares PR Best Practices | Amy Enright
Show Notes Transcript

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Amy Enright. Amy worked at the epicenter of global health advocacy, directing media relations internationally for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She led a high-performing team of professionals in the U.S. and collaborated with colleagues in offices around the world to craft media strategies to support over a dozen major resource mobilizations for global partnerships.

Amy also drove top-tier media engagement for events like the World Economic Forum and the U.N. General Assembly and handled crisis communications and reputation risk management across the Gates Foundation's many programs, including public education in the U.S. She just recently launched her own independent consultancy, Newton Street PR, to share best practices in communications with other organizations focused on social good.

Some Questions I Ask:

  • Tell us about how you led media relations for Bill Gates and Melinda French. (3:00)
  • What’s your approach to navigating crisis situations in smaller organizations? (6:06)
  • What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned from handling the media? (9:46)
  • What would your advice be to those who are looking to stir up proactive coverage instead of navigating an influx of massive reactive media? (10:44)
  • Any other strategies for keeping media relationships positive? (12:14)
  • What are some of the best and proudest moments you had at the Gates Foundation over the years? (13:17)
  • Tell us about your new business. (16:04)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • About Amy’s experiences leading media relations for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other organizations (3:25)
  • What it’s like to navigate through crisis situations in high-profile organizations (6:35)
  • Lessons that Amy learned from handling the media (10:00)
  • Advice for the organizations that want to stir up proactive media (11:12)
  • Amy’s Gates Foundation memories (13:23)
  • More about Newton Street PR (16:18)

Quotes:

“The first order of business is to remain calm and get organized before you start reacting. And it sounds really obvious, but you'd be amazed at how the human instinct is to just start taking action.”

“It's very important to have the right protocols in place. Maybe keep a checklist close at hand: Who is the core group that will make decisions? Who needs to be informed immediately within the organization? How can you sort of divvy up responsibilities by an audience? Are you at risk of overreacting internally or externally to the situation? That can really lead to more problems down the road.”

“Having a good debrief is critical because you learn so much from each unique situation, and that can really help you improve next time.“

“Always look at what you're sharing from their point of view and think about their needs. The best media relationships aren't merely transactional.“

Connect with Amy Enright:
Amy Enright's LinkedIn


Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
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Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
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About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

Sarah Williamson:

Hello and welcome to Build Momentum where we help education organizations, blow past their competitors with strategies that make an impact. We think beyond traditional press releases and generic communication tactics, and seek out big, bold ideas create meaningful results for our clients. I'm your host, Sarah Williamson. And I've spent more than 15 years in public relations for the education sector, where our team has learned what works and what doesn't when it comes to PR from launching groundbreaking new industry awards to landing sought after panels at most prestigious shows. We absolutely love this stuff. But the best part is, we have an opportunity to interview some of the smartest people we know who share their knowledge and strategies for success right here on the show. If you enjoy what you hear, we would so appreciate if you please take a moment just drop us a review on whatever platform you listen. And if you want to learn more about us, visit swpr-group.com. Thanks so much for tuning in. Today. Let's dive into the show. And on today's show, we are so fortunate to have Amy Enright with us. For 14 years, Amy worked at the epicenter of global health advocacy, directing Media Relations internationally for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She led a high performing team of professionals in the US and collaborated with colleagues in offices around the world to craft media strategies to support over a dozen major resource mobilizations for global partnerships. Wow. She also drove top tier media engagement for tiny events like the World Economic Forum, and the UN General Assembly to like crisis communications and reputation risk management across the foundation's many programs, including public education in the US. And she just recently launched her own independent consultancy to share best practices and communications with other organizations focused on social good, how wonderful. Amy, it's so fun to have you on the show today.

Amy Enright:

Thank you so much. It's great to be here, Sarah.

Sarah Williamson:

Absolutely. So I think we have to tell our listeners a little background about actually how we met, which is pretty funny. How many years ago was it? 2006 or 2007? Right?

Amy Enright:

2005? Something like that. Maybe a long, long time ago now,

Sarah Williamson:

A whole lifetime ago? It was I know. So we worked at Hill and Knowlton is it called h&k strategies now or did they go back to Hill and Knowlton? I feel like they have changed a couple times.

Amy Enright:

I'm not entirely sure. It used to be Rocky Hill and Knowlton, at least back in the day.

Sarah Williamson:

Yeah, but it's anyway said one of the largest global PR firms in the world, I think it's the fourth largest. And we met. Amy was working in Seattle office, I was in the Portland office. And we were sitting at a restaurant after a long day of work at the firm. And we said, Ah, gosh, I can't wait to start my own business. And here we are.

Amy Enright:

I think we put in all a few years of hard work, you know,

Sarah Williamson:

I was in between, you just only did 14. But yes, here we are. It's so fun that we're both finally living our dream for many years ago. So it's exciting to have you in. Okay, Amy, let's get into it. I want to start off by talking about how you lead media relations, particularly for Bill Gates and Melinda French over the years. That is incredible. Tell us about that.

Amy Enright:

Yeah, sure. So just a little bit of background, you know, he joined right after Warren Buffett gave a major gift of $31 billion dollars to the foundation back in 2007-2008, effectively doubling its resources at the time. And we were really known for our work in US education, global health. But now we were also starting to get involved in areas such as agricultural development and financial inclusion around the world. So is it a time of big changes for the organization, and I was brought in at the time to help manage the influx of media requests that we were getting reactively. And you know, over the years, I just remained really fascinated by how the foundation worked on deeply complex issues brought together partners from the private sector, major governments around the world to benefit those most in need. And, you know, some might, people might think that philanthropy is just about giving money away, but it really wasn't bad at all. And I learned that quite quickly, it was more about mobilizing massive resources for the world for issues that are neglected and where market dynamics really just don't work at all. So anyway, to get to your question, I worked really hard over the years, I gained institutional knowledge that was highly valued, especially the longer and longer I stayed at the organization as other people sort of left I built strong relationships with the amazing people inside that organization. That really surprised me to this day and I was known for ultimately speaking very truthfully and bravely to all within the organization. And over the years, I also worked in London leading our European advocacy communications efforts for some time, and in Washington, DC. And I had my second child in DC and headed back to headquarters in Seattle to be closer to my family. But anyway, fast forward, my former boss left to leave communications for the World Health Organization year before the current pandemic, really good timing. That's Gabby, Gabby Stern, amazing, amazing woman, a

Sarah Williamson:

Oh, my very stressful timing, I think to leave. But anyway, it was a natural fit for me to just step up and lead the media team at that time. And then other questions working with film learned over the years. I mean, that was just an incredible experience. They're both incredibly dedicated to the work. And when we arrange media interviews for them both. It's always part of a larger plan to draw attention to certain issues with certain audiences. And that's just how they think about using their voices. And it's always in pursuit of the work. And I'm just amazed at how much information they can both retain about the Foundation's work. So pretty incredible. Yeah, two have the best thought leaders to potentially work with. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so you've shared with me before, that you love or you thrive in crisis situations, not that you love them, but you really have a strong sense for how to navigate them. Tell us more about that. Do you have any suggestions for how you've done that in the past? Because I have a feeling you have? And do you have any suggestions for our listeners for how they can approach similar crisis? Obviously, most likely on a smaller scale within their own organizations? Yeah, sure. I mean, one of my responsibilities was managing organization wide, reputational, and risk issues, whether or not they ultimately involved the media. So just sort of keeping my finger on the pulse of what was going on. And I would just say that, you know, the first order of business is to remain calm and get organized before you start reacting. And it sounds really obvious, but you'd be amazed at how the human instinct is to just start taking action. And that's not always what you want to do before you get organized, it's very important to have the right protocols in place, people can even keep maybe a checklist close at hand, you know, who is the core group that will make decisions? Who needs to be informed immediately within the organization? How can you sort of divvy up responsibilities by audience? Are you at risk of overreacting internally or externally to the situation, and that can really lead to more problems down the road. And perhaps you're the only one within your organization who's responsible for all of these decision points. And that actually makes the process a lot simpler. But you know, That's true

Amy Enright:

The same principles apply in terms of being organized and kind of thinking through the plan of action. I also think just an easy rule of thumb is to keep stock statements messaging about key areas of reputational risk close at hand. So you really aren't having to work from scratch each time. And finally, I think having a good debrief is critical, because you learn so much from each situation, which is unique, and that can really help you improve next time.

Sarah Williamson:

Yeah. Okay, so we've all been there, waiting until the very last minute to pull together a conference proposal for an important upcoming industry event. You know, that dreaded moment when you realize you've put this off until that reminder, email pops up in your inbox on what is most likely already a busy day. So you pull something together, read it over, and you think this is pretty good. You hit submit, and you don't think about it for another three months. Then, all of a sudden, when it's completely slipped your mind, you get the email you were hoping wouldn't come. Thank you for applying. We received hundreds of submissions, and we regret to inform you that your proposal was not accepted. But we still encourage you to register for the conference and purchase a booth. That rejection can be deflating, and it definitely gets old when it keeps happening over and over. Trust us. We've been there too. We know how you feel. But the good news is, we've learned what works and what doesn't work when submitting proposals. And we've created a framework for success that has dramatically increased our acceptance rate. It all begins with just a few simple shifts to land significantly more of those Congratulations, your proposal has been accepted emails. If you're ready to up your proposal game and start landing some big airtime at industry conferences. Go to swpr-group.com and click on the Contact Us button and let us know you're ready to get started. Proposal season kicks off in a couple of weeks and we want you ready Totally agree with that. Those are great suggestions. So what were some of your biggest lessons learned from handling the media because we all have lessons some often we learned the most from our lessons. I'm curious what those are for you?

Amy Enright:

This is a really tough one, there are just so many. But I think you know, a reason why, if you're a larger organization, I really think you know, you have to learn how to flex well, I mean, for the foundation with pandemic started, we went from dozens of unsolicited immediate inquiries each month to well over several 100 from top tier media. And you know, our team didn't increase at the time. So you really have to quickly learn how to step up the use of your other channels, blogs, social media channels, newsletter, other outlets, to really pump out information. So you aren't creating some sort of bespoke engagement or response each time. I mean, it's just so important.

Sarah Williamson:

It's so funny, because that's pretty much the opposite problem that most of our clients have. We're not navigating a massive influx of inquiries, we're trying to create that, you know, for these, you know, software platforms, and it's in a crowded space. So it's just funny and unique. Well what would your advice be to those who are really trying to do the opposite of instead of navigating influx of massive reactive media, but trying to really stir up some proactive?

Amy Enright:

Yeah, I mean, I really, you know, recommend that people start out small, there's so many ways to sort of build your thought leadership today. On LinkedIn, for instance, it's fantastic, you know, look for those news stories and trends that you really have a unique perspective on. And, Sarah, I'm sure you help with this all the time, but just helping to sort of reach out to reporters and sharing those areas of expertise, offering yourself as a resource, and then just helping with their stories, whether you're quoted or not connecting them to other people in your field being really easy to get in touch with. And then hopefully, you know, they start to rely on you as a key source. And you know, you don't really need a specific story to pitch. And in fact, it's probably better if you don't, because you really do want that strong relationship just based on what they need.

Sarah Williamson:

Absolutely. That is so true. It's funny when you help others succeed, how much you're actually helping yourself when you're not even thinking about it. Right.

Amy Enright:

Exactly. It's just the power of good networking, I think.

Sarah Williamson:

Mm hmm. Okay, so that sounds like your strategy. It sounds like you've probably built up some really amazing relationships with the media over the years, with all these relationships, that you've had all the people proactively reach out reaching out to you. How have you been able to navigate that other than what you just shared? But any other strategies for keeping those relationships positive?

Amy Enright:

Yeah, I mean, obviously, the people that I represented, helps getting inquiries that come in, but no, no, in all seriousness, it's not unlike a lot of other human relationships. You know, you do what you say you will your tightly. Yeah, don't bore people, except for the poor people listening to your podcasts are probably incredibly bored with me right?

Sarah Williamson:

No you do not, are you kidding me?

Amy Enright:

You know, always look at what you're sharing from their point of view and think about their needs. And the best media relationships just aren't nearly transactional.

Sarah Williamson:

No, I totally agree with all of that. That's great advice. Good life advice, too. So love it. So what are some of the best moments you had at the Gates Foundation over the years? I mean, what are you most proud of?

Amy Enright:

I was thinking about this earlier, cuz I thought you might ask this question. And one that really stands out for me is from my time in Europe. And this is when I was responsible for developing communication strategies to support our advocacy work with the key major donor countries in Europe. And one of those countries was Spain, which unfortunately, at the time was going through a major economic crisis. And this was about 10 years ago. And the budget cuts at home were extreme. And it was very likely that their contributions to GAVI which is the major global initiative that's provided vaccines for over 750 million children worldwide to date, that their contribution would be cut as well, you know, and at the same time, though, people in Spain have a very strong sense of solidarity of community. And so we ended up deciding to take a poll of the Spanish public's attitude towards foreign aid, and developed a press strategy and country to push out the results also built a major public event for Bill during his trip to Madrid. And we sort of had this big visual moment where we rolled out a banner in the plaza mayor and thanking Spain for the millions of lives, it's saved over the years and brought in photographers to major papers and broadcast outlets and we had this you know, room high above the plaza to sort of help them capture the image of that banner and the crowd down there. And so we made headlines we had an awesome spread and I think EL PAS and a couple other major papers on on the news outlets, TV broadcast, and while I can't take complete credit for it, I know that we did help create a really positive news cycle that gave the Spanish government It's sort of a positive Halo and cover and they ended up sustaining their contributions to GAVI. And we really didn't think that was very likely. But they did. That was a lot of behind the scenes, government interactions that also took place by people within our office. But that was the news moment that I was responsible for. When there's also time that my team got the front page of The New York Times with an upshot placement on our inequality report without an interview with one of the co chairs, just the quality of the story and the data.

Sarah Williamson:

Wow,

Amy Enright:

We can chat about that, you know, another time Spain really sort of stands out for me.

Sarah Williamson:

That's pretty incredible. You basically helped to change the world, literally, in your role that's pretty transformational.

Amy Enright:

Well, you know, I was honored to work for the organization that I did. And to kind of come up with those creative strategies. They're very, very nimble as an organization and encouraging people to think about creative strategies, especially kind of Joe Cerrell, who led our and does leader Europe office. I keep saying more, Sarah, because I literally left the foundation three weeks ago, I really don't work there anymore.

Sarah Williamson:

But I know you're there for a long time, and you're totally committed. But let's talk about that. So you left and in three weeks, you've pretty much built a brand new business, which is thriving already. Tell us about it.

Amy Enright:

Well, trying to. In the last three weeks, I've decided to start my own communications agency, and it is called Newton street. So the concept really is a global neighborhood of top communications professionals who inspire people to work together towards new solutions to some of the world's biggest problems. And I think this is more urgently needed than ever before. And the pandemic exposed so many major cracks in society. And we really need new solutions in areas like education, technology, financial inclusion, health, climate, big, meaty, meaty issues. And so I want to build a really highly curated network of people who have complementary expertise and Journalism, Media, message development, creative content production to sort of tackle some of the most urgent issues. And these people also are going to be trusted and proven. You know, from hiring people and agencies over the years, I know that a resume can look really impressive, but you just don't know how a person is going to operate in an ambiguous new environment until they're really thrown in. And so I want to take the guesswork out of that for the right clients and pull together a crack team. So I'm just delighted that you're going to be joining us as an advisor, Sarah, and I'm really looking forward to collaborating with you.

Sarah Williamson:

I am too and I totally agree this is needed. And we're so excited to hopefully represent that edtech side of yours. Yes, fierce. So love it.

Amy Enright:

Absolutely.

Sarah Williamson:

And Amy is an advisor to our company as well. So you will find her on our new website which we hope to launch next week. We're so pumped. Okay, what else do we not talk about that you want to share with our listeners about your experience? What's new, anything got cookin?

Amy Enright:

I think that's all. I think we've covered a lot of ground. I'm just really super excited to jump into this next phase. And, you know, it's I was really reticent to leave for, you know, 14 years working at an amazing organization because of the people that I got to work with daily, but I'm finding they're actually doing the same thing just on the outside and reconnecting with people like you that I haven't you know, connected with in quite some time. So I'm very enthusiastic and excited. So thank you so much for having me today.

Sarah Williamson:

I'm thrilled for you. Yes, I'm so pumped for your next journey. And get ready for more media interviews. I think they're coming up for you. You never know. You're gonna be on the other side of the camera.

Amy Enright:

Yes. Unusual. And you say used to being on the other side.

Sarah Williamson:

Yeah.

Amy Enright:

When the scenes but new experience more compassion for people sitting in front of the camera now,

Sarah Williamson:

Amy, where can people find out about your company?

Amy Enright:

So you can find me on LinkedIn. And also I'll be launching a website and it'll be newtonstreetpr.com.

Sarah Williamson:

Excellent. Okay, thank you so much for joining us, and we're gonna follow you and reconnect and see how things are going in about a year. How does that sound?

Amy Enright:

That sounds great.

Sarah Williamson:

Okay,

Amy Enright:

Thank you, Sarah.

Sarah Williamson:

Thanks so much for tuning in today. If you enjoyed the show, if you wouldn't mind leaving a review, we'd be so grateful. This helps other listeners find and learn about our show. And please reach out if you're interested in learning more about how we can elevate the leaders of your organization with our PR services. If you'd like to even shoot me a direct email at Sarah sarah@swpr-group.com. I look forward to hearing from you and we will see you next time.