Melissa Synnott is honestly one of those women who radiates a calm, happy and beautiful soul. I was SO delighted when she agreed to answer a few of my #thehappyemployee questions relating to her phenomenal work as a Brand and Projects Manager for a booming health and wellness influencer, Georgie Stevenson. It is very clear the high ethic & quality Mel displays in her work as the new projects launching are so #onpoint it hurts! At just 23 Melissa has mastered the PR sector and soaring high within her career. I bet you will love her response around Uni, past job experience and her life outside of 'work', just as much as I did.
Could you tell me a little summary of who Melissa Synnott is?
I’m just a regular girl from Brisbane! I grew up on the Sunshine Coast and moved to Brisbane to study at Queensland University of Technology. In 2017 I graduated with a degree in Public Relations and Communications, and now I work as a publicist/brand and projects manager for one of the biggest health and fitness social media moguls in Brisbane! Beyond that, I’m a super driven, friendly girl with some pretty big goals and dreams! In my spare time you’ll find me either working out, on a coffee expedition with my boyfriend or at Bunnings sourcing some cute new houseplants #relatable.
The Public Relations world can be HECTIC as I know first-hand, how did you manage the field fresh out of Uni and now after landing an epic position?
It was definitely worlds apart from what I expected it to be, and although I like to think University prepares you for the real world, I’m not exactly sure it prepared me for what I walked into! It can be incredibly intimidating to put your years of knowledge and study into real-life practice (like any job!) But I found with PR is that it’s continuously evolving and changing, and there is always something new right around the corner - it keeps you on your toes! But I’m learning to adapt quickly to new situations, and soak up all the knowledge and experience that I’m gaining and I’m absolutely living for the challenge right now… It doesn’t come without a fair share of breakdowns though!
Could you describe your current role and how your past experiences led you here?
My role as Georgie’s PR brand and projects manager is to essentially manage her personal brand, podcast channel, business and everything in between! All while utilising my Public Relations degree knowledge. Unlike most grad jobs where you find yourself pigeonholed into one specific area of a company, I am lucky enough that I get to take the reigns on pretty much every aspect I can get my hands on in running her personal brand and thriving business. Before I met Georgie I was working at a small Public Relations agency here in Brisbane, but I found that to be pretty limiting in terms of where my passions and career assets lied, so I definitely made it my mission when Georgie found me, to offer not only my skills in PR, but also everything else that I was passionate about and thrived in!
If you could pin point one time in your working career where you were made to feel empowered and proud of the work you were doing – what would it be?
I honestly have an incredibly supportive boss who doubles as a mentor, so I feel like I could easily pick something every single week where I was made to feel empowered by the work I am doing, however there is definitely one thing that stood out to me above the rest! As you know, Georgie is an influencer who is quite well known not only in Brisbane, but in Australia too, however I was recently asked to be involved in an interview with The Daily Pretty, and I was completely taken aback (It’s supposed to be my job to get Georgie interviews!) It’s not usually the publicist/employee who gets that kind of recognition, so I was completely shocked an honoured. Not only did Georgie celebrate my achievements in more ways than one, but she was just as proud of me about that interview as my parents… haha. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive boss and friend!
What’s your biggest tip to finding a job or career you enjoy, especially for aspiring PR queens? My biggest tip for anyone looking to have a flourishing career is to stay in your own lane and focus on your ownpersonal development, instead of trying to keep up with everyone else around you! I can’t tell you how much time I would have wasted if I spent my free time worrying about what anyone else is doing instead of filling my own career cup. Everyone’s career path is so different and we’re all on our own timelines, so there’s really no point in comparing yourself to anyone else. As my favourite saying goes… “The grass is greener where you water it” and I stay true to that every single day.
Whilst the backbone of The Happy Employee surrounds empowering employees in their work, I personally believe happiness is curated from within; meaning we are responsible for our happiness. What are some daily rituals/thoughts you perform to promote happiness and wellness within your life?
I love this question! I have my list of non-negotiables that I do every day to take care of my mind and body wellness.
Firstly:I try to wake up early every single day and not sleep in (Sundays are the exception though, of course!).
Secondly: I always fit a workout into my day. No matter how busy I am, I just make it happen. I’ve always been an insanely active girl growing up and I genuinely love exercise so this is relatively easy for me to do, however it makes me feel so good mentally and physically… which improves the quality of my day no matter what else happens.
Thirdly:I love to start of my day with a priority list and some goal setting. It keeps me focused and I love the feeling of achieving the goals that I set for myself.
Outside of work, what is your all-time favourite thing to do?
Doing something active! Whether that’s swimming at the beach, going on a hike, going for a beautiful walk with my dogs or heading to the gym. Other than that, I love cooking and Netflix!
Where can we find you #letsbesocial?
You can find me on Instagram via my handle @melissasynnott and connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-synnott-53732398/