Be Bold & Do You

Deanna McKinley: (Proper Noun) - one of the most talented & young Accredited Public Relations (APR) females in the public relations field today. A combination of Eddie Murphy’s humor and Beyoncé Knowles confidence with a splash of sass and savoir-faire. Related Adjectives: Talented, Experienced, Efficient, Intelligent, Creative, Trustworthy & Respectable. See Also: Frito-Lay, Public Relations.

This past Wednesday, Deanna McKinley enlightened my Dallas Communication Leaders class with information and stories about her experience in the Public Relations field. Her strait forward and down-to-earth presentation revealed a side of PR “that your Public Relations teacher never told you,” as she so eloquently put it. Ms. McKinley is currently a Public Relations expert at the Frito-Lay Company here in Dallas, TX. She is approaching her 5-year anniversary with Frito-Lay and let me tell you, she knows her stuff.

Among many other topics, Ms. McKinley addressed the essentials for being successful in Public Relations. There was a common theme she touched on that has really resonated with me. While in college at Florida A&M, she was originally an English major because she wanted to be a teacher. During her internship as a student teacher, she concluded that teaching was not the direction for her. This decision lead her to a Public Relation major; she credits her silly-side and the Nutty Professor for this decision.

“Being Silly- The best decision I have ever made in my Life”

Amidst the laughter of my fellow classmates, I realized she was onto something. Ms. McKinley’s larger-than-life personality was evident that she made the right decision to be in Public Relations. “Be bold and do you,” she told us. It is important to do what is best for you because you can’t fail when you are “doing you” and doing what you love.

I really admire Ms. McKinley’s passion for her profession. Ms. McKinley is a Frito-Lay advocate like no other. “We’ve had so much fun- I have no regrets,” and Frito-Lay is lucky to have her on their team. If I learned anything from Ms. McKinley, it was to not lose sight of who you are… keep life fun and be smart about it- do what is best for you. No matter how tough life get’s, keep your head held high and know there is a light at the end of the tunnel- Life is too short to not laugh and have fun.

How to immediately get on Deanna’s good side:

Give her Salt & Vinegar chips

Set her up with Matt Lauer

Give her MAC lip glass

Acknowledge her APR

** Look for her at the Prince Concert in NYC in February!