We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Abby Draper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Abby below.

Abby, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

I know that everyone says this, but I truly can say that I have the most incredible parents. Their support is unwavering and is absolutely what has driven my career and successes. In complete candor, it’s also what has allowed me to accept and move on from failures.

My father is a brilliant and well-respected business man who is also in the strategic communications realm and from an early age, he has told me that, “no matter how successful you become, or what your title/role is – always know how to change an ink cartridge and never be too good to pick up coffee” and that has resonated with me and is top of mind as I begin every day. He is also my first call every morning, oftentimes the person I speak to at lunch, and the person I end my day with because I trust him emphatically with not only my life, but my professional decisions. When I’m distraught at work he always, with out missing a beat reminds me that, “worry is wasted imagination” and to “live for today” — clearly, the man is full of wise words. There is no one I respect more and no one that continues to teach me something new every day. If I can look back on my career and feel like I’ve accomplished half of what he has, I will happily call that a successful ride.

My mother is the kindest person anyone will ever meet. She is, and has been for many years, an Oncology nurse which goes to show she is a natural care-taker. While our professions aren’t very much alike, she does everything she can to understand the world of public relations, influencer marketing, strategic communications, event planning — everything that goes into my job every day. She is the reason that my practice is built on kindness. I don’t believe in bullying or deceit and I’ve seen both in my career to date. I do good work for people I believe in, and I can credit my mom for that.

Both of them, as a strong and loving team, have taught me so much and have absolutely shaped who I am as a professional. I am very lucky.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up with PR in my blood as my dad is a success in the industry. I knew from my first Power Point that it was the job for me. I used to “pitch” my Christmas gift wish list with the item I wanted, and why it was important I owned it. It was inevitable I’d be here today.

I started my career at a boutique agency in Baltimore where I was focused on traditional media relations. This was at the advent of brands being curious about leveraging social media to cast a wider net and I became passionate about learning more. With tenacity, I proactively absorbed everything I could about marrying traditional PR outreach with social media on behalf of the agency’s clients. After persuading my boss to let me try a few things I was able to prove success and in turn, created the agency’s first social and digital media department.

A larger agency in the area caught wind of what I’d done and poached me to work for them. I proved to be an asset to some of its largest clients and accelerated my career pretty quickly. Ultimately, I was managing a fully integrated client based in Orange County so the company asked me to move to LA to open its first west coast office. I did and after two more successful years, I took a breather from agency life and practiced PR, social media, influencer marketing and networking on my own.

Since then I’ve moved to Charlotte where I have launched my own agency, Abby Leigh Studio whose main goal is to work with brands that we are both personally and professionally passionate about. Basically, after 20+ years as a communications strategist with a concentration on public relations, social media and influencer marketing, it was time to build a practice that lives and breathes the golden rule. With a thoughtful approach to everything the studio does, we are committed to producing meaningful work with exceptional results through collaboration and candor.

Since creating this business, I have been able to work with some of the most elite and brilliant brands in the spaces that I truly love through every pillar that falls under what public relations can do for a brand, person, item, etc. I have planned events that were hosted in the most elite, private buildings in Charlotte. I have partnered with some of the most exclusive fitness influencers and trainers in the area. I have been interviewed for top publications locally. It has been a lot of work but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I would say what sets The Studio apart from others is, again, that everything we do is with kindness and candor. I’ve worked for agencies and people who are in it for the mark-up, or only take on clients with enormous budgets. That’s not why we’re here. We’re here to tell a great story about great people and brands. And to have fun while we do it.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Word of mouth, for sure. When you’re able to perform for a client in an industry that you want to continue to work in, it’s imperative that your performance is memorable in a meaningful way. For example, I brought on a new client who had been working with another agency. In the first 30 days, I was able to prove such strong results that she said to me, “you’ve done more for me in a month than they have in a year” and a few days later, she was introducing me to another brand that happened to become my next client.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I truly believe that the worst thing you can hear is “no” so I am not afraid to ask for much. I would say that is the definition of resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: abbyleighstudio.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/abbyleighstudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abby-leigh-studio/