We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dana Swinney a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Day to day the world can seem like a tough place, but there’s also so much kindness in the world and we think talking about that kindness helps spread it and make the world a nicer, kinder place. Can you share a story of a time when someone did something really kind for you?
Professionally, the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me didn’t look like a grand gesture at the time. There was no spotlight, no announcement just a conversation that quietly changed the direction of my life.
Early in my career, I was a young public relations professional trying to find my footing inside the corporate world. I was doing the work, learning quickly, checking every box I thought I was supposed to check. But if I’m honest, I felt a quiet pull toward something bigger, something more aligned, more meaningful. I just didn’t yet have the language or the courage to name it.
That’s when a Senior VP of Marketing for a well known brand really saw me.
Not just my output or my resume, but my instincts, my voice, my potential.
One day, she said something simple but profound: “You don’t belong in a box like this. You should build something of your own.”
It caught me off guard. No one had ever given me permission to think that way. Up until that moment, success looked like climbing a ladder. She invited me to imagine building my own.
But she didn’t stop at encouragement.
She hired me as a PR consultant for the brand when I was ready and eventually I took the leap. She mentored me, walked me through the nuances of business, strategy, client relationships. She shared tools, insights, and, most importantly, trust. She treated me not like someone who was “starting out,” but like someone who was already capable.
That belief became a foundation I could stand on when my own confidence wavered.
Over time, that one act of kindness of seeing, encouraging, and investing grew into something much larger. It shaped how I show up in my work. It shaped how I support others. It reminded me that sometimes the most powerful thing you can give someone is belief, backed by action.
To this day, we still have a strong professional and personal relationship. And every time I think about how my career unfolded, I can trace it back to that moment.
Because sometimes, success doesn’t start with a plan, it starts with the right person looking at you and saying, “I see you. Go.”
Dana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
After working in public relations for years, specifically in the traditional media space, I noticed that PR is changing. The entire field of communications is evolving in a way that is exciting but requires a pivot to remain offering clients the impact they deserve. I recently founded Rooted Collective built on the belief that the best work happens when senior-level experts come together with intention. As a collective, we provide strategic communications that span traditional PR, brand positioning, internal communications, media training, and digital storytelling, but always through a lens of purpose and impact. The overall goal is to craft narratives that move people, shift perception, and ultimately drive meaningful change. We work with mission-driven brands across food, wellness, lifestyle, and social impact, organizations that are doing the kind of work that makes life better, more equitable, and more sustainable and we help them show up in the world with clarity, credibility, and resonance. This feels like the most aligned professionally I have ever been. When we intentionally work with brands and organizations that have shared values and passion, success can’t help but to follow.
What sets Rooted Collective apart is HOW we work just as much as WHAT we do. Our unique model allows us to stay nimble, deeply invested, and tailored to each client’s needs. I’m most proud of the intention of building something that values impact over volume, and relationships over transactions. At the end of the day, I want people to know that when they work with us, they’re not just hiring a PR team, they’re gaining a group of partners who care deeply about their mission and are committed to elevating it in a way that feels authentic, strategic, and lasting.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Unlearning corporate culture has been one of the most important shifts in how I approach my work and honestly, how I approach my life. For so long, we’re taught that success looks like climbing a ladder, long hours, constant urgency, and tying your value to your title. But that model doesn’t serve everyone, and more importantly, it doesn’t always produce the most thoughtful or impactful work. I’ve seen firsthand how that kind of environment can limit creativity, burn people out, and disconnect us from bigger purpose. Unlearning that means redefining success on your own terms, prioritizing clarity over chaos, intention over urgency, and impact over optics. For me, that shift has led to better thinking, stronger strategy, and work that makes me proud. It’s not about doing less, it’s about doing what matters most, in a way that’s sustainable.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
What’s helped me build my reputation in this industry is a very intentional decision to practice PR differently. Public relations has long been associated with “spin” and when people hear that word, they think of the true meaning of the word, “a deceptive interpretation of facts to influence public opinion”. That’s never been the lane I’ve chosen. I’ve built my career around PR with integrity. To me, that means telling the truth well, not bending it. It means leading with clarity, not manipulation. And it means trusting that the right stories when told honestly and strategically are powerful enough to stand on their own. That approach has naturally set me apart from more aggressive, hard-hitting tactics that can feel transactional or, at times, disingenuous.
A big part of that reputation has also come from being selective. I don’t believe in working with every brand that comes my way. Just as clients are deciding if I’m the right fit for them, I’m making that same decision about whether their mission aligns with my values. When you work with brands that are doing good on purpose, you don’t need spin, you’re amplifying truth and shining a light on impact that already exists. That mutual alignment creates better work, stronger relationships, and more meaningful outcomes. Over time, it’s helped me build a reputation as someone who is thoughtful, trusted, and values-driven, someone who doesn’t just generate press, but helps shape narratives that actually matter.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.meetrootedcollective.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-swinney-63b5414/