This month we talk to RICHARD EASTERBROOK PR Account Manager, Fusion PR
What were your career ambitions growing up? I always wanted to write for a living, that’s something that has always been there. As a child I’d write short stories or newspaper reports, poems and songs. I decided at a young age that I wanted to be a journalist and everything I did, certainly at secondary school, was geared towards that, in terms of subject choices and work experience. Tell us about your current role? I’m an Account Manager at Fusion PR and Creative, a full service agency based in Blyth. I am the point of contact for a number of our clients across a range of businesses, from private healthcare to large manufacturers. What is the most challenging aspect of your job? A huge part of our job is media relations, nurturing those working relationships which creates more of a collaborative way of doing our work, rather than just dumping a press release in an inbox in the hope it will be used. Due to a combination of Covid-19-enforced furlough, and the changing face of regional journalism, it’s increasingly difficult to forge those relationships. On any given day, a completely different person could be working on the business page, or on a particular patch, whereas it was a lot more stable a few years ago. The press release has to go round the doors before finding the right person! What’s your biggest weakness and how have you managed this? I’m an introvert in a supposed extrovert world, which I’ve realised is not ideal in the world of PR. I’ve found that this industry favours those who shout, and I’m not one for shouting. I’ve never seen introversion as a weakness but I just have to trust that quiet people’s words carry just as much weight as those who shout theirs. What are you currently working on? We’re currently working with a North-East charity on a relaunch and there’s some really exciting stuff going on. I’m also working with our private healthcare clients on what kind of things they’re going to be doing as we negotiate this roadmap back to something approaching normality. Tell us about your team? I’ve only met two of them in person! I applied, interviewed and have been here two months, all under lockdown. Everything has been done on Teams, we have daily catch-up calls and have a social call on the odd Friday afternoon. They all seem great people – I’m looking forward to being able to share an office with them as that’s when creativity thrives, being able to bounce ideas off each other in real time. What is the best piece of business advice you have been given? It’s not business advice per se, but as a creative mind I find Brian Eno’s approach to creativity very influential. He once asked “are you a farmer or a cowboy” – the farmer plays things very safe, looking after the land, and the cowboy goes off in search of new territories. I’d like to think of myself as the latter. Who are your heroes inside and outside of business? Before I joined Fusion, I worked in the Amazon warehouse in Bowburn on a temporary basis, and I was really impressed by its efficiency. The entire business was process-driven and that comes from Jeff Bezos at the top. Amazon’s aim is to be the most customer-driven business in the world and I can’t see that being such a bad thing. Outside of business, I’d have to say Freddie Mercury from Queen. I was brought up listening to Queen records, and that hasn’t changed. I’m not sure what he would make of the world we live in now, but the soundtrack would be spectacular. Where do you see yourself in five years time? The same person but with more grey hair, I’d imagine. I’m not one for making plans or being too ambitious, but as long as I’m happy, the bills are paid and we’re healthy, it’s all good. How do you like to unwind outside of work? I’ve got a Bedlington Terrier/Springer Spaniel cross called Teddy who takes up a lot of our time, so getting him out for exercise is always high on the agenda. I’m a Sunderland AFC fan and contribute to the Wise Men Say podcast and write articles for their website. I also run a bit. I’ve done three Great North Runs in the past and will hopefully be making that four before I turn 40. Favourite Book, album and Box Set? Book – I’m reading The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold. Album – I’m currently listening to Maximo Park’s latest album. They’re a North East band that continue to live here, unlike many other bands from the region and they write songs about the region too. Box Set – I’m currently watching Deutschland 89, the third in the German-language trilogy. Worth it if only for the soundtrack!
