A dream that began more than a year ago as a conversation with my long-time friend and industry peer Alex Wilson has finally been realised.
Today, we launch the High Flyers PR Course.
A comprehensive, ten-lesson online public relations course that promises to give ambitious students all the knowledge and tools they’ll need to become an industry-leading PR professional, wherever they are in the world.
Why?
The public relations industry looks almost unrecognisable today compared to when I first came into it, back in 2008.
(Well… We’re back talking about recessions, but other than that – unrecognisable.)
As we adapt to hybrid models of working, all around the world, many PR bosses are worried about the effect this will have on staff development, and similarly, many ambitious professionals are worried about what they’re missing out on by not being among a team, at a critical career point.
One leading agency owner we spoke to right at the beginning of this process said it has caused training to “take a backseat”.
This course has been created for professionals, by professionals. We’re still right at the coalface of the industry and using the most up-to-date tools and practise.
Having spent a small fortune on training for my own team, it often feels fragmented, and difficult to know which course or courses to choose.
Alongside our combined 25 years of experience, we spoke to senior academics and some of the PR industry’s leading agency owners, brand marketers and learning and development teams, as well as ambitious employees.
What we’ve created as a result is something we truly believe to be special.
Something one agency founder said they’d buy ‘yesterday’, once we showed them the lesson plans!
Behind the scenes
We have gone to huge lengths and expense to ensure the course strikes the balance between professional, educational and fun
Starting this business alongside the running of an agency has meant spinning more plates than usual, but among all of the things I’ve had a hand in creating throughout the last fifteen years, from the agency and PR industry awards and tools through to PRexamples.com (now Famous Campaigns) and my book, it’s right up there as one of the things I’m most proud of.
Alex has been an incredible co-creator, bringing every second of his years of international, big brand experience to the table, and driving standards.
Part of the joy of creating this course was that while much was done remotely, from a scripting and content perspective, we filmed the lessons themselves at the University of my home county of Gloucestershire with the brilliant Unit One Films, over nearing forty hours. It’s a place I know well, having delivered lots of lectures for undergraduates and masters students.
As you can see below, it didn’t ALWAYS go as planned. I think my brain broke at this stage.
Alex stayed at my house with me and my family, which meant: lightsaber fights with my eleven year old, an incredibly necessary stop at Gloucester Services (come for the cheese-rolling, stay for the gelato), and working late into the night to ensure the scripts were as tight as possible.
We’ve posted a load of behind the scenes content on our social pages to show you how the High Flyers PR Course came together, and just how much love went into it.
Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to see some of how we got to this point, and we’re a sociable pair. Email us, arrange a call and we’d love to talk about what we’ve created.