This week on The Black Woman’s Confidant, Dr. Nicole welcomes Robyn Malone, CEO and Chief Partner Officer of RJ Communications, to delve into her journey as a Black woman in health and wellness PR.
Robyn’s distinguished career is defined by her ability to spearhead major campaigns for international organizations such as Pfizer and P&G, while leading large, diverse teams with empathy and purpose. She prioritizes storytelling and humanity, even in fast-paced industries that often focus on metrics. Her work includes impactful initiatives like the “You Don’t Know Jack About MS” awareness campaign and successful brand relaunches with a focus on heart.
As a seasoned industry veteran, Robyn shares invaluable wisdom on holding space as a leader and how to cultivate healthy, empathetic corporate cultures, particularly within high-pressure environments.
About Robyn Malone
Robyn has worked extensively in corporate and brand communications in the consumer health and pharmaceutical sectors – often managing large, multinational, and multi-regional teams to develop and execute successful campaigns that deliver tangible business results. These include “You Don’t Know Jack About MS,” – a public awareness campaign featuring newly diagnosed MS patient Jack Osbourne, and “Relieve My Fever,” – a children’s contest featuring Angie Harmon to re-launch Pfizer’s Children’s Advil. The integrated, communications-led effort garnered more than 135 million media impressions in top-tier print and broadcast media, including Fox & Friends, The Rachael Ray Show, Parade, and People.
Today, RJ Communications works with a range of clients ranging from tech startups to large, well-established multinational companies, using our experience in all things health to tell health stories and grow healthy brands.
A native NYer turned Chicagoan, Robyn marries heart, head, and humanity to tell the stories that compel people to action.
Key Points
00:15 Introduction
00:45 Principles of PR
1:22 You have to learn how to people
2:10 How Robyn got into PR
3:41 Robyn’s journey to starting her own company
5:30 The necessity of pivoting
8:30 How to lead with empathy authentically
10:30 Leading with empathy without being too vulnerable
11:44 Adapting in spaces not meant for us
14:00 Why we need more women of color in executive positions
15:00 How to be a successful leader without losing yourself
17:10 The mental gymnastics Black Women face
20:00 Leading with empathy can result in blurred boundaries
22:30 There is a limit to workplace empathy
25:25 Diving into personal PR
27:10 Misconceptions of what PR can do
29:15 How individuals can apply PR concepts to their professional life
32:00 Historically, values weren’t the top priority in the workplace
34:30 How we can learn from the youth
36:10 We are often the voice for our community
38:40 Utilizing your privilege to help others
41:00 Empathetic leading in all aspects of your life
43:45 Why we need multi generational input
46:30 Why every level of experience can be beneficial to decision making
48:00 We are never too experienced for mentorship
48:46 How to connect with Robyn
50:15 Conclusion
Episode Resources
Follow Robyn on LinkedIn (Personal) @RobynMalone
Follow RJ Communications on LinkedIn @RJCommunications
Connect with RJ Communications RJComms.com
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