#BehindtheSelfie with... Lexi Hall
1. Where do you live, work and play?
Live: Rondebosch
Work: Claremont
Play: All over the world, much to my husband’s distress. Preferably on a mountain with skis on my feet, on the beach or in the bush somewhere.
2. What’s your claim to fame?
Whether it’s the fact that I have a nephew older than me, or that I was the first Zimbabwean ski instructor in Colorado, or that I once sent a very risqué CV by mistake to the whole South African media and marketing industry… I’m not sure.
3. Describe your career so far.
My first seven years working was spent in the agency world. I especially loved my time at Publicis Machine. The last three years I have spent running and nurturing my own business, which I love for a whole host of different reasons.
4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.
- The bush
- Running
- Skiing
- Travel
- Chocolate
- Wine
5. What do you love about your industry?
I love the fact that no two days are the same. The variety of clients that we get to work with certainly makes things interesting – from African safaris to cement floors, toothpaste, education, agencies, forex, garden tools, pet insurance and so much more… There is never a dull moment!
I also enjoy being that silent PR engine, working in the background to help our clients achieve their business goals. By doing this we help them get more customers, sell more product, get more people to their site, etc. Whatever it is that’s keeping them up at night – we help them solve by helping them find their voice, be heard and stand out.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
I spend the first hour or two with my son – usually reading books or dancing around to The Greatest Showman soundtrack. I then grab a coffee on the way into the office, where we have a morning status meeting.
Meet with a client or two, liaise with media, write/edit some work, grab a Woolies’ on-the-go-lunch, and then back to the office for a few more hours before heading home to pick up my son and take him for a run in the park!
7. What are the tools of your trade?
We start with written content, our networks and really strong coffee. Depending on the client and the task at hand, we also use Newsclip Media Monitoring, WordPress, Canva and Xero, which help in making our lives much easier.
8. Who is getting it right in your industry?
Gone Digital. They're a client of mine but they are getting the agency model right by keeping things simple.
They have an incredible collection of some of SA’s best talent, do great work with quick turnarounds and without big agency overheads.
9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.
There are a lot of people out there who don’t understand what PR is and what it can do for you.
It’s a lot more measurable and effective than many people realise. As an industry, we need to focus on creating more awareness around what PR can do for businesses and how ROI can actually be measured really accurately.
We need more people to take a leaf out of the Bill Gates' book:
If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.10. What are you working on right now?
11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.
- ROI
- Coverage
- Paid vs earned media
- Influencer marketing
- Media relations
- Editorial calendars
- Engagement
- Lead time
- Reach
- Reputation management
And the list goes on…
12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
When running or swimming.
13. What’s your secret talent/party trick?
Impi…
14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?
One of my favourite things to do when I get home is to turn my phone off… And don’t tell anyone, but I’m not on Instagram! [Ed: Oops, now the cat is out of the bag].
15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?
Pictures of my son… So many pictures of my son!
16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?
- Never stop learning and never stop adapting to your environment.
- Stop thinking and talking, just do it.
- If you can simplify your business to just love and serve your clients – that’s half the battle won.
- Only take on clients whose values are aligned with your own.
Simple as that. Follow Hall on LinkedIn and Facebook, and follow Tinkwe PR on LinkedIn and Facebook .
*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
