Elizabeth Harrison on Why PR is Still a Drug, How to Be an Agent of Change and the Trick to Staying at the Top of Your Game

LEAVE YOUR MARK EPISODE 64

Over two decades ago, Elizabeth Harrison found herself as the cover story of the December 1998 issue of New York Magazine. The issue titled Power Girls uncovered a new crop of power publicists who had barely just graduated college but yet were able to wield incredible influence and control over the NYC nightlife scene. Elizabeth and her co-founder Lara Shriftman started Harrison & Shriftman, now H&S, an agency that would ultimately change the ways brands looked at celebrity and talent partnerships. Back then, brands like Mercedes-Benz knew one thing, how to market to a 50-year-old white man. H&S changed that by pitching them to lifestyle and fashion publications. They redefined the industry by taking corporate clients and making them cool. 

Today, she is listed in The Observer's PR Power 50. As a lifestyle expert and CEO, she leads H&S is a full-service agency specializing in integrated global communications, with dedicated media, experiential, influencer/celebrity, and social/digital services. Known for setting the benchmark for groundbreaking, press-worthy experiences, Elizabeth has worked closely with world-class brands including Booking.com, Omega, Jimmy Choo, and Bacardi. She recently worked on American Express's acclaimed "Built to Last" video podcast series, Booking.com's "America Is for Everyone" campaign, and Amazon's "Off to College" store.

Elizabeth's journey began on Seventh Avenue in New York City. Her grandfather started Anne Klein, the original inventor of American sportswear. Elizabeth had access and world-class experiences to help define who she was at a young age. From starting as an assistant in magazines and working on Forrest Gump's set, to trudging through the sometimes treacherous trenches of Peggy Siegal PR to her own corner office, Elizabeth is as reflective as ever. Admittedly, mostly everyone in her circle looked the same back then. Today, one of her main priorities is to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. With her company's management over 70% diverse, Elizabeth is passionate about creating the opposite culture of what the PR industry has seen historically.

As a CEO today, she's a proponent of change management. This year she has joined forces with Jeffrey Bowman of Reframe, enterprise software as a service technology company that helps companies build better employee experiences. They aim to modernize corporate America to reflect the new America. The collaboration was born from a provocative co-authored White Paper titled "Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Will Not Be Enough to Save Corporate America."

In this episode, we go on Elizabeth's personal journey through her storied and exciting career. From the heyday of magazines and PR, how to create buzz today, manage a crisis, and the tactics she employs to keep her clients like American Express and Booking.com world-class. Elizabeth is a firm believer that you should always still practice the core skills you began with, no matter how big you get. She will make herself pitch and write from time to time to maintain her grip on the reality of how hard her team works. Elizabeth is mindful of her leadership style and understanding the effect she has on her team. But most of all, decades later, she still believes that PR is a drug we all love to take. The world may have changed, but the business of influencing remains the same.

Listen to Elizabeth's episode on LEAVE YOUR MARK