Introducing the "Don't Quote Me" Newsletter

“Allow me to reintroduce myself….” I am Alonda Thomas, an experienced public relations professional who has excelled and survived this industry for more than 20 years in the areas of corporate communications, entertainment and higher education. Welcome to my newsletter which I have lovingly called, “Don’t Quote Me: Tips and Quips By PR Strategist Alonda Thomas.”

For the past 20+ years I’ve spent my professional life offering advice behind the scenes to national corporate entities followed by work with some of the most popular stars in Black Hollywood or the most intelligent academicians at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). I’ve worked at the nation’s largest independently owned PR agency, freelanced for small boutique agencies, owned my own consulting business, and served as in-house counsel. I’ve helped each client build and maintain their brands through strategic messaging to their key audiences of consumers, or movie goers or prospective and current students.

As public relations professionals, our role is to help the client communicate effectively with their target audiences, whether that is through a media tour targeting various cities before the premiere of a film or through a press junket to preview the new season of a television show or by hosting a virtual town hall to explain how we will safely bring students back to campus in the middle of a pandemic.

On the other hand, I have also experienced my fair share of moments when I had to manage a crisis. I’ve been the person who spotted a concerning post on social media that prompted an emergency meeting at midnight. I know what it’s like to hold a press conference where you know your client is going to be grilled with tough questions. I’ve had to set up “war rooms” where top leadership huddled together to talk through an issue and figure out the best steps forward, and I’ve been the person to draft that letter to students, parents or alumni to explain “where do we go from here.”

Over the years, I’ve been blessed to help others find their voice in order to meet their core objectives. However, in the process I’ve learned, by default, to keep my voice and my personal beliefs out of the equation. After all, the goal is to present information on behalf of a client and to create opportunities for them to shine. But, of course, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have opinions and positions of my own that could be useful if presented in the right forum. And thus, we segue into the purpose of this newsletter!

“Don’t Quote Me” is a forum where I will share my unsolicited thoughts and advice on whatever is on my mind, including conversations in the worlds of current events, public relations, entertainment, higher education and beyond. The title of the newsletter captures the spirit of my professional life, as I’ve always been the one to provide information on behalf of others and where the last thing I want to see is my name in print! Today, I make a hard pivot and will intentionally let you know what is on Alonda’s mind, which is a bit out of my comfort zone so bear with me.

My hope is that, in time, this newsletter will grow into a creative outlet that may inspire young people to continue to pursue their career goals without limits and perhaps avoid a few obstacles that I’ve experienced along the way. The words that I share here are my own and do not express the opinions, feelings or beliefs of my clients or employer – present or past.

Thank you for coming along with me on this journey of self-reflection and inspiration!