2018 marked my three-year anniversary of working at Bospar.

When I started with the company in February of 2015, I was 23 and had almost two years of PR experience under my belt. I was still pretty fresh out of college and new to PR and needed a good amount of training. Although I’m still early in my career, I’ve learned many lessons during my years with Bospar.

Here are a few that have really stayed with me:

“He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.” – Chinese Proverb

One thing I’ve learned is to never stop asking questions. No matter your position, asking questions is the most effective way of learning. Many of our clients’ technologies are incredibly technical and often hard to understand. Only by asking questions can we truly understand how each technology works. Pretending I know what they’re talking about when I don’t isn’t going to do me or the client any good when we’re put on the spot in a media interview.

“Tones sound, and roar and storm about me until I have set them down in notes.” – Ludwig van Beethoven

OK, so it’s true that these aren’t exactly the same notes that Ludwig was talking about, but the concept is the same. Whether I’m scribbling in my notebook or typing in a Word document, I take notes during every client and internal call. This keeps the information fresh in my mind, and I can refer back to my notes when drafting pitches or creating campaign plans. .

“Deadlines refine the mind. The closer the deadline, the more likely you’ll start thinking waaay outside the box.” – Adam Savage

Here at Bospar, meeting deadlines is of the utmost importance. Clients rely on us to keep them on track, and, in turn, we need to stay on track internally. I try to set reasonable deadlines with myself so that I know I’m delivering my best work to my clients.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know.” ― Dr. Seuss

In the world of PR, it’s essential to stay up-to-date on the news and current events. Whether it’s politics, the latest tech trends or local news, I try to consume as much daily news as possible. Outside of work, I try to read one book per month with my book club and one book per month for my own pleasure to keep my creativity levels and knowledge of pop culture and trending topics high.

“If you’re not having fun, then it’s probably time to call it quits and try something else.” – Richard Branson

Last but not least: have fun.

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in stress and deadlines, but smiling and laughing go a long way towards keeping it fun. Whether I’m having the best day or the worst day, I try to join every client meeting with a smile on my face.