Diversity, Equity & Inclusion PR Expert Releases First Book
SAN ANTONIO, TX (Oct. 25, 2022) - Latina PR veteran, podcaster and multicultural marketing expert Melissa Vela-Williamson has released her first book, “Smart Talk: Public Relations Essentials All PR Pros Should Know.” The book provides experience-based insights to help aspiring students, transitioning journalists, and marketers from all backgrounds enter and navigate today’s PR field successfully. Her book is meant to bridge the gap between classroom and career, showing up-and-coming professionals how to avoid detrimental mistakes and excel from day one.
“Smart Talk” candidly shares how public relations works from a diverse practitioner's point of view. After working in the industry for almost two decades, Vela-Williamson wanted to create a candid guide filled with tips about the evolving industry and advice on how to forge a smoother path toward an impactful, purposeful career. Including essential PR tools, strategic counsel, and even cringe-worthy stories, book readers will learn fundamental and innovative PR and communication principles. The book also covers developing beneficial relationships, creating integrated communication plans, planning with cultural competency, and introduces two new PR/DEI and Social Responsibility models that push the industry forward.
“Smart talk is my term for having honest, helpful conversations with an intelligent exchange of information and stories,” author Vela-Williamson says. “Smart talk isn’t always comfortable for professionals, but neither is growth. Our growth as professionals is more likely when we embrace sound advice and principles of practice early on in our careers. ”
A Zippia analysis of Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics shed light on how unlikely it was for Vela-Williamson to have achieved this level of trailblazing in PR. People of color make up about 24% of the entire PR profession. Latinos in PR reported to make up only 10.5% of the industry and Latino authors make up only 7% of the publishing industry. By becoming an industry author, Vela-Williamson shows readers that a strong work ethic, willingness to learn, and curiosity can take you far. That kind of representation can inspire many others like her to follow her lead into new areas of the profession.
“This book is a scalable way for me to answer questions I frequently receive from aspiring pros – students and journalists looking to move into public relations. More importantly, this is where I can encourage more professionals from diverse backgrounds to join the PR club. It’s a more multiracial and multicultural world each day, and our PR workforce should reflect that,” Vela-Williamson stated.
Vela-Williamson is an accredited, internationally-recognized public relations expert, Public Relations Society of America national columnist, and industry podcast host. With nearly two decades of multicultural and integrated communications experience, Melissa serves as a consultant, trainer, and chief communication architect at her boutique firm, MVW Communications. She has directed communication efforts for more than 90 organizations, including Kampgrounds of America, H-E-B, Alamo Colleges District, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, and Texas State University. She is also one of only 5,000 PR professionals worldwide with the “APR” distinction and recently earned her accreditation as a Certified Diversity Professional. With unique experience in internal communications and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Melissa leverages her PR expertise and acumen as a certified diversity professional to create social good using a fully integrated point of view.
“Smart Talk” is available on Amazon in e-book, paperback and hardcover formats. From Oct. 25 – 28, the e-book will be only $0.99, a special and accessible discount for aspiring pros. Vela-Williamson is committed to sharing this invitation into public relations with college students, especially those from Hispanic Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She will share donated books with diverse students as she talks to campuses across the country over the coming years. Speaking requests can be made here.
About Melissa Vela-Williamson, M.A., APR, CDP:
Melissa Vela-Williamson is an accredited, internationally-recognized public relations expert, national columnist, and podcast host. With nearly two decades of multicultural and integrated communications experience, Melissa serves as a consultant, trainer, and account director at her boutique firm, MVW Communications. She has directed communication efforts for more than 90 organizations, including Kampgrounds of America, H-E-B, Alamo Colleges District, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, and Texas State University. She is also one of only 5,000 PR professionals worldwide with the “APR” distinction and recently earned her accreditation as a Certified Diversity Professional. With unique experience in internal communications and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Melissa leverages her PR expertise and acumen as a certified diversity professional to create social good.
About MVW Communications:
MVW Communications is a national award-winning firm that collaborates and builds tailored account service teams to craft and execute award-winning campaigns. Seamlessly integrating with partner agencies or internal client experts, MVW Communications synthesizes the brainpower of the industry's top performers to bolster communications teams, supplement their talent, break down silos and bridge communication gaps for both internal and external audiences. Since opening in 2015, MVW Communications has earned over 35 industry awards and serviced clients across the nonprofit, education, health, social good, and hospitality industries. The boutique firm specializes in integrated strategic communication planning, diversity, equity & inclusion and Hispanic/Latino cultural campaigns. MVW has a proven track record of success across a wide array of public relations, marketing, social, and advertising areas to deliver measurable results that benefit clients and the community.