“Communication is key” – we have all heard the saying at one point or another. What I’ve come to realize is that this saying rings true not only for verbal communication, but virtual as well. What do I mean by that? Well, the biggest challenge that the virtual format has presented for me so far is embracing virtual communication, as much as I embrace in-person communication. Specifically, not being afraid to communicate with the rest of the team when I need clarification on a project or task, or want to ensure I’m on track.
Ever since I was in high school I have been a question-asker. You know the type, the person who raises their hand after every single thing the teacher says, usually someone who never stops talking (literally just never shuts up) – yeah that’s me. Yet for some reason at the start of my time at Lee and London I had this idea in my head that I was being annoying or pushy when I would ask questions. Entirely off-brand (as I like to say) from the usual 20 questions game I like to play with just about anyone I speak to. Maybe it was because I was sending instant messages or email, rather than face to face interaction, so I felt like I was spamming people rather than having a normal conversation, or maybe I was just nervous because I’ve never worked in a professional environment like this before. Whatever it may have been, I let this fear of not wanting to ask questions get in my head, and it impacted my work performance. I was making silly mistakes that could have easily been solved just by asking a question.
"Don't be afraid to be curious"
By Emily O'Brien
November 4, 2022
(Virtual) Communication is Key
Welcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it's going! In the past 4 weeks I have gotten so much hands-on experience and my skills have been challenged in more ways than ever before. Granted, I also have experienced some of the obstacles that come with a virtual setting, which I am gonna get into in this blog post.
“Communication is key” – we have all heard the saying at one point or another. What I’ve come to realize is that this saying rings true not only for verbal communication, but virtual as well. What do I mean by that? Well, the biggest challenge that the virtual format has presented for me so far is embracing virtual communication, as much as I embrace in-person communication. Specifically, not being afraid to communicate with the rest of the team when I need clarification on a project or task, or want to ensure I’m on track.
Ever since I was in high school I have been a question-asker. You know the type, the person who raises their hand after every single thing the teacher says, usually someone who never stops talking (literally just never shuts up) – yeah that’s me. Yet for some reason at the start of my time at Lee and London I had this idea in my head that I was being annoying or pushy when I would ask questions. Entirely off-brand (as I like to say) from the usual 20 questions game I like to play with just about anyone I speak to. Maybe it was because I was sending instant messages or email, rather than face to face interaction, so I felt like I was spamming people rather than having a normal conversation, or maybe I was just nervous because I’ve never worked in a professional environment like this before. Whatever it may have been, I let this fear of not wanting to ask questions get in my head, and it impacted my work performance. I was making silly mistakes that could have easily been solved just by asking a question.
"Don't be afraid to be curious"
The funny part of it all is that the team at Lee and London stressed how questions are always welcome and they are here to help. Yet, I still let my fear of looking stupid hold me back. Eventually, I caved and began to unapologetically ask questions (after I knew I was not going to find the answer on my own) and I am SO happy I did. Not only did I feel like my normal obsessive question asking self again (PHEW), but team members welcomed my questions with open arms, and gave me so much valuable insight on how I could produce the best work possible. Asking questions was the best thing I could do to ensure that I get the most out of this internship. As one of my professors once told me, the key is to ask as many questions as you want, just don’t ask any of the same questions.
Bottom line, don’t be afraid to be curious. Virtual format prohibits in-person interaction from happening, but it does not have to stop communication. With the state of the world being the way that it is, virtual internships and jobs are a very likely possibility for the future, and it’s best to adapt to it now, rather than further down the line. I truly am so grateful to be working with an agency that encourages you to be the question-asker and does not shame anyone for being curious. You know how the saying goes, (Virtual) communication is key – don’t be afraid of it, embrace it!
(Virtual)Communication is KeyWelcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have gotten so much hands-on experience and my skills have been challenged in…
By Emily O’Brien (Virtual) Communication is Key Welcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have…
By Emily O’BrienChasing Dreams During A Pandemic And in the blink of an eye, my internship at Lee & London is coming to an end. I told myself when I started here that I would make a final blog post reflecting on my entire experience as a virtual Intern at Lee & London, so here…
By Emily O'Brien
November 4, 2022
Chasing Dreams During A Pandemic
And in the blink of an eye, my internship at Lee & London is coming to an end. I told myself when I started here that I would make a final blog post reflecting on my entire experience as a virtual Intern at Lee & London, so here it is. If I’m being honest here, I have no idea where to begin, it’s incredibly difficult to try and put into words just how grateful I am for this experience.
Let’s start here, never in my entire college experience have I learned so many valuable skills in such a short period of time. My University does not have a Public Relations major, and there’s only one course that covers PR. While my Intro to PR class was my favorite class I had ever taken, it’s safe to say I had no clue what the day-to-day of a Public Relations professional actually looked like. My knowledge started and ended at “Cision will be your best friend.” Granted, that statement has remained entirely true, but I have learned so much more in the process than just that. I now know more about how to curate a killer media list, write a pitch that won’t make journalists slam their head against their desk, and I understand the strategic thinking made behind every PR project and decision. I could not have gained any of those skills if it were not for the help and mentoring that those above me offered, and while I’m sure my questions drove them crazy from time to time, they never shoved my curiosity off (see blog post 2 - virtual communication is key for more on that).
Additionally, I got to work hand-in-hand with an incredible team to bounce ideas off of one another, brainstorm, and overall form great connections with people all over the United States. I started this blog series with a focus on virtual internships vs. in-person internships and while there are absolutely some major differences (not getting to collaborate with the team in person, not being able to raise your hand for quick questions, and not witnessing company culture first-hand, being some), the purpose and outcome of an internship remained the same. The other interns and I were given a shot at a first-hand experience within the Public Relations field, and that is something that no college class or youtube tutorial could ever teach. We were welcomed into the team and respected as team members, given tasks to complete that would challenge and teach us, and offered front-row seats for witnessing PR pros work their magic for their clients.
"The most valuable thing we can experience is the freedom to chase the opportunities we want."
If you are an aspiring professional in any career field, chase any opportunity you get, virtual or not virtual, the most valuable thing we can experience is the freedom to chase the opportunities we want.
If you are a seasoned professional in any career field, offer people opportunities to learn from you - they want to so bad and there are so many incredible young professionals who would kill for an opportunity to witness you excel at a field they are interested in. You have so much to teach, and they have so much they want to learn.
All in all, we are all experiencing a crazy time right now, the world is changing in an immeasurable way and we are all just trying to figure out how to live our lives amid a global crisis. Don’t let the uncertainty of the times derail you from chasing your dreams. What’s my dream? To work at a Public Relations agency in a city (any city) and more importantly to never lose my passion for PR and my drive to keep learning.
If anything, let this awful experience of living through a pandemic put into perspective what you want most out of the story that is your life. Embrace any opportunities, chase your aspirations, and don’t forget to be kind to yourself and others in the process. It’s not always about growing your career skills, sometimes it’s just about growing.
(Virtual)Communication is KeyWelcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have gotten so much hands-on experience and my skills have been challenged in…
By Emily O’Brien (Virtual) Communication is Key Welcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have…
By Emily O’BrienChasing Dreams During A Pandemic And in the blink of an eye, my internship at Lee & London is coming to an end. I told myself when I started here that I would make a final blog post reflecting on my entire experience as a virtual Intern at Lee & London, so here…
By Paola Pacheco
November 4, 2022
Happy Monthaversary! To: L&L, From: Paola
About a month and a half ago, I had the privilege of starting my first day at Lee & London. As a college graduate fresh out of San Francisco State University, I’ll admit that I had no idea what to do with my career. All I wanted was to work in the PR world and move to a whole new city in the future, and San Diego was on my list (even though we’re in the middle of a pandemic). So, I started my post-grad life the only way I knew how: grinding myself to the core. It only took me three months before I found Lee & London, and I’m so glad I did. I’ve learned more about the public relations world in the past four weeks, than I have in one semester.
I’ve also learned a lot of valuable things since then…
Building media lists like a pro
Using HubSpot, Outlook, and Cision
Nothing you learn in class compares to the real-life work
You can still build relationships with your fellow interns and bosses remotely
Sending gifs through Slack (my favorite thing that I learned from Brendi, CEO of LLPR!)
TL;DR: If you’re looking for a sign to apply for an internship here at Lee & London, this is it: go for it, and you’ll never look back — because I know I didn’t.
Love, LLPR Intern
I've learned more about the public relations world in the past four weeks than I have in one semester"
(Virtual)Communication is KeyWelcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have gotten so much hands-on experience and my skills have been challenged in…
By Emily O’Brien (Virtual) Communication is Key Welcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have…
By Emily O’BrienChasing Dreams During A Pandemic And in the blink of an eye, my internship at Lee & London is coming to an end. I told myself when I started here that I would make a final blog post reflecting on my entire experience as a virtual Intern at Lee & London, so here…
By Loren Smith
November 4, 2022
Remote Internships - Opportunity for All
My name is Loren Smith and I am a recent college graduate from American University in Washington, D.C. I personally have had an interesting ride with college and internships, and in this blog I am going to share my experience and how I think internships could be improved for future interns to come. Internship experience is a privilege for some and a struggle for many. I believe internships can be such a great opportunity! However, they don’t always cater to those who are underprivileged, or able to accept an unpaid internship.
My Personal Experience
My college experience was slightly different than most. I started taking college courses in my junior year of highschool and graduated with my associate’s degree. Upon transferring to a four year university, I knew that I was going to be graduating two years early with individuals 2-3 years older than me, who likely had more experience in the field. This was stressful for me, considering degrees in Public Relations are so reliant on internship experience, in order to secure a job after graduation. Because of this, I had to constantly remind myself not to compare myself to the older students.
In my “sophomore” year of college which was also my last year, I was able to get a paid internship with a marketing agency in the fall semester and I was, and still am, very grateful for this. To be 19 working in a major city such as Washington, D.C. and do things like ride the metro to work with TONS (seriously, the metro was packed) of serious people in suits, was such a fun experience for me. Even though I finished college with one internship under my belt, I chose to look at it with a positive mindset and decided to spend the two years that I would have been in school, traveling and gaining internship experience.
"Internship experience is a privilege for some and a struggle for many. I believe internships can be such a great opportunity! However, they don’t always cater to those who are underprivileged, or able to accept an unpaid internship."
Lee and London
After graduating, I took the summer off to relax (Covid-19 kind of forced me to), which I honestly needed. I then applied to intern with Lee and London for the fall of 2020. After completing a mock press release and interview, Brendi, CEO of Lee and London, took me under her wing. I am very grateful to be able to complete a remote internship with Lee and London PR, and to be working with individuals in different parts of the country. I hope that remote jobs continue to be accessible to future interns and job seekers who may not have the privilege to relocate for job openings.
That all being said, I'm looking forward to sharing some of my internship experience with you all, through this blog!
(Virtual)Communication is KeyWelcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have gotten so much hands-on experience and my skills have been challenged in…
By Emily O’Brien (Virtual) Communication is Key Welcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have…
By Emily O’BrienChasing Dreams During A Pandemic And in the blink of an eye, my internship at Lee & London is coming to an end. I told myself when I started here that I would make a final blog post reflecting on my entire experience as a virtual Intern at Lee & London, so here…
By Emily O'Brien
November 4, 2022
Hi guys! My name is Emily O’Brien, I’m a senior Media and Communications student at West Chester University and I am so excited to join the Lee & London team as a fall intern for the 2020 semester! As I’m sure many of you can relate, during quarantine I found myself lost and looking for anything to get my mind off of the craziness of the world. I wanted to be doing something productive with my life, learning something new, and growing into a better version of myself. However, with the restrictions that a global pandemic presents (as I’m sure we’re all aware of) I had no idea how to get there. Internship searches are always challenging, let alone virtual internship searches during a global crisis. This past summer I was feeling worn out and beaten down after spending hours looking for any internship opportunity I could find, yet still coming up empty handed. This is where Lee & London comes in.
In an effort to learn more about the public relations industry, I called up a good friend and past Lee & London intern, Avery. Our conversation was just supposed to be a casual discussion about what I could do to best prepare myself for a career in PR, when summer internships were few and far between and my PR study abroad program was cancelled due to COVID-19. Little did I know that our conversation would be instrumental in how I came to join the Lee & London team for Fall of 2020. After I had asked Avery about her career journey, she mentioned a particular internship that had taught her more about the public relations industry than anything else, that internship was at Lee & London. I was immediately drawn in. The prospect of an opportunity that great was enough to jolt me right into action and apply for the Lee & London Fall 2020 Internship position. I was determined, I wanted to chase after this opportunity and I had decided I would not let anything get in my way. Almost 3 months after my call with Avery, and I couldn’t be happier or more grateful to be a member of the Lee & London team.
No matter the obstacles that a virtual format presents, I was, and still am, determined to make the absolute most out of the opportunity. Virtual interning is a challenge, but it is a challenge that is not going away any time soon. I want to focus this blog on how I am navigating the journey of a virtual internship, as someone who is across the country from their company’s headquarters, so that I can help other young interns like myself as virtual internships become a part of the “new normal” that we are living in.
“What’s it like being a virtual intern?” is a common question many have asked themselves during this unprecedented time. Although I’m still very much so figuring it out, I can confidently say that being a virtual intern is just as amazing of an experience as in-person. Is it the same experience? Absolutely not, but that speaks nothing of its value. The remote format offers additional challenges, that’s for sure. However, I like to think that these challenges offer one-of-a-kind learning experiences that I would not get to witness, were it an in-person format.
As a virtual intern, you must be able to adapt to the abnormal way of operations we are all currently trying to figure out. If you can learn one thing from virtual internships, let them teach you adaptability. Not only is adaptability an extremely valuable skill, but not everyone gets a golden opportunity to improve it, let a virtual internship be that opportunity to you. In this internship I am completely out of my comfort zone, yet I would not have it any other way. While this can be overwhelming, it is also extremely empowering when I successfully work through the discomfort and succeed at a task.
To all college students actively pursuing virtual internships: Don’t be scared of the virtual format, be excited for it. Yes, there are times that it will be uncomfortable and overwhelming, however discomfort is the key to growth. I’m looking forward to embracing the uncomfortable and using this blog to take you all along with me as I try to figure it all out!
(Virtual)Communication is KeyWelcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have gotten so much hands-on experience and my skills have been challenged in…
By Emily O’Brien (Virtual) Communication is Key Welcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have…
By Emily O’BrienChasing Dreams During A Pandemic And in the blink of an eye, my internship at Lee & London is coming to an end. I told myself when I started here that I would make a final blog post reflecting on my entire experience as a virtual Intern at Lee & London, so here…
By Paola Pacheco
November 4, 2022
(Fall)ing for Lee & London: PR Intern Edition
My first day as an intern at Lee & London started at 9AM. I woke up at 6AM. Maybe it was the excitement that I couldn’t contain about meeting everyone, or the fact that I’ve been waking up earlier than 6 for the longest time #LifeOfABarista, but I had absolutely no business waking up at 6 in the morning when my first commitment didn’t start until three hours later.
A lot of folks believe that any type of virtual experience, whether it be classes, happy hour, or internships, knocks down the impact it would’ve had if the pandemic didn’t happen. That couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, my first day as a virtual intern almost felt like I was physically coming in to the office, because it was still nerve-wracking meeting Brendi, the CEO, and Corinne, a senior publicist.
One of our first tasks as interns were to add our own bios into the L&L website (check us out here!), guided by Lindsey, one of L&L’s Account Coordinators. It may seem like a mundane task, but I honestly enjoyed the whole hour doing it — from using WordPress to doing front-end work, I felt like a webmaster until I met J.P., the Director of SEO (and a genius!), who showed the interns the real ropes of digital marketing.
What makes this internship different from the ones that I had is that I truly felt like I was a part of a team at Lee & London. Today marks the end of my second week here, and I’ve already learned so much that I had to dedicate a whole page to my bullet journal. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me!
(Virtual)Communication is KeyWelcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have gotten so much hands-on experience and my skills have been challenged in…
By Emily O’Brien (Virtual) Communication is Key Welcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have…
By Emily O’BrienChasing Dreams During A Pandemic And in the blink of an eye, my internship at Lee & London is coming to an end. I told myself when I started here that I would make a final blog post reflecting on my entire experience as a virtual Intern at Lee & London, so here…
This semester we
welcomed two new interns to Lee and London PR!
Molly and Lauren have become great additions to our team. They are both students at the University of San Diego, enjoy Tuesday morning Bachelor recaps and read the AP stylebook “just for fun.” Here’s a little more about them.
Molly Feeney
Age: 21 years old
Hometown: Boston
Studying: Communication Studies with minors in Marketing and English
Why Lee and London: I chose to work at Lee and London because I wanted a hands-on internship. Correspondingly, I did not want to spend my time grabbing coffees or fighting the copy machine. I knew I will learn all there is to know about the public relations industry through Lee and London and I am so excited for the semester!
Fun Fact: I can spend hours upon hours on Tik Tok (evidence here)
Favorite reality show: Below Deck on Bravo or the Bachelor/Bachelorette
Favorite thing to do in San Diego: Grab an acai bowl from Northside Shack with my roommates and watch the sunset at Sunset Cliffs!
Lauren Frack
Age: 21 years old
Hometown: Portland
Studying: Communication Studies
Why Lee and London: I chose to work at Lee and London because I
love learning about the diverse aspects of PR and the CEO Brendi takes it upon
herself to educate us about the field. I enjoy creating all types of media,
writing and graphic design and I hope to continue to grow these skills through
this internship.
Fun Fact: I embroider and design a bunch of my own clothes!
Favorite office snack: Veggies and Hummus, the perfect combo.
Favorite reality show: The Bachelor (but not this season)
Favorite thing to do in San Diego: Go to the beach and do
anything outdoors
Art San Diego, the county’s premier contemporary fine art show, is moving downtown to the San Diego Convention Center for its 11th annual show Oct. 10-13. The show moves from the Wyland Center at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, where it has been the past two years. Art San Diego, with presenting sponsor UBS Financial Services, is highly regarded in the industry for cutting-edge exhibitions and dynamic programmings like Art Labs, Art Talks, the LaunchPad Artist, Spotlight Program and the San Diego Art Prize.
“Art San Diego has emerged as one of the best-attended cultural events in Southern California and continues to grow annually,” said Linda Mariano, Redwood Media Group’s director of marketing. “San Diego is one of the nation’s most vibrant urban cities—and the convention center is at the core of all the action. We’re excited to offer attendees and exhibitors this great new location complimented by the vibrant downtown setting with a rich variety of restaurants, retail stores and world-class entertainment in mere walking distance.”
Founded in 2009 as the first and only contemporary art show in San Diego, Art San Diego is a four-day art event that features more than 500 leading contemporary artists and offers dynamic programming that includes museum exhibitions, Art Labs, events, and Art Talks focused on collecting. Now in its 11th year, the four-day event attracts more than 15,000 attendees, including high-net-worth collectors. Art San Diego provides a focus on San Diego’s vibrant and diverse cultural art scene alongside an exciting collection of international galleries and artists.
New programs introduced last year that are back by popular demand are Free Friday, Palette of Desserts and Access to Art. Friday offers free admission to anyone from 1-5 p.m. Palette of Desserts is a partnership with local chefs and bakeries who draw inspiration from an artist’s to-be-exhibited piece and create a dessert masterpiece to be sampled. Access to Art partners the visual arts with San Diego based nonprofits, resulting in a sizeable donation for each during the four-day event.
Tickets are on sale now at www.art-sandiego.com. Artist exhibitor applications are still open at artsandiego.com/exhibitor-application/. Sponsorship opportunities are also available; interested parties may email sponsors@art-sandiego.com for more information.
SD Pride Parade Hosted Over 275 Contingents, 300,000 spectators and sold a record-breaking number of festival tickets.
Lee and London was honored to volunteer our time and PR experience for the 46th annual San Diego Pride, led by our own Chloe Janda!
We’ve been implementing strategic PR tactics all year for the parade and festival, including earning coverage across hundreds of media platforms and creating social media posts about the 5K. Thanks to the awesome PR and impressive marketing team, Pride broke attendance records for the entire weekend. Yeah, you heard that right, we broke records! For the first time in 46 years of SD Pride the festival made over ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN TICKET SALE!
The parade showcased over 275 contingents marching and parade attendees included over 300,000 people flooding the streets from Hillcrest to Balboa Park honoring the Stonewall generation and celebrating their unified LGBTQ+ community. The parade spectators went up 50,000 from 2018! Pride events featured the diversity and achievements of indigenous, black, trans, military, and Latinx folx, highlighting the 50 years of accomplishments of the community and paying tribute to Stonewall’s 50th anniversary.
Lee and London Account Manager, Chloe Janda, lead the PR crusade all year long anticipating the week-long surge of SD Pride events. Janda and L&L’s three PR interns, McKenzie Jester, Taelor Ross and Vivianh Huynh planned press conference as well as a morning CBS News 8 live backlot segment and numerous live news interviews.
“I can’t think of a better way to gain experience in public relations while supporting the San Diego LGBTQ community,” said McKenzie Jester, PR intern. “We were proud to celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ loved ones and acknowledging that this day is about them, their success, and their ongoing battles.”
The event packed week started on Saturday, July 6 with She Fest, a woman-centered event that celebrates and supports the talents and contributions of women, and ended on the festival main stage singing along to the infectious melodies of the rock icon and pioneer of queer rock music, Melissa Ethridge.
“To my LGBTQ fans in San Diego and around the world, I have so much to thank you for. You are proof that we can become the change we wish to see,” said Melissa Ethridge.
Sunday’s festivities include entertainment zones, local drag performances, community organizations and free community resources, youth organizations, dance areas, beverage gardens, visual art, vendor booths, educational and art exhibits, cultural presentations, free HIV testing, delicious food, and much more.
The music festival had over 50,000 attendees enjoying headlining acts King Princess, Mykki Blanco, Greyson Chance and RuPaul Drag Race Queen’s Aquaria, Asia O’Hara and Kim Chi. All proceeds from the festival and parade support San Diego Pride’s LGBTQ-centered philanthropy and year-round education and advocacy programs. The festival was unifying and celebratory for all in attendance. And just when we thought this week could not be more filled with kindness and love, we witnessed a marriage proposal!
We know how special San Diego is, but do you? Here’s what makes San Diego and SD Pride stand out among the rest. We are happy to report that San Diego was one of the only major cities across the world without any protests or any major incidents at the parade. Because SD is a city with a large military presence, integrating queer service members into the celebration was a must. At 9 a.m. on the morning of the Parade, 5K and Festival, history was made with a reenlistment ceremony of a trans service member of the Coast Guard, conducted by Major General Beevers in solidarity with the transgender community. During the parade, a 4 ship, F15 flyover from Cal Guard's Fresno 144th Fighter Wing- another historic first- was conducted in honor of our transgender service members who bravely serve this country every day.
We watched transgender soldiers walk in unison, young children watch drag queens perform wide-eyed in amazement and parents line streets to hug LGBTQ youth to show they are not alone. While this week was long and draining at times, the impact these moments had on us was far more influential than any of us anticipated. It taught us lessons in kindness, work ethic and community unity. Lee and London is beaming with San Diego Pride!
By Emily O'Brien
November 4, 2022
SD Pride Parade Hosted Over 275 Contingents, 300,000 spectators and sold a record-breaking number of festival tickets.
Lee and London was honored to volunteer our time and PR experience for the 46th annual San Diego Pride, led by our own Chloe Janda!
We’ve been implementing strategic PR tactics all year for the parade and festival, including earning coverage across hundreds of media platforms and creating social media posts about the 5K. Thanks to the awesome PR and impressive marketing team, Pride broke attendance records for the entire weekend. Yeah, you heard that right, we broke records! For the first time in 46 years of SD Pride the festival made over ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN TICKET SALE!
The parade showcased over 275 contingents marching and parade attendees included over 300,000 people flooding the streets from Hillcrest to Balboa Park honoring the Stonewall generation and celebrating their unified LGBTQ+ community. The parade spectators went up 50,000 from 2018! Pride events featured the diversity and achievements of indigenous, black, trans, military, and Latinx folx, highlighting the 50 years of accomplishments of the community and paying tribute to Stonewall’s 50th anniversary.
Lee and London Account Manager, Chloe Janda, lead the PR crusade all year long anticipating the week-long surge of SD Pride events. Janda and L&L’s three PR interns, McKenzie Jester, Taelor Ross and Vivianh Huynh planned press conference as well as a morning CBS News 8 live backlot segment and numerous live news interviews.
“I can’t think of a better way to gain experience in public relations while supporting the San Diego LGBTQ community,” said McKenzie Jester, PR intern. “We were proud to celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ loved ones and acknowledging that this day is about them, their success, and their ongoing battles.”
The event packed week started on Saturday, July 6 with She Fest, a woman-centered event that celebrates and supports the talents and contributions of women, and ended on the festival main stage singing along to the infectious melodies of the rock icon and pioneer of queer rock music, Melissa Ethridge.
“To my LGBTQ fans in San Diego and around the world, I have so much to thank you for. You are proof that we can become the change we wish to see,” said Melissa Ethridge.
Sunday’s festivities include entertainment zones, local drag performances, community organizations and free community resources, youth organizations, dance areas, beverage gardens, visual art, vendor booths, educational and art exhibits, cultural presentations, free HIV testing, delicious food, and much more.
The music festival had over 50,000 attendees enjoying headlining acts King Princess, Mykki Blanco, Greyson Chance and RuPaul Drag Race Queen’s Aquaria, Asia O’Hara and Kim Chi. All proceeds from the festival and parade support San Diego Pride’s LGBTQ-centered philanthropy and year-round education and advocacy programs. The festival was unifying and celebratory for all in attendance. And just when we thought this week could not be more filled with kindness and love, we witnessed a marriage proposal!
We know how special San Diego is, but do you? Here’s what makes San Diego and SD Pride stand out among the rest. We are happy to report that San Diego was one of the only major cities across the world without any protests or any major incidents at the parade. Because SD is a city with a large military presence, integrating queer service members into the celebration was a must. At 9 a.m. on the morning of the Parade, 5K and Festival, history was made with a reenlistment ceremony of a trans service member of the Coast Guard, conducted by Major General Beevers in solidarity with the transgender community. During the parade, a 4 ship, F15 flyover from Cal Guard's Fresno 144th Fighter Wing- another historic first- was conducted in honor of our transgender service members who bravely serve this country every day.
We watched transgender soldiers walk in unison, young children watch drag queens perform wide-eyed in amazement and parents line streets to hug LGBTQ youth to show they are not alone. While this week was long and draining at times, the impact these moments had on us was far more influential than any of us anticipated. It taught us lessons in kindness, work ethic and community unity. Lee and London is beaming with San Diego Pride!
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(Virtual)Communication is KeyWelcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have gotten so much hands-on experience and my skills have been challenged in…
By Emily O’Brien (Virtual) Communication is Key Welcome to part 2 of my “Chronicles of a Quarintern” series! We are about 4 weeks into my time at Lee & London Public Relations and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s going! In the past 4 weeks I have…
By Emily O’BrienChasing Dreams During A Pandemic And in the blink of an eye, my internship at Lee & London is coming to an end. I told myself when I started here that I would make a final blog post reflecting on my entire experience as a virtual Intern at Lee & London, so here…