Founders and Leaders – Katie Owen
Ever wondered how to build a career in PR? To celebrate Babel’s 18th birthday, we’re chatting with our leaders about their career paths. Some took a straight line, others had twists and turns. In this episode of our Founders & Leaders series, we’re featuring Katie Owen, our newest Director, about her path to Babel!
How did you find your way into Tech PR?
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve needed a creative outlet – whether it’s through writing, visual arts, or music. At school, I was more likely
to be found in the photography room, an art class, have my head in a great novel or non-fiction, curious about the world around us. It was obvious I was never heading towards a career in medicine, finance or law!
I had early exposure to the media industry – my mum used to edit TV programmes when it was all done manually, pulling long stints in Soho as deadlines loomed. She took time off to raise my sister and me during our pre-school years, and in that short time, the industry shifted to digital. It was an early wake-up call to the way tech was starting to radically shake up industries.
I’ve always been proud that she fought her way back into an industry she loved and found another path forward. It also made me determined to work hard to build my own career and to find a way to keep it alive when I had children of my own.
But it was a guest lecture at uni that formed the spark moment for me – suddenly PR was on my radar. It sounded like a real challenge (particularly for a self-confessed introvert) but I was here for it.
I had a year-long stint in a very local PR agency in Somerset, where I got the bug for unearthing stories. I spent hours poring over papers for physical coverage clippings and flipping endlessly through a journalist database, which was more like a Yellow Pages than the digital databases and AI tools we rely on today.
While that does more to show my age than reflect life as a PR today, it was a great grounding. Being local also meant lots of face time with clients and a very hands-on approach. Stuck for coverage ideas – we went to visit, took product shots of items we thought would resonate, and took the call afterwards when they panicked that they didn’t have enough stock to fill demand!
While it was the foot in the door I needed, I knew there was more to PR, so curiosity took me back to uni to study a Masters in International PR and see where that took me.
As it turns out – it was a shared flat in Streatham Hill and a grad role in a Victoria-based global PR agency. I’ll never forget moving to London, starting my graduate PR programme and intensive training while simultaneously finishing my dissertation in the evenings.
It was a hectic start, but I was lucky to get exposure to all kinds of PR, from corporate to consumer and public affairs, before finding my home in the tech team. I loved the variety, the potential of the products and services our clients wanted to shout about, and most importantly, found a team of people who I loved working (and socialising) with.
It’s been B2B Tech for me ever since and I still love the variety, and the way we get exposure to the tech that’s continuing to evolve the world around us, from a very early, detailed lens.”
Why the move to Babel?
“Unsurprisingly, I’ve worked in a few agencies in my 15 or so years in this industry and in each one, I’ve been lucky enough to learn from inspiring people, soak up some great ways of working, take advice on client comms, insights, processes and creative inspiration. Agencies change all the time and sometimes you hit milestones in life that mean you change, too.
With two young children at home and a chance to re-focus on my career, I knew I needed a fresh challenge. I’ve loved big agency experience, but I realised I was happiest when I was working for people who were invested in the business, who had built something from scratch or who had spent years building a culture and business they were proud of.
Babel struck a chord on all these levels – not only could I still speak to and learn from the founders of the business, but their ethos around people, around creating opportunities for individuals, and the fact that they’ve built a working dynamic that allowed for flex that appreciates the messiness of life outside work, really resonated with me. Being mid-size, it has the best of both worlds, big ambitions and a big heart.“
What are you passionate about in PR?
“Beyond delivering fantastic work for clients and staying curious about all aspects of tech, it’s the people side that has kept me in agencies all this time.
It can be a tricky business. We juggle a lot and are expected to carry a lot of knowledge about a lot of topics, all the time. We also have to wear many hats and that’s only going to grow. But it means we form close bonds over time with colleagues who are also in the thick of it (as they say) and who work hard to support each other to deliver a collective result, and for me, that’s always inspiring.
I also care deeply about the need for flexibility in agency life to allow people to juggle life and work. As a parent, I feel that acutely, but it’s by no means a ‘parent’ thing. Whether someone has additional caring responsibilities, additional personal needs, or has just made purposeful life choices, we all have to find a way to get close to a balance that works for all areas of our life, to feel fulfilled, and I feel grateful to have landed somewhere with a senior team that ‘gets it’.“
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?
- Start curious and keep it up. Ask as many questions as you need to ensure you understand something fully and never feel afraid to speak up – either because you don’t understand or because you think you have a great idea. I firmly believe they come from all levels and that having a voice and having a go should be celebrated!
- Remember it’s a people-based industry. So while you don’t have to be an extrovert (I’m certainly not) you do have to genuinely want to get to know people, their business, what makes them tick and what deep down they are trying to achieve, to be successful.
- Try and stay in touch with everyone you’ve loved working with. I’ve not always been great at this and have endless regrets where life has got in the way (particularly after kids) of staying close with former colleagues and some clients, too. But I’m enjoying re-connecting and you never know where someone will end up. It’s a small industry whether you’re in an agency or in-house and there’s a joy in seeing your network build and grow and other people’s careers thrive as you progress through your career.
Babel
From the Babel team
