Justine Houston-Brown’s Lifelong Learning

Name: Justine Houston-Brown, APR

Title: Senior Account Executive

Location: Irvine, Calif.

Job highlights: I work at Rocket Launch Marketing & Public Relations in Orange, Calif. Previously, I was at Lages & Associates for nearly six years, and Echo Media Group as well.

Favorite downtime activity: Salsa dancing and baking (I create custom cakes as The Dancing Cake Maker; the name is a nod to 16 years of ballet.)

3 dinner guests: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelle Obama and Lisa Jackson (I’m a crime junkie!) 

Favorite books: “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis, “Robinson Crusoe,” and any crime novel by Lisa Jackson

Best leadership advice: “The world around us changes quickly and constantly. Never stop learning; push your personal boundaries; be reliable, just and equitable; stay kind; and believe in yourself.”

What is your first memory of PRSA?

A PR professor at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) recommended PRSSA. Once I got involved as a member, I was hooked. Opportunities to meet panelists and network while learning was invaluable. 

Receiving a CSUF scholarship to attend the PRSA International Conference solidified my interest in public relations. Session after session, I engaged with and admired the experts on stage. I wanted to be like them — seemingly at the forefront of the profession, helping mentor learners of all ages, and providing best practices to help attendees further their careers. 

You joined PRSA in 2011. What initially prompted you to join?

I joined PRSA because Conference attendees and former PRSSA members spoke highly of the transition after graduation. The professional development and networking opportunities that were touted appeared to be the next logical step for a young professional with a big future in mind. They were right. 

Why did you decide to pursue leadership roles within the Orange County Chapter?

You get out of your career what you put into it. Extracurricular activities are the same — especially when you can merge them with your profession. 

With the goal of leveraging a leadership role in PRSA to help others, be a role model and stay at the forefront of industry trends, my time on the board of directors has widened my exposure to a network beyond Orange County. 

I’m now grateful its reach has expanded further as I concurrently serve as chair-elect of the PRSA Western District. The future teases great things, and I’m excited to see what is ahead. 

How have those roles helped you as a PR professional?

Since joining PRSA — and especially by serving in leadership roles — I have made lifelong friends, bonded with colleagues near and far, secured mentors, expanded my professional network and learned constantly. My two most recent agency positions came from connections I made along the way, and I’m forever grateful PRSA helped make this possible. 

You have described yourself as a “lifelong learner.” Why is continuing education important to you?

It’s possible to love what you do for a career, and I’m blessed to experience that daily. Did you know? The average professional will work 90,000 hours in their lifetime. How do I ensure the time is well-spent (in our profession, time is money)? How do I best service my clients? 

Questions like those have culminated into my being a curious PR practitioner. I always strive to be a step ahead — and over the years, I’ve discovered doing so is possible by applying both time-tested and new strategies and tactics to client plans. PRSA webinars, learning from professionals both new and experienced, pursuing the Accreditation in Public Relations and obtaining certificates or advanced degrees are some that come to mind. 

The world continues to evolve, so why should our professional skill set not adapt alongside it? 

You are the first Hispanic president of the Chapter. Do you see yourself as a role model to help promote diversity with the Chapter and profession?

Role models I admire have included several PRSA members and colleagues. They possess qualities I want to mirror, a drive that is resilient, traits that inspire me to be a better professional, and have advocated for themselves as well as others. In particular, they are ethical practitioners — outspoken on issues they believe in and supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Before my time in public relations, these values were as important to me then as they are today. We as communicators can be change agents who champion diversity and honor the companies and clients who advocate for it as well. We can raise each other up as professionals and share content that does the same. 

As the first Hispanic president of OCPRSA, I hope my belief in these values shines bright — both locally and nationally — and others see me the way I have seen my own role models. Together, we can all be role models for change that makes for a brighter tomorrow.