How this woman in tech is changing culture through action

We talk to Sysdig’s head of PR, Amanda Smith, about her journey through tech and how she used her maternity leave to set an example and influence the culture at her company

Q: What motivated you to pursue a career in public relations? Were there any specific experiences or mentors that influenced your path?

Amanda: I knew that I wanted to be in marketing, but I wasn’t sure where I actually fit. My first job after college was at a major healthcare nonprofit. I was doing sort of a mix of comms, event planning and grassroots organizing. I feel really fortunate for that first job at JDRF because I had a really supportive boss who built my confidence and mentored me for several years. I was given a ton of opportunities that I wasn’t qualified for. It probably overinflated my confidence because at some point I decided I wanted a change, and I started applying to any job that seemed interesting to me.

Golin, an international PR firm, took a chance on me, hiring me for their tech division. I knew nothing about high tech, but I immediately liked the challenge of it and the thrill of landing a story. I also loved how every day was different. In a sense, PR is a bit of an eat-what-you-kill type of role. I like the urgency of it and typically, the faster you work and the more creative you are, the better you will do.

Amanda Smith

Q: What does it mean to you to be part of the tech community, particularly as a woman?

Amanda: I don’t have a computer science background, so there is an added challenge of first understanding the product and then the pain that it solves. Then you dig into normal PR activities. I enjoy that added hurdle. I am also a big believer in surrounding myself with people who are smarter than me. Working in tech, I learn every day from people I probably wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to know.

As I have moved up in my career, being able to support and pull other women up has been rewarding. Over the last few years, I have started to be in rooms where I am the only woman or one of a few. There is a sense of pride I take in that, but at the same time, a realization that I need to help bring other women to those tables with me. PR is unique in that it’s really easy to shine a light on other people doing good things.

Spotlighting other women and coaching are direct actions, but I also think there are indirect things we can all do to support each other. Besides being a comms director, I am also a mom. When I had my daughter, I was one of the first to take maternity leave at the startup I was at. Colleagues knew I loved work and several people commented that I wouldn’t enjoy the time away and asked if I was going to cut my maternity leave short. It’s true, I love work, but it was very important to me that I took the full time because if I didn’t, I was very aware that I’d be signaling to every woman who gave birth after me that you shouldn’t take that time.

Q: How do you maintain a creative mindset when working on tech PR campaigns?

Amanda: I don’t have the silver bullet answer for breaking through a creativity wall, however; there are trends I see in myself when I am my most creative. The biggest fuel for me is when I get breaks from work, especially if I can get outside. I love to run, and I think of some of my best ideas and connect the most dots during a long run. At one point when I was training for a marathon, I would run with a pen so I could jot thoughts on my arm to ensure I didn’t forget them by the time I got home. Moving from task to task or meeting to meeting is when I feel my ideas get stale. I truly believe your brain needs a break to be able to fire on all cylinders.

I also find that surrounding myself with creative people always helps me. I loved agency life, sitting around a table and brainstorming off-the-wall ideas. Going in-house, it’s a little different, but you must find those creative minds and prioritize brainstorms with them.

Q: Can you share a personal motto or principle that guides your work?

Amanda: “Remove the friction” is a motto I try to live by and motivate my team with. By that I mean, make it as easy as possible for your stakeholders. For journalists, make it easy for them to write about you - give them as much as you can so they aren’t chasing things down. For spokespeople, make it easy for them to participate in rapid response and arm them with all the information they could need going into an interview. When working with agencies, arm them with everything they need to tell your story. In many ways, public relations is a role designed to make other people look good, so make it as easy as possible for them to just step into the light and shine because if you don’t make it easy, the next time you have an opportunity, they might not answer your call.

Q: We're always on the lookout for books to feature in our Book Club. What's currently on your reading list?

Amanda: Currently, my daughter and I are reading a lot of kids' books! Right now We're Different, We're the Same is on repeat, along with the Llama Llama series. :)

For myself, I just started Killers of the Flower Moon. The movie just came out in theaters, and I realized last weekend that I am the only person in my husband’s family who hasn’t read the book. I’m quickly trying to make my way through before it leaves the theaters.