With Valentine’s Day on the mind, I asked our staff of communicators what they love about the field. Within one day I received a swarm of replies ranging from adoring specifics about specializing in communicating for social good to expressions of joy for communications basics and the power of storytelling. Read below for these reflections of communications “love” from Vanguardians. Happy Valentine’s Day!

I love …

• how writing social media content has made me a sharper, more focused writer.
• persuasive storytelling and helping advocates share their personal experiences to inspire others to take action.

– Crystal Borde, Vice President

• that when I watch the news, current events tie directly to my work — from mental health to voting rights to environmental protections. It means my work has meaning and impact.
• that we are intentional with our words and images that respect and reflect identity communities.

– LeAnne DeFrancesco, Vice President

• helping clients develop strategic communications plans so they can more clearly identify goals and specific audiences for their outreach efforts.
• seeing our work “in the wild” knowing that it’s out in the world making a real impact.

– Carolyn Fearing, Vice President

• that our work gives us the opportunity to interpret social problems in ways that inspire people to act for themselves and the planet.
• that we have the opportunity every day to bring attention to people and problems that are frequently overlooked by traditional systems.

– Brenda Foster, Senior Vice President

• helping others tell their stories to inspire social change.
• infusing community perspectives in our communications work so that we’re more relevant and impactful.

– Maria Rodriguez, President & CEO

• that our clients understand the importance of conducting audience research before developing new campaigns and content. It’s step one of the strategic communications planning process that produces desired outcomes.

– Lisa Swanberg, Senior Vice President

• all the different people we get to meet and work with who are benefiting from the amazing causes that we work on.
• working for a firm and with clients who make me feel good about and rewarded through the work we are doing when I close my laptop at night.

– Brittany Vanderpool, Senior Account Supervisor

• applying the social marketing planning process to change attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to a variety of social issues, especially in health and wellness.
• using partnership development to foster strong relationships with different organizations and having them join together to create more success than they would on their own.

– Shannon Walsh, Senior Account Supervisor

• advocating for clients that are making a difference and helping underserved communities.
• writing and shaping content to tell important stories while having the liberty to be creative and try new things.

– Savannah Young, Account Manager