When I first got started in journalism back in my college days, I had zero grand ambitions and one reliable skill: I could write.

Thanks to an alphabetical fluke, I lived across the hall from a newspaper devotee and joined her club. After college, my first pro gig at a local outlet in Chicago’s Southland placed me on a ragtag crew of lifers and baby adults who convened in a gutted Menard’s with beige cubicles and a broken escalator to get the paper out.

That’s when it hit me. By sharing information and giving everyday people a say in goings-on, the press could help equalize power between the people and engrained, often deep-pocketed interests who preferred a world arranged just so – for them.

Yes, we would indeed blow the lid off this story, right after we wrote about the latest Taco Bell. And took the call from the person on line 1 who says there is a haunted windbreaker hanging in their closet. The baseline for morale was low. But fueled by skepticism of authority, caffeine, and our ideals, we always managed to knock out a product.

We made mistakes that were always public and deeply embarrassing. But when we screwed something up, we made it right ASAP, showed up the next day, and vowed like sad pups with our tails between our legs to do a better job. Again and again and again and again.

I thought then public relations work meant annoying nonspecific emails with openers like ‘Hi, features!”

The shift happened after a family member experienced a life-threatening crisis with health care affordability. By that time, I was living in Oklahoma still working in journalism. Taking the kind of public stand I felt compelled to take ran against professional norms.

I got a gig in Washington, DC where I learned how to more artfully agitate for better policy. That doesn’t start with dopey emails like “Hi, features!” sent to a crime reporter.

It’s rooted in instincts around what is newsworthy and adds value, alongside a good grip on the news landscape, alongside professional standards and rigor.

Businesses or business people, advocacy groups, creatives, and others with vision may benefit from quality public relations work – generally meaning getting your ideas and arguments out there in the media during key moments. To an extent, you can do this work yourself. At a certain point though, it may make sense to hire a specialist.

I help others understand where they are and what would best serve the work at any given point in time. These days, it’s typically best to blend content you are producing as a brand with content journalists produce where your work or expertise adds value to narrative – or creates its own narrative. There are various ways to go about this and numerous slick entrepreneurs who will take advantage of your lack of knowledge to sell their way as “the future.” That’s just dumb. None of us can predict the next second – we can only make an educated best guess.

My business is grounded in helping you understand what blend of services and offerings make actual sense, saving you time, money, and avoiding cons or low-quality PR.

A lot has changed since those early days, but working with care is still in style. Today, just like back then, I roll up my sleeves, dive in, acknowledge and correct mistakes, and explain and defend the process when necessary.

Maybe I’m the same earnest idealist I was when I moved to Chicago to take my first reporting gig, convincing myself that I could change the world (right after I filed on the latest stop sign installation).

But you know what? That’s OK with me.

I’m Juliana, founder and owner of Keeping Strategies, a communications shop specializing in helping people with vision move toward it by getting their ideas heard by the (right, and strategic) masses. Keeping Shop is my monthly newsletter. I’m still fueled by caffeine. Thanks for riding shotgun! See you next month.