The Publicist: Joanna Riedl of Joanna Riedl Public Relations

What exactly do you do all day?
"In PR, an opportunity can come up that will totally take over your day! You just never know. But most days I wake up, read and respond to emails, catch up on news via Twitter, check in with my clients, scan target publications for client coverage and any interesting news that I can use, touch base with reporters, and then usually a lot of writing, pitching, and meetings."

How did you get to where you are today?
"I started my PR career at People's Revolution in Los Angeles, where I interned while I was still attending fashion school at FIDM. I was quickly promoted to showroom manager where I met with high-profile stylists, helped dress celebrities, and arranged pulls for editorial shoots. While I loved the interaction of working one-on-one with the stylists, I really wanted to get in on the pitching side of things and was bumped up to PR assistant in the fashion department and I was hooked. After a few years, I decided to move to S.F. and became Associate Producer for the first two San Francisco Fashion Weeks. I also had to pivot into the tech industry to sustain myself long-term and began working at MSR Communications. While tech was not my passion when I started, I quickly fell in love with the innovation and excitement of it. After four years, the excitement faded and I knew it was time to get back to fashion and lifestyle where my heart lies. I felt by this time, after ten years in the PR industry, I had enough knowledge under my belt to go out on my own."

How many hours do you put into your job daily?
"I am always on the clock. I guess that comes with owning your own company. If a major newspaper reporter needs a quote at 10 p.m. on a Friday night, you better believe I'm not going to miss that opportunity! But when you love your job and the people you work with as much as I do, the lines between work and life become pretty blurry."

Photographed by Anna-Alexia Basile