When you meet someone who lives at the intersection of marketing, advertising, and communications, you know you’re about to get a real perspective on what public relations is all about. That’s exactly what I found when I interviewed Jacquelin Sandoval, a seasoned PR professional, whose career began with event programming and evolved into leading high-stakes client campaigns and global communications strategy.
Her career started where many dream of landing—music festivals. “I started with comms for festivals—think Coachella today,” she said. From day one, she knew she wanted to be in a communications role. “PR was always the vehicle to figure out how to get a message out, and more importantly, why it mattered.”
One of her early roles involved setting up a “war room”—a space to monitor real-time media and see how public narratives were intersecting with her brand’s. That blend of fast-paced problem-solving and direct audience impact sealed it for her: this was where she was meant to be.
Her biggest advice for people breaking into the industry? Never be afraid to tell someone what you want. “Go after the client-facing internships. Join teams that expose you to different kinds of people. The more you see, the more you’ll learn whether agency or brand is your fit.”
She’s been both a hands-on contributor and a team leader, and learning to transition between the two wasn’t easy. “You go from being the one doing the work to managing a team of 100 different personalities,” she said. “At some point, you stop doing and start leading.”
That transition requires knowing your strengths and being honest about your growth areas. She spoke about understanding the “value sets” of each role and how learning the layers of the field early on can help build a stronger foundation. “Everything in comms works together like a puzzle. The more pieces you understand, the better communicator you become.”
Today, her days start early. Like, 5:30 a.m. early. Mornings are filled with email reviews, scheduling, and rapid-fire client requests. Afternoons are client calls, meetings, and managing partnerships. Evenings? Usually back at the desk, knocking out the last deliverables of the day.
So how does she keep track of it all? Project management platforms like Monday and Asana, combined with her own structured filing system. “Early on, people would say, ‘Jackie has it.’ So I learned quickly… back everything up. Know where every file lives.”
When it comes to crisis management, she didn’t start in the deep end. But over time, she’s managed major issues on a global scale. The secret to staying calm under pressure? Organization, emotional intelligence, and the ability to de-escalate without ever losing your professional face.
As someone interested in building a career in PR, I found her insight refreshing and honest. Her story proves that success isn’t about landing one dream role—it’s about chasing curiosity, staying flexible, and showing up with precision and grace.
If there’s one thing I’ll carry forward from this conversation, it’s this: Be bold and strategic, even if it’s 5:30 in the morning.
With love, Ava
Ava Stepanian 
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