Meet Abby Lovett
From the start of her career, Abby Lovett had 14 plan B's. Upon graduation from DePauw University with a degree in English Composition, Abby moved to Chicago and accepted a position as an organizational consultant for Accenture, only to have that offer rescinded in the wake of September 11.
In response to the sudden uncertainty, she took the LSAT and GMAT. She applied to teach in Japan. She also started an internship at a small PR shop in Chicago to flex her writing skills. It was there that she found her calling, tucked inside one of her many second choices.
Today, Abby is the Marketplace Leader at Ketchum’s Chicago office.
Follow Your Gut
A mom of two, Abby is nonstop. Whether she’s solving problems for her clients, giving constructive feedback to her team or parenting in the middle of a pandemic, Abby clearly welcomes a challenge. Advice given to her from her mom to follow her gut has become a guiding principle at every juncture in Abby’s life.
As a leader, Abby strives to make sure that everyone, regardless of any identifying factor, feels like they can show up exactly as they are when they walk through the Ketchum doors. She enjoys the fact that her office has no lanes or molds, proudly sharing that Ketchum Chicago has been described as a place where you can “let your freak flag fly.”
Abby has a humorous personality that is infectious even through a video chat in the midst of social distancing. Her most pertinent advice for future leaders is as follows:
• Be transparent and inclusive. Abby’s leadership style is focused on being as transparent as possible. She’s candid and straightforward but is always inclusive of others.
• Find opportunities to pivot. Try your hand at different things until you find something that fits. Agencies can allow for a lot of creative exploration.
• Encourage people to have fun at work. Abby loves bringing a sense of humor to work. “We all take what we do very seriously, but sometimes it can be too serious. I like having fun at work and cracking jokes,” she said. “That’s a central part of my leadership style.”
• Contribute to your culture. The ripple effect of positivity goes way further than people would think. Adding and shaping a company culture is a huge show of leadership that isn’t always talked about. Of course, it’s about the work and the case studies, but Abby makes sure to show up in meaningful ways for the people around her.
Love Languages: Workplace Edition
Abby is an empathetic leader. It comes across when she talks about her team at Ketchum. She makes a point to discover her team members’ love languages so she can personalize ways that she recognizes them in order to deliver the most impact.
However, love languages look a bit different in the workplace. Abby explained that while some people may appreciate an email to their boss when they do something exceptionally well, another person might prefer to be acknowledged in a big meeting where they stand up and accept an award. Abby encourages leaders to have an open dialogue with their team and learn about what their coworkers value and what motivates them.
Advice for those hoping to impress Abby — don’t waste her time! Abby’s love language is preparedness. “The best way you can show up for me is to make the best use of my time,” she said. “Be ready to rock, that’s my love language.”
Self-Motivation & Paving the Way
As a professional who’s dedicated her career to agencies, Abby thrives on the fast-paced energy of account work. Sure, there are challenges and pressures, but the thought of working on one brand alone is “suffocating” to her.
Abby is inherently compelled to keep things going. She’s competitive, quick-witted and compassionate, paving the way on a daily basis for not just working moms, but working parents who are figuring out parenthood amidst the demands of corporate America.
“A huge part of my motivation is to keep going so I can be at the table for crucial conversations, both at Ketchum and with my clients,” she said. “We need leaders that will make the workplace better for a lot of people.”
Her parting advice? Abby reminisced on her early days in PR when she and her colleagues were tasked with putting together the daily monitoring report for clients. She would arrive at the office at 6:30 a.m. to cut newspaper clips and tape them to sheets in the company mail room.
“My boss always told me to make sure my articles were straight and there were no fingerprints from the ink on my sheet. In everything that you do, be as professional as possible,” she said.
It wasn’t until later in her career that she truly understood that advice. Being as professional as possible with every task sets you apart. When your level of passion and care is a little bit higher, people will surely take notice.
Take it from Abby — a winning case study in motivation, leadership, and kindness.
AGENCY PROFILE (according to author)
Ketchum is a global public relations firm that touts that its advantage over competitor agencies is its people. Kindness is a word that permeates the agency’s culture, which many affectionally refer to as “Ketchum Kind.” Ketchum offers services across multiple industry sectors including corporate, healthcare, food and beverage and technology. The agency also has some impressive hardware to brag about, including 76 Cannes Lions and an unprecedented six PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards. The agency was founded in 1923 as an advertising company and is currently headquartered in New York City.
About the author
By: Zoe Krey
