Aspiring actress to internal communications leader
Rachel Miller, founder of All Things IC, delivers Socially Mobile Summer alumni lecture
Rachel Miller has probably spent more time on stage as an author and keynote speaker than she ever would have if she’d ended up in the career she aspired to at school as an actress.
At the Socially Mobile Summer lecture, the All Things IC founder shared insights from her 25-year career as an internal communications leader with its alumni community.
“I started my career as a journalist gathering stories and working alongside people to draw out their stories and to shine a spotlight on what makes them special and unique. I now do that for organisations rather than individuals, but that's been an important mindset for me throughout my career,” said Rachel.
The internal communications leader highlighted three factors that have contributed to her success.
1. Create your own opportunities
Rachel emphasised the importance of creating opportunities throughout your career. She shared how she did this while at school, entering a competition to win theatre tickets, writing a review and pitching it to a newspaper. The newspaper subsequently hired her and launched her career as a journalist.
2. Invest in professional development
This led to Rachel’s second career insight. She bypassed university and negotiated formal training at the Westminster Press Training Centre in Hastings, later the Editorial Centre. She stressed the importance of continuously investing in your own learning and development and how she has consistently worked to improve her skills and knowledge throughout her career.
3. The multiplying effect of networks
Rachel’s final insight highlighted how building and leveraging your professional network can amplify your impact and create more opportunities. She discussed the value of connecting with others in your field and sharing knowledge.
Socially Mobile is a not-for-profit public relations school that helps practitioners from underserved communications gain management skills. Its alumni lecture celebrates the work of senior practitioners who promote under represented communities to create greater diversity within practice.
Rachel Miller is an internationally recognised authority on Internal Communication (IC) and author of Internal Communication Strategy (Kogan Page, 2024). A former journalist, she has 20 years of internal communication experience and advises many of the world’s best-known companies through her consulting business, All Things IC. She’s a Chartered PR Practitioner and Fellow of the Institute of Internal Communication and Chartered Institute of Public Relations. Rachel’s a keynote speaker and Candid Comms podcast host. She's listed in Inspiring Workplaces' top 101 global employee engagement influencers. In 2020, Rachel was awarded the Chartered Institute of Public Relations' President's Medal for distinguished service to PR.
