We think the Agility team is made up of some pretty impressive people! Our international crew is comprised of hard workers with inquisitive minds who are excited to improve PR practices through data and technology.
You deserve the chance to get to know the crew! We designed this blog series to give you an insider’s view into Agility and to introduce you to the people behind the PR platform. Subscribe to the blog to make sure you meet the rest of the brilliant minds at Agility!
Without further ado, meet Joy Knowles!
Meet our Content Marketing Manager, Joy Knowles.
How long have you been at Agility?
Over two and a half years.
What is your role and what team are you part of at Agility?
I am the Content Marketing Manager on the Marketing team. I oversee content production and distribution, which covers everything from our free guides to our blog to email marketing to exciting projects like the PR Profiles podcast and our monthly webinar series. I also work with other departments, such as Sales, Product, and the Media Insights Group to create sales enablement content or special PR Buzz reports about trending topics in the news.
What’s your favorite thing about working at Agility?
The Marketing team (wow, what a biased answer)! I have the privilege of working with some amazing, talented, and dedicated people who are always looking to improve their skills and grow in their roles.
I’m going to cheat and add another favorite and that’s getting to work with so many incredible PR and communications professionals thanks to the podcast, webinar series, and other Agility projects. I’ve met professionals from across North America and the UK and it’s been an absolute pleasure learning from them. They are so willing to share what they know—even their mistakes—to help others grow in this dynamic industry.
What’s a “typical” day in the life at Agility look like for you?
Emails and Slack come first and then after that… well, it really depends!
Often though, you can find me writing and/or editing some sort of content, whether that’s a blog, newsletter, or guide. I may be researching a PR Profiles guest. Or maybe I’m meeting with our Content Coordinator, Julia (hi Julia!), about upcoming content needs. Or maybe I’m going through Asana to make sure that all our content projects are on track. Or maybe I’m helping Sales or Product with a case study or product data sheet. Or… I’ll stop there.
Joy’s home office
Do you have any advice for new employees starting at Agility?
Learn all you can about PR! Knowing how and why our clients use our solutions will help you serve them better, in whatever capacity that may be.
Meet people from other teams. As a remote company, that can be difficult so take the initiative and reach out. Everyone is helpful and usually very eager to talk about what they do. A fifteen-minute coffee chat over Zoom will go a long way.
What are some skills you’ve gained working at Agility?
My overall marketing skills. My educational background is PR, but I’ve always lived to write—that’s my passion. In prior roles, I was more on the social media, content production, and brand communications strategy side of things—digital marketing was not in my purview. I had also never worked as part of a marketing team (I was either the sole person doing the marketing, or I was part of a strategy team).
My management skills. In addition to caring about my own workload and due dates, I now care about another person’s workload and due dates. I also had to learn how to find the balance between tactics and strategy—I can’t focus on just execution anymore, I must make sure I’m always paying attention to the long-term, big picture.
What’s your favorite digital tool to use at work?
I think my favorite is Asana. Overall, it’s a really useful project management tool that allows me to create and monitor projects by setting up tasks, assigning due dates and responsibility, and adding filters that can alert me of status and roadblocks.
What’s your favorite work snack or beverage?
First and foremost, coffee. I also like anything chocolate covered—pretzels, peanuts, almonds, raisins…
How do you stay connected with your coworkers while remote?
Slack! It’s a great way to have a few quick conversations throughout the day. And if you haven’t tried giphy yet, you’re missing out. I send gifs when words just aren’t enough.
What’s your favorite after-work or weekend activity?
When the weather is nice, I like to go for an after-work walk while listening to a podcast or audiobook to get some fresh air and enjoy nature. On weekends, I like to spend my morning in one of Ottawa’s many wonderful coffee shops and then meet up with friends in the afternoon or evening.
What’s the best part of your day?
After my morning coffee, it’s either hitting complete on a task in Asana or uploading and sharing a piece of content I’ve been working on.
