Annie Carroll
From professional ballet dancer to publicist, writer and communications strategist, Melbourne-based Annie Carroll, founder of In–Prose, tells us about her inspiring creative journey.
Photography: Courtesy of In Prose & Marie-Luise Skibbe
Photo: Marie-Luise Skibbe
Photo: Courtesy of In–Prose
Hi Annie, tell us about your background and your journey to where you are today…
I had a fairly unconventional journey to a career in communications, but looking back, it seems inevitable that this is the field I’d end up in! I come from a family of journalists, but the first act of my life was all about ballet. I left school at 15 to train full time, moving to London to join the Royal Ballet School before moving back to Australia to join the Australian Ballet.
I retired at the age of 23, partly because I had a string of injuries but also because I was itching to study and write. This was the era of Tumblr and fashion magazines hadn’t quite caught up with the digital revolution, so it was a really interesting time to be transitioning into the world of media. It felt like the mastheads I’d grown up worshipping were all going to be supplanted by irreverent content creators, which excited and upset me at the same time.
I completed a Bachelor of Media at RMIT, interning throughout my degree at publications such as Vice, The Age and Time Out. I lapped it all up. My first proper full-time job after university was in-house at Maticevski, where I managed the online store and assisted across content, sales and PR. I learnt a lot about myself over three years working here, particularly about the illusions of the fashion industry and how so much of ‘success’ is dependent on self-belief.
I was always curious about the PR industry, so I moved to a boutique PR agency that managed clients in the design and built environment sectors. It was a baptism of fire: I absorbed the ins and outs of PR as a practice like a sponge. I buzzed off the feeling of telling stories, of working with the media, of crafting a message. So after just 12 months, full of beans and naivety, I went out on my own and founded my own business with the sole objective of working with good people.
You recently founded In–Prose, what prompted the decision to go out on your own?
When I went out on my own in 2018, I was prompted by a feeling of wanting to align my work with my values. In–Prose launched in 2021, but in so many ways, it’s just an iteration of the business I started under my own name. I wanted to formalise my offering, put more weight behind the brand and clarify my vision as a small business owner, so I invested in new branding, new website, new content etc. I don’t think you can underestimate the importance of investing in your own ‘brand’ if you want to attract clients of a certain sensibility.
What does a ‘normal’ day at work look like for you?
My job is to be aware of what the Australian media is covering in the sectors my clients have a voice in. So my day usually starts with a comprehensive read of the internet: newspapers, newsletters, Twitter, magazines, blogs — you name it and chances are I’ve read it in the last week. By the time it’s 9:00am I like to have taken the pulse of the news, had a strong coffee, gone for a short walk with my dog Bobbie and be ready to tackle my inbox.
Emails take up a huge part of my day-to-day. If I’m not on email, I’m Slacking, Zooming, calling or tagging various clients, journalists or collaborators to keep things moving. No two days are the same, especially as I’ve got clients across industries such as tech, fashion and lifestyle. In the afternoon, I’ll usually get into deeper work, whether it’s building out campaign strategies, writing media releases or researching new trend reports.
At the end of the day, I’ll check in on all client media mentions of the day and attend to any new client proposals or reports I need to complete. I’ll then give some attention to another project I’m currently working on with my friend, stylist Sophie Barker – a fashion media platform called homeroom. By the time I wrap everything up, I’m usually buzzing from a huge day of work, so I’ll go for another walk and try to switch off before 8:00pm.
‘I don’t think you can underestimate the importance of investing in your own ‘brand’ if you want to attract clients of a certain sensibility,’ says Annie Carroll. Photo: Courtesy of ettitude
“I love that my job is to unearth and communicate stories that are meaningful, interesting and impactful.”
‘I cannot encourage interning enough: not only does it give you hands-on experience, but you also learn so much by osmosis simply by immersing yourself in a professional environment,’ says Annie Carroll. Photo: Courtesy of In–Prose
‘No two days are the same, especially as I’ve got clients across industries such as tech, fashion and lifestyle,’ says Annie Carroll. Photo: Marie-Luise Skibbe
What do you love most about what you do?
I love that my job is to unearth and communicate stories that are meaningful, interesting and impactful. I am very passionate about the media’s role in shaping narratives, educating and influencing people, so I’m lucky that I get to spend a lot of my time analysing how this works, and how I can harness it to promote good people doing genuinely fascinating things.
Is there a common misconception people have about your job?
I think there is little understanding of what PR actually is, at least outside the comms and media industries. Which is fair enough given so much of our job is deliberately meant to be somewhat invisible and seamless. But PR isn’t a dark art: it’s just about having a clear strategy, a very strong sense of the media landscape and an ability to think on your feet.
What did you study at school – do you think it’s influenced how you work today?
I studied a Bachelor of Media majoring in philosophy and literature. My studies taught me a lot of soft skills, such as critical thinking and formulating an argument, but the hard skills of actually ‘doing’ came from interning. I cannot encourage interning enough: not only does it give you hands-on experience, but you also learn so much by osmosis simply by immersing yourself in a professional environment.
You’ve been working in media for quite some time – what’s kept you interested?
The media is such a sweeping catch-all term, covering social media, content creation, journalism, production. At the heart of all of it is the need to tell stories, to communicate, to inform or inspire or educate. That breadth is so endlessly fascinating and rich with possibilities. A thriving fourth estate is essential, not only for supporting a healthy democracy and for communicating some of the most pressing issues of our time, but also for allowing everyone to have a deeper understanding of the world around them. That’s very galvanising for me.
How do you balance the work/life juggle?
Put it this way: I constantly feel as though I am dropping the ball. But the older I get, the more I try to look at work as part of my life, so rather than segmenting everything off, I try to find ways to integrate the two things into one whole. I’m fortunate that I can work from anywhere, and all I really need to do it is a phone and an internet connection.
I have to admit though, after the last two years of working round the clock, I’m starting to feel the need for a little bit more downtime. Like a lot of people, especially people who run their own businesses, I feel very indulgent and even guilty when I do take time off. But when I do, I have more creative ideas and form clearer thoughts. I’m starting to recognise that a little time away from the desk can actually improve your work.
Are there different roles in your job – and if so, how do you navigate through each of them and make it all work?
I’ve tried every sort of task management tool in the world, but for me nothing will ever beat a pen, paper and a daily to-do list. I also have a weekly WIP document that I use to make sure I’m always on track with client deliverables and deadlines for media. I do wear a number of different hats throughout the week – everything from strategy to admin – so I’m often at the mercy of my Google calendar to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. Organisation is the only way!
What’s the most important piece of advice you would give someone turning their dream project into a full-time job?
Get very clear on where your revenue will come from and try to keep it simple. Once the flywheel starts turning, you can add more dimension to what you’ve already built. So much of running your own business is found in the somewhat mundane tasks of tax and accounting, but this is very important to get right from day one: it might not feel important in the beginning, but it will quickly become extremely important if you ignore it.
What’s coming up for In–Prose this year?
Filing away my WFH wardrobe and moving into a very beautiful new space in just a few weeks time! And hopefully bringing on my very first team member in the new financial year, which will help me keep ramping up the agency’s offering.
In-Prose client Heaps Normal. Photo: Heaps Normal
