Women Of The C-Suite: Chloë Walsh of The Oriel Company On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
I believe people skills are essential in running any business. No one person has every skill or talent in equal measures but knowing how to get the best out of your team is a crucial part of the job. Picking up quickly on individual personalities is the most proficient way to run a team. Being able to communicate with people well, tell them what you expect from them, learning their strengths and their weaknesses and understanding your own is key. These are the talents on which a business can succeed or fail.
As a part of our interview series called “Women Of The C-Suite”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Chloë Walsh.
The Oriel Company co-founder Chloë Walsh architects impactful publicity campaigns for renowned hitmakers, icons, and breakout stars in both the U.S. and the UK. Drawing on experience at some of the most influential labels and independent firms on either side of the pond, she brings strategic acuity, expansive vision, and a sterling reputation to The Oriel Company as a partner. She deftly and proficiently handles everything from GRAMMY® campaigns to crisis management for her A-list talent roster. During her career, she has crafted high profile campaigns for The White Stripes, Mazzy Starr, Sinead O’Connor, Yoko Ono, Bryan Ferry, P!nk, Alison Krauss, and more.
Chloe maintains a lifelong passion for social justice and voting rights organizations. As such, she has maximized her PR acumen to excel in consulting gigs for Demand Justice, Power California, Joy To The Polls, The Resistance Revival Chorus, and Rock The Vote as well as fundraising projects for Planned Parenthood and Swing Left.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Thanks for having me! I’m excited to take part.
Like most people who came of age pre-internet, I grew up gleaning all of my pop culture information from newspapers, magazines and radio. I soaked up the club culture of London, Manchester, New York and Paris just by reading about them. I first imagined that actually being in those places, and telling those stories, would be my dream job so I thought early on that I would have a career as a culture reporter. I did a little bit of that when I was finding my feet, but because of the people I met through going to clubs and shows, I wound up getting a job at an independent record label in London. That’s where I first got to witness the full extent of a publicist’s job. I saw how much writing went into representing the artists — which was something I loved and relished — and I got to witness the very real excitement of landing a story in a publication; and how meaningful that could be for someone’s career trajectory.
I realized that my passion for writing, and my knowledge of music and culture could be utilized all at once as a publicist. What I really loved — and still do — is getting under the hood of someone’s creativity. Getting to know an artist, working out how they’d like to be represented and then taking that information out into the world to help them find an audience. Helping artists and creators build careers is incredibly rewarding. I was just 21 when I got my first job as a publicist, and I’ve been in the field now for more than half my life. I’ve been based in London, New York City and — now — Los Angeles. I’ve worked with all kinds of artists, creators, companies and creatives. The media evolves at a rapid rate but the fundamentals of strategic image-building remain the same. It’s challenging, engaging and energizing to piece it all together for a client.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
The Oriel Company started during the pandemic. We describe ourselves as “a new company of old friends”. The four founding partners have known and worked together, in some capacity, for over 15 years. We joined forces to create a new communications firm because we shared the same principles, work ethic and goals. We had a vision for a modern, fresh company that could be a home for creatives of any kind. Even though we were all friends, founding a new company together in December 2020 was a unique challenge. The company was planned and launched entirely over phone calls and Zoom. With two of us in California, and the other two in New York City, the four founding partners weren’t able to meet in person the entire time we were putting the business together.
Since our Manhattan office was closed for Covid safety, we interviewed and hired people over Zoom. For an entertainment firm, it was a very odd experience: so much of our role is to be very present and tune into people’s energy. It’s a very hands-on career and our days are often spent in and out of TV and photo studios, on red carpets and at events, premieres, shows and screenings. It was a unique and unusual starting point, to be peering at one another through our computer screens trying to get to know each other. I didn’t meet some of our early hires on the opposite coast until almost a year after they joined us. We weren’t able to get our entire team, from all three offices in New York, Nashville and Los Angeles, together in one room until July 2022. By that time, we had been in business for over 18 months! We brought everyone to New York to have a day-long company ‘retreat’. Suddenly being together — all of us! — felt very joyous. We had a meeting, had a couple of guest speakers, and then we had a champagne toast. It was a beautiful moment to be in the same room with all 17 of our team members for the very first time. I have to say, we hired well!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Because it was the pandemic, and most of the team had never met in person, we did a few ‘company happy hours’ over Zoom and, at one point, even hired someone to lead us through a “Quiz Night” where we shared random facts about ourselves for people to guess. I don’t know that anyone enjoyed those. It was probably very awkward and a bit terrifying for the younger team members. I would hope everyone appreciated our dedication to trying to build company camaraderie whilst working remotely. But yes, I’d say the funniest mistake we made was to try to force some fun on everyone!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
The second music industry job I had was at Heavenly Recordings, an indie record label in London that also handled PR for some of the biggest — and coolest — artists in the UK. The owner of the label, Jeff Barret, had started out as a publicist and was a legend in the field. He’s a great raconteur and always knew the perfect angle to go to the press with. Very funny, charismatic — the type of guy who can charm the birds out of the trees. He hired me when I was very young, and inexperienced, although relentlessly keen. I spent a few formative years working for him. Jeff not only trusted me to represent big, successful artists on national media campaigns, he empowered me to have my own style and create my own strategies. He didn’t expect me to do things the way he would, he understood that everyone has a style and that if I could find my style — and pinpoint what works best for me — I would hit my stride. I was extremely lucky to land there so early on. He taught me to be bold, self-sufficient and to trust my gut.
As you know, the United States is facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?
Absolutely. At The Oriel we have a very diverse roster and a staff to match. The entertainment industry, like many industries, is guilty of decades of the “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” style of hiring. It’s been rampant for years. We all came up in the business highly aware of nepotism in action. Beyond the blatant unfairness of that way of hiring, it’s extremely unhealthy and culturally damaging for things to be so insular. Homogeny is the enemy of creativity and it’s essential to our business, and the culture at large, that we populate our offices with people from different backgrounds and cultures. We view diversity and inclusion as an essential component of who we are. We’re a small, female-founded business but we’re growing quickly. While it’s been the norm in entertainment for decades, we don’t just hire people from a small pool of applicants who have the connections, or family resources, to put them in the right place at the right time. We work with recruiters who can help us cast a wider net so that we continue to broaden our own horizons and field of expertise. We truly value fresh perspectives and the chance to learn from our team. Pop culture is our lifeblood and having a diverse team who can share their perspective, tastes and principles is a priceless asset.
As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.
I think the most essential thing is to listen to your team and to be willing to learn from them. They may be much younger, but they have knowledge. We have a lot of smart, articulate, impressive young women on our staff; for some of them it’s their very first job out of college. We encourage them to speak up, share their values. We then, as a company, take action on issues that are important to them. We regularly canvas our team to find out what they feel it’s important for us to speak up — and out — about, and where to place charitable donations.
It’s an extremely frightening time for so many people in the US; minorities and marginalized people are being attacked every day. We work with artists who come from those communities, and artists who see what’s happening and feel the need to help. When there’s something important or urgent to say, they look to us for guidance on how to message the media and their fans. And we, as an executive team, need to fully understand every nuance in order to be able to advise them properly. We also have a platform of our own with the ability to share information and resources with lighting speed. By leaning in on what our team tells us are the issues and causes of most importance, we’re utilizing our established influence to effect positive change.
We also have a responsibility to provide a safe haven for our young team as they navigate their fledgling careers in the entertainment industry. Even a few years ago, abuse of power was so prevalent that no one was surprised to hear about it, dozens of industries viewed it as a normal workplace hazard. We hope that, with all the upheaval of the last few years, the idea of a harmonious, respectful workplace has become a feasible reality. By having intentional hiring policies, respectful employment practices, and compassionate mentorship, executives everywhere can help build a culture of fairness, inclusion and respect in the workplace. The mentees will take that practice with them when they build their own teams and businesses.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what an executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?
An executive has to see the bigger framework at all times. We’re hands on in delivering the service our business provides — in our case communications strategies and PR expertise — while simultaneously overseeing every detail of the company. We’re involved in pacing the growth of the business, evaluating and course correcting on a daily basis, and mentoring the talented people who work for us by empowering them to become leaders themselves.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?
The myth that springs to mind, I guess, is of the lazy CEO — feet on desk — enjoying the fruits of everyone else’s labor while taking credit for his staff’s hard work and success. Right? That’s the cartoonish version of a CEO. That’s certainly not the case in most businesses with which I’m familiar. I’m sure it’s true somewhere, but I believe most executives in our field are giving up evenings, weekends and holidays to keep their companies at the top of their game.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
In any industry that is somewhat speculative, like PR and much of the entertainment business, there is a lot of bluster and bravado. I believe, having seen it so much over 20+ years, that obstreperous male behavior can be convincing in the moment, while diligent and thoughtful female energy — and deep emotional intelligence — can be overlooked, overshadowed and discounted. Reported research showed that women speak 36% less than men in meetings and that a meeting of any group would need a majority of four women or more for the women to take up as much talk time as the men. We’ve all heard of women who game plan meetings where they amplify one another points by repeating them immediately — and giving credit — before a man can step in and say the same thing. These are real and frustrating experiences for all women, and minorities, in any situation, it’s not limited to conference rooms. It’s across every part of our culture and it is unlikely to change until the culture changes, unfortunately. (Props to Geena Davis’ Institute on Gender In Media for her trailblazing work in this area!)
What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?
Probably that every single day is so different. Even now, on my third decade, I’m surprised by how I can sit down with my To Do list at 9am and by the end of the day I’ve done a million other things instead. We’re first responders for our clients needs and that’s a rollercoaster. Keeps things interesting, for sure!
Is everyone cut out to be an executive? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?
For me, I believe people skills are essential in running any business. No one person has every skill or talent in equal measures but knowing how to get the best out of your team is a crucial part of the job. Picking up quickly on individual personalities is the most proficient way to run a team. Being able to communicate with people well, tell them what you expect from them, learning their strengths and their weaknesses and understanding your own is key. These are the talents on which a business can succeed or fail.
I work in the beauty tech industry, so I am very interested to hear your philosophy or perspective about beauty. In your role as a powerful woman and leader, how much of an emphasis do you place on your appearance? Do you see beauty as something that is superficial, or is it something that has inherent value for a leader in a public context? Can you explain what you mean?
This is an interesting and pertinent question! Our business is highly social and yes — appearances are important in our industry. It’s entertainment, we work with famous people and we have to walk the red carpet with them. The British writer Caitlin Moran wrote in one of her books that whenever a woman says “I don’t have anything to wear!” what she really means is that she doesn’t have anything to wear for who she has to be that day. That’s something I think about all the time, as we go from meeting to office to dinner and on to a show or event. It’s a lot to plan for. But women everywhere, in every walk of life, are dealing with the same thing on some level. It’s not unique to entertainment.
As a PR exec, I take comfort in the fact that no one is supposed to be looking at me. I’m usually trying to be invisible, whether it’s on a red carpet or at a photo shoot or TV taping. I try to look smart and understated. I personally never wear a lot of makeup and I have a very traditional approach to skincare and anti-aging — despite the plethora of technologies available to me as a resident of Los Angeles! I don’t think it’s superficial — to each their own, honestly — but I would love for women to be able to age in the same way that is acceptable for men. It’s only fair for older women to be perceived as ‘distinguished’ the same way men are, rather than the inordinate amount of pressure being placed on appearing youthful. It would be a great equalizer, if we could get to that place.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I’m a mother, and an aunt, and my greatest anxiety and outrage is for the companies who are actively destroying our planet. Just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions. The environment is in a death spiral and a small group are to blame. I admire the work of organizations like Extinction Rebellion, the Sunrise Movement and Green Peace. They exist already, the movement is happening, so I can only encourage people to research them and think about how they might like to participate. Our client Michael Stipe recently recorded music to raise funds for Extinction Rebellion and my brother in law — who is 78 years old! — has been volunteering to train their protesters in London. Anyone, no matter who they are, or where they live, can do something. All they have to do is learn about it and connect with the movement.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them
I think the aforementioned Geena Davis. My heart swells whenever I see the work she’s doing. To put our popular culture under a microscope and show just how warped things are…And then to put that research into such formidable action for progress: Wow! The change that has to come from that is seismic.
Thank you so much for these great insights. This was very enlightening!
Women Of The C-Suite: Chloë Walsh of The Oriel Company On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.