Marston Waldo, who has been a valued team member at RLF since an acquisition in early 2023, has recently been promoted from Senior Communications Manager to Vice President.
As the head of RLF’s Charlotte office, Marston has been a driving force across the agency thanks to her leadership on several key client accounts and her work with the agency’s marketing committee. She’s known for her drive to deliver game-changing results for clients, sharp strategic mindset and commitment to promoting the agency’s vision.
Marston’s career has taken a nontraditional route which has brought her to her current position as a Vice President at RLF Communications. Keep reading for a Q&A with Marston discussing her career journey, top professional tips and approach to managing successful projects and teams.
Give us the rundown on your professional background.
When I graduated from college, I started my career at an engineering consulting firm in Mobile, Alabama. I was in a marketing role there for two years, which meant I was a proposal writer. I showcased a lot of ambition, motivation and grit during that job; I learned the valuable skills of how to manage upward and how to adapt to other people’s work style to get the best results, which are skills I’ve carried with me to the present day.
Eventually, leadership at the engineering company asked me to move to Raleigh to work with the NC Department of Transportation. There, I learned the technical aspect of project and client management.
I was young for the team and the role, and I was confronted with a reality that many young men and women face—I have to look the part. A big aspect of my job included interfacing with appointed officials, elected officials and industry leaders, and a huge piece of success in that role for me meant looking like I belonged in the room. I learned a lot about executive presence—refining the “look” of the job, along with scope of the job—like, presentation skills, agenda development and client management. Finally, the most valuable thing I walked away with was how to command a room and run a meeting.
After a few years, I did an assessment of my career and an evaluation of where I wanted to go next. I was looking for a job where I could touch a ton of different fields at once, and public relations work fit that bill. So, I started taking informational interviews. I took a job working for a smaller agency, and was able to merge my natural writing, reading and speaking strengths with the skills I’d gained with project and client management. It was truly the perfect storm. The agency where I worked was eventually bought by RLF—and that’s how I got here!
Mentorship is a crucial part of career growth. How have you experienced mentorship throughout your career?
The most productive mentorship experiences happen when both parties are interested in challenging themselves. It is not a position of power or authority; it’s a partnership of two people looking to serve one another. That said, I’ve had a few good examples of bad examples—and I definitely think there’s a lot to learn in those instances.
As for good mentors, I had a mentor in Raleigh that set the standard, and I still call him every few weeks for advice. It was such a gift to have someone help carve a path for me so early in my career—someone who put me up for hard things and shaped me into someone who is both confident and responsible. I remember being told that I needed to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I was so used to picking things up quickly, and I was hard on myself when I was struggling to understand. But everything was new, and it was a tough pill to swallow that I wasn’t going to be the best right away. Sometimes the best thing a mentor can do is humble you!
In your eyes, what defines a good leader?
The ability to react in a productive way when somebody fails is important. It’s easy to be a good leader when everyone is doing everything right, but what really defines good leadership is the ability to give feedback—and encouragement—through failure that helps someone grow both personally and professionally.
An important part of this is course correcting with sensitivity and a willingness to engage with vulnerability. When leaders respond with empathy, they create a space for learning and accountability. That openness invites trust, strengthens relationships and fosters resilience—laying the groundwork for deeper growth and long-term success.
Loop us in on your top tips for success at a PR agency.
At an agency, you’re constantly juggling demands from all sides—clients, coworkers and leadership—all of whom are vying for your time. At the same time, you’re monitoring both proactive and reactive communications for your clients. Success often hinges on your ability to diagnose, or even anticipate, a client’s priorities, goals and challenges without them spelling it out. From there, it’s about offering smart, strategic recommendations. For instance, if a client says they want to be more respected in their industry, that might lead to a thought leadership strategy.
This industry isn’t about always having the “right” answer; it’s about navigating ambiguity with strategic thinking, collaboration and clear intent. It’s problem-solving through partnership. Stay close to your clients, learn to think like they do and you’ll be better equipped to guide them on the next move.
What’s your approach to project and client management?
I believe that public relations is truly a “you have to see it to believe it industry.” People can have a hard time wrapping their head around how media placements increase credibility and visibility for their business. Because of that, I prioritize hitting it hard right out of the gate for a new client.
In practice, that looks like being a sponge by learning everything you can about their industry, subscribing to trade publications, reading articles about their competitors and positioning yourself as an extension of their team. I always want a close relationship with my clients, so they are comfortable floating ideas to me, talking about their concerns and keeping an open stream of communication. Since we’re often giving sensitive and subjective feedback to clients, it’s really important to have a strong and trusting relationship with them.
As you’re stepping into a new role as Vice President, what are some hopes you have moving forward?
At RLF, we have high expectations for ourselves and the way we treat our people and our clients. As I am the newest member of the leadership team, it’s tempting to want to tackle the sizeable challenges we face as an industry and agency, but I believe that getting the little things right is how we get the big things right. So, I want to focus on professional development, relationship building and process improvement.
By: Anna Beth Adcock
