Underpaid & Overstressed - Campaign Coordinator Diffusion PR Employee Review

After spending a few days in our New York office earlier this month, I came home to my remote office energized and ready for the last few months of 2025. It’s no secret the economy is awful right now, and when you work in an industry like public relations, it’s tough to show up with a smile on your face some days. But the energy our team brings every single day is incredible – from the funny Slacks to the wild and crazy ideas on brainstorms, this team is truly top notch. (I know, I know, everyone says their team is amazing.)

I’m closing in on 20 years in PR, and the con isn’t for Diffusion but for the industry itself. You have to be tough, and there are days that are stressful. But Diffusion has built in several ways to ensure employees are supported and valued. So while sometimes my chosen career might feel like a “What was I thinking?” moment, after almost two decades at it, I’m so happy to work for an agency to fully supports me.

I started at Diffusion 3 years ago as a VP unsure if this place would be a fit for me coming from a 12 year stint at another agency, but I thought the benefits and values were aligned with what I was looking for. Three years in, I’m proud of the large and small award-winning campaigns we’ve accomplished for notable clients, and have personally grown so much from working with this incredible team. They’re smart, creative and hardworking and I simply adore them. But, I’d be remiss not to credit my manager and our MD Kate Ryan. A good manager applauds your wins, pushes and empowers you to be better, leads by example, proactively points out opportunities for improvement, supports you when you’re stuck, and understands when your crazy toddler is at home sick and you need some grace. Kate does all of that and more because she cares. She works tirelessly to foster a supportive and accountable environment for every single person at the agency, and makes sure we have the resources we need to succeed. Beyond stars for my Uber driver, I don’t usually care to share a public review, but I am utterly confused by the multi-year stream of anon negative reviews targeted at Kate using various titles and the same repetitive language. - MS, VP

PR is not always easy, and of course there are bound to be disagreements, but they're addressed with respect and empathy here.