About
Kelsey Nelson is the Founder & CEO of Friday Night PR, her own public relations firm. A 2011 Ohio University graduate with a Bachelor’s in Journalism (PR focus), she was actively involved in ImPRessions (the student-run PR firm) and served as PRSSA chapter president during her senior year. Before launching her agency, Kelsey built her expertise at marketing firms including Adcom (Cleveland), EP+Co (Greenville, SC), FerebeeLane (Greenville, SC) and Belle Communications (Columbus), bringing this diverse agency experience to her entrepreneurial venture.
Key Takeaways
Kelsey used her time with us to talk candidly about failure and how each so-called “misstep” shaped her career.
It’s okay to change your mind.
Kelsey came to Ohio University set on becoming a journalist. She had been the editor-in-chief of her high school magazine and dreamed of writing for a national publication. But as the 2007 economic crash unfolded, she began to rethink her path. By her junior year, she prioritized financial stability and switched to the PR track. That pivot, while difficult at the time, was the first of many that led her to where she is today.
Plans fall through, and that’s normal.
Like many J-school students, Kelsey imagined living and working in New York after graduation. But when spring semester rolled around, she had no job and no savings to make a big move. She’d started applying in December—way too early for most PR jobs, which typically open only a few weeks before hiring. Instead of heading to NYC, she accepted a role in Cleveland. It wasn’t her original plan, but it turned out to be a place where she gained valuable agency experience and built a strong foundation.
There’s no “perfect” career move.
Kelsey described feeling like a “sellout” for moving from journalism to PR and then later from PR to advertising. She worked at Adcom and then moved to EP+Co in South Carolina, where she led social content for major brands. Even when things didn’t go smoothly (like the agency-wide layoffs after losing a client), she kept learning and adapting. At FerebeeLane, a boutique firm, she was out of her comfort zone but took on leadership roles and helped build out their social and PR offerings.
Burnout is real, and sometimes you make the wrong call.
After a particularly tough agency experience and finding out she was expecting twins, Kelsey took what she thought would be a better-fit job. It wasn’t. The role and leadership didn’t align with her needs or values. Then the pandemic hit. Everything felt like it was falling apart—until a former client reached out and encouraged her to start her own agency.
Relationships shape your future.
That encouragement led to Friday Night PR, an agency she says “mirrors a newsroom” and stays true to journalistic values. A single contract helped her get off the ground. From there, she freelanced, filled in for others and built up her client list. Today, Friday Night PR focuses on media relations, content and organic social. Now, they support eleven active clients.
You’re more prepared than you think.
Kelsey ended with advice for seniors: the OU network is real, and it will serve you well. Not everything will go according to plan, and you will fail at times, but you’ll also grow, pivot and find your way. The “wrong” decisions may lead to the best outcomes. It’s OK if things look different than you imagined.
Connect with Kelsey on LinkedIn!
Henry Gorsuch is a Journalism Strategic Communications major with a minor in Marketing and can be found on LinkedIn here.