In our rebooted Headliners series of conversations, we get under the skin of PR and communications leaders around the world who have made PRovoke Media headlines recently, uncovering the risks they have taken in their career, the people, brands and work they admire, their advice for industry newbies, and their guilty pleasures.

In this week's Q&A, we speak to tech communications veteran Morgan Blair Borer who recently launched a new boutique communications firm, Blair Reputation Management.

What’s the biggest career risk you’ve ever taken? How did it work out?

After graduating from journalism school, I moved to New York City for a US$15/hour digital marketing internship. My parents were convinced I’d starve. I crammed into a one-bedroom with two roommates—we turned it into a three-bed with curtains and creativity. It was chaotic, but I was living the quintessential New York City “dream.”

I picked up nannying, dog walking, and freelance writing for a culture magazine just to make ends meet. And I loved every second of it. My advice to new grads? Move to a big city, even if it scares you. You’ll figure it out—and you’ll grow faster than you think.

What’s the biggest creative risk you’ve ever taken?

My previous company, Bevel, launched in February 2017. We were the first all-female public relations and marketing firm within financial services. At the time, the #MeToo movement was erupting across social media, and the “girlboss” era was dominating headlines, thanks to Sophia Amoruso, founder of Nasty Gal and her memoir, "#Girlboss." 

The world was finally paying attention to women in power. We debated whether to own that narrative or play it safe. We chose to own it. The result? A killer feature in The New York Post—then the second-largest paper in the country—titled: This financial public relations company is all female. It put us on the map.

What do you think are the most important character traits for a great PR person

First, you need to be curious—about people, culture, technology, economics, politics. Curiosity is the foundation of killer storytelling, and at the end of the day, publicists are storytellers. Growing up in Ohio, I was quite far-removed from the epicenter of culture and technology, but I was always reading, asking questions, and learning. If you want to thrive in this field, you have to commit to being a “life-long” learner—no exceptions.


Second, negotiation and persuasion skills are critical. Every day, I’m either speaking with reporters, my clients’ investors, customers, users and/or internal stakeholders. At big companies, I’ve had to rally dozens of stakeholders just to greenlight one media push. And, let’s not forget—reporters are trained to be cynical. How are you going to convince them to pay attention to your client? That’s the game. And you’ve got to be good at it. 

Which company or organization do you most admire in terms of PR, branding or reputation management?


I’ve always admired Poppi for its fun, whimsical branding. When the company launched in 2018, there were already dozens of “good for you” beverage brands on the market, and it felt like a crowded space.

“The freedom to love soda again” is a pretty catchy tagline–they made it cool to drink soda again, something that felt antithetical to the mainstream narrative. The brand amassed a sort of cultural cache and it really took off. I remember seeing almost every cool-girl influencer drinking it on TikTok and Instagram. I imagine they invested more in social media marketing than their competitors, and it clearly paid off. On March 17th, Poppi was acquired for US$1.95B by PepsiCo. 

Is there an industry trend or discussion you think is over-rated or exaggerated or just plain stupid?

I recently came across a company that uses robots to pitch and correspond with journalists. The robots create the pitch, and use what publicists call “spray and pray” - emailing hundreds of journalists with the same generic pitch. Let’s be clear: this is just plain stupid. Whether you’re working with a 22 year-old journalist or one who’s 65, I don’t think writers want to correspond with bots. This business is built on trust, credibility, and real relationships between publicists and writers.

I say this as someone who embraces AI and uses it daily. AI certainly has a place in our business, but it should be guided by human judgment, not replace it. AI is a tool, not the storyteller.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone entering the PR industry today

Find one mentor who’s worked in the industry for a long time—preferably one who’s entrepreneurial. That person will help you understand how to position yourself in a junior role, and what you’ll need to succeed. Personally, I love mentoring young women who are optimistic, curious, and willing to roll up their sleeves. I take mentorship very seriously, and will always, always make time for it.   

What’s your guilty pleasure when you need to unwind from the high pressure of PR?

Anything that takes me away from my phone screen. My 2025 goal is to hugely limit my screen time, especially on the weekends and I can afford to. I love visiting new cities. I traveled to Venice and Puerto Rico in February for the first time. I have plans to visit Montenegro soon. I was also invited to India recently–which just feels incredible. Right now, nothing fuels me more than exploring somewhere new.