Three Takeaways from PRSA ICON that Every Future PR Pro Should Know

By Paige McCullough, Rock PRSSA president

At the end of October, I had the incredible opportunity to attend PRSA’s ICON conference in Washington, D.C., alongside three of my fellow Rock PRSSA executive board members. Walking into a room full of professionals who have shaped the PR industry was humbling and exciting. As a student chapter, we were there to listen, learn and bring that knowledge back to Rock PRSSA and my fellow communication majors. The three-day experience was filled with inspiring sessions, meaningful connections and insights that will stick with me long after we left the conference center.
 
As a student leader preparing to enter the professional world, I walked away with three takeaways that continue to challenge the way I think about PR and leadership. These are lessons I believe every future PR professional should consider.
 
1.Get to the Point
In his session, “Get to the Point: How to Identify, Sharpen and Champion Your Most Important Ideas,” Joel Schwartzberg, principal communication coach and executive speechwriter, reminded us that clarity is not just important—it is everything. He shared a simple but powerful test for whether something is truly a point: add it to the end of the phrase, “I believe that.” If it forms a complete, compelling sentence, you have a point.
 
Most people assume a message is clear if it is descriptive. Schwartzberg flipped this expectation. For example:
❌ Animal shelters (too broad)
⚠️ Animal shelters are important (still vague)
✅ Adopting animals saves lives (specific, actionable, memorable)
 
This is more than a writing tip––it is a mindset shift. Every message you send, pitch you deliver or post you develop should be distilled until it can stand alone. Challenge yourself. When was the last time you tested your key messages this way? Try it with your next email, social post or campaign goal and see how much sharper your message becomes.
 
2. Let the Image Do the Talking
In “Let the Image Do the Talking: Visual Storytelling,” Laura Gross and Kellie Murphy of Scott Circle Communications emphasized that visuals are not just decoration. The most impactful visuals, whether photos, infographics or video, are only effective when they reflect and reinforce the story you want your audience to take away.
 
Here is the subtle but most instructive part. The best visual is not the most beautiful. It is the one that communicates your message precisely. If your audience only remembers one thing from your campaign, what should it be? That should guide your visual strategy from start to finish.
 
Try this. The next time you plan an event or campaign, pick one visual that will define the story. Let every other element support that image. This makes your storytelling intentional and strategic instead of reactive or purely aesthetic.
 
3. Take Risks
Chanda Gilmore, University of Delaware instructor, reframed what risk means in professional growth in her “From Conference to Career: Building Confidence and Connections in PR” session. Risk is not being reckless or hoping for luck. It is intentionally stepping into experiences that accelerate learning, expand your network and strengthen your skills.
 
Gilmore’s advice was practical. Set short- and long-term goals that push you outside your comfort zone in ways that matter. Identify one thing you have avoided because it feels risky or uncomfortable, and take a step toward it this week. Moving cities, pitching a bold idea or volunteering for a leadership opportunity are examples. The principle is universal. Growth is deliberate.
 
This perspective challenges the common assumption that comfort equals safety and progress happens by chance. Growth happens when you plan, act and reflect intentionally.
 
Leaving D.C., I felt more motivated than ever to apply these lessons personally and within Rock PRSSA. Conferences like ICON remind me why I fell in love with public relations. The field is about people, purpose and progress. The heart of great communication is clarity, intentional storytelling and the courage to take calculated risks.
 
I am grateful to PRSA and everyone who made this experience possible. I look forward to sharing what I have learned with our Rock PRSSA community. These three takeaways, to sharpen your point, to tell a story strategically and to take meaningful risks are frameworks I will carry into my career, and I encourage every aspiring PR professional to use those insights in their work.