PRACTITIONER INTERVIEW PROJECT

By: Ally Langley

MARLEI OLSON IS A PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONER WHO WORKS FOR A NONPROFIT

ORGANIZATION CALLEDTHISTLE FARMS

WHAT IS THISTLE FARMS?

Thistle Farms is a powerful community of women who are healing from prostitution, trafficking and addiction.

They employ more than 45 survivors through their social enterprises which include Thistle Farms Home & Body, Thistle Stop Cafe, artisan studio, and Thistle Farms Global. Started in

1997 by Rev. Becca Stevens under the name Magdalene, Thistle Farms includes a two-year residential program and

advocacy services for hundreds of women yearly. They provide education and training annually through speaking

events and immersion workshops.

WHAT IS YOUR JOB TITLE AND WHAT DOES IT ENTAIL?

“I am the Director of Public Relations and Development, and my job changes, but mainly I oversee the messaging of Thistle Farms. A lot of the content that we put out is story-telling and I am responsible for that. I am also in charge of

materials and resources for any event that we, or someone we are partners with is putting on. I am also in charge of fundraising for our organization.”

WHERE DO YOU FIT IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND TO WHOM DO YOU REPORT?

Marlei is one of seven directors who look over various branches of the organization, and those seven directors report to both the CEO and the founder of Thistle Farms.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION AND HOW DID YOU GET THERE?

“I have been with Thistle Farms since 2003, I have been with them very early on. I used to work in the music industry, and I was asked to just help out with a fundraiser for Thistle Farms and it grew from there. I had been working in the

music industry for about twenty years, and thought change would be good for

me.”

WHAT IS YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND?

Marlei graduated from Biola University in Los Angeles, California with a degree in communications.

HOW DID YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR JOB?

“I think good communication skills can help any professional no matter what field they are

in. An emphasis on nonverbal, personal, social, and organizational communications all help you learn how to function both within the

organization, but also communicating what that organization is to the community.”

WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?

Marlei works part of the time out of her home in Atlanta and the other half at

Thistle Farms in Nashville, but while she is in Nashville she is preparing for board

meetings, planning fundraisers, putting together campaigns, and answering

multiple e-mails.

WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR JOB?

“I really love my team. Everybody wants to be there and help these women and we are always laughing

and smiling. It would not be the same without them."

WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PART ABOUT THE JOB?

”The hardest part is losing one of the women who is a part of the Thistle Farms family. Even though we try to help

them to the best of our ability, addiction and other health problems cause women to die prematurely, and it is

always heartbreaking, especially after you have gotten to know them personally.

On the more business side of things, the hardest part is responding to e-mails. I receive so many e-mails in a day

and I cannot possibly respond to all of them, but I find myself apologizing a lot in my e-mails because I am responding to them several days after receiving it.”

HOW DO YOU DEFINE PUBLIC RELATIONS?

Marlei defines public relations as communication between an organization and the community. She believes that a public relations

practitioner is a spokesperson for the organization they work for and is in charge of letting the public know what that organization is all about.

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A PUBLIC RELATIONS

PROFESSIONAL?Marlei considers herself to be a public relations professional because she is mainly overseeing the communication between Thistle Farms

and the public. Even though she also helps with their marketing, most of her day is spent dealing with public relations.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ISSUES AFFECTING YOUR WORK TODAY?

Society’s views on sex is what Thistle Farm struggles with the most these days, because people are somewhat immune to the problems that these

women face. Marlei and the rest of the team have had problems with journalists wanting to ask the

women very personal questions that could possibly emotionally hurt them so her and her team must carefully monitor how they are portraying their

women.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WISH YOU HAVE KNOWN BEFORE YOU BECAME A

COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL?

“There is not really any piece of advice that I wish I had gotten before becoming a

professional. I believe that it is all about growth. You learn and adjust as you go along. I know a lot more now than I did when I first started, but that is because I made mistakes along the way

and learned from them.”