In an interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Kayla Ciaschi, Associate Vice President (Client Services) at Talk Shop Media and Rachael D’Amore, Associate Vice President of Growth at Talk Shop Media, shared their career journeys and the influences that have shaped their leadership styles. Kayla’s transition from in-house roles to a leadership position in PR was driven by her desire to leverage her deep understanding of client perspectives and sales funnels, fostering a people-first culture within her team. Rachael’s shift from journalism to PR capitalized on her storytelling skills, aiming to elevate brand profiles and media presence. Both leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining strong client relationships and building a supportive team culture. They also discussed the integration of their strategies to ensure both company growth and client success, highlighting the significance of alignment in vision and team capabilities.
Rachael D’Amore is the Associate Vice President (Growth) at Talk Shop Media in Toronto. As a former journalist, with nearly a decade of experience in mainstream media, Rachael’s career has taken her across top-tier Canadian media outlets, from VICE to CP24 to CTV, and the national online supervisor for Global News. Rachael has been nominated for multiple RTDNA awards for her work, and has led newsrooms through turbulent elections and COVID-19. Since entering the Public Relations industry, Rachael has reinvigorated Talk Shop’s earned media relations approach and strategy. She has successfully managed one of the agency’s largest and most noteworthy clients in Toronto, and works with clients across tech, AI, B2B, sustainability and energy. In her current role, Rachael is responsible for the sales strategy for the Toronto team, focused on the tech sector.
Kayla Ciaschi is the Associate Vice President (Client Services) at Talk Shop Media in Toronto. During her 10 years working in Public Relations, Kayla has honed her expertise in multiple facets of the industry, including campaign-driven work, partnership integrations, talent engagement, always-on PR, media-worthy events, and more. After working in-house at a notable non-profit for almost five years, Kayla turned to agency life where she’s since taken her media relations expertise and results-driven work, and applied them to clients operating in diverse fields, including real estate, B2B, consumer tech, and non-profit. On top of her strategic approaches to media relations, some award-winning, Kayla also has a passion for thought leadership and profile building, providing an objective lens and connecting the dots for clients. As Associate Vice President, Kayla’s role is to ensure every client who partners with Talk Shop experiences an exceptional degree of service. Kayla is proud to oversee the PR team at Talk Shop, managing professional development and overseeing recruitment.
Rachael and Kayla, you’ve both risen to prominent leadership positions within Talk Shop Media. Could you share the journey and key experiences that led you to your current roles as Associate Vice Presidents, and how your unique backgrounds have influenced your leadership styles?
K: I spent the first half of my career working in-house, which has allowed me to develop a strong understanding of what success looks like from the client perspective, PR’s role in the overarching marcomms space, and where PR sits in the sales funnel. I think this has helped me be an exceptional agency partner to our clients at Talk Shop. I’ve always worked in smaller teams at fast-paced organizations, which has shaped me to be a people-first leader and to push team members to their full potential. Looking back at my most challenging career moments, I’m grateful for them because they allowed me to hone my skills and build an arsenal of experience and tools I draw on daily.
R: My career began in journalism, where I spent nearly a decade as a reporter in Toronto and nationally. During this time, I covered a wide range of topics, from local news to federal elections and the pandemic. Transitioning to public relations and joining Talk Shop felt like a natural progression, driven by my passion for storytelling. I wanted to leverage this passion to build profiles and increase brand awareness for companies and thought leaders across various industries. My leadership style has been shaped by the incredible editors I’ve worked with in many different newsrooms. Editors are known for their efficiency, adaptability, and collaboration, and I strive to bring these qualities to my daily work at Talk Shop.
Maintaining strong client relationships is crucial in the PR industry. What strategies have you found most effective for building and sustaining these relationships, and how do you ensure Talk Shop continues to deliver exceptional service to each client?
K: We want our clients to feel like we’re an extension of their team – colleagues vs. a third-party vendor. This often comes about by getting to know them while on bi-weekly status calls, celebrating personal and professional achievements, and demonstrating that we have a clear understanding and passion for what they do. When it comes to delivering results, we prioritize quickly getting up to speed on all aspects of the client’s work so we can strategically orchestrate compelling story angles and areas of opportunity for newsjacking.
R: Public relations is ultimately a highly personalized field. From the beginning of any partnership, we take the time to deeply understand our clients, their motivations, their business, and the solutions or products they offer to their customers. Talk Shop’s commitment to curiosity and trust-building is a major factor in our success, both internally and externally. We genuinely see ourselves as an extension of our clients’ teams.
As leaders in a dynamic and often fast-paced industry, what are your top priorities for fostering effective teamwork and driving success within Talk Shop Media?
K: Team culture is definitely at the top of my list. While we work hard to drive results for our clients, it’s equally as important that people enjoy working at the agency. We host team activities, empower the team to log off early on a Friday, spend time chatting about frivolous things, and more. We aren’t in the office daily, and building the culture virtually can be challenging. Slack comes to the rescue. We’re obsessed with using Slack to discuss everything from pop culture to the latest headlines in healthcare. Talk Shop has always been a very collaborative agency; one team member’s success is everyone’s success.
R: The beauty of Talk Shop lies in the unique backgrounds and career experiences each team member brings to the agency. We not only celebrate this diversity at every opportunity but also recognize the invaluable perspectives it adds to our work for clients and the growth of our team. Whether someone comes from journalism, pharmaceuticals, events planning, or any other field, their unique insights truly enrich our collective efforts. I would also call out our commitment to servant leadership as a core principle we uphold. We live by the motto, “no job is too small,” and regardless of role, we are always ready and willing to support our team members whenever needed.
Rachael, with your focus on sales strategy for the tech sector, and Kayla, concentrating on client services and team development, how do you align your strategies to ensure not only the growth of Talk Shop but also the success of your clients in their respective fields?
K: While we focus on separate pillars, the two go hand in hand. In order to achieve continued growth, we need to have the right team in place to execute and vice versa. As we continue to grow, we want to attract talent that are excited by the sectors we work in and have the expertise and connections in the areas we’re servicing.
R: Kayla is absolutely right — neither vision nor team can succeed without the other. A vision needs the right team to come to life, and growth requires the right vision. My sales strategy emphasizes understanding industry trends, providing customized solutions, and building strong client relationships. By collaborating closely with Kayla, we ensure our clients receive top-notch support and execution. What Kayla and I excel at is working in perfect sync toward our shared goals, creating a seamless experience from sales to service delivery.
With the expansion to Los Angeles and the continuous evolution of the PR industry, what are the future goals for Talk Shop Media?
K & R: While US expansion is a goal for Talk Shop, we are also hyper-focused on nurturing the existing roster of clients we have in Canada. The media landscape continues to change, and we’re exploring new ways, outside of earned media, to provide value to our existing clients.
