Hannah O’Donnell is the Founder and Managing Director of Straight Up PR, a health, fitness and lifestyle agency known for its impactful campaigns and straight up approach to PR and Talent Management.
With her infectious energy, strong industry knowledge and unique business attributes, Hannah established Straight Up PR in 2013 after following her intuition and creating an agency that filled a gap in the market.
Hannah O’Donnell is the Founder and Managing Director of Straight Up PR, a health, fitness and lifestyle agency known for its impactful campaigns and straight up approach to PR and Talent Management.
With her infectious energy, strong industry knowledge and unique business attributes, Hannah established Straight Up PR in 2013 after following her intuition and creating an agency that filled a gap in the market. Hannah’s vision was to bring to life an agency that specialised in health and wellbeing, and was a little different in how they operated.
Boasting over 10 years experience in the industry, Hannah has delivered a number of successful integrated communications campaigns for some of Australia and New Zealand’s leading brands including Freedom Foods, Changing Habits, SkyZone, Pic’s Peanut Butter, Johnson & Johnson, Woolworths, Fairfax Media and Events, Nikon, Moet Hennessy and McAfee. In her first year of business at Straight Up PR, Hannah was awarded B&T’s prestigious 30 Under 30 Award, and she continues to inspire people with her powerful leadership skills and zealous attitude.
Find inspiration as we talk to Hannah O’Donnell in our #StrongHealthyWomen interview.
Hi Hannah! Thank you for being part of the Health and Fitness Travel, Strong, Healthy Women Interview Series, where we are shining a light on the importance of self-care, not as an indulgence but a necessity to reduce stress and general health issues.
Is there such a thing as a typical day for you and what does that look like?
Every day is different. My office days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. I have my kids – Frankie who is 3 and Beau who is 1 on Wednesday and Friday. Although on the days with my kids I still work – just remotely. In saying this, next year (in 2020) I will be moving to four days in the office as my son will be old enough to pick up another day in care – so Fridays will be my day with the kids.
I kick off my working days with brekky with my kids and a green juice (and a healthy side of emails over the phone to check if anything urgent needs to be actioned) then a Pilates or yoga class. I’m next ready to dive into meetings with the team, clients or prospective clients and contacts. I have computer time and action emails, work on business forecasting, proposals, billings, team capacity and our own PR and marketing strategies. I love to work from cafes and be outdoors in nature – this is where some of my best ideas are formulated. Then at 4pm it’s time to get home for kindy pickup or to meet the kids as their beautiful grandparents drop them back.
Can you share a time when you felt your well-being was challenged in the past and what did you do to overcome it?
Yes. I would be amazed if no one had a time in their life where they felt like their own well-being wasn’t challenged. Just before I started Straight Up PR, I was working at an agency where I felt unsupported, stressed to the max, my thyroid was playing up and in overdrive and I was quite simply, unhappy. It was this moment that I decided to take time off to reconnect with myself, practice my Pilates and yoga and do the things I love, while entertaining the idea of starting my own business. Giving myself the time and space I needed provided me with renewed energy and the opportunity to kick start Straight Up PR!
The message here is that you shouldn’t accept moments in life where your well-being is being compromised – step away from whatever it is that’s causing this, take charge of your life and embrace some stillness. You’ll be surprised with what will follow when you get back in your flow.
What does ‘being healthy’ mean to you and how do you keep this at the forefront when life gets unavoidably busy?
Health is how you feel inside – your body and your mind. I know when I’ve had a not so healthy day or week my whole body and mind is just off and out of whack – I lack energy and my zest for life. I’m also extra emotional and tired. I even find it hard to just think and speak – sometimes stringing a sentence together is tough! So, I know for me that health looks like me eating a balanced diet (always still with a side of dark chocolate), limiting my alcohol intake, exercising regularly, walking in nature and in the sunshine, having chilled (not always go-go-going) time with my family, catching up with friends regularly for laughs and enjoying a long quiet and super warm shower.
I think we need to always hold ourselves and those around us accountable – my husband is very supportive and often throws me a gentle reminder if I get a little off-track. A healthy wife, means a happy life.
Have you ever taken a holiday specifically for your well-being? Can you share what the experience was like?
No, I haven’t (really). I have been to the Golden Door Health Retreat with my colleague Nastasia but that was more out of interest and research. Working in the health and wellness industry means that we can do these things from a ‘work’ perspective – and I’m not complaining!
Now that I have kids a holiday for my well-being looks a lot different to what it would have pre-kids. Of course the easy answer would be to crave going away for a week to a wellness retreat somewhere tropical with loads of yoga, vegan food and laughs, but if I’m really to think about it.. I would miss my husband and kids too much and love spending my holidays with them.
One of the best holidays I’ve had recently which fuelled my soul (my well-being) was a family holiday to the Gold Coast with my whole extended family for my Dads 70th birthday. I love nothing more than beach days, long walks, being outside in nature and the sunshine and sharing good food, laughs and happy times with my family. Sometimes the simplest of holidays are the best ones. The ones that light you up from the inside out.
Every woman’s idea of self-care is different, please tell us what does self-care mean to you?
Doing what makes your soul truly feel alive and well. Looking after myself – inside and outside. For me this is doing a yoga or Pilates class, connecting with friends over a hot pot of tea and yummy treats, getting a massage, going to bed early and talking kindly to myself.
Want to tell your story? Reach out to us via info@healthandfitnesstravel.com.au and be featured as our next strong, healthy woman.
