Spotlight: Ivy Cohen

A powerhouse communicator and strategist, Ivy Cohen balances full days running her eponymous company with continuously seeking opportunities to learn and help others.

She has worked with multiple global companies and is a published author, with her work encompassing media articles to textbooks. Ivy is bicoastal: A native New Yorker, she lived half her life as a California resident and is now back in New York. Her volunteer and nonprofit work has benefited communities on both coasts. Ivy was named to Crain’s 2021 Notable Women Business Owners List, while simultaneously celebrating the 20th anniversary of her company.

Hear from Ivy about why she decided to start her company, its upcoming 25th anniversary, her proudest career achievement, and a fact about her life that may surprise you.

1. You’ve had a remarkably interesting career in both corporate firms and the non-profit world. What led you to start your own communications consulting company?

Communications is the through-line, and my strength that has carried my career across sector, industry, and function. So, when I was in my last full-time position as vice president of public and investment relations for a startup, the company, with several hundred employees, was preparing to shut down. I considered pursuing another senior full-time position but realized that this was my chance to start my own firm with limited risk (I could always apply for in-house positions if this didn’t work out). I figured that I could provide more personalized, senior-level attention than what I’d experienced with top global PR agencies I’d worked with. Twenty-five years later, my company is proof positive that I was right.

2. Next year, you’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of your company. What is one lesson you’ve learned in that time that you didn’t expect?

Being an effective communications executive and advisor comes with the need to also be a savvy business strategist. It is not enough to advise on public relations and communications plans, messaging and campaigns. For PR and communications professionals, there is so much more to know beyond writing and media relations. Central to taking on responsibility, building trust and delivering results for clients is a knowledge and experience that comes from outside of our field, such as understanding how organizations work, having knowledge of macro and industry trends, and having a perspective on what is possible and what can backfire.

I found that if you deliver, clients will take you with them across their careers and companies. Since my own company was my first experience in a role where companies contracted me as a consultant, I did not have this perspective starting out. Several of my clients who have advanced in leadership positions and moved to the C-Suite across new and larger companies have brought me and my firm along with them to continue to build their reputations and grow the public relations or communications platforms of their corporate brands. It is an honor and a privilege to continue to serve these senior executives as they climb their career ladders.

3. To follow on the above question, what is a company and professional achievement that you’re especially proud of?

Building and maintaining a thriving business over the past 25 years has been extremely rewarding. I love learning something new every day – be it about client companies, industries, executive ambitions, fresh solutions, and new technologies. Contributing new thinking or effectively expressing ideas for clients and delivering impact to their organizations and initiatives is fulfilling; it motivates me and has kept me on the roller coaster of business owner and PR/comms executive.

I recommended to one of my early clients – a major player in global humanitarian logistics – that we convene communications leaders from the top dozen global disaster relief and humanitarian aid organizations. I facilitated a summit where I shared my observations about the opportunity to educate the American public about the importance and methods for supporting global disasters, and the need to address the unintended cannibalization of fundraising activity when multiple agencies conducted fundraising appeals tied to the same crisis. It was meaningful and fulfilling to engage these leaders in a new paradigm.

4. You have contributed a chapter to a new book, Mastering the Corporate Chess Game, published by Georgetown University Press. What is your number one piece of advice for navigating corporate culture and creating a successful career?

Always be learning and not just in your narrow functional area. My success has often been based on knowledge and experience from collaboration with colleagues in other departments and disciplines, as well as proactively designing solutions that impact organizations at a higher and broader level. A key to this is to find ways to share these ideas beyond the borders of your specific portfolio.

5. What do you like to do in your free time?

I spend a lot of time with family in New York and California, especially my husband, kids and their families. My husband and I love adventure travel and wildlife. My weekly portfolio includes many longtime volunteer commitments, including teaching cooking and story time with puppets at Boys and Girls Club of Harlem, advising at a few startup incubators in NY and CA, and other civic leadership roles. My hobbies include handmaking Muppet-style puppets, sponsoring an alpaca at a Westchester farm, and cooking, eating, watching college sports, and the New York Yankees!

6. Why did you become a NYWICI member and what do you love about being part of this community?

NYWICI is the most impressive gathering of communications professionals in the U.S. I love being part of a group that celebrates talent, nurtures it, and engages women to support each other in such an important field.

7. What are your personal ‘words to live by’?

My mantra is “It’s more important to be effective than to be right.” That philosophy reflects my work navigating tough issues and crises, as well as engaging in business with people who may either agree or disagree with my recommendations. As a woman involved in leadership roles, I embraced the saying “don’t confuse kindness with weakness” a long time ago, which helps me stay focused on my values and project my leadership style.

8. Please tell us one thing about yourself that your fellow members would be surprised to learn.

I had to wear a back brace for scoliosis while I was in high school. Needless to say, it was challenging, but there was a longer-term silver lining. Aside from my overall physical health, this helped me develop resilience and a strong backbone. Sometimes an adverse event can make you stronger.