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Women of Distinction
achel Ford Hutman’s and media relations given her
love of the ocean and deep expertise in the field. Not
Rher favorite pastime, long after, she found herself
surfing, was a sure sign that being recruited by IBM to lead
she would at some point end external relations for health-
up living in San Diego. “I was care and life sciences.
born and raised in Lisbon, “Working at IBM was an
Maryland. I earned my amazing experience that made
undergraduate degree from me realize that I could go out
the University of Maryland on my own. That desire, along
and left a couple years after with the encouragement of
college. I've always loved the past clients, helped me take
beach lifestyle and surfing, so the leap and open my own PR
relocating to San Diego was an Firm.“
easy decision.” Rachel’s love of life sci-
In 2008, she decided to ence started from an experi-
pursue her master’s degree ence that personally touched
in communications and San her life. “When I was in high
Diego State has a nationally school, my mother was first
recognized program. diagnosed with breast cancer.
Rachel loved to write and It was her participation in
spent time working as a jour- an experimental clinical trial
nalist. “I was a reporter at the that saved her life. Having
North County Times, which seen firsthand how it can
ended up being acquired by save lives was an incredible
the San Diego Union Tribune.” experience. It opened my eyes
Unfortunately, Rachel lost her to the clinical trial process,
job when the entire newsroom and how critical it can be. It
was shut down during the is extremely motivating, and I
financial crisis. Rachel Ford am grateful to be working in
Rachel decided it was time such a gratifying area where
to think about pursuing a new you are actually helping peo-
career. “I just remember com- ple and making an impact in a
ing home saying to my hus- Hutman positive way.”
band, that I had to find a new I asked Rachel what it felt
career. I was always talking to like venturing out on her own,
these Public Relations people, an often daunting process. “I
and I told him that I thought I By Judith A. Habert ended up starting this agency
could do that.“ at the end of February 2020,
“I quickly fell in love with Photos Courtesy of Rachel Ford Hutman which was right before the
PR. I am a storyteller and stay- pandemic hit. I had a bunch
ing with a company’s story was of meetings with new clients
more enjoyable for me than lined up, and it just all went
stepping in and out of peo- on pause for a bit. I was defi-
ple’s lives as a reporter does. I nitely thinking that perhaps
loved developing a company’s I had just made the biggest
communications strategy, and mistake of my life. There was a
the results that I could achieve moment of panic.”
by helping a client share their The panic decreased after
story in a strategic way.” about two months and then
From there, Rachel business started picking up
worked for multiple PR firms, after people started hearing
slowly moving to larger firms that Rachel had opened her
and working with global, own agency. “It has been
world-renowned clients. As growing quickly from there
she grew in her career, she be- and it's been wonderful. Much
came an expert in life sciences of this has resulted from the
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