Meet the person who holds it all together at RG
30 Years and Counting: I am the glue that holds it together at Rosen Group
By Thelma Rogel
What started out as an internship continues to be quite the journey 30 years later. From the Puck Building to Union Square, down to Wall Street, and then in the heart of Chelsea…before the world of working remotely began, we had offices in some of the most iconic parts of New York City. I slowly became everyone’s second hand. In the beginning, I had no idea what to expect and no understanding whatsoever of the PR world. I learned to wear many hats—from spending hours creating media lists, assisting clients to segments to reconciling the books, and eventually becoming the HR and office manager. I still remember the day I met Lori Rosen on October 1, 1993. Things were way different back then. There were only six employees and I remember all of their names: Lori, Paul, Frank, Michael, Emer and April. I can probably name everyone I have worked with since then.
Seeing how the PR world works firsthand was awesome. Learning from all of my colleagues’ different styles was exciting. It’s what has kept me at the Rosen Group for so long. But, what really made me decide to call Rosen Group home for the long run was Lori. She not only gave me an opportunity to grow and learn, but she never doubted me–not for one moment. She gave me all the trust an employee can ask of an employer. Since then I never second guessed anything. I made Rosen Group my second home.
It's been pretty rewarding ever since. I have to say, one of my favorite parts of the job is making connections with all of the people I get to work with: from my colleagues, to the folks at the professional services and vendors we work with, to the clients. It is fun and fulfilling to form relationships with people from different work backgrounds and industries; people I would never have imagined meeting.
Pre-Covid, I loved the long days when we were rushing to put together a new magazine launch event, or prepping a client for his or her first Today Show live appearance. But, probably the most exciting event of the year is our own annual holiday party. I always look forward to finding a cool venue, sending out the invitations and celebrating with colleagues.
One of the coolest experiences I had over the past three decades was having my own children be part of a Halloween segment for a former client, Family Circle, on the CBS Morning show. One son was dressed as a Viking and the other as a Skeleton. Getting my kids on TV…I was truly ‘the cool mom’ for a moment there!
You can't spend 30 years at any company and not have ups and downs or crazy moments. Like when Sharif, a part-time student, accidentally mailed client checks that were meant to be deposited, in the mailbox in front of our then current office at 200 Park Avenue South. He had to stand there for hours waiting for the last pickup and then try to convince the mail carrier to give back the checks. That was an intense moment trying not to let Lori find out because he was so afraid he would lose his job. As for the other moments, I only remember the good ones. Everytime we moved offices it meant we were growing and that was exciting. Other great memories was when one of our colleagues was getting married, expecting or just moving on to pursue a dream they have. I look forward to whatever comes our way. It's been over 30 years and we are still here.
The best is yet to come!
