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Few would look back at 2020 and pronounce it a year worthy of celebration, which is why we at Bateman Agency tend to struggle with some cognitive dissonance: we will always look back at 2020 as the year when we launched the agency, built our all-star cast, and began servicing our first clients. For Jenny Olson, one of Bateman’s resident speaking and events gurus, 2020 gave her one more big reason to celebrate: this summer, she proposed to her partner Erin, and they’ve begun the exciting process of planning their post-COVID wedding!
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Since joining the Bateman team in March, Jenny has impressed us all with her encyclopedic memory of events, deadlines and speaking opportunities, her selfless teamwork, and her always-positive attitude. This week, we’re learning more about what led Jenny to Bateman Agency, what keeps her going outside Zoom calls and event applications, and, of course, the engagement story and her tight-knit family.
Two Decades of Fast-Paced PR
Jenny is a bona fide Californian, born and raised in La Cañada Flintridge at the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, and based now in Hermosa Beach. Her career began with an internship in the final year of her studies at San Francisco State University, after which she began doing anything and everything—event planning, analyst relations, account management and content development—for clients like Polaroid, Hotwire, Verizon, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
But while Jenny has shown her ability to excel at every aspect of PR leadership, she’s focused more recently on boosting executive profiles through speaking and events. Though she’s landed clients speaking opportunities at leading events like BloombergNEF, Fortune Brainstorm Health and Predictive Analytics World, her favorite success is getting someone booked on the Howard Stern Show. “It may show how old I am, but that was one of the weirdest and funniest moments in my career,” Jenny remembers. (We’ll keep our fingers crossed that she can recreate the magic and get Fred Bateman booked on the show in 2021.)
Family First
While many would say family is at the center of their lives, for Jenny it’s true in more ways than one! She cites family as her biggest passion, and she lives next door to her brother and only three blocks away from her mom. Jenny and Erin’s home is a bustling one, as they have three boys aged seven, ten and twelve. “My partner and I always prioritize family first and lead with kindness and love as key family values which we see them foster and emulate every day,” says Jenny.
So how did it come about that while the rest of the world stood still, Jenny and her family took a huge step forward? “When the pandemic hit, we sheltered in my family’s cabin in Big Bear Lake,” Jenny recalls. “It was in isolation that I fully realized how amazing of a woman I have in my life, and how there’s no one I’d rather be locked up with for four-plus months with our boys. Erin’s love, support and patience are never-ending, and she’s also the BEST cook ever.
“I’m a creature of habit, so the pandemic has been hard on me personally and emotionally; having Erin by my side and supporting our boys has been a constant light at the end of the tunnel. We’re all super excited to come together as an officially married family, although we’re waiting until after the pandemic to celebrate properly!” We’ll look forward to raising a toast to Jenny, Erin and the whole family—hopefully soon!
Off the Clock, On the Beach
Like everyone at Bateman, Jenny’s talents extend beyond the workplace: her current hobby is Polaroid photography, and she is also experienced with knitting and crochet. There’s also a reason why you’ll have a hard time getting her to leave California. “Living at the beach makes me happy,” says Jenny. “I love running on the sand, soaking up the sun in the summer, and combing the sand for sea glass and beach treasures.”
Fun Fact: Jenny is a voracious reader and is always reading at least three books at once. Currently, she’s bouncing between Little Fires Everywhere, The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister, and the Gabriel García Márquez classic Love in the Time of Cholera (“This is the third time I’ve read this book, it’s that good!”)
