How I Got Here: Amy Friedland, Executive Vice President
Keep up with Amy on LinkedIn!
What did you think you were going to be in elementary school or high school?
When I took a school-mandated survey on interests, it pointed me to a field in horticulture or botany.
Did you study PR? If so, why? If not, what did you study?
I was a communications major in college and took a PR class pass/fail. Ironically, I absolutely hated it, LOL, and barely passed. It was purely textbook study with no real world application.
After college, I tried to get a job in TV but was not successful. I ended up applying to PR and advertising jobs in New York and landed my first PR job. I figured I'd give it a shot and see if it was different from my college class and boy was it! You just never know, do you? :)
How did you make your way to Carve?
I made my way to Carve when they acquired Freeman Public Relations, as our CEO Bruce Maguire was ready to retire. The entire team moved over to Carve Communications in November of 2024.
What do you do today at Carve?
I'm the EVP at Carve Communications, leading teams in the toy and consumer product space — from exciting media-worthy special events and trade/media shows, to high-level media relations and impactful influencer marketing. No two days are the same, and I love that!
What is the coolest project you've ever worked on - anywhere?
It's a tie. The first was the Michael Jordan Space Jam press conference for Warner Bros. Consumer Products where we had an entire ballroom audience filled with media at the Licensing Show. It was a huge 'spectacular' special event that went off without a hitch.
The second was the National Donut Day press conference for Entenmann's donuts with former New York Giants Victor Cruz. It was a sweet moment on the streets of New York for this experiential consumer and media-filled event.
What is the career accomplishment you're most proud of?
I'm most proud of the careers that I have helped nurture and grow over my 25+ year career. Seeing the successes of the people that I have trained is truly rewarding and brings me so much joy!
What is your superpower?
My superpower is my creativity. In brainstorming sessions, I'm always saying, "I have this crazy idea, I'm not sure if this will work, but wouldn't it be great if we could..."
I like to reach for the stars and start the conversation for thinking and expansion. I also like to show my teams that it's okay if every idea is not a great idea, but contributing and building on ideas is what it's about.
What would you love to learn more about (outside of PR)?
I'm very big into gardening and expanding my green thumb brings me great joy — plus loads of home-grown veggies! Win-win!
If you were asked to teach someone how to do something in 5 minutes, what would it be?
Baking a loaf of sourdough bread. It seems very complicated to most, but it's really quite easy if you follow the exact measurements and steps... and the reward of taking a fresh loaf out of the oven and enjoying that first warm slice is priceless!
