From Grass Roots to Cannes Lions: Maddy’s Glistening Path to Public Relations

Maddy Reston

“Inspiration is tied to the world around us - it doesn’t end at the office!” 

After her recent bronze win at the Cannes Young Lions competition, our conversation with Maddy Reston was long overdue. A Queen’s University graduate with a degree in sociology, she initially believed her path would lead to a career in market research. But once she was introduced to the world of PR, there was an instant, intoxicating connection.

“At the time, I didn’t know what PR actually was! But when my friend talked through media relations, influencer relations and events, there was this ‘aha’ moment”, she recalls. Since then, Maddy’s married her love of consumer culture and research with creative strategies that drive results. What energizes her isn’t just the work itself, but the inspiration she finds in the world around her. “I think it’s so important to have passions that fulfill and inspire you. I consider myself an avid camper and a dedicated equestrian riding three times a week. There’s nothing I love more than taking the canoe out to Algonquin Park and the waters around Temagami (Ontario)! It’s good to have personal goals to round out our professional ones,” as Maddy candidly reminds us that leaning into our past-times and touching grass to help recharge our creativity and sense of fulfillment.

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“As much as I love staying up to date with the latest trends, social media and all this brings, I also love taking those moments to  connect with people and have that really nice in person, human connection.” -Maddy

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Maddy reinforces this balanced approach with an affinity she’s held for some time now – events. “Events blend together so much of what PR is – from media relations and influencer marketing to event planning and coordinating with vendors, there’s so much we’re exposed to in this field,” she says. Her experience in this year’s Young Lions competition, where she and her partner took home the Bronze medal among hundreds of participants, helped her take charge of those skills and own them in a new, fast-paced environment. “We had 24 hours to put an entire PR plan together! We ended up structuring our schedule hour-by-hour which really helped keep us on track to meet our deadline with a finished, quality submission. When we found out we were shortlisted and had to prepare for a presentation in front of the judges, my partner and I knew each other's talking points so we could better support one another.  We also built in human elements into our presentation, whether in the form of engaging the audience with a thought-provoking question or lobbing a comedic moment.” Ken (Evans)’ presentation training really came in handy and helped set their check-ins and partnership apart from their competitors, Maddy acknowledges.

Maddy deeply appreciates the mentorship mindset at APEX. She shares how she helped a past intern strengthen their pitch writing which helped shape what she values in her management style. “I set up biweekly connects and she became so much more confident as a result of these. A key ingredient to success really is jumping in, raising your hand and helping each other. A win for one is a win for us all.” In that vein, the best brainstorms aren’t always the ‘structured’ ones. When participants are actively word vomiting and throwing everything at the wall to start, then working towards what will be the strongest idea, magic happens.

Real success starts the moment we stop playing it safe. “For me, personally, it’s that feeling of pushing myself outside of my comfort zone and being able to achieve the goal I have… knowing that you pushed yourself and executed.” Maddy’s parting words for emerging PR professionals is equally focused on growth: “Set up those coffee chats! You’d be surprised how much you can learn just by hearing from different people in PR. Stepping outside your comfort zone is one of the best ways to grow.”

About Maddy

Maddy is an award-winning public relations professional with a passion for building meaningful connections between brands and audiences. Maddy's interests span far and wide, from media relations and influencer marketing to experiential events and strategic planning, delivering work that’s both creative and impactful.

Maddy's worked with consumer brands across lifestyle, food & beverage, fashion, beauty and more, and approach each campaign with creativity and strategic thinking. Whether it’s launching a new product, crafting a media moment, or building buzz on social and in real life, I thrive on bringing brand stories to life in ways that resonate!