Gail McInnes walks the red carpet at the Scottish Fashion Awards. Gorgeous!
It takes a certain kind of person to go after their passion and branch out on their own to start a new business. It takes a hard-working, passionate and innovative person to not only do that, but also scoop up an award nomination from a renowned event like the Scottish Fashion Awards, hardly even a year after starting their business venture. Gail McInnes, Owner and Director of Magnet Creative Management, has managed to do all of this within less than two years and is just getting started.
The question, “What’s a Toronto businesswoman doing receiving award nominations in Scotland?” may come to mind knowing that McInnes is based in Toronto, but what makes her all the more exciting is the fact she is originally from Glasgow, Scotland, hence her nomination to begin with. Moving to Oshawa, Ontario in 1989 brought this talented woman to Canada and a pursuit in a career of fashion led her to her present home, Toronto at the age of 19. She entered Humber College for their Fashion Arts: Special Events & Promotions Management program in hopes of a fashion show coordinator or model agent career, but quickly learned this was not the path she’d find herself on. After exploring other aspects in the world of fashion, McInnes ended up in a marketing & promotions job with B&M Models. From there, she moved on to other business ventures and eventually founded Magnet Creative.
“My first business venture was The Style Box which represented Canadian fashion designers in an exclusive rental showroom for celebrities and personalities. It was the first of its kind in Canada and was a major success. Unfortunately, the partnership didn’t work out and I set out to open my own business, Magnet Creative Management, which launched in February 2010.”
Setting her sights on such a wonderful goal has brought her much success thus far – her PR & marketing firm is well-established and only getting better, her recognition from the Scottish Fashion Awards with a nomination for Communicator of the Year has recently put the spotlight on her success, and her personal experiences have helped her to be able to offer incredible insight and advice for young PR professionals looking to break out into their various industries. Things she suggests for any PR pro looking to really make their mark include:
- “Learn as much as you can from others. Ask questions and never be afraid to seek someone out for advice – even if they might be too busy, they may know someone else that might be interested in meeting with you.”
- “Use social media as a personal branding tool and keep the message consistent and professional.”
- “Having an insatiable desire to acquire knowledge and build long-lasting relationships helps anyone looking to venture into any business, especially PR. It’s an ever-changing and fast-paced industry. You need to think fast on our feet, lessen distractions, focus on goals and make sure you know how to reach them.”
It’s valuable advice like this that truly makes her a PR professional to look up to for anyone trying to get a head start in the business. That, and any woman who suggests red lipstick as a must-have all the time is a woman I’m happy to take advice from!
So what can we expect from McInnes in the near or distant future? Who knows just yet – but I get the feeling it’s going to be great.
“I’m proud of what I have accomplished in the past year and half, but there is so much more I want to do. The challenges I’ve faced are mostly time based – at the beginning, the days were super long and I had very little sleep, but it was all worth it.”
www.magnetcreative.ca
www.gailmcinnes.com
*Author’s note – I HIGHLY recommend signing up for the Magnet Creative newsletter – they often send out great internship and volunteer opportunities!*
