
In a 1963 speech, John F. Kennedy said, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” He was referencing the economy, and this quote has been used in support of many an economic initiative since. I work for a PR agency, and a couple of years ago I emailed a VP from a competitor agency to ask if he knew any good analyst relations candidates. We were looking for more junior level folks, so I wasn’t trying to recruit him, but thought it couldn’t hurt to ask. He replied that if he did know any, he’d obviously hire them first if he had a spot for them, but that he’d be happy to send them my way if he didn’t. This was exactly what I’d hoped he’d say. He followed that with, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” I had never heard this quote used to apply to a general profession, but I understood that he was inferring that helping each other hire the best talent is in the best interest of the analyst relations profession as a whole. I love that attitude, as it mirrors the way I think about sourcing.











