#CareerFocus With Cara Diener Business Unit Lead For Eclipse Communications -

1. Tell us a bit about yourself?

My professional experience in communications spans ten years. Currently, I am the Business
Unit Lead for Eclipse Communications Cape Town Tech and Consumer Business Unit. It has
been my privilege to be a part of Eclipse for the last six years. 11 members make up our team
currently, after starting the unit as a team of three, just 12 months ago. I’m a mom to an
adorable toddler, a wife to a supportive husband, and someone passionate about brand
reputation building. As a communications specialist, I focus my efforts around building brand
reputation through communication strategy, content creation, influencer marketing, and digital
strategy.

2. Talk us through your tertiary education background?

I graduated with a National Senior Diploma from Varsity College Rondebosch in 2012 after
matriculating in 2008. During my second year at varsity, I won an award for being a top achiever
with an 85% aggregate. In everything I do, I strive to give my best effort and often put myself
under too much pressure to achieve perfection. I remember getting 100 percent on all my
assignments in grade 6, but 95% on one that made me sob. The determination of my dad to
provide for his family has inspired me to always give my best. His work ethic, commitment, and
passion for client service have paved the way for my success.

3. What does client and customer service mean to you?

Before retirement about five years ago, my dad used to be the store owner at the Pinelands
Spar for most of his life. Everyone in Pinelands knew him because he went above and beyond
and would build relationships with customers.

My best friend, Carla, was a regular shopper at the Pinelands store. When I met her, she told me that my dad was the one always greeting customers at the door. Before she met me, she knew all about me, just by chatting to my dad on her pop in’s to the Kwik Spar. He taught me that customer/client service is so much more than what your role says. It’s about forming relationships and working hard to get the results you
want.

4. Speak to us about your career journey?

After graduating, I worked for an internal communications agency. After two months as an
intern, I became an Account Executive. During my two years there, I worked on big brands such
as Coco-Cola and Rainbow Chicken and gained great insight into the company’s inner
workings. Thereafter, I had the urge to travel and explore, so I worked as an au pair in New
York for 13 months.

I lived in Westchester County. While I may not have been working in the PR field, it was such an incredible growth experience that came at the right age. I was 25 years old. It was a time of finding myself. When I returned, I job hunted for three months and wanted to figure out my long-term career plan. I landed two interviews in the same week, one with Greater Than and the other with Eclipse Communications Co-Founder Jacki McEwen-Powell. During my interview with Galia Kerbel, Founder and Manager Director of Greater Than, I was offered a job on the spot and started the very next day.

Eclipse then called me later that same day to offer the position as well. It was an incredible 10 months with Greater Than where I was provided with the most invaluable learning opportunities and principles that I still apply today. While working at Greater than, Eclipse remained in contact with me, regularly checking in as to whether I was back in the job market. Then one day, Steve Powell (Eclipse Co-Founder and former CEO) called me to say my CV had been on Jacki’s desk for a year now and that it was time I joined
their team. The determination of Eclipse to bring me on board was a sign that it was the agency
I was meant to form part of. And here, we are six years later…

5. Talk us through your journey at Eclipse?

Initially, I was a Senior Account Executive, but I knew I was capable of more. My goal was to
become an Account Manager after my three-month probation period. I became an AM after two
and half months of probation. I initiated the partnership between Greater Than (now GTI) and
Eclipse, which today is a successful global partnership. The importance of relationships cannot
be overstated!

When I started in PR, I worked on several clients, but winning the Netflix South Africa account
was the pivotal milestone in my career today. Launching Netflix into the country was so
incredibly exciting as were able to flex our creativity in ways we hadn’t before. The Netflix Man in
a Van launch campaign is one of the agency’s most awarded campaigns and the first one that I
led. I worked on the Netflix account for 2 years before I was promoted to an Account Director
and then to a Business Unit Lead. That account remained my only baby before I had my son in
2020.

After returning from maternity leave, I wanted a new challenge, that would accommodate
my new lifestyle. Steve then gave me the opportunity to start my own, brand new business unit.
This is a little under a year ago now. After our first quarter of operations, my business unit,
managed by a team of three, servicing two clients achieved revenue of R350 000. This last
quarter we closed with 18 clients, 11 team members and achieved a revenue of almost R1.6m.

6. What has been the most difficult challenge of your career?

Definitely my own insecurities and getting inside my head. At times, I have allowed my fear of
failure to hold me back from pushing boundaries. It’s important to admit defeat when struggling
with something and look at how to work through the challenge and then play to your strengths.

7. What advice do you have for other women in your industry?

Never give up, and don’t let anyone tell you that you are not good enough. If you want
something, prove them wrong, and go after it.

8. Plans for the future?

My ambition has changed so much over the years but what remains consistent is my desire to
shake up the industry and take brand building to new heights.