We’ve all heard the saying, “Those who can’t do, teach.” That couldn’t be further from the truth for the team at M+.
As an agency of seasoned healthcare marketing and communications consultants, many of us don’t just “do” – we’ve also been invited back to the classroom as adjunct professors for graduate and undergraduate courses in public relations, marketing and strategic communications at colleges and universities across the U.S.
And we’re not alone: Among participants in a survey for the Commission on Public Relations Education Report, 18% of practitioners have taught as adjuncts and 58% have guest lectured in PR programs.
While teaching allows us to give back to the profession and support the next generation of communicators, it also makes us sharper, more thoughtful agency professionals. Explaining complex concepts in a classroom pushes us to distill ideas clearly, stay up to date on trends, and approach our work with fresh eyes, all of which ultimately benefit our clients.
While teaching allows us to give back to the profession and support the next generation of communicators, it also makes us sharper, more thoughtful agency professionals.
I was invited back to my alma mater, California State University, Long Beach, to teach public relations writing just a few years after earning my degree in journalism/public relations. Quickly realizing that I had immersed myself in a world where tenured faculty were more focused on research than practical experience, I made it my mission to bring my students real-world examples of public relations work, allow them to practice developing everyday PR tools, and help them understand the pros and cons of agency vs. corporate life.
Here are reflections from other M+ team members on what they’ve learned through teaching—and how it helps them show up stronger in their day jobs.
Building Credibility and Relationships
Chairperson and CEO Betsy Merryman taught Healthcare PR at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and Healthcare Marketing at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health in the early years of starting M+. It wasn’t just about giving back — it helped build the firm’s foundation.
“Teaching at two prestigious universities earned me a lot of credibility with prospective and current clients,” Betsy says. “One of my early clients was the head of the UCLA program, and many of my guest speakers later became team members or clients.”
She has also heard from former students who went on to launch successful careers in healthcare PR. “Two students reached out years later to say how valuable the course was,” she says. “That really meant a lot.”
Teaching isn’t just about giving back — it helped build our firm’s foundation.
Slowing Down and Thinking Differently
For those of us who have spent most of our careers in the agency world where we’re driven by deadlines and results, teaching gives us the chance to slow down and think differently.
“It’s a change of pace from agency life,” says Account Director Keshia Cain, who taught Introduction to PR at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). “The classroom environment offered space for conversations and questions rather than endless deadlines.”
Teaching also provides an opportunity to contribute to the field and your own personal growth in a different way by doing something outside the norm.
“I really enjoyed turning years of hands-on industry experience, real-world campaigns and client challenges into lessons,” she says. “It reminded me of how much I’ve learned in my career and how far I’ve come since being a student.”
There’s something special about seeing a student’s eyes light up when a concept clicks…
Exchanging Knowledge and Ideas
Senior Associate Michael Lauer not only teaches a crisis communications and reputation management certificate course at Rutgers University’s Continuing and Professional Studies – he helped shape the curriculum. He engages with fellow educators through events like webinars and panels, which help him stay sharp in a fast-changing field. Even with asynchronous classes, Michael finds ways to build connection.
“I was recently a panelist on a webinar focused on navigating a crisis in a divided and disrupted world. We discussed what constitutes a crisis, how companies should respond, and most importantly, the criticality of having the PR/comms team at the table,” he says. “I also regularly exchange ideas with other professors as part of my coursework.”
Bringing the Profession to Life
There’s something special about seeing a student’s eyes light up when a concept clicks or when they start to imagine how they could apply what they’re learning in the real world. For Account Director Amy Thomas, who taught Introduction to Social Media at LMU, that moment came when students began connecting their personal experiences on platforms like Instagram with real-world marketing strategies.
“My students realized their comfort with social could actually be an asset to a future employer,” Amy says. “It was neat to see that lightbulb go off.”
Teaching PR or marketing might not be a long-term calling for every consultant, but for many of us at M+, it’s been an incredibly fulfilling experience.
The Report Card on Teaching
Teaching PR or marketing might not be a long-term calling for every consultant, but for many of us at M+, it’s been an incredibly fulfilling experience. Whether it’s building relationships, reinforcing our own knowledge or simply enjoying the energy of a classroom, we’ve found that teaching benefits us just as much as it helps our students.
Though I’ve had to temporarily step away from teaching because there just aren’t enough hours in the day with my day job and family commitments, it’s an era of my life that continues to give back and I think about returning to. Just this month a former student reached out on LinkedIn:
“So many memories during that time of my life have faded away, and somehow, I can still remember you, your down-to-earth and fun personality, and one of my last college classes.”
For me, nothing is more meaningful than that.
Updated: January 2026
