Charlotte Rous

Founder of Charlotte Rous Communications

You’ve built a successful career in PR and with your own agency - what are the secrets to your successes?! 

 I am very passionate about the travel industry and I have been in luxury travel PR for over 15 years now - it's scary how fast time goes! My PR agency Charlotte Rous Communications (CRC) started during Covid while expecting my third son. Many said it was a crazy time to go solo and start an agency during the pandemic but I knew this was my chance to start working for myself and in my own style. CRC is now 5 years old with a thriving portfolio of 5-star hotels in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Southern Africa, the French Alps, Italy and my newest client is in Egypt. 

 I really love what I do and arranging special once-in-a-lifetime trips for people visiting my clients is a true highlight for me. I know there are so many hotels and travel PR agencies out there to choose from so I really don't take anything for granted when someone asks me to help them arrange a trip - whether it's an old contact or someone I have just met. I am always pushing myself for the best results, embracing new challenges and working on the next story with clients. You never get bored in this line of work.

 As a mother to three young boys, how has motherhood shaped your perspective on work and leadership?

Every mother knows that when it comes to children, some days are definitely more challenging than others - when your kids are sick or have had a bad night's sleep, it's really hard to focus and be fully functioning at 100%. On those types of days, I remind myself of the phrase "Rome was not built in a day," and it's really true! I try to do as much as I can in my working day, I ensure my boys are fully looked after and some days you are just more productive than others. That's okay and should be normalised. 

 I really enjoy working with my clients because they are brilliant at what they do and they know I have three children and don't bat an eyelid if I send an email at a crazy hour or have to change the monthly call due to taking the boys to an appointment. My clients know I am always available 5 days a week but I am also balancing working around the children. Flexibility and human compassion in the workplace is key for me. I think the best leaders are the ones that treat you with respect, acknowledge your work and say thank you.

Starting a business while raising a family is no small feat. How do you balance the two worlds?

You are constantly multitasking in both PR and as a mother, so I guess you could say I am just professionally juggling the entire time. You get used to being busy and more savvy about how to use your time wisely. 

 I have always been a very big planner and I will ensure my work schedule doesn't overlap with the school nativity, sports day or the special performances you don't want to miss. That's one of the best perks of running my own PR agency - my schedule can be flexible and I will always prioritise my children first. I did once get the nursery to change the time of the class nativity because of a pre-confirmed work event but that's another story! 

 What’s the driving vision behind Charlotte Rous PR?

 I launched CRC with a mission to work with unique, luxurious and bespoke offerings worldwide - special places that I knew hand on heart would go above and beyond to look after any guest that I arranged to visit. My vision was to work with high-end hotels, resorts, safari camps, villas and ski chalets that I personally wanted to return to again and again for work and with my family. 

 My boys are my favourite travel companions - I see so many new perspectives through their eyes when travelling together. They have been on some pretty special trips over the years - visiting Gili Lankanfushi Maldives as a family, exploring Sri Lanka with Uga Resorts and enjoying the school holidays in real Italian style at Hilton Lake Como and Hilton Molino Stucky Venice. I am starting to think they love travelling as much as I do.

 The PR landscape has changed so much in the last few years. How do you see the industry evolving?

Technology is forever changing the PR industry. A few years ago no travel journalists used social media other than Twitter (now X) to share their published work or post individual photos when travelling. Nowadays we can tune into the media's often uncensored live travels on social media during press trips - sharing top tips or things they really didn't like during their trip virtually. This is a powerful tool that simply did not exist before.

 I hear about more and more people wanting to save time by using AI or Chat GPT but in my opinion it's always obvious when you haven't written something yourself. I think we will use AI more with reporting and to share follow up notes after a discussion that is recorded - making technology work to our advantage rather than trying to replicate our voice. The power of personalisation and the human touch will stay golden in our industry. AI won't know a journalist's favourite drink or their kid's names but a good PR will.

You’re known for your creative approach. Where do you find inspiration for your ideas?

 My best work ideas come to me when running. Sometimes I have to stop and quickly write down a note on my phone so I don't forget. I try to exercise regularly during the week- it changes my entire day if I can get a workout in first thing.

Reading a lot and listening to interesting people always helps generates new ideas and gets me thinking. I am naturally curious and like going to new places to try new things. 

What advice would you give to other women considering launching their own business, especially mothers?

Trust your gut instincts and know that if you really want something then you can make it happen. Work hard and dream big! 

Tell us about your favourite campaign or client - something you’ve been really proud of? 

Honestly, I am so proud of all my clients but one new safari camp opening really went viral during award season. My African eco-tourism safari client Great Plains launched a new safari camp in the trees of the Maasai Mara, called Mara Toto Tree Camp last summer. Since the camp opened, Mara Toto Tree Camp has been featured in the 2025 Conde Nast Traveller Hot List, the 2025 Town & Country Hotel Awards, Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine best African honeymoon resort and Travel + Leisure Magazine's 100 best new hotels of the year. To scoop up so many amazing accolades in the most competitive titles is virtually impossible but.... we did it!