Well—how did I get here?

This is the second installment of our new regular blog feature, “Well—how did I get here?” featuring first-person stories of our team members and their interesting journeys to The Martin Group. Next up: Director of Public Relations Chris Colton. Take it away, Chris. 

In the 1990s, I was what you might generously call an underachiever. My grades were unimpressive, my ambitions unclear, and I had little interest in following a traditional path.

What I did have was curiosity: about music, media, storytelling, and how things worked behind the scenes.

That curiosity helped me find my footing at Hudson Valley Community College, where I aced a radio production elective, and later at SUNY Oneonta, where I transferred with plans to break into the music industry. I was convinced I’d become a respected rock musician, and figured learning the business side would be useful if that didn’t pan out. Along the way, I taught myself basic graphic design so I could make flyers and promotional materials for my bands.

It turns out I was already laying the groundwork for a career in communications. I just didn’t know it yet.

Learning by doing

Oneonta’s music industry program required an internship, which led me to ExcessDB Entertainment, a New Jersey–based concert promoter booking major acts in punk, hardcore, and indie music. The owner (who still makes headlines) noticed my design work and put me in charge of promotional materials, including recurring print ads packed with show dates and band logos. After graduation, I stayed on as a freelancer.

Breaking into the music business full-time proved harder than expected, and I spent the next several years working in food service. It paid the bills, but it also introduced me to a wide range of people, many of whom became my first freelance design clients. Some wanted help with websites, so I taught myself HTML and CSS. I kept learning because it was interesting, and because it opened doors.

Meanwhile, my bands started getting coverage. One was featured in Maximumrocknroll with a two-page interview. Another was closely followed by an alt-weekly in New York City. At the time, it felt like validation. In hindsight, it was my first real exposure to earned media and relationship-building. I was doing public relations without realizing it.

Where it all clicked

In 2006, I joined the American Foundation for the Blind as an audio engineer, working on “digital talking books” for people with visual impairments. The role blended audio production with technical coding, yet another example of skills compounding in unexpected ways.

Two years later, I landed what felt like a dream job, maintaining the website for WFAN, the first all-sports talk radio station in the country. I’d grown up listening to WFAN, and suddenly I was part of the operation. I got the job largely because I could speak both “sports” and “code,” a combination they needed more than a perfect resume.

At WFAN, I wrote headlines, managed digital content, designed promotional materials, and helped launch the station’s first social media presence. As the station’s digital operation evolved from promotion to journalism, the expectations changed quickly.

We weren’t just publishing content. We were reporting, too. And competing against NYC’s biggest newsrooms.

That shift led me into work that, at the time, felt adjacent to my role but proved formative. I began pitching WFAN’s scoops and exclusives to outside outlets and aggregators, including NBC Sports and Deadspin, extending the reach of our work well beyond our own platforms. When the station hosted events, like celebrity softball games, my team didn’t wait for coverage. We created it. We wrote the stories, handled the digital promotion, and made sure those efforts reached the right audiences.

WFAN didn’t have a formal public relations function, so we filled the gap. We didn’t call it PR. We just knew the stories mattered, and that they wouldn’t tell themselves.

In time, I was promoted to managing editor, overseeing coverage, managing writers and editors, and helping position WFAN not just as a radio station, but as a brand with an online voice and point of view.

What I thought of as journalism then, I now recognize as a full immersion in communications strategy. Audience-first storytelling, fast decision-making, earned media instincts, and a deep understanding of how sports media ecosystems actually work.

A shift in priorities—and perspective

After starting a family, the 24/7 nature of news became harder to sustain. Work-life balance became a necessity. A friend suggested public relations as a natural next step, and in 2015 I joined Albany Law School as assistant director of communications and marketing.

During the interview, the director pulled out an article I’d written ranking the greatest mustaches in baseball history. To my surprise—and relief!—he said the school needed more of that: storytelling that felt human, accessible, and engaging.

At Albany Law, I gained exposure to leadership and boardroom dynamics. I drafted executive speeches, handled sensitive and complex issues, and learned how much precision matters when the stakes are high. Public relations was more than amassing news clips. It directly influenced enrollment, fundraising, rankings, and reputation. By the time I left, I was leading the marketing and communications office.

Finding the right fit

By late 2020, I knew I wanted to keep building as a communications professional, especially in environments where storytelling, media strategy, and judgment matter most. When an opportunity opened up at The Martin Group, I raised my hand.

The agency offered a rare combination: the chance to continue working with mission-driven organizations, to re-engage deeply in the sports industry, and to apply a broad communications skillset across sectors. Just as important, it was a place that valued people with non-linear backgrounds; people who had learned by doing, adapted quickly, and weren’t afraid to stretch beyond a single lane.

Since joining The Martin Group, I’ve had the opportunity to advise clients including USA Football, the National Football League, FIA World Endurance Championship, Vendée Globe, Beard Club, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, often at moments where clarity, credibility, and timing are critical.

That work has resulted in earned media placements across outlets such as Axios, GQ, USA Today (including front-page coverage), NBC Sports, The Athletic, New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Sports Business Journal, and Muscle & Health, as well as appearances on BBC News, CNBC, Rich Klein’s Boardroom, The Pomp Show, SiriusXM NFL Radio, and Mad Dog Unleashed. The work has also earned dozens of industry accolades, including three consecutive Best in Show honors from the Buffalo Niagara Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. While awards are never the goal, they’re a meaningful signal that the work is landing. With audiences, with media, and with peers.

What I’ve learned along the way

If there’s a common thread in my career, it’s that progress doesn’t always look like a straight line. Each step built on top of the last in ways I couldn’t have predicted. Skills picked up out of necessity, or genuine interest, ended up becoming essential.

For anyone early in their career, or considering a pivot, my advice is simple: don’t define yourself too narrowly. Learn broadly. Stay curious. And don’t talk yourself out of opportunities because your background doesn’t look conventional.

I’ve found that when you commit to doing the work well—and do it consistently—with curiosity, momentum tends to follow.

Want to learn more about our team at The Martin Group? Click here.