This week we had the privilege of sitting down with Silvie Snow-Thomas, President of Elle Communications. Silvie was part of the Elle Communications team that was just acquired last week, and she tells us all about that, life in Los Angeles with her dog, Joni, her partner, Matt, and her toddler, Didion, and how you can get involved to help support the social issues her clients champion.

Last week was huge for you! Congrats on the sale of your PR firm, Elle Communications. What does the sale mean for you and the future of the company?

Silvie (above with Joni on her lap) tells TOC, “Once, on a flight from Los Angeles to New York, [Joni] helped a woman who was having a panic attack during takeoff by sitting in her lap and allowing the woman to pet her while J licked her arm.”

Thank you! I’m incredibly excited for all that lies ahead. Our acquisition by Dolphin Entertainment gives our current team new resources, access points, and opportunities to better serve and deepen the impact we make for each of our clients. Across the parent company and the eight agencies they acquired before us, Dolphin is making and shaping culture every day. The big audacious visions our clients have for the future of our country and the world can be further realized through the integration of our team with these experts and their clients who are defining the current zeitgeist.

Your firm specializes in social and environmental impact for mission-centered brands, nonprofits and foundations, activists and leaders. Can you tell us about one of your favorite clients and how you’ve helped them?

This is a bit like being asked to pick your favorite child (or dog!). I continued to be honored every single day to elevate the work and voices and leadership of our country’s most incredible activists and advocates as they fight for policy change and narrative change and culture change around the issues I care most about: the climate crisis, sustainability, saving democracy, equal pay, equality for women and girls, safe working conditions for all, immigration reform, paid family leave, care for all, criminal justice reform, Latinx representation, Black liberation, destigmatizing mental health…the list goes on.

Tell us about your dog, Joni.

I am of course biased – as I believe all dog parents should be – but I think Joni is truly one-of-a-kind. She is sweet, kind, loving, playful, smart, and also super chill. She travels with us on planes, trains, and in automobiles. Once, on a flight from Los Angeles to New York, she helped a woman who was having a panic attack during takeoff by sitting in her lap and allowing the woman to pet her while J licked her arm. The flight attendant was so impressed that she gave Joni her wings. Also, she has arguably the greatest tongue in the world. See her Instagram for proof.

How does Joni get along with your toddler, Didion?

Didion, who will be three in August, has spent this summer saying to us “Joni is my best friend.” It makes my heart melt in the very best way. They play together, they snuggle together, Didion has to give Joni kisses and hugs before naptime and bedtime, and the only time they seem to ever get frustrated at each other is when one wants to play keep away and the other wants the ball.

What’s your favorite thing about having a dog?

Joni is the first dog I’ve ever had, thanks to my partner Matt. He adopted her when she was just six weeks old – which also happened to be the day of Matt and my first date. We consider that day, September 24, to be all of our anniversary together. I love that she gives us so much incredible, unabashed, unwavering love. I also love that she (like our daughter now, too) reminds us to get outside and walk and run and play and go to the beach as much as we possibly can.

You grew up on the east coast and lived in Cambridge, MA, but have been in Los Angeles for the last several years. What do you like about living in LA?

I like the beach, the mountains, the farmers markets, and the Venice, CA vibe. I also like that my good buddy who I grew up with in Cambridge now lives out here too and has an epic cheese and provisions shop, Canyon Grocer, that everyone should visit and then we can have a picnic.

Silvie, her partner, Matt (above), and their daughter, Didion, live with Joni in Los Angeles.

A lot of your work intersects with American politics. What do you think is going to happen with the election?

Yes, we do a lot of work in what I think is an incredibly important place, at the intersection of political and cultural change. Since Election 2016, we’ve worked on so many diverse, national GOTV (Get Out the Vote) and pro-democracy efforts. For Election 2024, I am desperately hopeful that voters will turn out en masse to save our democracy and in turn elect not only a president but also local election officials around the country who will protect women, families, LGBTQIA+ communities, BIPOC communities, immigrants, small businesses, and our environment. And I cannot wait to campaign for and vote for the first-ever Black woman president of the United States of America.

If someone in our community wants to get involved in the issues your clients champion, what’s the best way for them to make a difference?

I love this question! First, I would say start to research and get educated about the issues in which you’re most interested. Knowledge really is power and then it can help you take the next step towards engagement and real action. There is no one superior way to make a difference, and I really do believe that every little bit counts. Maybe you don’t consider yourself an activist or advocate with a capital “A” just yet, but you can start your journey by listening, learning, standing up for the things you really believe in, and never forgetting to pass the mic to give voice to others with lived experience or whose stories also deserve to be told.

Jul 25 Social Impact PR and How You Can Help Make a Difference