Do you ever feel out of sync with your work environment, or even struggle to find joy in your daily tasks? Kaila O’Connor, CEO and founder of KMO HAUS, did––until she started to understand Human Design. In a new blog, Kaila reveals how recognizing your energy type can enhance your approach to work and relationships. She delves into the nuances of these different modes, offering practical strategies for navigating your PR career. Read on to learn how embracing your unique energy can lead to greater fulfillment and effectiveness in your professional life.
Kaila O’Connor
I started my PR career in 2012, but I didn’t discover Human Design until 2019. That’s seven years of knowing that the “right way” I was told to do PR couldn’t be the only way.
For example, it always felt incredibly invasive for me to cold-call editors as a follow-up to my initial email. I say “me” here as my personal experience, because this can vary depending on your Human Design Energy Type. I felt frustrated when I didn’t feel seen or valued at work, and I struggled with ghostwriting in my clients’ tone of voice. This challenge is specific to my chart in ways that go beyond what we’ll cover here, but it’s worth mentioning. I would always complete my tasks by 3 p.m., then sit around the office for two hours, waiting for 5 p.m. I felt chronically burnt out.
Some of these experiences may resonate with you, and some might not. But we all know we’re meant to live differently. We’re not robots meant to go through life on rinse and repeat, and that applies to our careers, too.
Consider the “what you do” in PR—the tactics that help you achieve your client’s goals—as universal. Then, consider the “how” and “when” you complete those tasks based on what feels right for you. For example, there are different ways to send information to an editor—HARO, direct email, phone call, etc. There are also 24 hours in a day to submit an award or write a byline article. Are you sharper in the morning or in the evening after the kids go to bed? And there are many environments to work in—a coffee shop, a quiet home office, or a collaborative office space.
I truly believe how we feel while doing our job matters—it’s the missing 50% in business strategy and client service. Feelings are frequencies that can be sensed on the receiving end. Think about when a family member or friend sends a passive-aggressive text, and you can just feel the tone. That’s you picking up the feeling and frequency they intended.
Human Design is a personalized inner-authority system that combines elements of astrology, Kabbalah, Myers-Briggs, I Ching, quantum physics, and the chakra system to reveal how a person’s energy is designed to engage with the world.
By understanding your Human Design blueprint, you’ll discover your unique energy strengths and strategies, which can enhance your PR career. It can reveal:
What you are naturally gifted at (often overlooked).
New and effective approaches for how to perform your job.
How to avoid burnout and enjoy your work.
Strategies for collaborating and communicating with team members, clients, and customers to increase:
Efficiency
Productivity
Satisfaction
Success
If you’re eager to pull up your HD chart before reading further:
Click HERE
Enter your birth date
Exact time of birth (yes by the minute if you can)
Birth location (the city/state/country that hospital you were born in)
You will then receive your personal Human Design body graph and chart properties, similar to mine displayed below.
The foundation of each Human Design chart is your Energy Type, much like your astrological sun sign. For example, my Energy Type is a Projector (listed first under Chart Properties). There are five Energy Types in total: Manifestor, Generator, Manifesting Generator, Projector, and Reflector.
Your Energy Type provides insight into:
What you were born to do.
How you feel when you use your energy correctly (signature theme) and when you don’t (not-self theme).
The most effective way for you to make things happen.
Manifestor Energy Type
Manifestors are one of three Energy Types that don’t generate new energy—like a phone running on battery power, they eventually need to recharge. However, Manifestors experience energy surges, which allow for a temporary boost followed by an essential rest period. During these surges, Manifestors are here to initiate ideas or projects. They are unique as the only Energy Type that doesn’t require external input to start something new—they are the cause, and everything else follows. In the workplace, Manifestors often get things moving so others can join or follow along. However, they may have been told to “dial down” their nature, which can lead to self-doubt or tendencies to people-please.
If this is you, your role is to create momentum. Here are ways to work smarter in your PR career:
Prioritize work environments or clients that give you freedom to share and initiate ideas.
Don’t hesitate to pitch editors with fresh ideas or reach out to brands you’d love to work with to offer your expertise.
Make sure you are well-informed about projects in the first meeting to minimize the need for follow-ups.
When pitching editors, include all relevant information in the initial email—links, documents, and any details that could preempt questions.
What to avoid to keep ease and flow in your career:
Waiting for an invitation to act on an idea.
Making yourself smaller or quieter to blend in or avoid standing out.
Dulling your personality to avoid rejection or displeasing others. View rejection as a form of protection when you’re being your authentic self.
Performing tasks or working in environments that make you feel angry.
Your goal is to cultivate a sense of peace in your work.
Generator Energy Type
Generators are one of two Energy Types that create their own energy. Think of a Generator as a phone plugged into a charger—when they’re doing tasks they love, they can keep going endlessly, like an energizer bunny. This energy comes with responsibility, as it affects others around them. Generators can walk into a room and either lift or drain the mood based on their own energy. By prioritizing moments of joy, Generators serve as reminders that prioritizing happiness is essential, even if society often deems it selfish. By embracing small, daily pleasures, Generators maintain an energetic frequency of joy, naturally attracting positive results and opportunities.
In the workplace, Generators are often known for mastering their specific focus areas. If this is you, your role is to respond to what life offers and choose what lights you up. Here are ways to work smarter in your PR career:
Respond to opportunities: Your energy shines best when responding to something, like replying to HARO queries or freelancer opportunities.
Follow subtle cues: For example, if an editor updates their LinkedIn profile, take it as a prompt to reach out and share your client list.
Prioritize daily joy: Notice how taking small moments for yourself—like treating yourself to a favorite coffee—can shift the energy of your entire day. Often, these small acts lead to unexpected results, like responses from editors or clients.
What to avoid for maintaining ease and flow in your career:
Taking on too many roles: Generators excel in mastering a specific task, so avoid wearing too many hats.
Open-ended questions in collaboration: Generators respond best to binary choices (yes/no, this/that). When starting a new project, ask for templates or examples to guide you.
Operating by “shoulds”: Avoid doing your job as you think it "should" be done. Instead, focus on tasks that energize you.
Doing draining tasks: Steer clear of tasks that make you feel frustrated.
Your goal is to feel satisfied at work.
Manifesting Generator Energy Type
Manifesting Generators are the second Energy Type that generates their own energy, similar to a phone plugged into a charger. When engaged in tasks that bring them joy, they not only generate energy for themselves but also positively influence those around them. Like Generators, creating new energy is a responsibility, and it's important for Manifesting Generators to embrace their own joy daily.
These individuals often juggle multiple projects and wear various hats in the workplace. If this is you, your role is to respond to life's opportunities and choose what brings you joy. However, instead of mastering a single task, you're here to demonstrate success through a non-linear path. Here are ways to work smarter in your PR career:
Create your own process: Feel free to adopt your unique way of reaching goals. While others might follow a linear path (A, B, C), you can skip around (A, D, F, J, Z) and still reach the same destination.
Pursue diverse interests: Embrace new roles and areas of interest as they arise. If you enjoy working on B2B clients alongside DTC clients, or managing social media while exploring new business opportunities, don’t limit yourself—you can master multiple tasks quickly.
What to avoid for maintaining ease and flow in your career:
Feeling confined to a boring role: Seek diversity in your tasks, engaging with multiple client categories and projects at once.
Overcommitting: Just because you have the energy doesn't mean you should take on every project. Focus on what genuinely excites you.
Restrictive scheduling: Avoid committing to large projects or events far in advance. If asked to take on a new client in a couple of months, see if you can postpone your answer until closer to the signing date to ensure your energy and interest remain aligned.
Frustrating tasks: Stay clear of activities that drain your enthusiasm.
Your goal is to feel satisfied at work.
Projector Energy Type
Projectors are one of the three Energy Types that do not generate their own energy, similar to a cell phone running on a battery. Unlike Manifestors, Projectors lack a surge period of energy, but this doesn’t hinder their effectiveness at work. In fact, Projectors are known to be three times more efficient at completing tasks than other Energy Types. Their unique perspective allows them to see the big picture and identify ways to improve efficiency, strategy, and overall project processing.
In the workplace, Projectors are the go-to individuals for:
Insights on improving processes
Identifying elements that may be overlooked in the big picture
If this is you, your role is to wait for invitations from your team, colleagues, and clients before sharing your insights and wisdom. You’re here to guide others in working more efficiently. Here are some ways to work smarter, not harder in your PR career:
Cultivate a supportive environment: Seek a work culture where your insights are valued and recognized by colleagues and clients.
Wait to be invited: Avoid imposing your opinions on others. While you can certainly send pitches to editors and share insights with clients, focus on quality over quantity. Aim to develop lasting relationships with editors, so they’ll seek your expertise in the future.
What to avoid for maintaining ease and flow in your career:
Overworking to keep up with others: Instead, embrace a new, more productive way of working that allows you to accomplish the same amount in five hours as others do in eight.
Underestimating your unique perspective: Recognize the value of your distinct viewpoint. Are there new ways you can share updates during client calls that enhance productivity? Can you connect a client’s product launch with current consumer shopping trends?
Implementing inefficient processes: Invest time upfront to conduct audits and identify the top editors writing about your client’s product category. This focused effort will yield better results than sending mass pitches to a lengthy media list.
Avoid environments and tasks that leave you feeling bitter.
Your ultimate goal is to feel successful at work.
Reflector Energy Type
Reflectors are the most unique Energy Type, comprising less than 3% of the population. Like Projectors and Manifestors, they do not generate their own energy. Instead, Reflectors act as mirrors, reflecting back to others their energy levels, moods, gifts, and needs. It’s often said that every CEO should have a Reflector as their right hand to stay attuned to their leadership presence and the team’s overall feelings at work.
When working alongside a Generator, Reflectors will mirror the Generator's energy levels and emotions, making them the ultimate chameleons. Given that their energy is counterintuitive and society pressures individuals to adopt rigid identities, it’s crucial for Reflectors to release the need for a fixed title or identity.
If this resonates with you, your role is to be a mirror for those around you, showing how they genuinely show up at work. Here are ways to work smarter, not harder in your PR career:
Prioritize positivity: Work only with colleagues and clients who make you feel good. Your sensitivity to energy will help you discern who contributes positively to your environment.
Embrace your fluidity: Allow yourself to express what feels authentic in each moment rather than adhering to a consistent persona.
Respond to your environment: If your colleague is a Generator, lean into their energy and adopt a responsive approach in your PR tasks. Conversely, if you’re brainstorming with a Manifestor the next day, don’t hesitate to voice new ideas and initiate discussions.
What to Avoid for Ease and Flow in Your Career:
Limiting your identity: Don’t confine yourself to being just one thing.
Letting others define you: Resist external pressures that dictate how you should act or be at work.
Rushed decisions: Give yourself at least ten days to “try on” a new role or position before making significant commitments.
Engaging in negative environments: Avoid tasks or settings that evoke disappointment.
Your ultimate goal is to cultivate a sense of surprise and delight at work, keeping you excited about the energy you’ll experience each day.
Each of us is unique for a reason, with our own ways of communicating, achieving goals, and replenishing energy. Human Design offers a framework to embrace these unique talents in the workplace and foster compassion for others’ diverse processes.
If you’re interested in exploring your Human Design chart and leveraging it for your PR career, I offer one-on-one readings and team workshops. Connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit the KMO website for free resources and to reach out directly.
