The guest of this episode of Eylül Aşkın İle, hosted by Eylül Aşkın and filmed at Bohem Art Gallery on Lüleci Hendek Street, was Public Relations and Communication Consultant Gizem Altınkaya, who has contributed to the media visibility of many successful names.
“I Entered the Workforce Very Early.”
Gizem Altınkaya, a graduate of Istanbul Aydın University’s Television and Radio Programming Department, transitioned to press and communication consultancy after years of working as a radio host. Explaining her career change decision, she said:
“I believe that entering the workforce and gaining experience often take precedence over education. That’s why I started hosting a radio show while still in university. Later, I joined Metro FM and Süper FM, both part of Turkey’s largest radio network, Karnaval Radio Group. Radio hosting is an amazing profession, but unfortunately, it doesn’t hold the place it deserves in our country. It didn’t quite satisfy my workaholic nature. I love being on the move and creating constantly, and I can do that more in this field. Since I was more drawn to this side of the industry, I decided to move behind the scenes.”
Regarding today’s radio audience, Altınkaya added, “As long as cars exist, radio listeners will be hard to diminish.”
The Founding Story of Gizem Altınkaya PR
After leaving radio, Gizem Altınkaya worked in press relations at Sony Music Turkey for a while before establishing her own company, Gizem Altınkaya PR. Summarizing her journey to entrepreneurship, she said:
“I had already learned this job in the best possible place. I worked with a fantastic team at Sony Music for a long time. Since I was 18, I had dreamed of owning my own business. The moment I truly believed I could do this job on my own, I launched my company.”
In addition to working with artists, Altınkaya also collaborates with films, TV series, brands, and venues. Describing the evolution of her company, she stated:
“It has transformed into a PR agency that isn’t just artist-focused but encompasses all of these areas.”
On Being a Female Entrepreneur in Turkey
“The role conflicts created by society play a huge part in this. Beyond the societal pressures, you also face financial difficulties, role clashes, and the constant need to prove yourself. Unfortunately, you have to put in extra effort to succeed, and even more to maintain that success because it’s not easily accepted. It’s truly disheartening to be experiencing this in this day and age.”
Highlighting the challenges of being a female entrepreneur based on her own experiences, Gizem Altınkaya added:
“Unfortunately, there are still many fields where women are not accepted. This journey requires strong mental resilience.”
