Archive for Current Affairs
Keep Dreaming…
Last night I had a very vivid dream. While the details seemed extraordinarily, well, detailed when I was sleeping, I couldn’t remember a single thing when I woke up! It was a fabulous dream – I can definitely remember that – but when I attempted to discuss the events with my friends and family, the places, the people, the images were forgotten forever.
How many times has this happened to you? And like me, how many times have you wished you could remember your dreams? Well, not that I find this too surprising, but perhaps the technology to see your dreams, and the dreams of others, will no longer be a dream …
According to an article on MSNBC.com, brain imaging may make it possible to someday see what others are seeing. This futuristic brain-reading machine would reconstruct an image of a person’s visual experience at any moment in time, and possibly even provide access to the visual content of dreams and imagery.
Wow.
But wait … what about the other kind of dreams? The hopes and dreams people strive to accomplish in their lifetime? While we’d all be interested in the images of our nocturnal dreams, perhaps a more useful idea is one that would help people realize their waking dreams. It’s doubtful that a machine will ever be able to provide much help, but maybe something else will.
Doug Vermeeren, an author and motivational speaker on goal setting and human performance, recently finished producing, “The Opus” a follow-up to the Law of Attraction film, “The Secret.” “The Opus” focuses on taking a vision, turning it into a plan, putting it to performance, and achieving your life’s dreams.
The film will premiere March 26, but check out the trailer here!
So until we all have a device to “see” our dreams, put your focus towards achieving the dreams and goals you have set for yourself.
NSA Rocks On…
The Cow Palace echoed with emptiness last weekend cuz all the rockin’ was going on at the NSA conference. The energy was high as Pam, Rick and I touched down in the city by the bay. It was so great to see our clients face-to-face (e-mail is great, but nothing beats the ol’ grip-and-grin), see old friends from past conventions and make new ones, too.
Some highlights included Michael Lee’s session on “Black Belt Negotiation for Your Fees.” At the end, he unveiled a stack of concrete blocks, taught the audience to count to five in Japanese (ichi, ni, san, shi, go) and then broke through the blocks with his bare hand. It’s hard to doubt the advice from anyone who just proved what they preach.
The usual staid and stuffy tuxedos were kept in mothballs for another year, as the closing banquet went ‘groupie’ attire. The question of the night was, “Did you own that already, or did you have to go buy it?” as attendees donned jeans and rock ‘n’ roll T-shirts. Speaker and consultant Peggy O’Neill admitted to owning all the pieces of her outfit, just that she had never put them together like that before. 
Here’s what she and Pam looked like that night:
PR/PR was thrilled to learn that winter session in 2009 will be in Orlando (our home base), and then the convention in summer 2010 will be back here, too!
The rockin’ theme continues in NYC in August. Don’t leave us hangin’, stop by the booth to say, “Dude!”
- Russell
PS: Good News – I only had to hear “I left my heart in San Francisco” once in the five days we were there!
NSA Takes the Stage in San Francisco!
As I prepare to attend this year’s NSA Winter Meeting in San Francisco, I can’t help feeling eager about the events they have prepared for all those attending. For me, going to these conferences not only means that I’ll be able to socialize with some of our clients, but it also means I have a chance to reunite with old friends and make new ones. I’ve been a longtime NSA member, and these conferences are not only beneficial to those in the field, but they are also fun.
This year the conference theme is one that everyone here at PR/PR is excited about: Rock ‘n’ roll. Indeed, NSA is calling this weekend “Speakerpalooza.” We are particularly looking forward to the Saturday night dinner and live rock show, where we can dress up be creative with our outfits. Iron Maiden, Janis Joplin and MTV will be represented on our T-shirts this night!
PR/PR is also sponsoring the Saturday luncheon, and I hope everyone attending has the opportunity to see the centerpieces we made. In honor of the rock ‘n’ roll theme of the conference, the floral centerpieces are decorated with old 45s and other music memorabilia- very fun and creative.
The headlining speakers for this year’s conference are sure to please everyone, since a variety of personalities will be taking the stage. The educational sessions (“School of Rock” as NSA is calling it this year) are also focusing on topics valuable to veterans and rookies alike.
Check out the Speakerpalooza Details Here!
I hope to see many familiar faces in San Francisco, and many more new ones as well. Stop by the PR/PR booth and say “hello” to Rick, Russell and me, and let me know which rock band you’ll be sporting on your T-shirt for this year’s party. Be sure to pack a sweater or two as well … it’s going to be chilly in San Fran!
See you there!
Pam
Goodbye 2007 … hello New Year!
The holidays are finally over! And it’s even harder to believe that 2008 is here … but I guess now is the time to face the facts. Before we at PR/PR move forward, we’re going to take a moment to relive some past events, particuarly the joyous holiday season and parties we enjoyed! Here are a few pictures…
So technically this wasn’t part of our "holiday" celebrations, but it did occur this past year. Here are some of our office staff, dressed to the nines, for Halloween at PR/PR! It’s one of our favorite holidays, and it also happens to be Kristen’s birthday (see Britney, at far right).
Ok, here we are during one of our office holiday celebrations/Chris’ last holiday at PR/PR. See, we can be somewhat "normal"…
Here’s another picture of part of our staff, as we prepare to send Chris off to his next destination… in Seattle!
Good luck, guy!
And here’s another great memory of us celebrating the holidays… with a little office gift exchange!
Lastly, here is our photo from this year’s holiday dinner at one of Orlando’s best Greek restaurants, Taverna Opa!
Everyone here at PR/PR hopes you have a healthy and prosperous 2008!
Happy New Year!
Saying “Goodbye” to One of Our Own
Blogging is fairly new to me … However; a pro once told me that according to blog etiquette, there are only three rules to “effective blogging”:
Rule One: Contextual blogs that tie in to our client’s opinions
Rule Two: Post things readers want to hear about, such as current events
Rule Three: Be personal with our posts, and only blog when we have something to say
Well, I have something personal to say.
Our Blog Genius, aka Technology Manager, Chris Hollis, is leaving PR/PR … this Friday (Dec. 21) will be his last day. Not only is he leaving the company, he is leaving sunny Orlando, Florida and embarking on a new West Coast PR adventure in Seattle, WA.
We are sad to see him go, not only because we will miss his blog/podcast/technology education sessions – blogging 101 and others – but we will also miss his wit, his jokes, his opinions, his stories, and his dancing!!! (See the Holiday Party picture for dancing reference).
We all wish him the best of luck, and we know he will have no problem “kickin’ butt and takin’ names” in his new position. So Chris, I leave you with these final words …
Be Thankful for Having “Less”
This time of year, we all have something to be thankful for, whether it be fortune, family, good health, success, or all of the above. At PR/PR, we are thankful to work with one another, thankful to work for two fabulous people – Pam Lontos and Rick Dudnick – and we are thankful to work with our clients who, on a daily basis, have endless things to teach us that we may never have known otherwise.
Speaking of great clients, Richard Hadden and Bill Catlette make up the Contented Cow Partners, LLC – specializing in employee relations and best-management techniques. One of the partners, Richard, has a little something extra to be thankful for this year.
NBC airs a show called “The Biggest Loser” … maybe you’ve heard of it? Richard’s sister-in-law, Julie Hadden, is a contestant on this season’s “Loser” cast; after 11 eliminations, Julie is still kicking butt and dropping pounds! Check out their entire post here:
This brings me to my next point. Can you imagine the courage and strength, as well as the goals and the passion it takes to even apply for the show? While many Americans would love to drop some weight, the contestants on this show have chosen to fight and struggle with their weight loss on national television, while viewers lay on their couches, chowing down on pizza and beer (OK, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but you know what I mean). Bottom line, appearing on a show like this, while ultimately rewarding, takes a lot of guts.
Julie and the other “Biggest Loser” contestants are people we should all look up to as we give thanks, embark on December and get ready to enter the New Year. We should thank them for setting an example for others to follow and appreciate their strength and courage to set goals and achieve them.
As the blogs turn…
For those that don’t know, a storm has been brewing all week in the world of Public Relations. Earlier this week, Chris Anderson, Editor-In-Chief of Wired Magazine and author of "The Long Tail" had a rather interesting post go up on his blog. It seems that Mr. Anderson is a bit peeved at the amount of pitches he receives that are completely unresearched and pretty much spammed at him. He even went so far as to publish the e-mail addresses of the individuals who sent him these poorly organized pitches. Take a look for yourself.
Needless to say, bloggers everywhere have been sounding off on Mr. Anderson’s actions. (Thanks to Brian Solis at PR 2.0 for the list of other blogs keeping an eye on the developments.) As you can expect, some agree with what he did, some are imploring him to take it down and others are just sharing an outside perspective on it.
I’m sure you’re expecting our take on the situation. Well, as an office,our take is this: We aren’t on the list and that’s a good indication that we are doing our jobs the right way.
But let’s step back and take a look at the bigger picture here. This story didn’t make the cover of USA Today. It’s not on MSNBC. But it IS important to everyone involved. This is a perfect example of the rapid growth and unbelievable importance of bloggers and the blogging community.
For the casual reader, this might not seem like much, but for those in our industry, this is one of the worst things that could ever happen to a publicity agent or firm. Chris Anderson set out to make a statement, and he did. Those on the list run the chance of being blacklisted for doing a "poor" job. It’s a potential black eye for the firms they work for as well. And we aren’t talking about small firms here. Some of the bigger names in the game (SparkPR, Morris King, Edelman, etc.) have found their way into the path of Chris Anderson’s wrath.
In the end, what does it all mean? Who knows yet. Who knows if jobs will be lost or if training programs will be changed. What IS known is that now, more than ever, the importance of the blog is front and center. I’m sure some people on that list might not even know about it yet. But guess what? The people you’re trying to communicate and work with do. And you better believe that their perception of you is going to change.
As technology manager here, I am trying to share a lesson or two with the office about all of this. The obvious is that we are doing a great job by being thorough with our pitches, but that we need to always hold ourselves to that high standard. The second is don’t doubt the influence and power of blogs and bloggers. We, too, are only one wrong e-mail or slip-up away from finding our names on a list like that.
And for those outside of the PR world: Maybe it’s time you start taking an interest in who blogs about what you do. You might learn something pretty valuable one day.
Heartily An Excuse
Does your sales team have their own mascot? How about a fight song? Or even their own team colors?
Probably not, which is why most people pay more attention to their favorite football teams than their own sales teams. The latest stats being discussed around the water cooler are often from Sunday’s game, not last week’s appointments. Fear not all you football-widowed sales managers. Your team has not abandoned their interest in sales during football season, they are honing their skills by spending hours in front of the TV.
Voss Graham, author of "Three Games of Selling," says that there is a great deal to be gained by watching football on TV. You can become a better salesperson by observing the players. Every great football team, just like a great sales team, must practice before they hit the field, set their goals, strategize on how to achieve goals, have a plan when they face a set-back, and have both offense and defense (sales and marketing) work together.
The next time salespeople are complaining they’re too tired on Tuesday, just say, "It’s alright, as long as you were watching football last night."
Happy Halloween from PR/PR
So, guess what a week from today is? That’s right, it’s Halloween! And before long, it’ll be Thanksgiving, and after that, Christmas. Where did the year go?
I’m sure you’ve realized from dealing with our creative and witty crew, that we celebrate Halloween here in the office. Not just with candy and games, but with an official PR/PR costume contest and party. In fact, this year we even have a theme: famous people, movie characters or creatures from Hollywood (watch out, Paris Hilton!)
But that’s not to say that every office can (or should) celebrate Halloween the way we do. If you do it "wrong" there’s potential for a lawsuit, and what could be scarier than that?
The proper way to celebrate Halloween at the office depends on a lot of factors, according to business etiquette expert, Colleen A. Rickenbacher. As author of the book, "Be on Your Best Business Behavior," Colleen is providing us with a list of things to consider before you and your co-workers decide to party:
1. Ask first. Before you even think about buying that Snow White Costume or the Freddy Krueger mask, ask your human resources department or a supervisor about the company’s policies for dressing up and decorating your cubicle. You may be surprised at what you learn.
2. Show your spirit but don’t go overboard. Are you the only one excited about dressing up? It might not be that much fun, if you are. If you want to show your enthusiasm for the holiday, consider bringing in a bowl of Halloween candies (wrapped, of course, as not to spread
any germs).
3. If your company OKs the costumes and decorations, get together with your co-workers to figure out what will be appropriate for the office. Will that Britney Spears outfit really work? Better think about that one before it turns into an "Oops" moment.
4. What characterizes your workplace? Do you work in a conservative office? Will you be dealing with clients on Halloween? A creative office, like an advertising or marketing firm, may be encouraged to dress up, whereas a more conservative company in law or accounting may not. Again, find out what the company policy is before you buy… or decorate.
And have a safe Halloween!
