Things that Don't Get Easier The More You Do Them

Some days deserve a French Fry
happy ending.

There's a big myth that I used to subscribe to that things get easier the more you do them. The older I've gotten the more I realize that this blanket statement relates to a LOT of things in life, but certainly not everything. So I started thinking. . .what are things that don't get easier the more you do them:

• Doctors appointments
• Bikini waxes
• Writing a novel
• Colts and/or Hoosiers losses (particularly in the playoffs, Super Bowl or NCAA tournament)
• Bathing cats
• Pitching stories to journalists that your client/co-worker/sponsor expects to see place and you know you don't have a shot in hell (clearly, that's PR specific)
• Exercise--yes, technically it exerts you less the more you do it, but it's still hard to want to do it. AND if you skip a few days, it's almost like starting back at square one, which doesn't seem fair.
• Diets-duh
• Calculus- this could just be me, but I despite my B, I never did get Calculus. 
• Watching bad stand-up comedy--particularly in person

What would you add to the list?

** Despite the fact that I'm not advertising McDonald's, I am required to mention that I work with the brand. They are a client. (Yes, I'm very lucky). I will also testify, which MANY people can back up, that my love of the McDonald's french fry goes back longer than my current job. Because they rock my socks off. 

I Think I Felt it More than LA

It's hard to believe it, but Chef and I have officially been in LA for THREE years now. Three years, one address, two jobs and one wedding. Crazy. When I moved here I was scared to apply at a PR agency because I had watched too many horrible Bravo reality shows about PR people who were all waifish, dumb, self-centered girls. And while there are plenty of those in this town, there are also lots and lots of smart, funny, sarcastic women (and a few men)sprinkled in with agency life as well. Plus a lot of fun things. That's one thing that people in PR won't tell you, but people figure out pretty easily. 

I mean, what other profession can have me making oatmeal for high school students one morning and then meeting the CEO of McDonald's at a meeting right after? Not many, that's for damn sure. And besides work there is the wonderment that is LA. I remark about it all the time and it still doesn't cease to amaze me. Whether it's the traffic (it's worse than you've ever imagined people) or the beautiful skyline or the way that a good neighborhood can turn into a bad one (and vice versa) in the matter of a block. It's all what makes this place so fun to be at and now makes it home. 

After three years I can safely say that LA has left a bigger mark on me than I on it, but who can really say the opposite and mean it? Maybe like a Son of Sam serial killer, but those have never been my particular aspirations. 

Thanks for three great years, LA!

Public Relations isn't . . .

Since I did a post on what Public Relations IS, I thought I'd also clarify what it ISN'T for the record too. Public Relations ISN'T:

• like it is on TV. Samantha Jones would not be just calling people up and yelling at them to correct things or sweet talking them into writing things. That's not how it works. 
• like it is in books. I've read several books where the character doing PR will demand the media cover something and BAM! There just there for a completely non-newsworthy event (like a conference where nothing exciting is announced). 
• putting the media on beckon call. The only time in my career when ALL the great media outlets have voluntary shown up somewhere to cover something is when something crappy is happening. Every other time takes work, begging and relationship building. 
• about attending all these great and fun events. I have NEVER worked an event and had time to enjoy it. Usually I'm running around in heels and wishing that I were repping a sneaker company because then doing an ode to Melanie Griffith a la Working Girl wouldn't look inappropriate.
• Party planning.
• without strategy.
• spending all day on Facebook, twitter and instagram for funsies.
• without a budget. You have to be part time accountants to keep track of hours, dollars and everything in between. 
• about letter writing. Last time I checked, most people around me also had college degrees and can string together a form letter. Editing or pumping up said letter can be on the agenda. 
• stagnant. We tend to know about social media and "the next big thing" because we have to be able to explain to a company/brand/management why they should or shouldn't be on it.
• about perky sorority girls going to parties and events. 
• being a lawyer, but having to know a lot of law nonetheless. 

I'm sure there are other misconceptions out there, but just wanted to clear a few things up. Anything here surprise you?

Public Relations is. . .

I find I have to explain what I do to people a lot. When I worked for a company or non-profit where I was the sole PR person, it was a constant push-pull with my colleagues as to what I was supposed to do vs. what they were asking me to do.

Working for an agency, my co-workers clearly know what it is that I do because they do the same thing. It's kinda nice to be able to bounce ideas off of someone who gets it. The challenge now is making the client understand what it is that we do for them.

Honestly, my own family probably has a hard time really understanding what it is that I do with my work, so here is my short and sweet way of trying to explain it to the world.

Public Relations is:

• NEW: one of the only industries that has the word "disaster" or "nightmare" behind it when you hear about it in public. Like "Paula Deen is dealing with a Public Relations disaster." Or "The BP oil spill is STILL a PR nightmare."
• NEW: something you only hear about when it goes wrong. When it goes right, people think that you did nothing at all. 
• Working with the media to try and get your company/brand/product or your client's company/brand/product mentioned in a positive light on TV, the radio, in a newspaper story, online or via social media.
• being excruciatingly detailed in working plans for events.
• being able to toss out said plans at a moment's notice when stuff doesn't work out exactly as you had it drawn up.
• event planning.
• working hard for all reporters and having some of them hate you. 
• spending all day setting up an interview to have it called off because Justin Bieber got in a car accident. 
• working with mascots and crazy mascot rules, and the crazier people that abide by those rules on the daily.
• saying stuff like "unfortunately, we can't move the priceless work of art that weighs 2,000 lbs because it's in your eye line as you're giving an interview. Perhaps you can just ignore it or maybe move as you weigh less than the art?" with a straight face. 
• feeling elated when politicians cite a statistic you provided them with in a media interview or otherwise on the record.
• seeing your spokesperson and information correctly represented in a news story.
• having a speaker you prepped deliver everything exactly as you had told him or her to deliver it. 
• being an impromptu graphic designer when stuff has to get changed immediately and you have to pull a Tim Gunn.
• having a sense of gratification when you see a sizzle reel of all the work you did.
• knowing what a sizzle reel is.
• convincing people you work for that you can't just call up the major newspaper in your city and have them come out to cover a check presentation ceremony.
• reading a lot and writing a lot. 
• knowing you'll probably end up working with a lot of women. 
• becoming an expert in things you never knew you'd know like the difference between heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular disease or how to earn a Girl Scouts patch or why librarians are so disgruntled. 
• so much more than working with the media. 

Okay, PR friends, what else am I missing?

Reputations are Created in Years, but Gone In Minutes-- Yes, I'm Talking About Paula Deen

 The thing about PR is that you only really notice it when it's bad. Meaning that someone either didn't do it well or none was done at all.

Case in point: Paula Deen. I was critical of her for hiding her diabetes from the public for years while she continued to make recipes that she probably couldn't eat without an insulin shot. But she was smart enough to get a pharmaceutical company endorsement out of it. This time, I don't think there's anyone on the other side of racism that might endorse her.

Paula got sued by a former manager of her Savannah restaurant for using racial slurs, inappropriate language and all kinds of other stuff. The lawsuit was for $1.2 million. Her brand is reportedly worth about $17 million a year. So for about 7 percent of her earnings...THIS YEAR, she could have avoided all this. Hell, if she had good lawyers, she probably could've gotten it for less.

And then there's the PR around the mea culpa tour. Who the hell is doing it for her? You don't say you'll go on to a nationally televised morning show like Today and then back out with no explanation. Not good.

Then she gives a very vague video apology in drag queen make-up. Video apologies suck because they seem totally controlled by the apologizer and not so sincere. This was no different.

Then because that apology sucked, she issues another video apology in front of the giant vat of make-up (see above) probably used to give her that specific shade of Oompa Loompa that is so desired.

At no time does she mention crossing sensitive racial lines. I realize that Paula's in the middle of a court case so she can't admit fault, but let's be honest, she should've just coughed up the money. So, the Food Network decided to "not renew her contract at the end of the month." Either they are constantly undergoing contract negotiations or this was just the best timing in the world for Food Network to have something like this happen.

Because now Jamie and Bobby are probably out of a job too. Hopefully they're just as tight as she is and have been stockpiling away the money so they can be unemployed for a while.

All this to say this: If someone you love finds themselves embroiled in a very sticky,very nasty public relations brouhaha, have them hire someone reputable. Or better yet, have someone they love and respect do them a solid by just telling them to settle!!

The Joys of the Democratic Process

One of the fun parts of my job is the diverse things I get to do. Yesterday was one of those times....sort of. I have in the past and am once again working on public relations around politics (aka government affairs). The joy of this is an event like last night---the public hearing.

If you've ever been to a public hearing, you know these things are simultaneously boring as hell and highly entertaining. If you've never been to a public hearing, it's pretty much just like you see in Parks and Rec. Last night there was a table on stage with two chairs and two government officials there to listen. There was an audience in an auditorium and a microphone in the middle of it all. There are really two types of people that come to these things: 1) people representing a larger organization that have well-planned and thought out ideas to express. These are usually people that do these things for their job. 2) pissed off citizens.

Public hearings are kind of like live versions of comment sections online. Rarely do you have someone comment or review something online that they love. They are usually just itching to complain and show how smart (or smart ass) they are.

Last night's public hearing had to do with a city planning proposal and it pretty much followed this formula. Here are my favorite highlights of the night:

• The very first lady (who was pissed off) introduced the phrase "ho motel" into our vernacular. She was loudly concerned that the proposal did nothing to address the three ho motels in her neighborhood. 
• A woman wore a denim poncho made from several parts of various jeans all sewn together. Ponchos are a mystery to me in the first place because I don't see the point of them unless their plastic and used to protect from the rain. She sported hers over a hooded sweatshirt which just added to my confusion. I was also a little concerned because the jeans looked well worn and her head went through the area that used to be crotch. 
• I saw a hippie crossed with Mr. Garrison from South Park. He said "MMkay" a lot, had an earring and was advocate for more public space. He also had the most well-coiffed rat tail that I've ever seen. And I lived in the South for more than a decade. This thing was about 3 inches above his waist. I would've laughed if I wasn't so impressed with his tenacity for a long forgotten hairstyle.

If you have the chance, go to a city council meeting or some other public event where people can express themselves. At the very least find a cable access channel and log in some time or best of all watch several episodes of "Parks & Rec."

Touching Survivor Story Told Differently

I saw an article on another site about this ad from Arnold Palmer Hospital and had to give it a look. It's one of the best hospital pieces that I've seen done for a few reasons:

1. It's very emotionally compelling. I was choking back tears at work, but mostly because I loathe crying at work for any reason. 
2. The doctor appears SANS lab coat and tells his personal experience with Chloe and her father. He doesn't present her like a case study. He appears human.
3. So many hospital ads feature the patients. While this ad does have Chloe's story in it and does include shots of her parents, the only voice you hear is the doctor's. 
4. It's simple and it's short. Too many online videos try to viral but fail because they're too damn long. The average person will watch videos without clicking off that are about 3 minutes long MAX. 

Having worked on medical patient stories for a good part of my career, this one hit home and not only touched me, but made me want to replicate it. But here's something that every PR/ Marketing/ Advertising person struggles with: how do you find these stories? So many times, they go untold simply because they don't float around to the right people. But when they do. . .Magic. I say this because everyone has a job that they hear interesting things at. When you hear them, do me a favor and tell someone in your communications or PR/marketing department.

What do you think? Is this video a touching success or just like everything else?

Where have I been?: Tales of a Know-it-all

That's a great question. And one that had no real answer because I've been here. Not literally on the Internet every waking hour (although come to think of it. . . ), but I've been here enough. I'm still in LA (at least until Thursday) and I'm sitting in my new desk working away. Well, kind of.

I'm trying to work as much as I can and looking into past files of predecessors to figure out where to pick up the ball and get going. The trick is that my boss is super busy. And by super busy, I mean, out of the office. So I'm stumbling the best I can and then asking my co-workers and team what I can do to help in the mean time. I was told by one not to worry. That things may be slow the first week or so but soon enough my schedule will be packed. But you know me. I hate the beginnings. I have the compulsive need to be a know-it-all. It's pretty damn annoying, but also why PR tends to work for me. As a PR person, you get to be in the know about all areas of a company or at least more areas than a typical employee. It makes for a happy know-it-all.

However, when you're new, you don't know it all. You know only a little more than nothing. And while I'm learning every day,  I want to skip ahead a few weeks or months until I know most of what I need to. Which is perhaps why I was at the AHA for nine years. I got to be quite the know-it-all.

But until I can be a know-it-all here. I will be a sponge. Absorbing all that I can. Wish me luck.

A New Career Adventure

It's bittersweet, but ultimately more sweet than bitter that I decided to leave my current job at SAGE after nearly 18 months. I will desperately miss my UK counterpart who held my hand through trying times and my team who work so hard each day.

I will not miss the commute.

In fact, my new position will cut more than 42 miles off my commute. One way. So about 84 miles a day. In LA traffic. Basically it will be like getting 2 hours and 30 minutes of time back each day. And thus allowing me to actually start living in LA. Making friends. Volunteering. Sleeping past 5 a.m. on a weekday. Staying up later than 10 p.m. That kind of thing.

What am I doing next? Great question. I am going to try a completely different atmosphere (yes. more different than LA) again. I'm going to work as an Account Supervisor in the LA office of  Porter Novelli, an international PR agency. I've never worked in an agency before but I've always wanted to try it and I've always been able to handle it thus far, so why not take the risk.

And because I'm still enamored with the ways of LA, I am SUPER excited that 1) my new job is about 3 miles from home and 2) the office is on Hollywood Blvd. Like THE Hollywood Blvd. You can walk out the front door of the building and be stepping on stars. The Oscars are held about a block away. So the side of me that is impressed with this kind of thing is excited.

So if you wonder where I've been the last month, the mystery is now over. I've been transitioning and as my mom used to tell me "Work as hard on the last day as you did on the first." It's a good mantra. I wanted to make sure my friends and colleagues are left in a good place.

Celebrating until I go into my new gig on Monday morning. Why no longer gap?

Because I'm heading to Nashville and Evansville in two weeks (also became officially official today)! Make plans to hook up with me, friends!

Frivolous PR

To be honest, I would totally do PR for him no matter what.

Back when I was just starting out in my career, I was frankly against PR jobs. Let me rephrase that: Back BEFORE I had a career, I was against PR jobs. Mostly I thought that PR was just a way to control the media. Then again I was determined to be a part of the media until I learned that I could make more money working retail part time than in full time starting off writing positions at newspapers (which by the way were scarce jobs even back then). So my buying into a book I had in college called Toxic Sludge is Good For You: Lies, Damn Lies, and the Public Relations Industry met directly with my need to eat. Eating won.

After a brief stint with a HUGE multinational company that made me feeling icky, I decided that I would only do PR for the "betterment of mankind" or that was so ridiculous that no one could take it seriously. I thought at the time that that left me with non-profit, sports or entertainment. Seeing that I lived in Middle America, didn't have the balls at the time to move and there were only 3 professional sports teams within a 3 hour drive, I chose non-profit. And it worked out well. Hopefully for all parties involved.

Lately, I've been rethinking my stance. Clearly I do PR still and it's not for a place related to the three things I list above, but I actually like my job. I realize there are companies that pitch ridiculously false things to the media but honestly for the most part the media have a pretty good BS meter, so even the best written press release on a story with no substance won't get significant play. However, a poorly written release on a great material can kill a company--which is why companies and journalists to some extent need PR. But that's beside the point. I thought since now I'm doing different PR could I do PR for a sports team or celebrity? Not tactically, but PR is PR. If you can do it well, it's a pretty transferable skill. The level of aggressiveness changes with industry, but that's about it.

The question is now whether I'd want to do what I thought of as "frivilous PR" and now I think the answer is no. Mostly because I don't think people in the entertainment and sports fields think of it as frivolous. And I agree on one hand: those industries are BIG money so the PR is at a higher importance. But when I say "frivolous PR" I mean that the person receiving the information does not see it as essential in their daily lives. And that's where things seemed to have changed. I've seriously met people who view US Weekly as their own personal devotional books. People who can't name the current president, but can tell me the past 6 winners of Dancing With The Stars. . . in order of their receiving the disco ball trophy.

Maybe nothing at all has changed that much except my perception. But that's all I got.