Career Changes

As I mentioned in a previous (and rather short) post, a LOT has changed in my life in the past several months. After a short stint as an IT recruiter, I realized how much I missed the challenges and creativity of PR and social media, and thus my job search was back on. Initially, my focus was on staying in Michigan (what can I say, I really DO love Detroit) and that’s where I focused my search for the first few weeks. Then, after much soul-searching and discussions with my family and beautiful friends (you know who you are), my search unexpectedly expanded to the Boston area, Chicago and Louisville (again).

You see, I left Louisville about three years ago and never had ANY intention of coming back. I was headed to the east coast and my plans included a great job in Burlington, long weekends spent in Boston or on the Cape, quick trips to NYC and gorging myself on lobster in Maine. After about two years and many major life changes (sensing a theme here?), I found my way back to Michigan and 10 months later, back in Louisville.

It’s funny how even the best laid plans can sometimes be run completely off track — and how that can be a beautifully disguised blessing.

So here I am again — this time working in social media for a national non-profit (a longtime dream of mine). I couldn’t have guessed even a year ago that I would be able to realize my dream so early in my career, and I am thankful every single day for all of the crazy events, heartbreak and hurt that have brought me to where I am today. I find myself challenged, inspired and excited every day, and thankful for the amazing variety of people that I work with and often not even feeling like I’m at work while I’m there.

The elusive “they” say that’s what it’s all about, right?

PR Toolbox — Wunderlist

I’m obsessed. No, really. This free app is amazing. For those like me with a serious millennial brain, this app makes organizing my life and work and staying on track SO easy. No matter what your work style or what your to-do list may look like, this will help you get it done and stay on track.

Working on multiple devices throughout the day? Totally cool — Wunderlist automatically syncs your list across all of them (amazing, since I jump from my work computer to my iPad to my iPhone and Android about a thousand times each day).

Another major plus is for this app — the ability to collaborate with colleagues (or family/friends, depending on the need) to get larger projects done. Wunderlist makes it as easy as clicking “invite” to get the team think rolling.

For me, this app allows me to collaborate with the various teams I work with (some of which may only be in the same country as me once every few months), keep track of each project I’m working on and assign deadlines (a HUGE thing for me and my work style) without having to bombard my colleagues with countless emails and reminders.

How do you keep track of your various tasks and projects (personally or professionally)?

Big Changes…

Sadly, it’s been a while since I’ve had the time (or the motivation, quite frankly) to blog… and A LOT has changed since my last post.

I’m back in Louisville, took a new job (much more on that later — it’s AMAZING), found a stellar apartment (and am living on my own again) and have embarked on the next scary (and exciting) leg of this crazy journey.

What’s next? I’m not sure… but I do know that for the first time in many years, my heart is truly happy and I am incredibly excited to see what’s around the corner. I’ve also realized how blessed that I am to have SO many amazing people in my life. To my family, friends, co-workers and even a few random, kind strangers that have managed to play a part in the craziness of the past several months, THANK YOU. I cannot express how much love I have for each of you. ❤

PR Toolbox — Pearltrees

Pearltrees. I know it’s not new or necessarily cutting-edge, but it’s a tool that I’ve been using (and loving) for several years and I thought it was worth a quick mention. I think sometimes we get so caught up in talking about what’s new, or what’s hot, that we forget about some of our old favorites.

If you’re not already familiar with it, Pearltrees is a visual collaboration tool that allows users to collect, organize and share any URL they find online (users can also share photos and notes via Pearltrees).

So why do I still love Pearltrees?

1. It’s so easy to use. By simply downloading the Pearltrees extension for Chrome or Firefox (for either a Mac or PC), all I need to do when I run across something I find interesting and useful is simply click to Pearl my content — an easy-t0-use drop down  menu then allows me to select where I’ll place my Pearl (Some examples from my Pearltree include: Blogging, PR/media relations, Career Advice, etc) and voila!

2. Collaboration. Pearltrees allows users to search for content that others have pearled that may be of interest to them (example: PR and social media are two of my most-searched topics), and then gives me an opportunity to “team up” with users who consistently pearl content that I find interesting in an effort to further develop our common area of interest.

3. Integration with other social networks. It’s incredibly easy to share content that I’ve pearled with my other networks (although I predominately share my content exclusively via Twitter).

4. It’s visual — and easy to navigate. I’m an incredibly visual person. I use other tools to keep track of content that I like, but this is by far the easiest to navigate (and it’s pretty slick looking, too! ha!). Here’s a screenshot of my tree…

What are some of your favorite tools (new or old) and why do you love them so much?

Lessons Learned

As a young PR pro, I know that I’ve still got a lot to learn. Over the past few years, I’ve also learned a lot (thanks to a few great bosses, colleagues and mentors). Here are a few items of note that I thought I’d share:

1. Always listen, and keep an open mind. If you can take the time to step away from your phone, email, etc and truly listen to those around you, you’ll tap into a sea of invaluable knowledge. Some of the best lessons I’ve learned thus far in my career have come from spontaneous and incredibly candid conversations with colleagues and mentors, not necessarily from hands-on applications of the tools and techniques that I learned in the classroom.

2. Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t know something, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. As a young pro, I’ve always felt that I had something to prove. To prove that I know my craft. To prove that I can survive, and thrive, in this industry. To prove… well, just to prove myself. From time to time, the need to prove myself had caused me to be a bit nervous to admit that I didn’t know how to tackle something, or to ask for help when I needed it. What almost always ended up happening in this situation was that I felt overwhelmed and as though I was spinning my wheels — something that’s detrimental to not only myself, but also to my colleagues, bosses and clients.

3. Be patient. It’s seriously so important. Patience hasn’t always been one of my strong points, and it’s something that I’ll admit I’ve had to focus a good deal of effort on over the past few years. In any industry (especially PR), it’s incredibly important to be ambitious and to have a plan in place. Work hard, but don’t forget that success isn’t going to happen overnight and being impatient can harm you, your colleagues, bosses and clients tremendously.

What are some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned thus far? What are some of the best tips you’ve got for recent college grads and young PR pros?

Building Your Brand Online

Where does one start when it comes to building an online brand? What is the importance of having a well-established, consistent brand?

As a communications professional, I’ve spent my career working with colleagues and clients to develop and establish consistent brands and brand messaging. But why? For businesses and individuals alike, having a solid brand (both on and off line) is important because it:

1. Establishes brand recognition: If you want anyone to know who you are and what you do, an online presence is key.

2. Help establish brand loyalty: When consumers can see your brand and what you can do, the likelihood of them choosing you over your competition dramatically increases.

3. Differentiate you from industry competition: Today’s market is full of noise and overwhelmed by people and companies offering similar products and services. A well-established brand can help businesses and individuals set themselves apart from others in the market.

Ok, so these are just a few of many reasons why having a well-established, consistent online brand is important for businesses and individuals. So now the question becomes What do I need to do to get a hold on my brand online OR How do I get started building my brand online? Here are just a few tips:

1. Understand your audience. Who are you trying to reach, and where are they most active online?

2. Give your brand a voice. A few things to think about here — give your brand a voice. Speak with your audience, not to them. Keep an open mind. Perhaps the most important: be consistent in your communication and your message.

3. Build your brand by utilizing a mix of media. Once you’ve figured out who your audience is, figure out the best way to reach them. Does Facebook make the most sense for your business? What about Twitter? Should my company have a blog? Businesses and individuals should utilize a solid mix of media to effectively build an online presence. The key to success: keep your branding (ex: usernames, photos, color schemes, messages, etc) consistent across all channels.

4. Make it personal and be creative! Readers won’t keep coming back if your content is stuffy or boring. Add a bit of personality to your posts, add links to fun and interesting articles or media content, or leave your readers with questions that will encourage a dialogue through your blog.

Which companies do you think have built the best online brands? Which companies do you think could improve their online brand? Why, and how?

Cheers to the New Year

Ok, hold tight… it’s been far longer than I’d like to admit since I’ve truly written. And it wasn’t until very recently that I realized how much I’ve missed it.

I’m not sure there has ever been a time in my life that I’ve felt like an “exceptional” writer… but writing has always been something that I’ve enjoyed, and has always provided a sense of creative freedom and escape that I found strength and comfort in.

2012 was a year of challenge and fighting to overcome adversity. And somewhere in that year, in the middle of struggles that I felt like I may never overcome, I stopped writing for a while. I stopped writing because someone told me I should. And in my very fragile state, and much like a fool, I listened.

In reflecting on the past year, and looking toward the next, I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about what I like, and what I don’t like, about my life. What can I change? What can’t I change? How can I make myself a better person this year? How can I help others?

I’ve never been a big fan of resolutions (especially since I don’t know a single soul who has ever actually stuck to one), but this year I’m willing to give some sort of “resolution” a shot (note: I use that term very vaguely… I’d much prefer to call them simply, goals, or something of the like). This year, I’d like to:

• Find a fabulous workout routine that I love and stick with it. I’m not shooting to drop ten pounds… but I’m tired of being tired, and feeling bad about the state that I’m in… and I’m even more tired of not doing anything about it.
• Read more. When I walked away from my writing in 2012 (without intentionally doing so), I also seemed to walk away from my love of reading. Today I find myself feeling like I’ve lost more of myself than I had ever realized… and the idea of diving back in to the depths of a good story makes my soul smile.
• Focus on friendship. Beautiful friendships and beautiful people can be difficult to come by. I’m blessed to have both in my life, and I want to spend more of my time and energy cultivating beautiful relationships. With that, comes my goal of letting go of those who shouldn’t be part of my life. I hate cutting ties and, aside from losing love, there’s not much worse (in my opinion) than losing friendship. I’ve changed dramatically, and so have many of those in my life, and with change sometimes comes loss. Holding on is hurting me more than letting go ever could. So this year, I say “goodbye” to a few…
• Volunteer more. Because it just feels good to do something for someone else every once in a while.
• Focus on the positive (because that just feels good, too).

There’s a laundry list of other things I’d like to work on… and the way I see it, life (and me) are ever-changing. For now, I’d like to take it slow and focus on one day at a time, one step at a time and hope to forge some great new friendships along the way, enhance those I already have, smile much more than I cry, and hope to have some pretty fabulous stories to share along the way.

2012 may not have been my year… but I think 2013 will be.

xoxo