Carefully Crafted on April 08
Sometimes you need to hit the reset button. During a recent guided meditation, the instructor noted that we aren’t perfect. Minds wander in meditation. Instead of judging this lack of concentration, acknowledge it and move on. As he put it, “Simply start again.” I needed to hear those three basic words this week. If I’m being totally honest, some recent changes at home and the office are more […]
Carefully Crafted on March 31
At Geben, we have a standing team meeting once a week where the whole agency comes together to analyze and solve problems. Sometimes, they’re client/project-specific, but more often than not, they’re things like time management, planning and how to address agency-wide growing pains. The whole meeting usually only takes 15-20 minutes, and those minutes are […]
Carefully Crafted on March 29
When there is an opportunity in the marketplace you need to strike quickly and effectively. Media relations has always been a powerful tool for communicating key messages. It used to be that we’d work, work, work to secure the media placement and then move on. As we’ve discussed before, contemporary PR pros know the clip […]
Carefully Crafted on March 24
Communications teams and legal teams sometimes find themselves in adversarial relationships. One one hand, the PR and marketing teams want to say more, be transparent, show authenticity. On the flip side, the legal team thinks through all possible outcomes and worst-case scenarios. This often leads to a “less is more” communication policy, particularly in crisis situations. When it comes to […]
Carefully Crafted on March 21
Hiring is tough. As an agency owner, the talent recruitment process is one of the harder parts of my job. Finding people who fit our needs — both culturally and skills-wise — is no easy task. But, I’ve learned that hiring young, aspiring, ambitious PR pros right out of college, or with a couple years experience, is a smart way to train on the […]
Carefully Crafted on March 07
When you’re seeking a new job, the interview process isn’t just an opportunity for the company to get to know you. It’s also the time for you to get to know the company. Is it a place you want spend your time? Is the work something you’d enjoy? Does the environment allow you to amplify your strengths? It’s […]
Carefully Crafted on March 03
Business instincts. Mother’s intuition. When we talk about instincts or gut feelings, we tend to downplay their importance or value. When I think back on decisions I make for Geben, a lot of it is chalked up to instincts. I didn’t write a business plan. I don’t hem and haw over all the various options. I consider the situation and […]
Carefully Crafted on March 01
I’m a PR person. Well, I was a PR person. Today, I’m a businessperson. Actually, I’ve been a business owner for 6 years, but it wasn’t until recently that I completed my transition from PR pro to businessperson. My obsession with media lists and Twitter lists has (mostly) been replaced by an obsession with forecasting spreadsheets and business development […]
Carefully Crafted on February 23
I love podcasts, so I was thrilled when my friend (and client) Heidi Sullivan invited me to be one of the first guests on Influence Pros, a new podcast from Convince & Convert. Even more exciting? I got to talk about one of my favorite topics: Business development. How exactly do these two topics overlap, you […]
Carefully Crafted on January 22
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: A solid pitch trumps a lukewarm relationship. Anyone can throw together a generic pitch, send it to a handful of reporters and see what happens. If the story/news is at least somewhat compelling, maybe you’ll land a quick mention or two. Will those placements accurately convey […]
