A couple months ago, I was drafting a bylined article for a client. I’d tried to work on it at various times throughout the week, and it just wasn’t happening. Then, on Sunday morning, the writer’s block evaporated and I finished the article in under an hour — in my pajamas … on my living room couch. And, if I do say so myself, the article was really well written. In fact, I’m convinced  that I couldn’t have written that article that well in the office. Phone calls, interruptions, distractions — all concentration killers.

Realizing that there are some projects that require uninterrupted concentration, I decided to institute “Work Away” at Geben. For at least half a day, once a week, each person is required to work from somewhere other than the office. Coffee shop, library, park, home — wherever they’ll be most productive. Each person can decide when to “Work Away” and what they’ll accomplish during that time. For some, they set aside that time for writing. Others use that time to plow through the “stragglers” on their to-do list. Sometimes, it’s when they brainstorm creative content strategy ideas for clients.

Where are you most productive? Imagine if you were encouraged to regularly work from there. Thanks to technology, there are few jobs that require you to be chained to your desk. Escape the office to discover a new sense of productivity.

Work Away … away from the office.

Who wants to test my theory? Let me know if “Work Away” helps you get more accomplished. And, what else do you do to improve your productivity?

People who know me well know where I stand politically. My career began in public affairs and political consulting, so it’s something I used to talk A LOT about. However, as my career has shifted, I’ve found myself talking about political issues and candidates less and less. I’m not sure if I like that or not (after all, I am the person who once declared that “Everyday should be Election Day”), but that’s the way it is.

So, I’m going to go on a bit of a rant right now, but I’d like to preface it by saying it’s not intended to be political.

Via email and on his Facebook page, Mitt Romney launched a new campaign: Donate to his presidential campaign to receive a “Moms Drive the Economy” bumper sticker. This campaign was inspired by a misguided Democratic pundit declaring that Ann Romney, a stay-at-home-mom, had never “worked a day in her life.” President Obama and his campaign staff quickly responded to distance themselves from that comment and line of thinking.

As political season heats up, candidates will try to cultivate female voters. We’ll undoubtedly see both parties trying to score political points (some cheap, some valid) to strengthen their position with this critical block of voters.

However, as a women-business owner who doesn’t have children (yet), I find this statement to be offensive. Women play a critical role in the economy. The University of North Carolina’s online MBA program recently released an infographic compiling data about women in the workplace. Some highlights:

• Women are founding businesses at 1.5 times the national average.
• Women owned 20% more businesses in 2007 than they did in 2001.
• Women own 28.7% of non-farm businesses.
• Women-owned, venture-backed companies have 12% higher revenues.
• Companies with more equal gender distribution in leadership garnered 30% better results from IPOs.

The common thread? Women. Women are doing these things that are spurring economic growth. And these are accomplishments that should be celebrated — not used as a cheap trick to score political points.

Amazing, high-profile women like Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, SPANX’s Sara Blakey (the youngest self-made billionaire, according to Forbes’ most recent list), and even Bethenny Frankel are leading by example — showing women that you can, in fact, have a successful career and a family. But, let’s be clear: Women — moms and those without children — are contributing meaningfully to the economy. Being a mother isn’t a prerequisite to “driving the economy.”

As I’ve written before, though it’s 2012, women still need to fight against ingrained societal norms that diminish the ability, capacity and potential of women. But, why are moms and “non-moms” being pit against each other? To score political points.

Women, I implore you: Don’t get sucked into the “mommy wars” and similar unproductive fights. Instead, display leadership. Let’s start a real discussion about opportunities for women to help grow the economy. Then we’ll really be driving the economy. Kids or not.

Recently, I joined tens of thousands of people in the technology/startup space in Austin, TX for South by Southwest. Because I was primarily there working for a San-Francisco-based client, I spent a considerable amount of time with Silicon Valley-ers.

While making small chat at various networking events and parties, the conversation always turned to location. I’d proudly explain that I live and work in Columbus, OH. Without fail, people would quizzically look at me and then ask when I was moving to San Francisco or New York.

Initially, I’d laugh it off. After all, more than half of my firm’s work is with technology/web companies based outside Ohio, so it’s not that far-fetched to wonder why I’m not located in NYC of SF. But, as the week went on and I continued to get that some question, I realized we have a problem.

Columbus has a strong tech scene. Sure, you’re familiar with TechColumbus. Maybe you’ve even heard of Wakeup Startup. But, Columbus is full of hidden talents – people who are working on game-changing products, services and technological advancements.

So, what’s the problem? Those success stories are under our collective radar. And, if local residents are out of the loop, then it’s no wonder potential investors, development talent and customers/users are in the dark. (While I’m speaking from my experience in Columbus, I bet the same holds true in other Midwestern cities.)

From mobile commerce to social media … crowdsourced product development and online customer service – technology is disrupting the status quo. It’s changing how business gets done. And, Columbus has a major opportunity to capitalize on these emerging economic opportunities. But, that requires us to embrace risk, innovate best practices and stop being so humble. We have to showcase the local talent, availability of investment dollars and resources, and the diverse success stories with Columbus roots.

My PR and social media firm has deep ties with startup communities in San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, and even London; however, I believe we can continue to flourish here in Columbus. I’ll continue to attend events with my bi-coastal clients and sing Central Ohio’s praises. But, if we’re really going to seize this opportunity – and make Columbus a significant player in the national startup dialogue – it’s going to require a full community effort.

Who’s in?

A version of this article initially ran in Columbus Business First.

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Before I officially launched my own company, I was on the fence. Did I really want to leave my safe, steady job to build a traditional and digital PR firm from scratch? (Keep in mind it was the height of the recession and quitting a secure job just didn’t sound smart.) But, then I received one of the best pieces of advice: “The only way to silence the voice of self-doubt is to cross the start line.”

Those 15 words provided the nudge I needed to leave the safety net behind and create my own path.

I often hear from people who are thinking about taking a similar leap of faith. If that’s you, here are seven pieces of advice, from me, to you.

• Embrace startup culture. Or at least the best parts of it. Our firm does a significant amount of work with technology companies, so I’ve had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in startup offices. Not quite ready to wear hoodies for keynote presentations, or express your personality through patterned socks? That’s ok, but you should embrace Silicon Valley’s commitment to quick thinking, responsiveness and doing whatever it takes to get the job done.
• Build a team. No one can run a company by themselves. At minimum, you need a good accountant — and supportive friends and family cheering you on certainly helps. But, you also need to know when you’ve outgrown life as a “solopreneur.” Whether that means contracting with a virtual assistant to track expenses or book travel, or hiring your first full-time employee, surround yourself with smart, motivated self-starters. And, don’t underestimate likeability. When you’re working long hours, you want to spend that time with people you truly enjoy.
• Plan smart. Implement smarter. Some new business owners take the time to write a full-fledged business plan (I didn’t); others just jump into the business. Either way, you need some kind of basic roadmap: What are you trying to accomplish? How are you going to get there? Once you define success, make sure your day-to-day activities sync up with your big-picture goals.
• Saying “no” is good for business. Early in a business’s lifecycle, it’s natural to want to accept every new business opportunity. In reality, not all clients make sense for your business. I have a standing rule: I won’t work with jerks. Seriously. I’d rather walk away from a potential project than work with someone I don’t like, or a company/product I don’t believe in. Every once in a while, you might even need to fire a client. A move that drastic should be saved for extreme situations; however, when you realize you need to break up with a client, just do it and move on.
• Twitter keeps the lights on. I can trace 75% of my company’s new business back to relationships that began via social media … and most of that goes back to Twitter. That stat won’t hold true across all industries, but the point is this: Social media is radically changing how business gets done. Time spent online should be time well spent. Start by figuring out how to build productive relationships via online channels.
• Innovate best practices. If your industry is anything like mine, you’re surrounded by tried-and-true best practices. Reexamine “the way it’s always been done” to identify opportunities for improvement. Look at your traditional, offline activities. How do those translate online? Nail the basics, but don’t stop there. By innovating best practices, you’ll stay ahead of the curve, which your current and prospective clients will appreciate.
• Work-life integration is better than balance. If you ask your fellow business-owner friends, I bet 9 out of 10 will tell you you’re never truly off the clock. Instead of stressing out about this preconceived notion of balance, focus on integration instead. Who says you have to work M-F, 9-5? Be the boss of your own schedule.

One last parting piece of advice: Bring on the craziness. You’re in for a wild ride, but it’s totally worth it.

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If you read this blog or follow me on Twitter, you may know that my company does a fair amount of PR for startup and technology clients. While half of our business is with companies in Ohio, all of our tech/startup work is outside this market. (The PR person in me says the local technology community needs to do a better job promoting its successes, but that’s a topic for another blog post.)

You  might not know it, but Central Ohio has an active startup community. That’s why I love projects/organizations like Built In Cbus, WakeUpStartUp, TechColumbus and other groups focused on supporting and promoting local entrepreneurs. So, when Built In Cbus asked to interview me and share the Geben story, I was flattered! Want to know how Geben got its start, why I don’t believe in answering the dreaded “where will you be in five years”-question, and who our most famous client is? It’s all in this five-minute video. Thanks for watching (and don’t make fun of my hat!)

Built in Cbus | Heather Whaling from Andy Newman on Vimeo.

As we wind down 2011, it’s only natural to reflect on the past year and set some goals for the new year. At work, perhaps you’ve done end-of-the-year reviews. Personally, I hate reviews. I’ll tell you in “real time” if you’re doing something well or not! No need to wait for an arbitrary date in December. That said, I do think some reflection and goal-setting is in order.

The past few years, I’ve set goals for myself and my company, but this year, I wanted to work with my team to reflect on their accomplishments, identify areas for improvement and to set their own goals. As an employee, take a two-pronged approach to creating work-related goals: 1) Establish specific milestones or achievements that you personally want to accomplish; 2) Identify ways that you can contribute to the overall growth of the company.

With that in mind, I developed the 3-2-1 review/goal setting process. We’re following this approach at Geben, and I’d invite you to take our model and tweak it for your own use.

3-2-1: 2012 Goal Setting

Create a new document to list the following 3-2-1 items.
3:

• 3 greatest accomplishments (yours … what you’re most proud of during this past year)
• 3 areas where you can improve
• 3 personal (but still work-related) goals, including a timeline and what you’ll do to hit those marks

2:

• 2 company-related goals (what you can do to help the company grow, be more efficient, improve our work product, etc. Basically whatever you can do that will help the company be better.)
• 2 things you need from your boss/superior/mentor  to help you achieve your goals (personal and/or company-related). Note: You have to tell your boss how she/he can help you. Tell them you’ve set some goals, but that you need some assistance. I bet they’ll be impressed that you took the time to set goals and will be happy to help you get from Point A to Point B.

1:

• 1 thing you’re most looking forward to in the new year.

Keep this document handy (Google Docs, Dropbox or Evernote are helpful here!). Frequently review it so your areas for improvement stay top-of-mind, and you maintain focus on your goals. Remember, this doesn’t have to be a solo project. Ask your boss or co-workers to help — whether that’s providing mentorship or just keeping you accountable. Don’t just make a New Year’s Resolution because it’s the thing to do in January. Instead, set a goal. Then, create and implement a process to accomplish the desired outcomes.

Want to give the 3-2-1 process a spin? Feel free to share some of your goals or what you’re most looking forward to in the comments. Let’s help each other grow and succeed in 2012!

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2011 has been a magical year. In the past year, thanks to this blog, I’ve had amazingly positive experiences, including witnessing the hope and resiliency of the Haiti people and being reminded of the importance of true friendship, thanks to Valerie Simon and #TeamMeg. In my own corner of the world, Geben Communication became a “toddler,” hitting the two-year mark, and growth remains strong. Beyond thankful doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings about 2011.

Don’t get me wrong: Too many people are without jobs or underemployed, the economy continues to plague hard-working families, and this country faces more than a few long-term problems. But, as we enter the homestretch of this year, let’s reflect on the amazing experiences, good friends, personal/professional growth, and magic that defined 2011.

With that in mind, Geben recently hosted an office warming-meets-holiday celebration, and my incredibly talented friend Eric Leslie with On Scene Productions offered to film it for us. So, to all of you who couldn’t physically be here with us for the festivities, here’s a little peak at the fun! (Check out the app-inspired cookies!!) From all of us at Geben Communication, happy holidays!

Geben Christmas Party 2011 from On Scene Digital Printing on Vimeo.

Can’t see the video in your reader? That’s ok – just click here!

Celebrating Geben Communication’s two-year anniversary and the holiday season seemed like an appropriate occasion to finally create a prTini. Last week, I asked readers of this blog to submit your suggestions for consideration. Let’s just say you have wide-ranging tastes! The eventual winner caught my attention for two reasons: Her concoction sounded delicious and she mentioned that the color would coordinate with my blog design. (Who can say no to a color-coordinated beverage?!)

Tonight is Geben Communication’s holiday party, where the prTini will be making its debut. If you’d like to experience your own prTini, here’s the recipe, submitted by Christa Marzan. Enjoy!

It’s been a big year around here. One of my goals heading into 2011 was to grow Geben Communication and continue to expand the team. Grow we did — so much so that we had to move out of my home office (otherwise known as my dining room!) and into an actual office, complete with  storefront windows and a conference room.

Having an official workspace provides a fantastic excuse to host an office party –  part happy holidays, part office-warming. And, so, next week, we’ll be hosting a little gathering for some clients, partners and other Columbus friends. In honor of our first office party, we’re also debuting the prTini beverage. After writing this blog and tweeting as prTini for years, I’ve received more than a few requests for the official drink mix. So, let’s do it.

But, I need your help. See, the truth is, despite the online name, I’m not actually much of a martini drinker. (Red wine is my favorite, in case you’re wondering!) So, I have no idea what a prTini should taste or look like. And, that’s where you come in. I’m crowdsourcing recipe suggestions for the prTini debut (which doesn’t necessarily have to be a martini. Be creative. Think outside the box.). I’ve posted my request on Zaarly. Follow this link, sign-up for the service (if you’re not already a user), and then submit your recipe. It’s super easy, and if I choose your mix, you’ll win $20, and I’ll donate $20 to the charity of your choosing.

What’s Zaarly? Yes, Zaarly is a client, but it’s also a service that I love. Individuals post what they want, when they need it and how much they’re willing to pay. Then, the Zaarly community gets to work fulfilling your request. I’ve used Zaarly to find a baker who makes fresh cookies that I can take to meetings. Also, Zaarly came to the rescue when I forgot my computer charger during a work trip to California — a disaster-in-the-making. I posted a request for someone to go to the Apple store, buy a charger and deliver it to me. Within hours, I had a new charger. Seriously amazing. (And, in case you’re wondering, no Zaarly didn’t compensate me for this post or to use the service for my prTini search.)

Enough talking. I need to see your recipes. Recipes must be submitted this week. So, click here and let me see what you come up with!

Normally, I try to avoid personal rants on this blog, but I’m so dumbfounded by this, I had to share …

As I was getting off the phone with a local utility company, I requested documentation of the service changes we’d just made. I was thinking they could fire off an email confirmation. No big deal, right? Not so fast. When I asked for the email, I was told, “We don’t email.”

Huh?

At first, I thought maybe she meant she couldn’t email, so I politely asked if someone there could email me the confirmation so I’d have it for my records. Again, I got the exact same, “We don’t email.”

To that, I had to respond with an incredulous “What do you mean you don’t email? It’s 2011. How does a major company like yours not email?”

The rest of the conversation isn’t really important. My point is, what kind of customer service are you offering if you are unable to communicate with customers via email? I’m not even asking this company to hear and respond to me on Twitter or create a Facebook page where I can ask questions. Nothing that advanced … just looking for some email.

Two lessons from this situation:

1. If you’re a company that provides itself on customer service, yet you’re unable to communicate with your customers in the way they want to be interact with you, that’s a problem. Nowadays, I think it’s pretty common to expect email confirmations to be available. And, if your customers are the tech-savvy set that flocks to Twitter or Facebook, a niche forum or some other online site, why aren’t you there, standing by ready to assist? (Even if you aren’t “there” all the time, don’t you think if someone sends you at “at reply” on Twitter, you should at least respond?)
2. Not everyone is as far along the technology spectrum as we’d like to believe. I wasn’t on the phone with a mom-and-pop bakery. This is a multi-million dollar company with 1.4 million customers (according to their website). If that kind of company hasn’t even figured out how to work email into customer service, perhaps we all need to take a collective step back and realize that the whole world isn’t quite on board with things like “social CRM” or even monitoring company mentions on blogs or Twitter.

Anyone else *shocked* that the customer service department in a large company like that still can’t email?!

Ok, that’s the end of my rant for today … what’s going on in your world?