everyday public relations

We live in a world where speed is key. Everything has to be bigger, better, faster and so on. Time is money, so no one can afford to wait for anything. Unfortunately this development has enabled e-mail to become ridiculously over-used(abused?).

We all know that e-mail forwards can get you in trouble. Everyone has heard about the person who forwarded a nasty e-mail about their total drip of a boss to all their “close” friends only to have that person forward it to another person , who forwarded it yet again until that cute little note lands right in the boss’s in-box and the next thing you know there is a cute little pink slip in yours.

Overly dramatic? I don’t think so. Here is a list of some of the worst spam I get forwarded to me:

1. Political rants - I for one and really sick of getting other’s people propaganda. Yes this is an important time to be involved in the political process, but hey, as a fully functioning adult, I can make my own decisions.

2. Scary Chain emails - You know the kind I mean - forward this to 10 million friends in the next thirty seconds or a house will fall on your sister! (Sorry Margaret…) I do not have the time or the desire to sift through these barely veiled threats to my eternal happiness. They fill up my in-box, carry viruses and are just plain annoying!

3. Religious requests - I know this might strike a nerve, but hey, I don’t need religious instruction from random folks. I am pretty comfortable with my mortality and can make my own decisions about my eternal resting location. Don’t send me forwarded prayer requests for little Susie in Guatemala who has X disease that can only be cured with my thoughts and prayers. If you really want to make change, volunteer, vote and be an advocate for a legitimate cause. Don’t send me spam.

4. Ridiculous or inappropriate YouTube Videos - I love a good laugh as much as the next person, but most of the videos I receive are downright stupid. Also, most of these videos have been forwarded numerous times so that you may never know who the original sender was.

**A note about email privacy: Please check your send to list. If you put your contacts in the CC line then everyone can see every address you send it to. Before you hit that forward key stop and think, do you really want your boss, or significant other or even your grandmother to receive something you thought was funny but may be entirely inappropriate for them? Do you want them to see your entire contact list? If you must forward be discreet - use the BCC function!

Having a family and being young and broke to boot, I am constantly on the lookout for ways to either save money or to increase my bank account. I am dabbling in investments, have a savings account and a 401K through my employer. I never thought however that my personal happiness might have anything to do with the size of my purse. Wrong! at least according to the latest issue of Money magazine.

In an article titled “Want to be Rich? Don’t get too happy” columnist and money coach Jean Chatzky spells out why too much happiness can actually be a bad thing in the financial department. She is not the first too broach the topic.

She points to a study done by Ed Diener of the University of Illinois which shows that there can be too much of a good thing even happiness. Apparently being blissful can lead to overspending and less attention to wealth building [read complacency]. Those who rated an 8 or a 9 on the happiness scale versus a 10 were more likely to strive to increase their wealth and to hold on to what they had, probably because they had worked for it to begin with. These slightly less happy folk were also more likely to go to college and to vote.

So does that mean the eternal optomists are doomed to a cheerful but broke life? Not neccessarily. Chatzky gives a couple of tips on how those glass half full types can ensure that they too will approach retirement with a fully developed nest egg.

1. Surround yourself with the right people. It is all about balance. According to the article if you are having financial woes you may need new friends. If you tend toward pessimism then find a few optimists, swing the other way, add a pessimist to the mix. Either way you will balance out your personality and possibly help out your financial situation in the process.

2. Challenge yourself. Super bliss can make even the most intelligent person become complacent. Even of your approach to life is working, you should always be prepared for the worst, simply because nobody can predict the future, no matter how hard we try. You also may become so caught up in “your way of doing things” that you fail to notice when it is no longer beneficial. Ever hear the expression “having blinders on?”

Okay, so maybe I really don’t have anything to worry about seeing as I don’t really count myself among the blissfully unaware. (At least not since puberty.) But I will take the article to heart lest I become complacent in my miser-like ways.

Do you find that too much happiness impacts your ability to build wealth? I know that many Brazen bloggers are looking to increase both their wealth and their happiness, so I open up the discussion. Is it possible to have both?

Recently a co-worker of mine batted around the idea of working from home one day a week. The idea was great in theory. Our work is done primarily on a computer or on the phone (gotta love the communications industry) and so we are lucky enough to be capable to complete many of our tasks without actually coming in to the office.

The most obvious benefit that jumps to mind of course is saving money. Even one day of not driving means less gas to buy, which is a big one since most of us here around the office drive big gas guzzlers even though we of all people should respect our natural resources…but I digress.

Less driving also means less cars on the road, less pollution, less dependency on oil, etc which is obviously good from an environmental standpoint.

Another selling point is the obvious convenience of rolling out of bed and working without the need for removing your pj’s or brushing your hair. I get very little sleep as it is since I can’t seem to convince either the baby or the toddler that their beds are much better than mine. Trying to look impressive for the office is often given a much lower priority than five extra minutes of semi-sleep.

Lastly, well who wouldn’t prefer to work on their own schedule without worrying that the boss is going to poke her head into your office at 3:30 to discover you took a late lunch…right when she needs you of course. At home as long as you have the Internet and a phone you are always accessible and can eat your PB & J whenever you feel like it.

Now the downside.

If you are single and or married with no children, or maybe married with children and a splendid nanny then you could probably stop reading as this will more than likely not apply to you. You want to work at home, more power to you. Save the planet, one gallon of gas at a time.

I on the other hand have three children. Two of them are not yet in school….thankfully only 60 more days till there will only be one crazy toddler roaming around the house! hooray for pre-k! It is also summertime now and the one child who I gratefully send off on the bus every morning during the school year is now moping around the house complaining of boredom and that his annoying little brother is trashing his video games again. (go outside already! I’m working! or as my father always told me..”I’m not your entertainment committee!”)

While that in itself may be reason enough for many working moms (or dads) to want to be out of the house, I actually do have more.

Working at home is nearly impossible for me. There are simply too many distractions. I am just one of those people that just can’t leave things undone. If I am at home then there is laundry to do, dishes to wash and little hineys to wipe unfortunately. (Lord I hope it is true that girls train easier than boys do..) I can never sit down long enough without noticing something else that must be taken care of. I tried having the whole home office environment thing, but somehow life still creeps in, even if you lock the door. How does a three year old learn how to unlock a door with a hot wheel anyways?

My kids also assume that me being home means it is either a weekend or a holiday.See how well I have them trained by my work schedule? Wish I could get them trained to pick up their rooms when they know I am on my way home (kind of like the cat in the hat story), now that would be impressive. Where can I get one of those picker-upper machines anyways?

So just being in the house virtually guarantees that no work of any substance will be accomplished unless I have a sitter, which kind of nullifies the whole saving money idea in the first place.

If I choose to work at home I also tend to work way more than the eight hours required. I know this kind of contradicts what I have been saying so let me explain. If I am running around fixing sandwiches, folding laundry and wiping noses and hineys then the few moments I have when they are napping, eating, or otherwise occupied means I dive in to work. Maybe it is only ten minutes here or an hour there, but when you get an email from your supervisor telling you to go to bed because you just sent your latest marketing plan to them at 1am (they finally went to sleep!) then you realize that you have really gone above and beyond, despite all the crazy distractions. While working at home I keep a log of my hours and it really does add up.

So maybe rather than try to save fuel or the environment by working at home, I will just get a bike. It’s only 33 miles right?

There is so much buzz out there about using social media. Have a problem client you can’t deal with, check them out on Facebook or send them a text so you don’t have to talk to them; Got a marketing or advertising need, build a Myspace or even an Ebay page to hawk your wares; Internal strife, create a company blog or forum and let them go to town….

Well while all the info out there is great, it is at times overwhelming. Working for a nonprofit that operates on a budget that would make scrooge cry, it can be difficult to figure out inexpensive (read cheap) ways to utilize social media techniques, versus all the excess fluff we really don’t have the time or funds to manage or learn about.

And yes I do realize the irony of this post being written on a blog.

Some agencies have figured it out already and do a bang up job of promoting their interests without looking like an awkward teen going to his or her first dance. For the rest of us though, here are a few tips to help guide the average small nonprofit through the sometimes murky world of social media.

1. Not everyone belongs on Facebook, Youtube or Myspace. Some nonprofits really want to reach the younger generation and think slapping up site on one of these host sites will make them appear trendy and cool, while promoting awareness of whatever issue they are selling. (and yes it is a form of advertising people)It doesn’t always work. In some cases it can really backfire, making the issue you are promoting become lost as the average user becomes lost in the over-stimulation of flash marketing and as in the case of Youtube “related videos” that really have nothing to do with your cause other than a random key word similarity. It can even be really embarrassing if you direct a potential sponsor to the site about wildlife conservation and what pops up are the latest ads for Pamela A’s old implants selling on Ebay or some random girls gone wild video.

2. Blogs are great…but if you create an open one for internal use be prepared. Sally* really doesn’t like your potato and bacon salad next to her veggie tacos in the break-room fridge and Jenny Lyn* is cheating on her hubby. These are things you really don’t want to know, at least not when you are just trying to get help using the fancy new fax machine or attempting to wade through the organizations new travel regulations. Blogs and internal forums can be wonderful sources of information and a great way to share ideas, if they are not abused.

3. Re-visit your objectives. Do you really want to promote awareness among a 20-something or younger crowd with little or no income? Most nonprofits are in a constant desperate need for funds…so before creating room in the budget for a new fangled social media marketing campaign, make sure you are not creating an audience that will become bored all too quickly, usually without pulling out their wallets or calling mom and dad for the credit cards. (no offense meant as I am sure there are plenty of successful young twenty-somethings…but the generalization is still true for the most part.)

4. Email will NEVER replace good old fashioned telephone calls or face to face contact. PRSA’s Tactics publication just did a great article on this very subject. Yes email pitches are ok at times, usually if you know the reporter pretty well, but if you send out a mass email to a list of new contacts…well prepare to be spammed, meaning you just wasted a whole bunch of time (which does equal money by the way). Also, never assume that the contact will automatically want to read your blog or company boilerplate on their own time. Sending an email with only a link is a sure way to make sure you never receive any coverage EVER.

Lastly, social media is changing and evolving at a rapid pace. In some cases it can be utilized to get your specialized message out. Do your homework first though. Trust me, these opportunities are only getting better so taking a little time will certainly serve your organization well, and more than likely save you a little cash as well.

Got a tip for struggling nonprofit or start up? Post a response and keep the information flowing!

Recently I came across an ad that really caught my attention, which in itself is unusual since I rarely look at ads, much less the ones in the back of magazines. This one was in my Body and Soul magazine and just seemed to jump out at me. (Maybe because I’m a closet tree hugger, or maybe I was born to be an environmental advocate, anyways….) This particular campaign has a lot of merit so although I do not generally use my blog for shameless advertising here is my pitch.

“WE ADD UP is a global campaign using organic cotton t-shirts that literally “counts you in” in the fight against global warming. Every shirt is printed by hand with a unique number. YOUR number represents your place in the sequential global count of all the people who are taking steps to help stop climate change. As the count grows, we demonstrate to the world that “WE ADD UP.” On the back of each shirt is a word or phrase that describes an action almost anyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint - the contribution their lifestyle makes to greenhouse gases - such as, Unplug, Lights Off, Carpool, Hybrid, Bike, Buy Local, and 18 others. You choose which action you are committed to doing and get counted in. No one can do everything. Everyone can do something. And, WE ADD UP. “

“Our goal is to get millions of people around the world counted in and committed to helping stop global warming. With our combined effort, we can create a healthy, thriving world for generations to come. So, get counted in. Because you + everyone else = change.”

“[We Add Up]… is a tremendous marketing tool to promote the important message about the climate crisis.” - Al Gore

I bought a shirt, it is pretty cool. The site also has pretty neat recycled grocery bags and metal water bottles, pretty cool.

Check it out.

There is a great article out in this month’s edition of Body and Soul magazine. The column by staffer Terri Trespicio details why it is important to cut yourself a little slack now and then.

Suffering from perfectionism myself, I was drawn to this article with a kind of fascination usually reserved for writing and re-writing and then writing again my blog posts

The point of the article is that there are steps we can take to break out of the perfectionist mind-set in order to empower our decisions so we can move forward with our lives both personally and professionally. Thanks to Terri for the great article.

Hopefully these things will help you as much as they did me.

1. Remove your mental filter. – Perfectionists often only hear the negative news, letting the positive reviews go in one ear and out the other. Try readjusting your mental sieve and allow some of the good stuff to stick
2. Discover the joys of getting it wrong. – Start looking at your flaws as opportunities for personal and professional growth. Nobody likes to be wrong but being able to accept and learn from mistakes will make you a better person both in and out of the boardroom. Dan Baker, Ph.D and co-author of What Happy Women Know, says this, “Think of making a mistake as paying tuition, once you’ve paid, you might as well learn the lesson.”
3. Compare yourself to others, realistically. –Maybe you do enough of this, but you probably don’t see others with the same foggy filter you see yourself with. Try taking notice of your peers. Do they take shorter/longer lunch breaks, make the occasional typo, and lock themselves out of their cars? If they are not perfect then why should you be.
4. Put people before things. – Put the people in your life before your stuff. This may seem like a no-brainer, but how often (and be honest here) do you find yourself late getting home again because you just had “one” more thing to get done at the office? How many relationships fizzle because one person is already married…to their job? It happens all the time so take a good look around now. If you log more hours at your desk than say the average mouse pad, you need more face time with your friends and family. Even if you are a busy CEO, taking some quality time will pay off in more ways than one as it is well established that happy workers (with happy families) are much more Productive, efficient and effective.
5. Prioritize your perfectionism. – This too is hard to hear, since with all perfectionists, of course we want to be great at everything. The article states this however, “Instead of trying to master everything, pick some things you want to excel in.” As Penelope Trunk once stated in her book Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success, (and I am most definitely paraphrasing) specialization is a wonderful thing. Being a little good at everything (or half-assed at everything) will not win you any awards and will definitely not fatten your wallet. Pick a few tasks/topics/subjects etc. you really excel at and work on them. For me it is persuasive advocacy writing and graphic design particularly in regards to wildlife publications. I am by no means a scientist and can’t list the statistics of every endangered species but I can create a really pretty picture with words and photos that will make even the most hardened ant-environmentalist want to read more.
6. Let a dirty sock be just a dirty sock. – Ahhh… the joys of a clean house. I admit that I am severely embarrassed to have people over to my house without say a month of advanced notice. Ok so maybe I am not that bad, but hey with three kids and both my partner and I working full time there is not a whole ton of time left over for house cleaning. The article claims that seeing small-scale messes as a personal failure is actually a cognitive disorder (do they make a pill specifically for the racing heart and cold sweaty palms I feel whenever I open my 10-year-old’s closet door, right before the entire contents come crashing down on my head? Probably) Anyhow, I take great pride in my work and my family and am starting to let go of the dirty sock as global disaster mindset. All three of my kids are turning out pretty darned well and I am succeeding at work and in my personal life so I must be doing something right, even if it’s not the laundry. Rather than react emotionally, see things like socks, dishes and dust for what they are, everyday facts of life that need tending to, not evidence of your incompetence.
7. Focus on wellness not weight. – Another big one for me. After three kids I will never pass as a super model but being okay with myself is a constant challenge. In addition to personal (sometimes unrealistic) goals, there is also the added pressure of working is a somewhat public industry. Appearance does matter in public relations, however taking care of your self, having trimmed neat nails and clean suitable clothes are a heck of a lot more important than being the one on the office with the tiniest waist.
8. Age gracefully. – A few wrinkles does not make you a bag lady, it adds character really! According to Baker what makes us truly attractive is more about confidence, carriage and hard-won wisdom rather than firm skin or how much you resemble a fashion model. And just a tip from me, those women who do go all out to look 20 years younger often come off as unprofessional or unapproachable or worse “that old woman from accounting with the peel on face and skin tight leopard-print skirt who gives me the creeps.” Don’t be that person.
9. Counter the negative with a positive. – This goes back to number one on the list. Often perfectionists only hear the bad things and assume they are doing it all wrong. In order to stop this kind of thinking, try to automatically counter your negative thoughts with three happy ones. As corny as it seems, even having a list works wonders when you are at risk of sliding into the dumps. My list is wallet sized and changes periodically, but serves to remind me that I am a good mom, a good writer and a successful businesswoman.
10. Kick black and white thinking to the curb.– Last of all get rid of the all or nothing mindset. There are shades of gray in just about every situation on Earth. Remind your self those temporary moments of insanity (having an extra dessert, a bad hair day or being 15 minutes late) does not mean you are fat or lazy or an incredible slacker. Give yourself credit for all you do right and understand that in the end we are all just human.

What do you do to beat your perfectionist tendencies? Does any one have some creative ideas or feel more should be added to the list? Send me a comment!

To read the entire article check out the June edition of Body and Soul Magazine.