Archive for lessons
Student Lead Motivation
Posted by: | CommentsNovember 2 marked the first night of the University of Nevada, Reno Extended Studies 4-week class, “Google is Your New Business Card: Building a Valuable Personal Brand,” that I was invited to co-teach. The goal was to equip the participants with the knowledge, tools and resources to begin to develop their personal brand online and the motivation to continue to do so. By November 30 the class wrapped. And while I can’t speak on behalf of the participants and if they found the course valuable, here’s what I walked away with.
Point of entry: Everyone in the course started from different places. Some were quite proficient and for others it was brand new. The ability to communicate the importance of say Twitter versus a Facebook Fan page in a concise and effective manner really pushed me to think of experience beyond my boundaries. It drove me to see it from their position and how these tools could have a direct impact to personal brand and business interests.
Information gathering: The flood of information available online can be overwhelming. However, anyone who is a student of social networking understands the importance of RSS feeds and social bookmarking to be efficient with their time. Without these two resources there’s no way I would be able to recite a fact, remember a case study or provide examples during the class.
Validation: We all want validation that we’re doing something right but social networking is a different ball game. There is no right or wrong way. It’s about maximizing the socials sites to provide the value you need based on your vision statement and goals.
Learn from anyone: The neatest thing about social networking is that everyone is learning at different speeds and anyone can find new feature or an easier way to do something. This is especially true for newbies who have an incredible knack for finding new tricks.
Interaction feeds knowledge: My personal quest for learning more was enhanced greatly throughout the course. Questions and the personal desire of the individual participants drove me to not only find answers but be active in the process.
My thanks go to Dr. Bret Simmons for inviting me to co-present and the students for their active participation that motivated me to learn and do more.
Under Pressure
Posted by: | CommentsOne of my favorite college professors once made a bold statement that has stuck with me since my freshman year of college. He said, “you have all chosen Journalism as your major for two reasons; one, you hate math and are horrible at it. And two, you are procrastinators and love to work under pressure.” At the time I laughed at the irony of the statement and thought to myself “wow, I’m not the only one.” The first part of that statement couldn’t be more accurate. When I look at numbers or am forced to do a math problem I immediately get anxiety and do my best to steer clear. The second part of that statement, however, has made me think more than a few times.
When I was 18-years-old and analyzing that comment, I figured that it was just something I would grow out of. I was wrong. The pressures of work and just life in general make me get things done. If I don’t have a deadline, the project drags on. If I do have a deadline, the project drags on until the day of or just hours before it’s due. As I breakdown that concept today, I ask myself if that’s a good trait to have or a bad one.
Everyone works under pressure but in the PR field deadlines and the ability to multitask is a MUST. If you don’t meet a deadline, you lose your chance for coverage. If you can’t balance the ability to talk on the phone, write an email and text all at the same time, get out, there’s not enough room for you. Ok, so maybe that’s a little dramatic but you get the point.
Some days, the pressure of everyday life and workload excite me and I am able to not only meet my goals, but excel at them as well. But, then there are the days that are few and far between where the deadlines seem to build up and that’s when the pressure builds as well.
When the pressure increases, the everyday tasks get lost and mistakes are made. Is this normal? Is working under pressure and constantly needing a deadline a good trait to have or is it something I have become too dependent on?
40 Days and 40 Nights – Give Up or Give Back?
Posted by: | CommentsLent is a Christian tradition that stems from the 40 days that Jesus fasted prior to his crucifixion. Beginning Ash Wednesday and concluding on Easter Sunday, observers of Lent are to celebrate and recognize the sacrifice which Jesus made for his people. Growing up in an Italian Catholic home my family observed the Lenten season by not eating meat on Fridays and attending mass every Sunday. Another tradition in the Catholic Church is to give up an item or habit that is often times abused or over consumed. For example, when I was younger I gave up chocolate for 40 days. As time passed I continued giving up things like soda, cursing, alcohol and most recently eating out.
This Lenten season it was my goal to give up spending money dining out…allotting me three outings a week. Some might say I am cheating the system because I’m giving myself a “cushion” of three outings. However, on a weekly bases I was buying a bagel and coffee every morning at a local muffin shop, getting a sandwich, soda and chips for lunch and then heading out every now and again for dinner. So, I set my goal to be as realistic as possible by allowing myself this “cushion.” One day I sat down and calculated what I was spending weekly on my little “dining adventures” and I averaged $100 a week, which means I was spending about $400 a month on food outside of the groceries that I bought for my house. Oh, and these totals did not include nights out with friends on the weekends.
People automatically assumed I was giving up dining out for health reasons, but I was actually more concerned about my wallet and bank account than my health. As I thought about what I was giving up I realized how selfish what I was doing, sounded. In fact it brought up a number of different questions: 1) Are my spending habits affecting anyone but me? No not really, except that now the muffin shop and delis are losing a small profit. 2) Is what I’m giving up really a sacrifice or is it something that should be practiced regardless of the Lenten season? 3) Is it fair that I am totally benefitting from this? According to the Bible Jesus sacrifice himself for us. My giving up spending money doesn’t directly affect anyone but myself. I debated with a co-worker about these thoughts and she brought up the argument that sometimes it’s okay to do something for yourself and that sometimes we don’t focus enough on ourselves. While I think that is a valid argument, I still feel like I am doing something wrong.
Giving up chocolate as a child, practicing not cursing as a teenager or giving up alcohol as a college student is just fine when you’re that age. However, as a grown adult who now has the opportunity and means to give back, I’ve decided that, I will no longer practice the Lenten season by giving up an abused or over consumed item or habit, but I will do something for someone else. I will donate my time, my knowledge and my experiences with those who can benefit from them. Throughout the year I will do my best to recognize my abused habits and fix them as I go, so when the next Lenten season rolls around I will be able to focus on someone other than myself.
My First Week as a New Mommy!
Posted by: | CommentsA little over a week ago I became the mother of a beautiful blonde haired, brown eyed Golden Retriever named Cooper. While most people adopted puppies when they’re around eight weeks; I got Cooper at just six (finding out that those two weeks can make quite the difference). In the last eight days I have received an average of six hours of sleep a night, cleaned up about 27 different piles of puppy pee with trailing puppy paw prints, five steamers and have, luckily, only stepped in one pee puddle.
With warnings coming from family, friends and co-workers about the time commitment and responsibilities that come along with getting a puppy, I refused to believe that I couldn’t handle it. Well, one morning after cleaning up the kennel for a third time between 3 and 7 a.m., I thought I was going to lose it. I called my boyfriend nearly in tears, telling him how much I regretted getting Cooper. After about five minutes of my boyfriend calming me down and reassuring me that I didn’t make a mistake, it was then that I realized my frustrations stemmed from fear. Not only do I have to worry about bathing, feeding and exercising myself (which can be a difficult task at times), I now have puppy to look after and keep alive. Who would’ve thought that at the ripe age of 23 I, Emily Stratton, would be a college graduate who has successfully started my career, bought a house and is now a mommy?! If it scares some of you, don’t worry because it scares the heck out of me!
