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Category: Public Relations

Free Advice Friday: Lessons from some of PR’s Leading Ladies

March 9, 2012January 31, 2023 Josephine ButlerBlog, Counselors Academy, Free Advice, Public Relationsbusiness success, International Women's Day, PR professionals, woman, women advice

For those PR professionals celebrating International Women’s Day yesterday, you may have stumbled upon the article below from PR Daily: 15 women share advice for success and happiness in PR. We’re proud that our very own CEO Dana Hughens was featured. We think there are some great tips here for both genders and wanted to share the article as today’s Free Advice Friday.

Regarding gender differences, PR has imbalances of population, power, and pay.

As much as 85 percent of the public relations sector in the United States is female, and that percentage will probably hold steady or even grow. A PR professor at one major university said nearly nine out of 10 students in his classes are women.

However, men in the industry earn more than their female counterparts on average, though the income gap has shrunk considerably. According to an infographic from PR Week, the average vice president of PR is female and earns six figures.

“Many don’t realize what a different world it was for women joining the workforce in the ’70s,” said Mary Deming Barber of The Barber Group in Anchorage, Alaska. “But we have come a long way from those ‘Mad Men’ days.”

It’s a good opportunity to mark such progress. Today is International Women’s Day, marking the 101st anniversary of the day men and women in Europe rallied for women’s rights to vote, work, and more.

“More than 100 years ago, women began to fight for the freedoms we have today,” said PR exec Gini Dietrich. “We’re lucky to be able to have a seat at the proverbial table and move our way up the corporate ladders. But there still are some things we can be doing to progress.”

PR Daily asked Dietrich, Barber, and other female PR practitioners what advice they would give to their female colleagues and competitors. Here’s what they had to say:

Gini Dietrich, founder and chief executive officer of Arment Dietrich:

“Be nice to one another. Women tend to be our own worst enemies. Rather than be catty, gossipy, and mean, work together, find common interests, and support one another.

“Learn the difference between business and personal. Men have this down yet we struggle with it. When things happen at work, they’re business. Don’t ever take it personally.

“There is no crying in PR. If you have to cry, go to the ladies room and shut yourself in a stall. We all have weak moments; just don’t let them show.”

Danya Proud, director of media relations at McDonald’s USA:

“Know your customers and know your audience. Don’t be afraid to take calculated risk. Change is often hard, but a necessity to stay relevant and keep your brand top of mind for consumers.

“That said, when big brands have been doing things a certain way for so long, change needs to be incremental. It has to be small steps, not wholesale changes.

“People often rush to the destination of where they want to be, without fully thinking through the journey of how to ultimately get there.

“Think of it as a constant state of evolution—like a book with multiple chapters. All the chapters have to flow and be sequenced, otherwise there’s no story.

“My boss, Heather Oldani said to me recently, ‘When you’re far enough along … the last 2 percent is always the hardest.’

“That rings true to me every time I come up against a hurdle.”

Abbi Whitaker, owner/president of The Abbi Agency:

“Balance. As women, we need to step back, evaluate our priorities and decide what is really important from both a business and a personal perspective. Ask yourself at the beginning of each day what the five most important things are that you need to do that day and do those first. And make sure they are not all business focused. A well-balanced outlook and life tends to lead to a stronger and more successful business.”

Jayme Soulati, president of Soulati Media:

“Use the gifts you’ve been given; I learned my smile was one, but didn’t know that out of the gate. Develop a thick skin, but don’t let the lessons roll off too quickly because these are teachable moments (yes, that cliché still has merit). Glom onto a mentor who is always interested in giving back (ahem, hi!). Don’t be shy; step out of your comfort zone. Lastly, never, ever be embarrassed to call yourself in PR. After 27 years, I’m still proud.”

Laurel Moffat, communications specialist at Southwest Airlines:

“If I could give two pieces of advice, the first would be to just be yourself—know who you are and own it. The workplace can sometimes feel like a competition; focus on one-upping yourself instead of others (men or women). When you take on a project, find a new and innovative way to approach it every time. You’ll learn more about whom you are and challenge yourself in the process.

“The second comes from my mom who reminds me that I need to stop saying sorry all the time. Why do we always apologize for everything? Only say sorry when you have truly made a major mistake.”

Donna Vincent Roa, managing partner and chief strategist for Vincent Roa Group:

“For success in the workplace, I have five maxims:

1. Never underestimate the power of initiative and innovation in playing the impossible;
2. Be known for your creativity;
3. Abandon fear, outdated ideas, bad bosses, and procrastination;
4. Wholeheartedly embrace the role of change agent and ‘why not’ thinking;
5. Always work to position communication as a key enterprise asset that buttresses business goals.

“Everything in life, and in the workplace, is about the choices we make and how we execute those choices. So, in practice: determine your passion, build meaningful relationships, and always deliver outstanding results. These, too, bring success.”

Stacey Acevero, social media community manager at Vocus/PR Web:

“Success in the workplace really comes when you work outside of your job description. Don’t be afraid to be creative and try new ideas or create something new—they’ll push you over the edge and get you recognized in your workplace, as well as in your industry.”

Dana Hughens, CEO of Clairemont Communications:

“The best advice I can give a young woman starting a career in PR is to surround herself with other supportive, professional women. One way to do that is to join a communications association. I started with the Public Relations Student Society of America, continued with the Public Relations Society of America and now PRSA’s Counselors Academy.”

Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO of Pure Performance Communications:

“One of my most important lessons for success as a senior executive and a woman in business is to find the perfect balance between boardroom strength (being tough when you need to be) and showing compassion for people (being in tune with your human side).

“When you can strike a balance, you will be appreciated for your strategic and critical thinking, and also for your ability to stay human and build great relationships with your employees and/or your peers.” Continue reading “Free Advice Friday: Lessons from some of PR’s Leading Ladies”

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Why Is Storytelling Back in Vogue?

October 25, 2011January 31, 2023 Dana PhelpsBlog, Public Relations, Trends5 Comments on Why Is Storytelling Back in Vogue?

Want to know the latest trends? Tune in on Trend Tuesday!

If you ask me, storytelling never went out of style. Perhaps calling it storytelling did, but let me tell you, it’s baaaaaaaaack.

On my way to Orlando for the PRSA International Conference, I noticed that Spirit, the Southwest Airlines magazine, features The Art of Storytelling as this month’s cover story. At the conference, master storyteller Soledad O’Brien talked about storytelling in her opening keynote. While she had several great tips (see last week’s post, Interview Tips from Soledad O’Brien), I like what she said about using stats.

Take a stat and turn it into a story, Soledad said. She gave the example of a telling a story about the homeless. The average age of people living in homeless shelters is 9 years old. That stat alone is not the story. Interview three 9 year olds living in a homeless shelter and ask them how they got there — now you have an interesting story.

The day after I returned from Orlando, I was having coffee at The Morning Times with my friend and savvy communicator, Ilina Ewen. We found ourselves talking about storytelling, and Ilina said that she’s been helping companies think about how they tell their stories (versus just saying what they do) for years.

Next week, I’ll have the opportunity to tell one of my favorite stories, Myrtle Never Threw Away Her Postcards, at the 2011 Public Relations and Marketing Seminar on November 1, hosted by NCPRSA. I’d love to have you join me as I introduce Myrtle and share what I’ve learned about promises, potential and people from 80+ postcards written over the span of 50 years.  Hope to see you there! In the meantime…. tell us a story…

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What an Honor, Sir!

October 12, 2011January 31, 2023 Josephine ButlerBlog, Clairemont Client News, Public RelationsBriar Chapel, Clairemont Communications, Drexel Heritage, Marbles Kids Museum, Meredith College, Raleigh Public Relations Society, Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communications, Triangle Family Services

A few weeks ago, the Clairemont team was honored at the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication ceremony hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society. It was my first Raleigh Public Relations Society event, so I was particularly excited to learn more about the organization and to network with fellow communications professionals, including our office neighbors over at the Marbles Kids Museum.

All in all, it was a lovely evening spent among some of the area’s most talented PR professionals. Hats off to everyone who pitched in to make the evening a smashing success.

The Clairemont team brought home six awards (this brings our total award count to 20 for the year)! Among the awards were the following: Gold – Best in Division in the “More Bang for the Buck” Special Event/Campaign category for the Eighth Annual Triangle Family Services Gingerbread Benefit; Gold in the Total Communications/Community Relations Campaign for Organizational Identity/Promotion category for Briar Chapel; Silver  in the Publications/Brochure/Handbook/Guidebook category for our Drexel Heritage furniture collections brochures; and Silver in the Publications category for our Clairemont Communications Quickie Card.

Congratulations to the marketing and communications team over at Meredith College who we couldn’t help but notice was a big winner that night. And congratulations to all of our fellow award winners and friends. We’ll see you next year!

 

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Clairemont on MSNBC This Weekend

August 26, 2011January 31, 2023 Dana PhelpsBlog, Owning a Business, Public Relationsasheville playgrounds, business makeover, clairemont, Clairemont Communications, mike michalowicz, MSNBC, msnbc tv, small business, toliet paper entrepreneur3 Comments on Clairemont on MSNBC This Weekend
Mike Michalowicz, author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, with Asheville Playgrounds owners, Jerry and Evelyn.

I have had the extreme pleasure of being part of one of msnbc tv‘s business makeovers for the show “Your Business.” The segment will air Sunday at 7:30 a.m. EDT, and I can’t wait for the owners of Asheville Playgrounds (formerly known as Just for Fun Playgrounds) to get to share their story nationally!

Evelyn Anderson and Jerry Hayek are  like most business owners I know. They are passionate about their company. They love working directly with their customers (and their customers love them). They are willing to do whatever it takes to make the business thrive. And, they are wearing many, many hats to be the owners, the bookkeeper, the sales team, the marketing team and much more.

I met Evelyn and Jerry when I walked into their showroom on the first day of shooting for the msnbc makeover. (You might see our actual introduction during the show.) I instantly fell in love with them, and as I continued to learn more about their story and witnessed how sincere and hardworking they are, my admiration grew. I’m resisting the urge to tell you everything about them, but instead I’ll say… WATCH THE SHOW! I promise you will be inspired.

On location with msnbc tv.

Next week after the show has aired, I’ll blog more about the role Clairemont played in the Asheville Playgrounds makeover. For now, I’ll leave you with the news release below that was issued this morning. Thanks Evelyn and Jerry for allowing me to be part of your journey, and thanks to Mike Michalowicz for getting me involved in this amazing project!

Asheville Playgrounds and Clairemont Communications to Appear on msnbc tv’s “Your Business” Sunday

Two North Carolina Companies to be Featured on National Business Show This Weekend

 Asheville, N.C. – August 26, 2011 – Asheville Playgrounds, formerly Just for Fun Playgrounds, and Clairemont Communications, a public relations and marketing communications  firm in Raleigh, will be featured Sunday, August 28 on msnbc tv’s “Your Business,” airing at 7:30 a.m. EDT.

Continue reading “Clairemont on MSNBC This Weekend”

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Clairemont on MSNBC

July 25, 2011January 31, 2023 Dana PhelpsBlog, Marketing, Public Relationsbusiness makeover, MSNBC3 Comments on Clairemont on MSNBC

I love surprises. Today, I am one.

With Saturday’s issue of The News & Observer, the secret is out that I will be part of an episode of the MSNBC show Your Business. I will be joining my favorite business author, Mike Michalowicz who wrote The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, and other experts to give a North Carolina-based company a business makeover.

I’m looking forward to learning more about the company and its business goals in order to help the owners build supporting communications objectives and a communications strategy for traditional media relations and social media.  I’m off to meet them now. Wish me luck! –Dana

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Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media platform? It’s called Threads, and it’s being referred to as “the new Twitter.” Read everything you need to know about Threads in our latest blog post - link in bio!
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We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of P We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of Public Relations Consultants Group, allowing us to offer clients expertise and support across the country! Clairemont founder, Dana Phelps aka @blah2voila, recently attended the PRCG conference in Oklahoma City.
2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Comm 2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Communications! Visit our blog for the full 2022 year in review!
As communications professionals, we wear a variety As communications professionals, we wear a variety of hats to meet our clients’ needs.
 
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Check out our recent blog post to learn what @olivia.noles , account coordinator here at Clairemont, does on a weekly and monthly basis.
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This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voi This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voila , will be speaking at the 2022 @nc_prsa Strategic Communication & MarCom Conference! Phelps is a repeat presenter at this annual conference, and this year she is leading a session called Growing from Communication Technician to Strategic Counselor during which she will share three of her coined concepts: knowcasting, morecasting and collabolighthing. Visit our blog for the link to register for the conference!
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Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Parkside.
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Head to our blog to read what exactly an executive visibility campaign entails and to learn more about our services!
So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let us tell you about our new favorite @drink321coffee ! If you are in Raleigh, go see Paul, the other Paul, Emma  or whichever smiling faces are working today. We LOVE this place and the coffee! ❤️❤️❤️
Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest mas Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest master-planned communities in the Triangle, closed on its first age-eligible rental community plan, Arden at Wendell Falls, that will offer 140 open-concept units and exclusive onsite amenities!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Arden at Wendell Falls.
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It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers ar It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers are needed more than ever! Many organizations with scarce resources rely on volunteers and would not exist without them. Visit our recent blog post to read about the organizations Clairemont has supported and how you can make a difference in your community!
Authenticity is trending, and research shows that Authenticity is trending, and research shows that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic. Read our recent blog post to learn about UGC, how it can benefit your brand and how to use it in your marketing strategy.
From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 has left an impact on every sector of life, including marketing. Read our blog on marketing in a post-COVID world to learn how things have changed and how that should impact your business strategy.
We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned eight awards, five gold🥇and three silver🥈, at this year's Sir Walter Raleigh Awards hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society!🎉 We are beyond grateful to work with so many amazing partners, clients and industry friends!
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