Tonya Seavers Evans
Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta
President, Style Strategist Inc.
Twitter @TonyaSE

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR: How did you wind up in this field? TSE: I grew up in the Midwest – in Illinois and Indiana – and moved to Florida when my father’s job was transferred during my junior year of high school. You know those kids who’ve known exactly what they wanted to be when they grew up from the age of five? Well that was not me. When I enrolled in college I was a business major and then an advertising major before discovering public relations. I landed a part-time job at an advertising agency as a receptionist and realized that I didn’t like ad copy writing at all. One day one of the account executives asked me to support her on a public relations project. After working on this project which happened to be a Porsche promotion I fell in love with public relations. I went back to school changed my major for the second time and earned my degree in journalism and mass communications with a concentration in public relations. It is really the best – and one of the most expensive – decisions that I have ever made. My first real job in public relations was exactly where I wanted to work, at an agency.

Mopwater: Describe a pivotal moment in your career. Did you have a mentor or internship
that really solidified your interest in this field or helped you hone in on a specific
focus area? TSE: There were two pivotal moments. The first was working in a small agency environment where I learned to work and write on very tight deadlines. In a small office you can’t afford to drop the ball because there is no one there to pick up the slack. The second was when I got in to work one day and learned that our CEO had been removed by the board of directors the night before. I was devastated but it taught me that there is no such thing as job security and that I had to take control of my own career by becoming as marketable as possible so that I am prepared for any change.

Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day?
Describe your office setting and workplace. TSE: At Style Strategist Inc. we have three primary areas of focus. First, we work with our clients to develop a style strategy where we consult with individuals and groups to help them develop a style that is consistent with their external message. Sometimes we encourage clients to make external lifestyle changes that better reflect their core message and sometimes we advise clients to make more subtle style changes to their wardrobe that help to reinforce their message. Our clients are primarily CEO level executives and entrepreneurs. Secondly, we provide writing services where we work with executives to manage their speech, writing and messaging. We help them identify causes they would like to support and then manage their messaging to ensure it is in line with their personal and company values. Our goal is to position our clients as leaders in a specific area or topic. And finally, we provide media relations specific to fashion pr.
So, like most public relations roles, a typical work day at Style Strategist really varies from day to day. For some projects I’m writing and staring at a computer screen all day and on other days I am meeting with my clients at a retail store and taking photos and videos, so we can evaluate the looks we’ve tried. I have to meet my clients in their environment so I understand their style needs. I use an executive suite for formal meeting space and host our style engagements over lunch or brunch at places like 59th & Lex Express in Bloomingdale’s on other days. The days are long but we have flexibility too which is most important to me.

Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR tasks and why? Do you love to pitch? Dread writing releases? Adore blogging for your brands? TSE: Pitching is about contacting someone that I have a relationship with and sharing some information that I think they would find interesting, so I’ve always liked that part, but the thing I like most about PR is that I have to be extremely knowledgeable in various areas. I have to be able to talk about earnings today and beauty products tomorrow. Who doesn’t love being an expert?
Right now, I really dread writing traditional press releases because they are seldom necessary. I think that most PR professionals are using them less and less, but we need to do a better job of educating our clients about other, and many times more appropriate, PR and marketing tools like micro-blogging and SM releases.

Mopwater: Who are some of your (or your company/organization’s) clients, and what kind of projects do you take on for these clients? If you work in government or a corporate communications office, describe the work you do in your role. TSE: I work primarily with executives and individuals. Recent clients include executives from Tyco International, Play Pretty Beauty and Genuine Insights. I worked with the president of Genuine Insights to develop a style strategy. She has a great message on “discovering your genius” and needed a style to reinforce her message of individuality. We also represent a natural based line of skincare products called Play Pretty Beauty. We manage the company’s public relations and promotions.

Mopwater: Describe a recent project where you produced results of which you’re really proud. TSE: My client recently sent me a twitpic link with some photos from a keynote speech she delivered to a Fortune 100 Company. Her look was chic and confident yet approachable and friendly. She incorporated some natural elements using accessories and selected some travel pieces to pull her look together – all of the style nuances that we developed as part of her style strategy.  After that speech she was booked for a longer engagement with another top firm. It’s rewarding to see a strategy come to life that way and see a real business impact.

Mopwater: What is your favorite thing about this job and do you think you’ll be in this position in 5 years? TSE: Absolutely! I have designed a career that allows me to marry my two passions: writing and fashion. In five years, I plan to continue working with clients, but hope to expand our consulting engagements so that they are more global in scope, and I definitely want to expand into fashion PR.

Mopwater: What aspect of the industry are you most excited about? TSE: I am most excited about the changing media landscape. I think we’ve just scratched the surface in terms of what new media will be around tomorrow and I think it’s great that every day people have a voice and a significant influence in the marketing space. Taking your own photos and video footage, writing and editing the story, and then distributing it really gets us back to the core of journalism in many ways.

Mopwater: If you could work on any dream project of your choosing, what would it be?
TSE: My dream would be to work with a company on a business transformation project that would include working with each department to develop a style strategy that would be reflective of their roles and their individual styles. The project would include working with executives on their personal styles and designing work spaces or what we call creative spots that make each team member the most creative and effective. It would be awesome to work on a project that embraces style as part of a lifestyle change.

Mopwater: What if anything would you have done differently in your career up to this point
and what advice would you give someone who is trying to break into your field? TSE: The only thing that I would change is that I would have worked in an international public relations role outside of the U.S. Understanding the dynamics of a global marketplace is really critical and would have been a great experience.  The advice that I would give to a public relations newbie is to write a detailed description of your perfect job and shoot for that, and if there is not a role for you develop one. Create your own opportunities.

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Melissa Davis, 39
Berkeley, CA
Founder,  Ruby Press
Blog and Twitter @rubypress

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. MD: I knew that I wanted to be a fashion editor since I was 15 years old. I’m originally from Vienna, VA, a suburb of Washington DC.  I was lucky enough to have marketing and fashion merchandising classes at my high school  [Madison High School] because the schools in Fairfax County offered marketing and fashion merchandising classes, which were likely pivotal in me realizing a career in fashion was even possible. I went on to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and got a BA in Fashion Merchandising.
I started my career as a fashion editor in New York City. But my career really took off when Sassy magazine ran a feature on “The Eye,” a fashion “zine” that I had created in college.  From that, I developed a relationship with the Sassy editors and they hired me as a general editorial intern after I graduated from college.  I interned for two weeks at Sassy, which I was thrilled about since it has such a cult following and it was really the first magazine which brought the editors into the pages of the magazine.
After two weeks at Sassy one of their editors heard that Harper’s Bazaar was in need of fashion interns, and they recommended that I go over for an interview.  Harper’s Bazaar hired me, and I started work there the next day.  It was September 1992, and Liz Tilberis’ first issue had just hit the stands and it sent shock waves through the fashion industry and editorial community.  Hearst had snatched her from British Vogue to turn Harper’s Bazaar around, and she very quickly made it THE fashion magazine to watch.  Liz hired top talent: the very best editors were there and many of the top fashion photographers were on exclusive contract with the magazine.  It was such an exciting time to be at the magazine, I really couldn’t believe my good fortune.  After 4 months interning there they hired me (they actually created a job for me, since there wasn’t one available) and I worked as a fashion market assistant for three years.  I learned from the very best, and loved the team I worked with.  It was quite a thrill to live out my dream job.  (The first shoot I ever went on was a cover shoot with Patrick Demarchelier and Kate Moss!)
After three years of working with the American and Italian apparel markets, I was hired as a fashion market editor at Mademoiselle Magazine.  I was promoted to Senior Market editor within a couple of years and worked with the American apparel market.  For anyone not familiar with what that job entails, it was my job to attend the fashion shows, visit designer showrooms, and to determine what trends were important for the upcoming season and who is doing it best.
I spent 5 great years at Mademoiselle, but as my 30th birthday approached, I felt like I needed a new challenge and a new life.  As much as I loved being a fashion editor for those 8 years in NYC, the downside is that it’s the kind of job that envelopes your life and I wanted a little more balance.  In 2000 I was recruited as the fashion director for a new fashion dotcom in San Francisco – which I took.  I was very excited about the move to the West Coast and the opportunity to work in the field that I love ……. Unfortunately, two weeks after I made the cross-country move, the company dissolved and I was left jobless.
I soon found myself doing freelance editor jobs in San Francisco.  I started working as the fashion editor at a SF city magazine called 7×7, which had just launched and when Lucky launched, I became a contributing editor for them as well.  Through those two jobs, I started to meet a lot of designers and creative people who were starting their own businesses and I thought, “Wow, I’d love to tell everyone (my editor friends in New York) about what’s happening here in Northern California!”  At that moment, I started Ruby Press.  I had honestly never considered working in PR.  PR for PR’s sake isn’t particularly interesting to me, but spreading the word about brands I really believed in was and continues to be very exciting to me.

Mopwater: Describe a pivotal moment in your career. Did you have a mentor or internship that really solidified your interest in this field or helped you hone into your focus area? MD: The pivotal moment for me was when I was meeting with Erica Tanov here in Berkeley.  I was borrowing clothing for a cover shoot for 7×7 Magazine and she told me she didn’t have a publicist because none of the PR agents who had approached her had national connections. I thought, hmmmm…I have all of those connections!  The editors are my friends, and most importantly, after having been an editor for 8 years I knew exactly how to work with the media.

Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day? MD: Everyday is truly different, but in general: I start working within ten minutes of waking up.  I usually spend about an hour and a half working from home in the morning.  It’s nice to have quiet time when I can reply to emails from editors and clients on the east coast and plan out my day.  I get into the office around 10:00.  (The rest of my staff arrives at 9:00.)  When I’m in the office I am almost always at my computer, and I would estimate that about 95% of the daily communication with clients and editors is by email.  I oversee all of the strategy for all of our clients, manage a staff of four and am also involved in the pitching.  I’m very hands-on and quite frankly have to be – after all, we are a boutique agency.  Each day typically involves working on some pitches, working on new strategies and working with clients on projects.

I am typically out of the office on appointments at various times throughout the week and I actually really love when I get a full day in the office.  I usually go home between 6:00 and 8:00 pm, but I don’t think I ever really “turn it off”.  When you own your company, and you’re passionate about it, you can’t help but always be thinking about ways to do something better.

Mopwater: Describe your office setting and workplace. MD: Our office is in a beautiful historic building in downtown Berkeley, CA.  We occupy the whole top floor of the space and it’s light-filled and very open.  Of course, the office reflects the Ruby Press brand as well. It’s a place in which I love spending time.  I also love having an open office- I think it creates an environment of openness and community with an added benefit of allowing interns and staff members learn by osmosis.

Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR tasks and why? MD: I love meeting with great potential clients, working with clients on their next season’s collection (I also offer design consulting), and strategizing.  We have a Ruby Press blog and while it does take up a decent amount of my personal time in the evening, it’s quite satisfying as well. You really understand how bloggers work when you are also one of them!

Mopwater: Who arre some of your clients and what kind of projects do you take on for them?  MD: Our clients all fall under a fashion/style/design umbrella, and currently include Cost Plus World Market, iomoi, Ladybug Art, Marie Veronique Organics, Plover Organic, Rikshaw Design, Rubie Green, SenSpa, Swoon, Vicente Agor, and viv&ingrid.  We do editorial product placement for most, marketing initiatives for some, and event production for some…

Mopwater: Describe a recent project where you produced results of which you’re really proud. MD: We’re nearing the end of our pitching for holiday gift guide inclusions and we are thrilled that our clients will have a very strong showing this season.  One client in particular will have 11 national print publications placements, ranging from Lucky to Real Simple to Town & Country, with a total of over 32,000,000 media impressions.  (We’re still working with short-lead media so that number will only grow.)  We’re excited for our clients to have a great holiday retail season.

Mopwater: What is your favorite thing about this job and do you think you’ll be in this position  in 5 years? MD: I love seeing how PR affects our clients’ businesses.  There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing their growth.  I also take great pride in our relationships with the media.  I think we truly prove that you don’t need to be in NYC to have quality relationships with the editors.  In five years I’d like to see our current clients’ continued growth and be working with some really exciting new brands as well.

Mopwater: What aspect of the industry are you most excited about? MD: I am excited about the fact that the industry is changing so much right now.  Just within the past two years we’ve seen online outlets and blogs become so much more influential.  I can only imagine what the next few years will bring.

Mopwater: If you could work on any dream project of your choosing, what would it be? MD: Honestly, we’ve had projects that were dream projects.  I feel very lucky to say that our first event was the after-party for the LA premiere of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette.  Our client was Chanel and the party was at the Chateau Marmont down in LA.  We have about 500 guests- most of them fabulous celebrities- and we had the entire lobby and grounds transformed into a mini Versailles.  It was a magical night.

Mopwater: What if anything would you have done differently in your career up to this point and what advice would you give someone who is trying to break into your field? MD: Actually, I don’t think that there’s much that I would do differently- I think mistakes are valuable as you learn so much from them.  And I love that I came to this job from the editorial world- it gives me a perspective that’s different from most publicists and is very valuable to our clients.

Zackery Moore, 23
Birmingham, AL
Media and Brand Strategist, 4 years
Z Kreativ Media
Blog: Making a PRofessional Twitter: @zakmo

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. Any pivotal moments mentors or internships that let you know PR was for you? ZM: I’m a media fanatic that grew-up in Arley, Alabama, a town in  the middle of nowhere.   Never someone that was especially patient (I tried to skip my senior year of high school just to start college early), I sought out a PR internship during my freshman year of college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
I found a mentor and interned at a music/event venue and bar. That would be the first of four internships. Later I interned with my mentor at a custom motorcycle
shop that creates limited-addition motorcycles. Tom Cruise owns one of the bikes and one of the models was featured in a movie with Jet Li and a commercial with Brad Pitt.

I started my freelance career that same year with an innovative theater group called MUSE OF FIRE: Shakespeare at Sloss. The group turned nontraditional spaces into stages; MUSE OF FIRE specifically used a haunted iron furnace for now annual spring and fall showcases of adapted Shakespeare. On more than one occasion news crews’equipment would malfunction on-site. This project solidified my desire to one day own an agency. I’d already decided I wanted to work for myself.

While looking for freelance projects, I worked part-time in a restaurant, focused on finishing my degree and completed internships (some for school credit, some for the experience).

Mopwater: Describe your office setting and a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day? ZM: Usually my workday begins at 9. Freelancing gives me a lot of freedom to create my own schedule. Sometimes I work a couple hours a day, sometimes I work from 9 to 9. It depends on my workload. I completed my last-ever internship at a
creative branding agency called Cayenne Creative and still have office space with the group that I use when I want a change of scenery. They’re one of the most amazing groups of creative professionals and taught me so much about branding and the importance of strategy.

Mopwater: Who are some of your and what kind of projects do you take on for these clients? ZM: My past clients include MUSE OF FIRE, Broadway Across America – Birmingham, Nick Sparks for Congress, a short stint with March of Dimes and the National Center for Sports Safety. Presently I’m working with Lemak Sports Medicine & Orthopedics and I take on occasional projects with Cayenne Creative. I’m also looking for new clients and projects to grow my business.
I like to say I’m a creative media strategist; that means I use traditional and new media to help an organization brand itself. Copywriting, media relations, email marketing, writing for the web and branding strategy are the services I offer.

Mopwater: Describe a recent project where you produced results of which you’re really proud. ZM: The results of my last project included increased website traffic for three months in a row and media coverage from local media and mom bloggers. It was a 6- month project. With Lemak Sports Medicine and Orthopedics I’ve led a team in creating a new logo for the brand, a social network about health and wellness, two branded-email designs and I’m working with a designer to create a new
brochure for the practice.

Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR/marketing/SM tasks and why? ZM: My favorite part of my job is writing. I love copywriting for email and websites/blogs. I also really love to write press releases and pitch news stories.

Mopwater: What’s the worst part of your job? ZM: The worst part of my job is uncertainty. As a freelancer I’m responsible for every part of most projects: traffic, planning, creative direction, execution and deadlines. It leaves little time for business development. That’s why I’m about to start a search for a business development pro.

Mopwater: What  advice would you give someone who is trying to break into your field? ZM: My advice is don’t wait. My college experience has changed me for the better, but I’m not going to let a piece of paper define my talent, creativity and professionalism. Don’t let [graduation] hold you back. I’m still in college (a 5th year senior) but I’ve started my career when some of my friends who recently graduated are still struggling to find a job.

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I had the pleasure of meeting today’s TDMJ PR Pro a few weeks ago, and was so compelled by her story that I knew you would be, too. In addition to being a new wife and mother like myself, Mrs. Lara is a tenacious public relations professional who started out in the world of academia and leveraged a thirst for knowledge and willingness to work hard to create her own  opportunities. For Lara, this has translated into a pretty impressive career track only a few years out of college-not bad for someone who didn’t study communications in college! Already a senior account exec with several  agency positions under her belt and a consulting practice in the works, Mrs. Lara is one to watch.

Name: Jacqueline Lara
Age: 26
Current City: Silver Spring, MD
Job Title: Senior Account Executive, Lyons Public Relations
Owner, Mpact Communications
Length of Time in this Role: 18 months

Web Site |LinkedIn|Twitter

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field?

JL: My path to PR was nontraditional, but I wouldn’t change it for the world because each step has molded my experience. I received my B.A. in Sociology and a business certificate from the College Park Scholars program at the University of Maryland.  While I enjoyed my major and loved analyzing groups of people and their behaviors, as well as organizations and the key factors influencing their effectiveness, I often wondered what profession I’d pursue after college.  I felt pigeon-holed between working in HR and becoming a social worker.  Neither of these options appealed to me, so I took a few communications courses and was intrigued by the power of words and the way media pundits ‘spun’ messages to advance their platforms. Continue Reading

DSM Client Calvin Pace

Name: Eddie Rhodman, Jr
Age: 30
Current City:Atlanta, GA
Job Title: Personal Management-Publicist for Athletes
Company Name: Destined for Success Management, LLC
Length of Time in this Role: 7 years
Twitter Handle: @d4sm

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field?

ER: I didn’t take the typical route most publicists choose. I was an athlete in school and always knew that I wanted to continue my connection with sports, though. I was originally a biology, pre-med major at Morehouse College because I wanted to work on the business side of sports medicine and was told by a professor that [sports medicine] was the best way to go. After participating in various summer programs I realized medicine wasn’t my passion. Morehouse didn’t have any programs with a sports focus, and while there was no passion for medicine, the desire to be in the sports world remained. Consequently, I created my own plan of study, internships and work that would lead me to the business side of sports. At first I worked with kids whose coaches didn’t seem interested in helping them get to the next level (i.e., college). I helped scouts find undiscovered  talent and helped coaches identify diamonds in the rough- and I did it for free. In addition to doing it for the love of it, I was building a network. I eventually started researching ways I could help professional athletes, interviewing former pros about services they wished they’d had when they played, etc.

For two years I networked and approached various companies with my findings- in hopes of finding a position. Unfortunately, I found more rejection than anything (which was bad for my bank account), but in the process I’d assembled quite a rolodex and established important relationships. Eventually, at my parents’ suggestion, I realized the need to start my own business. It’s been a tough road, as any entrepreneurial endeavor is, but I continue to work hard and appreciate the support of loved ones. And of course, I keep God first- I’ve been blessed.

Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about?
ER: I’m most excited about helping players expand their horizons beyond the field. It’s great when they’re known for what they do when the helmet is on, but it’s even more fulfilling when I’m a vehicle for their being able to help their communities and achieve their other dreams.

Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day?
ER: Normally, I work out in the morning. Then I check emails, make pitch calls, research client opportunities and track placements. I may also have meetings to attend or conference calls to make. In the evening, I usually watch games for research purposes and what sports media are talking about. This way I can give clients input for interviews. During the off-season I book clients for events, red carpet appearances, photo shoots, etc. And then there’s networking, networking and more networking.

My days tend to vary, but I work 24-7. I get teased, and people call me the email King because I send business emails all times of day and night. Basically they’re always asking me “when do you sleep?”.

Mopwater: Describe your office setting and workplace.
ER: My office is small but pleasant. Most of my team works remotely, so it’s perfect for me. As far as my company culture- it’s kinda like a family. To quote Jay-Z “It’s a secret society, all we ask is trust”- and a serious grind. We keep it fun, though.

Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR tasks and why?
ER: I love phone and face time- I’m at my best when I’m pitching and networking. There’s something very rewarding about finding new opportunities and information for my clients. Press releases are another story… I HATE writing.

Mopwater: Who are some of your (or your organization’s) clients, and what kind of projects do you take on for these clients?
ER: My clients are athletes, organizations that do work in the community, businesses and entrepreneurs. My job is to get the word out about them- mostly via the media. That also includes planning events, scheduling appearances and creating strategic partnerships.

Mopwater: Describe a recent project where you produced results of which you’re really proud.
ER: A client’s foundation donated $25,000 to a single mother of four who was affected by Hurricane Katrina on the Montel Williams. Then he followed up to make sure she got a house, kids in school and still keeps in touch regularly.

Mopwater: What is your favorite thing about this job?
ER: Well there are two. First, there’s seeing the joy the clients and their loved ones experience when their exposure and brand awareness starts to grow. Then there’s the moment the client understands that it’s not just about the money for me and that I really do care about their welfare as a person in the short and long term.

Mopwater: Do you think you’ll be in this position in 5 years?
ER: God willing. If my work continues to speak for itself, more doors will open and my company will continue to grow.

Mopwater: If you could work on any PR or marketing project of your choosing, what would it be? ER: I’m already doing it. I’d be helping my clients’ foundations and community efforts to partner with major brands and in the process, bring more awareness to the plight of the less fortunate among us.

Name: MiMi Johnson
Age: 27
Current City: Atlanta, GA
Job Title: Blogger/Marketing Director
Company Name: F.A.M. Fiend
Length of Time in this Role: less than a year
Web Site: Famfiend.com
Twitter Handle: FAMFiend

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field? MJ: I have sort of a unique path into the field. I was accepted into college as a fashion design major, but quickly changed it to Marketing in efforts of being more ‘practical”. I graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a BA in Marketing, but also never gave up on my aspirations on doing something within the field of fashion. I later linked up with my super-creative college friend, Alesha Gunn, to start up a blog that displays our common interests for the love of fashion, art, and music. Alesha is more of the creative designer of the site and I’m more of the business/marketing go to person for the blog. I also co-own a makeup/hair/fashion styling agency called P3 Lab and do all of the marketing/PR for that as well.

Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about? MJ: I love meeting new people from diverse backgrounds. That is always so refreshing to me. I also love being able to be creative with stories I write up, different angles I take when writing up releases, as well as coming up with cool marketing ideas and having the total authority to execute them.

Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day? MJ: My daily tasks change from day to day. I could be interviewing a new artist or designer for a blog feature, typing up posts, putting together e-blasts for clients, researching new products or daily news, attending a special event, meeting with a client, or simply online all day responding to emails. Continue Reading

In lieu of a photograph, I snagged this recent video interview of today’s TDMJ subject Ged Carroll. This London-based PR man is the head of digital strategy for the UK office of Ruder Finn Public Relations. In the above interview with Econsultancy, Finn gives us a few social media best practices.  Below in TDMJ, he tells what it’s like to work in the UK and in the digital department of a top global public relations agency.

Name: Ged Carroll, 38

Current City: London, England

Company: Ruder Finn, 40+ people UK and 600+ worldwide. Prior to this he helped found Waggener Edstrom‘s digital office and worked in house at Yahoo!

Job Title: Director, Digital Strategies

Mopwater: What made you get into public relations? What do you like best about the field?  GC: I got into PR through wanting to work in an agency environment following completing a degree in marketing. I had previously worked part-time marketing club nights, DJ’ing and working in the oil industry as a plant process operator.  PR as a career has been good to me; I have managed to travel internationally and meet some interesting people.

Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you currently most excited about? GC: Probably the most exciting bit about the industry at the present time is the change that it is undergoing, which I think that the recession will accelerate. This change will be structural as marketing communications disciplines mesh together and the opportunities opening up as the Gordian knot of how to measure PR is finally broken!

Mopwater: Describe a typical work day including your typical work hours. GC: There is no typical work day in digital. The other day I went from dealing with lice shampoo to semiconductors in the space of half an hour. My role involves doing web research, conducting online outreach, designing online campaigns, working with internal designers, developers and third parties to build websites, providing advice to teams and clients, running external training programmes and speaking at conferences. Sometimes it can be long hours, but on the up side the firm is pretty flexible and efforts are appreciated. Continue Reading

Name: Anne Williams
Age: 36
Current City: Washington, DC
Job Title: Customer Services Program Specialist
Company Name: DC Office on Aging
Length of Time in this Role: 1 year
Twitter Handle: annieb1113

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field? AW: As a radio,tv & film production major at Howard University, I had interesting internships that sparked my interested in the public relations field: promotions department at Majic 102.3 and the White House Office of Communications. After HU, I got my graduate degree in public communication from American University. I’ve worked at a non-profit organization in the DC area and a marketing and PR firm in Northern Virginia. In 2000, I landed in the marketing and communications department at BET Networks where I stayed for a little over seven years. Now, I work for the DC Office on Aging.

Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about? AW: Entertainment PR.  I have always been a huge television and movie addict and pop culture junkie,  so everything entertainment related really excites me.

Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day? AW: My work day begins at 8:30am and ends at 5pm. On a daily basis, I manage the ADRC website, create publicity and marketing materials for upcoming events and agency initiatives. Because all media related public relations is being centralized under the Mayor’s communications team, I work on collateral publicity and marketing materials. A lot of time is spent using desktop publishing programs to create flyers, brochures, advertisements, program booklets, etc.  I also design and edit the ADRC newsletter.

Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR tasks and why? Do you love to pitch? Dread writing releases? Adore blogging for your brands?  AW: I love writing! Being creative and making people take a second look at what would normally be considered “the usual”. I’m an optimist so I try to find the positive an every situation.  I’m not as big a fan of pitching but with digital media, that aspect of pr is evolving. You can establish relationships and creatively pitch clients via email, Facebook, and Twitter a lot faster and reach a broader audience.  Pitching has become so much more than just a phone call to a reporter. Continue Reading

Name: Colleen Moffitt
Age: 39
Current City: Seattle
Job Title: Founding Partner & Author

Company Name: Communiqué Public Relations
Book Title: “Strategic Public Relations: 10 Principles to Harness the Power of PR”
Length of Time in this Role: Five years since founding Communiqué
On the Web
Facebook
Blog
Twitter: @SeattleCM

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field? (Be sure to mention your course of study in college).
CM: My path to PR was not direct or necessarily a traditional one. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Puget Sound with a minor in Business Administration. While in college I also earned a certificate of study from Centre Universitaire d’Etudes Francaises (CUEF) of the University of Grenoble III.

After graduation I worked in the public sector for a few years before being hired at Microsoft as a recruiter. There I was responsible for finding and attracting some of the nation’s top technical talent to the company. I developed strategic recruiting plans for Microsoft’s consumer and hardware divisions and helped attract key talent from Moscow as part of an acquisition.

I joined RealNetworks (Progressive Networks at the time) in early 1997 to drive technical recruiting for the company. Ready for a new challenge, I moved into a program manager position in 1999 where I managed product-review programs, key customer relationships and product development. During my seven year tenure at RealNetworks I had an opportunity to work on it server solutions as well as its Windows and Mac based consumer products.

The experience I gained in these roles – influencing, negotiating, interviewing with various audiences including technology editors, product reviewers, customers, partners and executives – led me to public relations, to found Communiqué PR and to author “Strategic Public Relations: 10 Principles to Harness the Power of PR” Continue Reading

Name: Jasmine Vega
Age: 41
Current City: Venice
Job Title: Music Publicist
Company Name: JPR
Length of Time in this Role: 20 years

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field?
JV: I didn’t actually go to college.  I started working at 14 yrs old and haven’t stopped.  I didn’t know what a publicist was when I asked for the job.  I was working at a law firm in the data entry department during the day and at night I was promoting my boyfriend’s club in Los Angeles.  This was in the late 80’s.  We always had rappers and record promoters come to the club and get on the mic.  I became friends with the A&R person from Delicious Vinyl (Young MC, Tone Loc).  He asked me if I wanted to come to his label one day after work, so I did.  I looked around and saw that the office was in a shambles, no file cabinets, no structure etc.  This was hard for me to understand coming from a law firm where everything was in its place at all times.  So I asked why that was and a month later I got a call asking if I wanted to come in for an interview to assist the GM.  I went in and got the job.  A few months later the publicist at the label was leaving her position and said that I should ask to take her place since I was already doing her job and everyone liked working with me.  Doing her job at that time since we had established artists was answering the phone and sending out press kits to those who asked.  Those calling were the likes of Rolling Stone, Time, Newsweek etc.  I was in a very fortunate situation and took the position.  The rest is history.

Mopwater: Describe how you got from the in-house publicist job to what you’re doing now. When did o become an independent PR pro? How many years into working at Delicious Vinyl did you decide to go out on your own?

JV: While working at Delicious Vinyl, we also hired an indie pr firm to work other projects that I didn’t have time to.  After a year in the position, the pr firm had asked if I would like to work in their LA office.  I eventually left the label, moved to the indie firm until it closed its doors.  At that time, I was able to leave with a handful of accounts to be independent for a few years until Priority Records offered me an in house position.  I was there for a couple of years until I was courted by Virgin Records.  I remained at Virgin for 8 years until they moved the company to New York.  At that time I went indie again and have remained indie for the last few years. Continue Reading

Name: Marc Silverstein
Current City: Washington, DC and environs
Job Title: President and CEO
Company: On The Marc Media
Length of Time in this Role: 5 Years
Twitter: @onthemarcmedia
Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field?
MS: I was a crusty but lovable TV news reporter for close to 20 years, so skepticism of all spokespeople, PR folks and spinmeisters was in my DNA. Over time, I came to appreciate the few who “got it.” They knew how to successfully spar with reporters, leak stories, get out their message—and when they had to—take one for the team (usually a critical story) without too much whining.

Then I left news and hosted a long-running show about restaurants on Food Network called The Best Of. Many of the places we profiled had publicists, some of whom were incredibly helpful, and succeeded in making good stories better. But far too often, we had to deal with what I nicknamed Philadelphia-type PR, based on a company in Philly whose reps were so inept that we stopped covering their clients. They got in the way, raised tension levels with the crew and consistently made the process so difficult that even eating the free food offered by the chefs became a chore. That takes some doing.

From both the news and entertainment experiences, I saw there was an opportunity—to offer the kind of PR that provides a more effective bridge between clients and the media.  Clients need public relations people who know how to:
•    Understand reporters, their pressures and their personalities—and make their lives easier. (Like providing “one –stop-shopping,” and not calling to pitch stories when reporters are under deadline).
•    Speak the language of news reporters (Forget the elevator speech; you’re lucky if you get to ride one floor while you’re pitching them).
•    Identify what their client does that’s newsworthy, and figure out every way we can to get it in front of an audience.
•    Write short, dynamic news releases that don’t waste anyone’s time.
•    Use a lot of bullet points.

After Food Network, I hosted a show on Discovery Channel. After shooting the episodes, I was under contract and couldn’t work elsewhere in TV for several months. Much to my disdain, my wife wouldn’t let me sit home in semi-retirement. That’s when On The Marc Media actively started going after PR clients—and since then, we’ve been successfully getting them on TV, in print and on the Internet, in addition to providing a vast array of other marketing services. Continue Reading

Name: Lizzie Landon- Cole Sorensen
Age: 30
Current City: Saratoga Springs, NY
Job Title: CEO and Founder
Company Name: 32Flavors Public Relations
Length of Time in this Role: 6 years before that consulted for 2 under another company name
Blog
Twitter

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field?
LS:I grew up around a lot of creative people, between a mix of artists and innovators who made a good living, and then starving artists. I could always see both sides to the story but couldn’t deny my genetic ability to create, have ideas, and follow through with them. My grandfather replaced Kurt Vonnegut when he left GE, and he (R. Ned Landon) was the chief speech writer for the CEO of GE, as well as the PR liaison between GE and Disney. It always seemed like a shirt and tie job to all of us 10 grandchildren growing up, but little did we know that we would all inherit a bit of his creativity. On my father’s side, my grandmother is an incredible painter, sculptor and photographer, and that didn’t start to hit me in my own creativity until just recently.

I couldn’t wait to get out of high school where I was president of my business club (nerdy yes, but hey, those soccer jocks aren’t being interviewed right now are they?). I found a college that had a PR/Ad department and would take me as a senior in high school and let me do both senior and freshman year simultaneously. I loved to write, and was always coming up with ads and commercials in my head so I thought it would be interesting. My father, who has had his share of starving artist and layoff moments in the field of advertising, photography, and graphic design wrote me a 17 page letter about how I shouldn’t move from upstate NY to Providence, R.I., 1. Because I was 16, and 2. Because the marketing industry can be tough. Along side the artists in our family we have our share of lawyers, and professors, and as much as I tried for a more stable profession, it just wasn’t in me. Continue Reading

Name: Amber Naslund
Age: 33
Current City: Chicago, IL
Job Title: Director of Community
Company Name: Radian6
Length of Time in this Role: 6 months-ish
Web Site: Radian 6
Blog: Altitude Branding
Twitter : @ambercadabra

Mopwater escribe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field?
AN: Accidental! I was a music performance major (flute) in college, and have worked in non-profit fund development, corporate marketing, and as an independent consultant. I’m not a formally trained marketer, rather I’d like to think I’m a communicator and connector.

Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about?
AN: The potential for social media to break down internal boundaries within companies, and bring out the best of marketing, PR, customer service and product management. I’m excited about how it gives the community a voice, but I think it’s really bringing businesses back to the tenets of doing good work that’s based in very basic principles.

Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day?
AN: Woo. Well, I work on average 9 to 12 hours a day, but that’s often split up into chunks. I spend my days creating content, engaging with our customers on social sites (mostly Twitter and blogs), creating ideas to better support our community, and traveling all over to events to meet all these people face to face. Continue Reading

Name: Spring Harris, 28

Current City: Los Angeles, CA

Looking For: PR Agency Work

Our Notes: We could go on all day. She takes initiative, and is not afraid of a challenge. She’s an engaging writer with a vibrant voice. Plus, she speaks and writes French! Que c’est beau!

On the Web: University Sponsored Site, Coming Soon

EduStats: University of Southern California
Candidate, M.A. Strategic Public Relations
Graduation Date: May 2010

Skills: Strategic Planning, Social Media, Crisis Communications, Media Relations, Writing, Editing, and  All Things French

Mopwater: What made you want to get into this industry?

SH: Honestly, I fell into this industry. I graduated in 2004 with a double major in International Relations and French and I planned to go to law school, but while writing my personal statement, I couldn’t think of a single reason why I wanted to go. Needless to say, it was time to rethink my plans! I decided to take some time away from finding a career and competed as a professional high jumper for about a year before I entered the workforce. My first jobs were less than appealing, but I realized that I enjoyed writing, and when I got the chance to work as a business development/marketing coordinator I jumped on it. To sharpen my skills, I took a few marketing and public relations courses at a local community college and immediately started applying the lessons to my job. However, in the PR course as a final project I designed a campaign for the LA Sparks to increase game attendance and I loved every second of creating it! I decided right then and there that I wanted a career in PR. I applied to USC Annenberg’s M.A. in Strategic Public Relations program and since August 2008, my life has been consumed by PR and I couldn’t be happier! Continue Reading

Christine Randle

Christine Randle, 38

DPR Group, Inc.

Account Executive, about 3 years

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. What made you want to get into the field?

CR: This is a difficult question, because I really fell into this field. I have a B.A. in history and an M.A. in Urban Studies. When I was looking for jobs after graduate school, I wanted to work in nonprofit—likely in a research capacity. I landed a position with a large workforce development agency in Philadelphia as a communications manager, simply because I was a good writer, understood the issues and could synthesize information quickly and concisely. I immediately fell in love with communications and can’t see myself doing anything else. In particular, media relations are an enormous amount of fun. There’s nothing quite like seeing an article appear in print or online that you’ve pitched and placed.

Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about?

CR:I think  social media is exciting, in part because so much of it is uncharted territory. The rules are changing as quickly as they are created, so you really have to be on your toes.

Mopwater: Describe your office and workplace.

CR:My company, DPR Group has two offices—one in Germantown, MD and one in Cary, NC. It is a fairly laid-back environment, as long as you deliver results for your clients. We are lucky enough to have a casual dress code and the ability to telecommute on an as needed basis. How many co-workers do you have? DPR Group is a small firm with 7 people in the MD office and 7 people in the NC office. Where, how, and how often do you collaborate with them? I collaborate with my co-workers quite frequently, seeking regular advice on a range of issues from media relations to client relations. We connect several times throughout the day using email, phone and face-to-face contact most often, but we also connect via Twitter, sharing industry news related to both PR and our clients’ respective markets. Continue Reading

Rebekah Lovell of Renown Promotions in Atlanta

Rebekah Lovell, 24 Woodstock, GA (Atlanta)

PR Strategist to Small Business

Owner of Renown Promotions,  going on 2 years

Renown Blog

Twitter: @Renown

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. What made you want to get into the field?
RL: Back in high school I was elected to the Public Relations seat on our Student Council and something clicked. Since then, I’ve always gravitated towards managing people, business, and events and loved the idea of creating value for businesses and organizations by doing so. I started in college as a Dance Pedagogy major, then Journalism, and then quickly changed to PR upon learning what it was really all about. I was the nerd who sat on the front row and actually read the textbooks and started a blog upon my professor’s suggestion. After a stellar experience at my internship, I took a job in Marketing with a top Atlanta Real Estate Firm. I couldn’t wait to strike out on my own once I saw the depth of small businesses in our area needing counsel and direction. I like to be behind the scenes, and position people and causes for success. It seems PR is a natural extension of my personality and gifts and I’m very passionate about what I do. I enjoy the fast-paced climate of PR and always learning what’s next.

Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about?

RL: Strategy and Campaigns, Writing, Social Media, Causes and Events. I like to help businesses get from A to B, and help them look back at how far they’ve come.

Mopwater: Describe your office and workplace. How many co-workers do you have? Where, how, and how often do you collaborate with them?
RL: I work from my home office and communicate with the world outside non-stop via phone, email, and social media. I work hand-in-hand with a couple of other PR companies and freelancers to accomplish everything on my plate.

Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day?
RL: My days are always different-but that’s half the fun! I start early and end late, and even work weekends most of the time to catch up. I may have a few office days a week, but I travel a lot to meet clients, attend events, and network.

Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR tasks? Do you love to pitch? Do you dread writing releases?
RL: Reverse of your example answers-I love to write and don’t enjoy pitching! I have a knack for the written word and really enjoy getting a client’s message across so that a certain media’s listeners, viewers, or readers can relate to and identify with the idea or story behind the feature. Continue Reading