PR and Public Affairs Washington, DC

Keren Odeah Johnson, 25

Washington DC

Job Title and Length of Time in this Role: Communications Associate, 2 years

Dewey Square Group

Blog and/or Twitter Handle: http://www.facebook.com/deweysquare www.latinovations.com www.twitter.com/deweysquare

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field?  KOJ: Prior to joining the Dewey Square team, I got my start in media relations as an intern for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. I was responsible for putting together statements and found that I really enjoyed the communications aspect of the job. That was back in 2006 and I was really just getting my feet wet while still in undergrad. Fast forward to 2008, I worked on the Hillary for President Campaign as a superdelegate liaison. I drafted endorsements for our press shop. That experience really helped me to think about strategy, messaging and rapid response tactics.

I studied Political Science and Spanish at American University. While the coursework taught me the ‘how-tos’ of the field, I have gained the most from hands-on opportunities. At Dewey Square, I am learning a lot and discovering how to apply my background in politics and campaigns to the media relations field.

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? KOJ: Dewey Square is a really awesome place to work because the people here are the best at what they do. When I came on board, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Working with the principals here has been awesome. The senior level staff have mentored me and shown me how to specialize in a specific skill. In my job, I am also given the opportunities to take on leadership roles. It is really awesome to know that people here trust me, support me and ultimately, everyone works together to achieve our clients’ goals.

Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day? Describe your office setting and workplace. KOJ: I work M-F 9 to 6 but the job requires me to be up to speed with all current events. The reality is that we have a 24 hour new cycle and through blogs and social networking, stories are being reported all the time. My friends say that I am always the one at dinner or out on a Saturday with my blackberry in hand. The truth is I love my job and I am probably on my phone sharing ideas with my team.

I work right downtown at Metro Center. I have a beautiful blue office with pictures of my family and mementos from the campaign above my desk. The TV is on all the time (usually CNN or MSNBC) and I always listen to a little music while I work. Those are just some of the things that motivate me and keep me going every day.

On a daily basis, I do a lot of writing (or at least that’s what I love to do). I will staff events and interviews which is really an exciting part of what I do.

Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR tasks and why? KOJ: I like everything that I do; however, I recognize that I am better at some aspects than others. I am a very behind the scenes kind of girl so I prefer to write and strategize over pitching. My favorite ‘assignment’ is drafting op-eds. It’s not easy to capture another person’s voice and perspective so I really enjoy the challenge of crafting the over-arching story for a client.

Mopwater: Who are some of your (or your company/organization’s) clients, and what kind of projects do you take on for these clients? KOJ: It really varies. We develop communications strategy for non-profit clients as well as private sector companies.

Mopwater: Describe a recent project where you produced results of which you’re really proud. KOJ:Recently, I worked on the iKnow campaign which was aimed at educating African-American youth about the risks of HIV/AIDS. It was so neat to work on a project that gave a new light to a critical issue within my community.

Mopwater: What is your favorite thing about this job and do you think you’ll be in this position in 5 years?  KOJ: What I love most about my job is that every day is different. I’ve never had a dull moment. In five years, I hope to be in this same field but in a different capacity.

Mopwater: What aspect of the industry are you most excited about? KOJ: I am most excited about learning how to blog. I love blogs because it allows everyday people to lend their voice and offer their opinions on current events via the blogosphere. In fact, my favorite blog is Blog On Sisters because it is a diverse group of women (and men) who have come together to create a global online community. It is a great forum for discussion on politics, faith, health and career.

Mopwater: If you could work on any dream project of your choosing, what would it be? KOJ: ANYTHING??? I would open a dance studio in Salvador do Bahia. As much as I love this gig and working in the political communications arena, I am a dancer at heart. I enjoyed visiting Brazil- the people, the culture, the natural beauty- it’s just alive! Most importantly, I believe in the ability to enhance a child’s life through the arts.

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?  KOJ: I will say that I have been incredibly fortunate and not really had too much experience with this aspect of the field. However, my advice to any newcomer would be to save, save, save. You never know if after one campaign you are going to end up with a great job at a reputable firm or unemployed for months. At one point, I remember having to get to an interview without having the metro fare to get there. I also have several friends who slept on my couch for weeks while they tried to find the ideal position. It can be frustrating. Having the financial means to support yourself is really key.

Also, I would encourage folks to network and maintain those networks. I know it might sound cliché, but I am always sending an email here or arranging coffee there because I want to develop relationships with potential mentors.

Join Mopwater on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter

Frank Strong

Director of Public Relations for Vocus and PRWeb

Washington, DC

@vocus and @frank_strong

On LinkedIn

Blogging at Sword and the Script

Mopwater: Describe your path to PR: How did you wind up in this field? FS: Uncle Sam brought me to DC for a full time gig with the Army — working at the National Guard Bureau (NGB) – soon after college.  I decided I liked the area, knew NGB wouldn’t be a permanent assignment and so started considering my options.  Given my undergraduate degree in communications, an affinity for technology and the thriving tech PR community in circa 1999, PR seems like a great option; I started planning my career accordingly.

My first gig in PR was working for a boutique tech agency called ProMarc.  Ironically, ProMarc was Vocus’ agency of record then and as such, I was also a beta customer.   I remember working closely with Kye Strance, who was an account executive back then, and remains as the director of Product Management for Vocus.

About a year after joining that team ProMarc was acquired by Hill & Knowlton. That was a valuable experience on many different levels, for example, exposed me to the culture differences between a large and small PR shops, and also allowed me to experience the process of M&A from the inside. One memory from H&K is indelible:  I’ll never forget standing on the balcony of the firm’s old office at the Watergate building and staring in disbelief at the smoke streaming from across the Potomac River from the Pentagon on 9/11.

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? FS: In 2002, the recession had by then long since taken the air out of the technology bubble.  I’d left H&K to join a start-up – a risky venture – and about six months into it the owner decided to shut it down.  Times were not good and it took me well over a year to land another full-time position.  In the interim, I scraped out a living as a freelancer and managed to score a couple clients of my own, but mostly, worked as a subcontractor to other small shops around town – those with more business than they could handle, but not enough to merit hiring a new employee.  While I enjoyed the work and the freedom, financially speaking, it was trying.   For a time I pondered opening up my own shop, though I ultimately decided I needed a little more time-in-grade before I could make that work.  However, the freelance experience gave me much to think about.

Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day? Describe your office setting and workplace. FS: No two days have ever been the same:  there’s always something new.  On a good day, I get to the office about 7 a.m. to get a workout.  Vocus has two gyms for employees on-site which is an especially nice perk, and helps me to avoid the nightmare of cross-town DC traffic.  Once I’m desk-side, the first thing I do is check the reports – the news forwards – Vocus sent me the previous evening.  I have searches set up in Vocus on the company, on PRWeb and the industry, which gives me a sense for the relevant news of the day in both traditional and social media.

Throughout the day, I can be found on social media networks, especially Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn – or working on media relations, whitepapers, contributed articles and case studies.  One area I spend significant amount of time on is interviewing customers:  this is the best of both worlds because by extension of my job, I’m also afforded the opportunity to learn from my peers and hear their thoughts on the latest industry trends.

Finally, the marketing shop at Vocus is tightly integrated, so I spend a lot of time with Vocus personnel focused on other marketing functions including campaigns, direct marketing, search marketing, events and product management.

Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR/marketing/SM tasks and why? FS: As a PR person, for a company that sells PR software…to the PR industry, I literally live, breathe and sleep PR; I love every minute of it.  My father used to say to me when I was growing up: do something you love.  I’d like to think that I’m living those words.  Of course, it’s always easier when you represent a product and a company in which you truly believe.

Mopwater: Who are some of your company’s clients, and what kind of projects do you take on for these clients? FS: Vocus has more than 4,400 customers ranging from corporations including Southwest Airlines to non-profits like the Humane Society and each has a unique story to tell.  It’s fascinating for me to observe the news and know a little bit about what’s going on behind the scenes.

PRWeb has upwards of 30,000 customers, and while there are global companies that use PRWeb for online news releases, most are small businesses.  What I most enjoy about this aspect is talking small businesses owners and writing case studies.  Their stories are both very compelling and inspiring.  In addition, it’s often it’s an opportunity to provide a little coaching on the side too – and a little chance for me to give something back to our customers.

Mopwater: Describe a recent project where you produced results of which you’re really proud. FS: One recent project that stands out was the survey of PR professionals that Vocus conducted last fall.  It was a chance to learn from my peers, collaborate with thought leaders like Deirdre Breakenridge, and also give something back to the PR community.  Let’s face it, we’re all looking for good ideas and Vocus provides me the opportunity to gather information from my peer group, analyze it and share the findings with the PR community – all while adding value to my company.

Another aspect that is exceptional is the opportunity to use the Vocus platform, including all the add-ons, like news monitoring and analytics.  It’s a chance to have some fun while also providing illustrative anecdotes of the software in practice.  This case study — What Santa Claus Can Teach PR About Media Monitoring – is a good example.

Mopwater:What is your favorite thing about this job and do you think you’ll be in this position in 5 years? FS: Vocus really is a great place to work, I’m challenged every day, have a great boss who pushes me to grow, and despite the cliché, to really ‘think outside of the box.’   I see great potential in the company and feel quite fortunate to be employed at Vocus.

Mopwater: What aspect of the industry are you most excited about? FS: There has never been a better time to be in PR.  While I firmly believe mainstream media still matters, there’s a new opportunity for PR professional to help their causes find, cultivate and grow their own audiences.  I’ve always viewed PR as being a tool for facilitating the sales cycle, but the speed and ease of publishing content on new media, provides an opportunity for PR to contribute directly to the bottom line.  PR professionals are being challenged to adopt and perfect new skills – SEO, multimedia and interactive marketing among others.   I believe PR should champion social media efforts, should be the glue for integrated marketing, and lead organizational efforts in creating high-quality content that contributes to the conversation and advances an organization’s goals.

Mopwater: If you could work on any dream project of your choosing, what would it be? FS: Politics and government have always fascinated me – I wrote a thesis on Jesse Ventura’s use of the Web in his bid for governor of Minnesota.  That campaign is clearly old news now, but it was very new then, and the first solid example of how the Web is transforming how organizations interact and communicate.  I could easily see myself getting wrapped up in a political campaign one day, or perhaps find myself as a press secretary.

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 this field? FS: The best piece of advice I received when trying to break into the PR industry was from a professor:  he told me to find a topic I was passionate about and write letters to the editor.  It proved sage advice and I landed letters in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.  Those samples demonstrated that I was current on trends, had an eye for news, and the writing talent to be published.

Today, I’d offer similar advice, though I think it’s been adjusted a bit – today you have to be a blogger and be active on social media.  Blogging showcases your writing and you’ll learn important skills about the Web distribution like RSS, SEO and content marketing.  Social media isn’t a fad, it’s not going away and so obtaining experience in the social norms, culture and principles of effective social media evangelism is imperative.

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. Read the full story