President's Word: Summer Vacation

The Importance of Dialing Down and Disconnecting 

By: President, Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC

Fresh off a two week vacation, I am again reminded of how important it is for us all to step back, dial down and disconnect for a short period of time to recharge our batteries and re-energize our creativity and passion for our jobs and careers.

Today more than ever I believe we all need to take some down time and disconnect from the continuous bombardment of information, as well as our own desire to stay connected and relevant through sharing our own information.

A few years ago disconnecting meant primarily leaving work behind (which was hard enough) but now not only do we have to disconnect from work, but from the desire to post photos and share updates on every aspect of our lives as well. The very real urge to share our vacation experiences in real time is seductive and feeds directly into our digital addiction which makes it even harder to disconnect.

I understand the challenge of disconnecting and the need to have instant contact and access to information. We feel out of touch if we can’t check our email, Twitter feed or Facebook to see what’s happening in the world around us.

My secret to disconnecting? Vacationing somewhere where I’m forced to disconnect due to the lack of cell service - yes, there are still some places without cell service, even in the U.S. - because quite frankly I don’t have the willpower to completely disconnect on my own.

Last year it was two weeks in Belize and this year it was Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. While it always takes me a couple of days to decompress and go through my initial withdrawals, around about the third day I’m feeling fine without having my fingers wrapped around my phone.

Here are five positives for me when I disconnect:

1. I sleep better. I don’t wake up in the middle of the night and I don’t reach for my phone first thing in the morning, which always kicks my stress level into gear.
2. I notice and feel more connected to the world around me when my head isn’t bent down focused on a 2” x 4” screen.
3. Conversations with family and friends are very different when everyone isn’t checking their phone every few minutes.
4. I am much more apt to strike up a conversation with strangers and have met some extremely interesting people.
5. If I do start thinking about work (and at some point I always do) I find I’m more easily inspired and can come to clear resolutions and decision much faster.

I am back home now and ready to jump back into work and life after a wonderful two week respite of communing with nature, connecting with family and meeting new people.

As for my phone, it’s a part of me again and on the way home I put it to good use scoping out vacation destinations for next year.

- Pam

President's Word: Leadership Quest

By: Pamela Nulman, APR, CPRC
President

Leadership. A concept and topic that has been theorized, debated, lauded, bemoaned, demonized, memorialized and even launched a plethora of cottage industries centered on training and education.

I, myself, have taken numerous undergraduate and graduate level courses in leadership, as well as attended various leadership seminars throughout my career (let’s not even bring up how many books on leadership I have read over the years).

So at this point in my career I’m fairly comfortable that I know “leadership” when I see it, but I’m also humble enough to realize that leadership is similar to ethics in that we all believe we know it when we see it, but in reality, we all bring a lifetime of collective experiences to how we ultimately define “leadership” and my definition may be different than others.

At the root of every discussion around “leadership” is whether people are natural born leaders, or, whether individuals can become leaders through education, training and opportunity. I happen to believe the answer to both is, yes.

I believe all of us are born with the capacity to lead and for the majority of us we do embrace a leadership role in some way, shape or form throughout our lives. Whether it’s in a formal or informal leadership capacity, at some point we influence others, make a difference in our community, drive inaction to action and enable others to exceed their own expectations. In other words, we bring out the very best in ourselves and others around us.

I personally have always liked the quiet leaders in our world who go about inspiring others and drive change through their actions, not their celebrity. Mother Theresa will always be my number one inspirational leader. So, too, Mrs. Keller, my fifth grade teacher who not only celebrated my scholastic ability, but also embraced the fact that I was the “biggest tomboy” in class and that was o.k. Then there was my first PR boss out of college. After serving three tours in Vietnam as a green beret, he came home and built a new life for himself and his family. He taught me the power of commitment, believing in something larger than yourself, and the importance of doing a job well, or not at all.

I have had the benefit of following in the footsteps of many leaders over the years, and I hope in turn the lessons they imparted to me I have been able to pass on to others.

As I begin to wind down my year as president of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association, I am excited about a new crop of leaders preparing to take the helm.

At our upcoming July meeting we will cast our vote for a new board of directors. Whether these outstanding public relations professionals came to their leadership abilities through nature or nurture does not matter. All that does is that they’re ready to inspire, energize, motivate and lead our organization. But perhaps the most significant reward will be at the end of their term, when they’ll all be better leaders themselves because they were willing to step up to the plate, grab the reins, and enjoy the journey.

Pam

President's Word: Sticks and Stones

By Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC
President

"Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

As a young girl growing up in the late 60s and early 70s when a revoluntionary invention - disposable diapers - changed the face of parenting forever, I had the distinct pleasure of being called Pampers more than once by my peers.

My retort to my taunters was frequently a quick "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" while standing with my hands on my hips and an indignant look on my face, but the reality was those words did hurt. The scars apparently ran deep in my case because when my children were born two decades later they only wore Huggies disposable diapers. I could never bring myself to buy Pampers, even when they were cheaper.

As public relations professionals we have a vested interest and considerable responsibility in the words we use as part of our every day work product. We use words, backed by actions, to build and sustain relationships critical to our success. Words, and the context in which they are used, are critical in achieving the objectives we set forth in communication plans implemented on behalf of our employers and/or clients.

Operating in a digital era has significantly escalated the need for prudence and integrity in selecting the words we use to achieve our goals.  In this age of quick and easy access to posting comments and responses via the abundance of social media channels at our disposal, we all need to become more aware of the power of words and the impact they can have on those who hear them and read them. This rings true from both a positive, and a negative, perspective.

Words are powerful. Use them wisely. The Power of Words.

-Pam

President's Word: Fast Track Your Career With Real World Leadership

By: Pamela Nulman, APR, CPRC, 

President

"Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.  If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that."  - Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

Are you looking to fast track your career?  Learning new skills, especially leadership skills, is one of the most direct routes to career advancement. 

Involvement in FPRA allows communication professionals to run twice as fast, while offering an unparalleled opportunity to develop leadership skills which are readily transferable to today's work environment.  Assuming a leadership position allows you to stay in the forefront of emerging industry issues; learn to negotiate and build consensus; hone professional and interpersonal skills; and build relationships throughout our communities. 

We are now accepting nominations for the 2011/12 Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA board of directors. This is your chance to get involved and move your career to the fast lane.  Carla Ulakovic will lead the chapter next year as president and I will serve as immediate past president.  We will be filling the following board positions this year:

President-elect
Treasurer
Secretary
VP of Communications
VP of Community Relations
VP of Professional Development
VP of Member Relations

Board members are voting members, are expected to attend monthly board meetings and are responsible for the strategic direction of the chapter.

We also have positions available on the extended leadership positions. These positions provide leadership for the tactical hands-on activities of the chapter.  Want to learn a specific new skill?  One of these positions might be just right for you. Leadership team members are expected to attend quarterly board meetings.

Open leadership team positions include:

Credentialing Chair
Hospitality Chair
Image Chair
Newsletter Chair
Media Relations Chair
Programs Chair
Social Media Chair
Special Projects Chair
Website Chair

If you are interested in joining the FPRA leadership team or have questions about involvement and requirements, please contact our Kathleen Taylor, APR.  As Past President, Kathleen is chairing this year's nomination committee.  All nominations must be submitted to Kathleen by April 15.  You can reach her at kathleendtaylor@gmail.com.

In short, to get involved is to get ahead, making FPRA an investment that pays dividend.  See you at the leadership table next year.

President's Word: Coloring Outside the Lines

By: Pamela Nulman, APR, CPRC
FPRA SWFL President

As we turn the page on a new year and are deluged with year-end lists, resolution lists and inspirational articles about starting the new year off on a positive note, I am reminded of interview I read recently with Jim Collins, author of the seminal business best-sellers Built to Last, Good to Great and How the Mighty Fall.  

Collins was speaking about the idea that life can be a work of art and that entrepreneurship is not only a business idea, but a life idea.  "You can either follow a paint-by-numbers-kit approach to life and do what everybody thinks you should do and stay within the accepted lines," said Collins, "or you can decide you want to create a masterpiece and start with a blank canvas."

I personally love the idea that come January 1 each year we all can pull out a fresh, new blank canvas and work on creating our next masterpiece.  Within that masterpiece we need to consider how are we going to prioritize our time, energy and resources.  How are we going to achieve the right blend of family, friends, spirituality, work and community? 

As you look at your own blank canvas for the coming year I hope you find FPRA is part your masterpiece. With a focus on professional development for public relations professionals and our allied partners, FPRA offers leadership opportunities, learning platforms and networking.

Although we have had to make a few tough decisions this year as an organization, including raising membership dues for the first time in 10 years and increasing the cost of attending our regular monthly meetings to $20 from $18 for members, we believe the value we return to our members well offset the slight increase in costs. 

Here are just a few suggestions on how you can become more involved and leverage your membership in the coming months:

• Network and connect with other professionals at "The Great Unwind" on Friday, January 28th.  
• Pursue your APR (Accreditation in Public Relations) and/or CPRC (Certified Public Relations Counselor) credentials. Preparation classes begin soon.
• Enhance your leadership skills by joining the leadership team or board of directors.  Nominations for the 2011/2012 board begin in March.
• Celebrate your success by entering the annual Image Awards and Golden Image Awards this year.   
• Plan to attend FPRA's monthly meetings to learn the latest in trends, leadership skills and public relations strategies and tools.
• Contemplating starting a blog but not quite ready to take the leap?  Join the state conference blog team and dip your toe in the water before jumping in.

Read on to find more information on each of these areas within this issue of ImPRess. 

This is an exciting time to be in public relations and I encourage you to include involvement in FPRA as part of your plans for the coming year.

I, for one, plan to spend most of the year coloring outside the lines as I work on my masterpiece. Join me and let's get out and make it a great year.

President's Word

Ending the year on a Hot note!


Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC, President

 Yes, you heard right.

I said ending the year on a Hot note, not your typical high note. And, I’m not talking about the weather in Southwest Florida either.

I’m talking about the fact that public relations has been named one of the Best Business Careers for 2011 by U.S. News and World Report. Our profession earned this distinction based on the U.S. Labor Department’s projection that employment for public relations specialists is projected to increase by 24 percent, or more than 66,000 jobs, between 2008 and 2018.

At the same time, in a parallel universe, public relations has become a hot story line for television shows. It all started in the late 1990s when actress Kim Cattrall portrayed PR agency owner Samantha Jones in Sex in the City (and the number of students enrolling in undergraduate public relations programs skyrocketed).

Interest has hardly waned in our profession, indeed just the opposite, as universities are graduating record number of students majoring in public relations and, earlier this year a number of new TV reality shows based on public relations were announced.

• In early 2010, Kell on Earth premiered, based on the life of Kelly Cutrone, founder of the public relations, branding and marketing firm, People’s Revolution.

• The Spin Crowd followed this past summer. Produced by reality star, Kim Kardashian, the show is based on the lives of her PR pals Jonathan Cheban and Simon Houck of Command PR. (Warning - these are seriously beautiful people.)

• And yet another reality PR show is rumored for next year. Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy is said to be planning a show about crisis management, based on the career of PR consultant Judy Smith, who has helped high profile celebs and politicians such as Bill Clinton, Michael Vick and New York Governor David Paterson.

I don’t for a moment profess to believe that television shows remotely do justice to promote the realistic worklife and contributions of the majority of PR professionals, in fact, they do just the opposite. But I, for one, don’t mind riding the wave of working in a profession receiving a little buzz.

We may not have our own television show anytime soon here in Southwest Florida, but we are part of the thousands of hard working professionals who sustain the reputation of our profession, mentor students and young professionals, and continue to deliver the communications results required in a global economy and digital world. And that, I believe qualifies us as working in one hot profession.

Happy New Year!

President's Word

Thankful. 

By: Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC

As the holidays approach and we easily get caught up in a haze of frenetic activity, I hope you will join me in stepping back and finding a moment of peace and serenity to reflect on what you’re thankful for this year. 

Although my list could go on and on, here is my top 10 list of what I’m thankful for today, and every day. 

I’m thankful for:

•  My Mom, Audrey Scott, a beautiful woman who taught me how to read and write by the age of four and without a doubt set me on the path to a career in public relations. 

•  My children, Joseph and Deni, who inspire me daily.  They make me laugh, occasionally cry, and have given me a lifetime of wonderful memories with many more still to come. 

•  My husband, Jim, who listens endlessly to my “PR” stories and musings and gives me the greatest gift of always appearing interested. 

•  My friends, including those who have been by my side for decades, as well as those who are new in my life.  You lift me up and keep me grounded at the same time.

•  The blessing of living in a country where a young woman can go to college, pursue a career and know the sky’s the limit and dreams do come true. 

• The many mentors who have helped me on my professional journey.  You know who you are and I’ll never forget your collective wisdom, patience and support.  You celebrated each success and wouldn’t let me wallow when I stumbled, telling me to dust off my boots and get back to work.

•  A strong body and tenacious spirit which allow me to get up each day and embrace new opportunities and challenges.

•  The opportunity to embrace the spiritual faith of my choice and share it publicly.

•  The gift of technology which has the power to bring us together as one human race, yet cautions us to understand that with power comes responsibility.

•  My colleagues on the FPRA Southwest Florida chapter leadership team who work tirelessly and with giving hearts each and every day. 

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."   - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Happy Thanksgiving!

President's Word

The New Black: Personal Relationships
By: Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC

Personal relationships are back in vogue. That’s right. The old-fashioned face-to-face, let’s get together and talk in person or via phone type of relationship. 

No, it’s not time to give up your smart phone or iPad, but it is time to set them aside occasionally, disconnect digitally, and dive in for some direct human interaction. 

In the recent 2010 Happiness Survey conducted in 16 countries (including the U.S.), 40% of those surveyed said catching up with loved ones at the end of a work day was the happiest time of their day.  Conversely, only 5% said they were happiest when connecting with friends online.

The latest wave of building relationships online...is to take them offline.  Tweetups, Meetups, and special events solely for niche online communities are mushrooming as we build relationships online and then over time start feeling the need to meet our “digital” friends and get to know them on a more personal level.   “Putting faces with names” as we used to say in the pre-social media age. 

We recently spent a full day at PR University in Southwest Florida, embracing the power of personal relationships and by extension – networking for success.  We’ve captured the thoughts of outstanding speakers Andy Robinson, Greta Schulz and Josh Hallett, amongst many others, on our FPRASWFLBLOG.  It wasn’t just the power of the speakers that drove home the importance of personal relationships, it was also the personal connections with fellow PR and marketing professionals that day.  I know of job opportunities discussed, possible leads on new clients, and ideas shared on engaging the next generation of PR leaders throughout the day. 

Still questioning the validity of personal relationships in our digitially-driven age?  In a 2009 survey conducted by Harvard Business Review, almost 95% of those surveyed said “face-to-face meetings” are critical to successful long term relationships.

One way to build personal relationships is to join, and become actively involved with, a professional trade organization.  In Southwest Florida, the Florida Public Relations Association has been providing professional development and networking opportunities to public relations and marketing professionals for more than 25 years. If you're not a member, I invite you to join.  If you are a member, I hope you are using the resources of the organization to power your success.  

Get in style. Get personal.

President's Word: PR Surge

By Pam Nulman, APR,CPRC

It may be a little premature to strike up the band and celebrate the return of a robust hiring market for PR pros, but indications point to at least picking up the baton and warming up the horn section. 

The University of Southern California’s sixth Public Relations Generally Accepted Practices (GAP) Study indicates 2010 will be a stronger year for hiring as respondents forecast increased communication budgets and a move to increase internal hiring. 

Advertising Age recently stated that the Public Relations sector is not just surviving, it’s thriving.  Citing a recent study conducted by the Council of PR Firms, which found the majority of agency CEOs and CFOs surveyed said they are expecting revenue growth in 2010 and that the new-business pipeline is stronger than ever, prospects for the industry are strong with spending on PR expected to hit $3.4 billion this year, an increase of 3% over 2009.    

The New York Times on September 8^th ran an article on the “Growing Appreciation for P.R. on Madison Avenue” focusing on the emerging trend of heretofore traditional advertising agencies acquiring public relations agencies. 

What does this mean for today’s PR pro?  Opportunities are coming down the pike and those who will be able to capitalize on a rejuvenated job market are those armed with the latest skills and knowledge to best serve their clients and organizations. 

Start Today! 

1.      Get involved and renew your FPRA membership.  Engage with other professionals, expand your knowledge and energize your career.  Attend FPRA monthly luncheon meetings and special events throughout the year.

2.      Jolt your career by attending PR University on October 8.  This action-packed day of professional development is designed to propel your career forward and prepare you for the inevitable changes and opportunities ahead. 

3.      Connect – not just through social media – but face-to-face with other PR professionals and business and community leaders.  Focus on building and sustaining relationships.  After all, isn’t that what we do best in public relations?

-Pam

“More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time.”  - Peter Drucker

Incoming President's Word

A New Year: Powering Today’s PRofessionals

By: Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC
It is with deep gratitude and a hefty dose of excitement that I begin my year as president of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association.

Outgoing president, Kathleen Taylor, APR, has provided a solid foundation for our chapter this past year, building bridges both inside and outside the organization. I am very honored to have had the opportunity to work by her side as we celebrated the 25th anniversary of our chapter, delivered exceptional programs and sustained our membership of 100-plus members during difficult economic times.

We begin the next 25 years of our chapter’s history during a time when our industry stands at the crossroads of a rapidly evolving marketplace driven by technology and changing demographics. This is the genesis of our goal for the coming year - to equip you with the tools you need to traverse the new landscape of public relations. Under the theme “Powering Today’s PRofessionals,” we are committed to offering the best professional development and networking opportunities possible to our members.

Author, blogger and marketer extraordinaire, Seth Godin, has said those destined to be successful in today’s marketplace are individuals who perform “generous acts” - changing people and organizations - for the better.

Our chapter could easily be a poster child for the new world order according to Godin. With more than 70% of our membership contributing time, talent and money annually to insure the success of our chapter, our members understand the value of “generous acts”. In particular, the 21 members of this year’s leadership team are ready to break the old rules and embrace the dawning of a new age of public relations and what it means to our members.

At the end of the day, this chapter is yours, and I look forward to hearing from you if you have ideas, suggestions and want to become involved. Jump in, have fun, make a difference and we’ll all grow together.
Pam

Outgoing President's Word

By: Kathleen Taylor, APR

The 2009-2010 term for our chapter draws to a close, but we are surely no where near the end of our journey. While this is my final President's Word, I continue to be supportive and proud of the work we are doing together for the public relations profession. Below are selections from our annual meeting report.

It was a year following major chapter administrative change and a sharp decline in the local economy. We  adopted the theme “Building Bridges,” and found strength by reaching out to members, to the community, to related professions and to our chapter’s future success. Also, it was our chapter’s 25th anniversary year, so we made time to celebrate!

It was the second year operating with a more “corporate” structured leadership team, with an executive board and extended chair positions reporting to VPs. Our local economy was one of the hardest hit by the economic downturn, and many of our members were feeling the pinch in lost clients or cut positions. Competition was heating up in the broader field of communications, in part because of increasing demand from clients who were looking to do more with less and expecting public relations professionals to deliver marketing results and advertising professionals to affect positive public relations results and so on. Member research and qualitative findings from communications colleagues in other disciplines revealed that FPRA continued to enjoy a positive reputation for delivering sound professional development opportunities and increasingly congenial networking experiences. The Leadership Team made its primary goal to build and strengthen connections within the chapter, business, personal and community arenas.

The first “bridge” connected our planning to the frustrations our members were facing at work. Layoffs and company downsizing loomed as a threat and damaged morale, budget cuts eliminated professional development spending, and repeat guests delayed decisions to join for undetermined reasons. We scheduled programs of undeniable professional development value, budgeted for membership scholarships to solve financial burdens of dedicated members and planned a special “members-only” event to enhance the urgency and reason for fellow professionals to join. The Southwest Florida Chapter carried out our strategies through tools such as membership kits, a flyer of all upcoming scheduled programs, personal phone calls and social media technology communications. As a result, meeting attendance stayed high, seasoned professionals at risk of letting their membership lapse renewed for another year, and several new members joined our chapter as dedicated volunteers. Membership applications increased following each major event and announcement of a coveted members-only program opportunity.

Bridges to our community underwent renovations this year as our second annual PR Pro Bono day expanded to include advertising and graphic design. By including this additional subject matter, we met an observed need of nonprofit communications professionals to be more adept in fields related to public relations. Several of our regular monthly programs were geared specifically toward nonprofits and issues in the news. Our program on PR in politics, for example, attracted a stronger representation from public information officers and government relations professionals; connecting us to a few current and past members we hadn’t seen in a while.

We reopened bridges to our local American Advertising Federation chapter. As specialized communications professionals, we each noted that we are facing similar work-related challenges. Upon meeting with their leaders, we learned that they were eager to reconnect with us as well. We cross-promoted programs this year, and together, we hosted a special joint networking event that was well-attended by members of both organizations. Plans are underway for continuing our efforts next year.

To our chapter’s future and in connection with our chapter’s past, we built bridges. One way we did this is to ensure a bit of financial security by socking away a year’s worth of operating costs in a Money Market account.

Congratulations all go to you, the members of this chapter, for another grand year on the books. 

See you next "year!"

President's Word

By Kathleen Taylor, APR

Perseverance. If you’ve ever felt the fire of burn out and still managed to meet deadlines, get your point across and keep your temper in check, you know the meaning of this word. As public relations professionals, we are unintentional experts at perseverance.

You may have gotten into this career because you like to write, or because you had great media connections or a passion for the organization you serve. Maybe you jumped in because you love planning events or meeting new people. Whatever the reason, I’m almost certain it wasn’t so that you could face uninformed criticism for being a flack or a roadblock to the “real story.” Surely you never planned on spending so much of your days following up on emails and other still unanswered requests. I would bet my last vacation day that you don’t get into public relations because you hope to be overwhelmed with so many things that you don’t have time to remember to eat lunch.

No, we love our jobs despite of all these things. We become models of perseverance because we have to. When all else goes haywire, it’s often the PR pro’s job to keep a cool head, stay on top of the tiniest details and balance a million and one tasks, all while delivering well-targeted messages and fostering relationships with your audiences.

Remember, accomplishing a challenge that really tests your meddle can be one of the sweetest victories…

President's Word: When putting it off is no longer an option

By: Kathleen Taylor

FPRA SWFL Chapter President

As the sun streamed through the afternoon rain, Josie the PR gal gazed out the window, ignoring the afternoon deluge of email. "I'll deal with that tomorrow," she said.

Josie sank in her chair and bemoaned the mound of work looming over her left shoulder. The contents of far too many individually labeled ivory manila envelopes bulged from all of the clippings and notebook papers full of scratch drawings and notes stuffed inside. She pulled out a folder from the back labeled "great ideas" and sighed at the irony of all those shiny new thoughts crammed in a dusty, forgotten folder. "When am I ever going to find the time to get to this?" she cried. "I'm so booked up with meetings and phone calls and daily duties that I'm too exhausted to actually go through all those ideas or even think about adding another project."

Josie felt so overwhelmed with possibilities that even simple routines had begun to feel monumental. She yearned for inspiration, yet dreaded the day a new project would come along. Her headache throbbed in her temples like a skipping CD track as a reminder of all the other things that she hadn't finished. This pile of work is taking over my life, she thought. My husband jokes that he should send out missing-wife flyers, my dog barks at me when I walk in the house, and my mom keeps waiting for me to call her back. I wish I had the first thought on how to balance all this.

Sound familiar? Josie's story is one that you may have shared time and again with an empathetic friend. Sometimes in our efforts to do it all, we get into this self denial-driven, vicious cycle of the I-would-if-I-coulds, and it can hold us back from getting anything done.

Delaying that phone call you keep meaning to make or holding back on delving into a new exciting project can be so easy when we're already overwhelmed. The good news is that sometimes it only takes a single line through a to-do list item to start a new rhythm.

When we buckle down and focus on one task, finish it, then pick up the next piece and repeat, we can boost ourselves back into a cycle of accomplishment. As we struggle to make it in this multi-task-oriented world, we can lose both our focus and our motivation. Putting off big tasks or delaying new challenges just makes the stack bigger for tomorrow. As Josie might say, who has time for that? Finding time to realize your passions means deciding that putting it off is no longer an option.

President's Word - May 2010 imPRess

By Kathleen Taylor - FPRA SWFL President

Writer’s Block? De-motivated? Frustrated with crisis? Feel like you’re missing something? It may sound crazy, but give it a rest, and the answers may come to you more easily. This April, I read an article that dissects this phenomenon in several parts. Part two is linked here.

The author of the blog “Awake @ the Wheel” is Jonathan Fields (@JonathanFields). He was a big hedge-fund lawyer once back in the 1990s, but he made some dramatic life changes. Countless work hours, boat-loads of stress, and one hospital emergency later, he decided to be awake – not just alive – in his day to day life. His career path since then has careened through different avenues, and his blog is a source of encouragement and ideas for taking your business game to new levels. Fields, a self-described “Career Renegade,” delivers a message about taking risks and living in the moment. At the same time, he urges us to find inspirational role models and work like the dickens to reach our dream goals.

Despite our best efforts to achieve those goals, though, it can feel like some people simply have an instinct that the rest of us are missing. Borrowing from his example, think of that person in your office (it might even be you!) who is cool as a cucumber, if not better than usual, when a project goes awry. The answers seem to come to this person so quickly and smoothly that you wonder why you didn’t think of it. Their secret, of which they may not even be aware, may have to do with the times when they let their mind wander. Fields goes into detail about a practice called attentional training, or AT by which people can learn to exercise their mind and notice more details. The secret, as it turns out, may very well be attributed to what people are doing off the clock that gives them the edge. Both meditative practices where you let your mind relax (such as yoga or running on a treadmill) and skill-type practices where you must focus intensely for an period of time (such as playing a musical instrument or running on a trail) are examples of active AT.

Fields describes other facets of AT that you can read more about on his blog, but what I took away was this: sometimes what your mind needs in order to get from Point-A to Point-B… is a break.

Reach the Top in Your PR Career

By: Kathleen Taylor

Have you reached the top in your career? What helps you get there? How does FPRA work for you and your goals?

Do you look for ways to make the most of your professional development opportunities? Are you reaching out and sharing your knowledge with others?

Are you seizing the moments and celebrating the times when all your hard work comes together? Are you content to just scrape by?

Have you heard of all the chances in March to take action in your career?

1. Have you heard of our next business meeting speaker, Jack Levine, on effectively reaching four generations with your messages?
2. Do you have your Image Award entry or entries coming together by March 11?
3. Are you thinking of going to Annual Conference for all the great networking and workshops, but aren’t sure if it fits in your budget?
4. Are you on board for giving back to our community at PR Pro Bono Day in the most professionally skilled way we can on March 26? 

Is it possible that I wrote this entire President’s Word in questions? Are they making you think about that ways, perhaps, that FPRA (on both the local and state level) challenges you and provides you with avenues and inroads that can distinguish you in your career?

President's Word: Sharing Some Love

A love letter, mysteriously found…hmmm.

Dear Public Relations:

Through all the ups and downs, it is tough to know who will be there for you no matter what. But I have faith in you. You see me through a positive lens and lift me up when it seems the world is a very unfriendly place. When things aren't going so well or we make a mistake, you know how to speak the truth and keep focused on our company values and how to make it right. It's true, some may whisper slights like "spin doctor" or "flack" when they speak of you, but the truth is you are in touch with the needs of people and our diverse audiences, ready to build relationships and defend well-earned reputations. You work ethically and systematically, realizing that every project worth developing deserves a plan. Life is complicated, but you have a knack for writing and explaining the details and being creative all at the same time. Plus, you reach out and work so well with others, like Human Resources, Marketing, Accounting and Legal Services. Connecting with people at every step of the process, through all manners of traditional means and newfangled online tools, you, my dear Public Relations, are my life-line to the people on whom my very success or failure depends.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

All my love,

Business, Inc.