Preparing for my first PR event was exciting. 1800FLOWERS is coming out with a new line of products, and we are helping them with a Happy Hour Launch Party. Though we sent out invitations quite a few weeks ago, after several follow ups and re-invites, the RSVPs are still rolling in just hours before the event. Getting the media to attend can be challenging, even though the event is quite appealing! I assume they probably get invited to several events, so figuring out what would make ours special is all in the wording.

Understandably, when you work in the media, your job doesn’t end when you leave the office. Therefore, committing to an event that is after hours, as fun as it may seem, is still work. It is very important to form great relationships with people in the media so that they’ll come to your seemingly social event, and it will serve as a win-win for all: your client is happy that the media is there, you’re happy because your client is happy, and your media contact is happy because they are able to attend a fun event surrounded by PR contacts that they actually have great relationships with!

The event was a success. It was a relief to see everything unfold, from the tireless media lists, to the actual execution of the party. It was also interesting to put faces with names finally! It was also good to actually put names and faces with our clients, whom I’d been communicating with but hadn’t met. The team is amazing! At the event everyone was mixing and mingling, which was crucial to the success. Plus, it was a chance to get the right people excited about the new launch. Everything was decorated perfectly and it was noted by everyone, which proves that presentation is also very important. At the end of the night, it was clear that everyone had a great time, and that all of the hard work definitely paid off!

Rather than sleeping in late and laying by the pool like most would want, I decided to get an internship this summer to put some structure and routine into my day to day life. I have interned with another PR firm a few years ago so I thought I knew what I was in for—tons of errands, making copies, and binding together multiple sheets. However, I was wrong.

Working at MWW for only a few weeks has taught me a lot. Not only was I given the opportunity to work with a fun, energetic, and intelligent group of people; I was enlightened on what public relations actually is. I remember walking in for my “interview,” I tried to look very professional and conservative. The two ladies that spoke to me were super relaxed, personable, and dressed comfortably casual. I immediately felt a sense of relief and knew that MWW Group’s environment was right up my alley.

However, I was nervous for my first day of work because I did not know what to expect, because the two ladies told me that I would be actively working and not just doing random small tasks like my previous internship. Within two hours of getting settled in my nook at the office I had already learned about media monitoring and was actively engaged in meeting a deadline that afternoon. It was an impeccable feeling knowing that what I was doing was positively impacting this company.

Throughout my time at MWW I have done various tasks such as media lists, media monitoring, media reports and even sat in on client calls, but there is still so much more to learn. One major aspect I learned was not being afraid to ask questions. As an intern, you are expected to not know everything and I learned that it is much more efficient to ask questions and do it the right way then have to redo work that you did wrong. Unfortunately for the other intern that accompanied me in Dallas, I ambushed her quite frequently with tons of questions, but was so thankful she was there to guide me.

The people at MWW in all the offices, including the Dallas office, are easy to talk to and make work more enjoyable. I feel more confident in myself in communicating with others and getting tasks done. Thanks MWW for this opportunity, it’s been wonderful!

Starting out as one of the only interns at MWW for the beginning of the summer had its challenges, but everybody was really welcoming and made sure I was comfortable.  MWW has been terrific but there was nothing they could do about the reporters who I had to call.  I had made numerous media lists for projects I was told about, but never really thought I would be involved with until I had to call the media.  I was nervous and even asked for a guideline on what to say when speaking to a reporter.  I was so afraid of fumbling over my words or embarrassing the company I was representing.  I had been warned countless times about how the reporters could be rude and mean.  While I only had one experience with an unhappy reporter (so far…) it was interesting to see how the reporters interacted with a Public Relations person first hand.

Well…to be honest it would have been nice to have a little more interaction with the reporters, but not many answered their phone.  From the media lists I created there were glaring mistakes I noticed before even dialing the reporters. Most reporters’ beats didn’t seem to relate to the product or event I was pitching, but it didn’t make a difference.  Whether the person was covering the topic will never be known because I wasn’t able to reach 90% of the people on the list.  The most success I ever had was calling Sacramento Newspaper reporters, and I mistakenly forgot about the 3 hour time difference.  I called them around 8:30am PT which oddly enough allowed me to speak to most of them.  It doesn’t make sense to me how people who are supposed to not be at work until 9am are answering the phone in their offices more consistently than those who are supposed to be at work.

My suggestion for future interns is to take your time making the media lists you are asked to create, because there is nothing more humbling than to actually have a reporter answer the phone only to find out they do not cover the topic you are pitching.  A little patience and attention to detail will go along way when you call from the list in the future.   It might be nice to finish with the media list really quickly, but when you find out you are the one calling the 300 names you placed into the excel spreadsheet you will regret not narrowing the field by call 96.

Good luck and have fun! It’s really great working here. You will learn so much.

I got into public relations because, believe it or not, I wanted to wield the media for a baseball team.  The more I learned about PR, and the more experience I got, however, I realized that PR was awesome, no matter what client you’re working with.

But that being said, I am, and always will be, a baseball junkie. And there are things about PR and baseball that aren’t so different…

• To the untrained eye, the pitcher is in charge of the game.  He handles the ball on every play.  He can give up home runs, and he has the power to strike out players and sit them down. To the baseball novice….this is the power that wins games.

But the novice often looks right past the catcher. You know—the man behind the plate. The one who is actually calling the shots.  He calls each pitch, every decision.

The pitcher, in the world of PR, equates to the client. He’s the face of the team, the brand enigma. What people see first.  What I love about PR is that we are the catcher. We are the silent leaders, behind the plate.

• Most people think baseball is a game of chance. What they don’t realize is that the game is based on strategy. It’s not chance when that player hits it to the left side of the field instead of the right side, it’s not chance when he gets out but advances a runner. Every move is planned out.

As in PR….you can get a base hit every now and then, you know, secure a few local publications, or you can swing for the fences, hit a homerun in the bottom of the ninth and secure coverage in those top tier publications.  Small ball, or hard ball. It’s all about how you execute your strategy and deliver in clutch situations.

• In baseball, it never solely matters how your team is doing, it depends on the competition.  Where your team stands compared to the other teams, how well your 3^rd baseman is doing compared to their 3^rd baseman, etc.

Just like in baseball, in PR you need to constantly keep an eye on your competition.

• Babe Ruth, the best baseball player who ever lived, struck out many more times than he hit home runs.

Don’t let a single failure ruin your career. If one press release didn’t get picked up, that’s ok.  Strategize, and hit a homerun the next time.  You can still come out on top in the end.

See? Pretty similar.  The most important thing is to remember that practice makes perfect.  Can’t hit that curve ball? Practice, practice, practice.  Can’t get that publication to pick up that pitch? Reach out more, write more, and never give up.

Food, food, food! I literally cannot get enough of it, and I’m not referring to eating. I am constantly in interaction with food, foodies, chefs, recipes, and ingredients from the moment I wake-up, until I go to bed. I willingly spend my time reading cookbooks, cooking magazines, chef’s autobiographies, their tweets, or watching any number of shows on any one of the several TV networks now dedicated to my guiltiest pleasure: food. It makes me think though – why am I, and a growing number of Americans, obsessed with the ultimate staple of life? Here is my take on it.

Throughout time people have always interacted with their food, for survival reasons, hunger, or the need to get dinner on the table. While the necessity of interacting with our food has not changed, the way in which we interact is vastly different today. In a world now ruled by digital, we can interact with food on new levels never before present. The advance of digital dialogue has allowed us to develop relationships with what we eat outside of the kitchen.

For example, May 10^th was National Shrimp Day. Now how many of us would know about, much less celebrate, such an estranged holiday? Well thanks to Twitter, that morning I was informed that one of my favorite crustaceans had a holiday, and was called to engage in the celebration of all things shrimp by divulging my favorite ways to enjoy its’ succulence (it’s Shrimp Etouffee if you’re wondering).

While my engagement in National Shrimp Day may seem benign and a great way to stock-up on some new recipes, it is much more important. My involvement in the tweet-storm surrounding National Shrimp Day was more than social interaction with fellow shrimp-lovers; it was a demonstration of my active engagement in the digital world mastered by those in the food industry.

Today chefs, specialty stores, food shows, ratings groups, and eateries big and small are on Twitter. They see its’ merits and lovingly embrace it as an important addition to their media repertoire. With the industry’s media success, and the popularity of so many food-based Twitter accounts, one can only believe that the food industry has their finger on the pulse of digital dialogue.

For the past year I have been working for the 21^st Century Academic Youth Program on weekends that help inner city children broaden their horizons and understanding to make them more knowledgeable on a variety of skills such as leadership, science, computer skills, writing, etc.  My job is to assist the children in molding their talents to become well-rounded individuals in today’s competitive market. Through this great opportunity came great networking through a simple morning conversation.

Irene DelRosso, Instructional Coach for the Department of Academic Support informed me on the great program that they have going on with their morning breakfast routine. This is a vital meal for any child to optimize learning and retention. I proceeded to explain my internship to Irene and what Jimmy Dean’s mission is with partnering with Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry Campaign. I offered her the opportunity of showcasing the program on the NKH Blog site. In doing so the city of Paterson can receive free publicity on the great initiatives they are doing while enhancing the NKH Campaign’s mission Jimmy Dean is so passionate about.

She welcomed the chance and we exchanged numbers. The life of a future public relations specialist is never done, to always seize the opportunity and to take charge is my mantra in life. The work that the Youth Program does along with the Paterson School District breakfast program couldn’t have been a better fit.

I’m the type of person that likes to keep busy and do practically everything. I blog on my spare time, I’m still president of my school organizations (even though I graduated last semester), I’m a freelance on the weekends, but one of the best projects that I have is working with Jessica Shearer from East Rutherford in Love Without Boundaries. We coordinate the annual Long Branch Marathon that will be held May 1^st, 2011 with a weekend full of family fun as well and friendly races.

Love Without Boundaries (LWB) is an organization that my student organization at Rutgers, the Chinese Student Organization, has held annual charity events to raise money to help children with surgical needs. LWB provides assistance to children with more than just surgical needs; they are a loving organization that helps healing homes, education, foster care, nutrition, orphanages, and many more!

I am grateful that MWW group has also decided to become a sponsor of this annual charity event, and I hope the rest of the MWW team will come out and support the weekend of! There is a family fun day event on Saturday for guests of all ages where Jessica and I will have tables of caricatures set up. Please feel free to come out and support us the day of. We would also love if you can support the organization that we love here Love Without Boundries!

Adjusting from college- to working- life can be awkward…Correction: It is awkward.  Although our age tells us we are adults, the endless ambiguities remind us that we are still young- When is it appropriate to voice my opinion at work?  How many questions can I ask until I’m “that” annoying girl/guy?  Is it still acceptable to talk to my mom every day?  Wait, how do I fill out this tax form?

As a young person in this transition myself, I have some tips that I have found particularly helpful.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Not everyone will be open to your questions, but find someone who is.  It’s better to ask before you put in hours of work that takes hours to be “fixed” later.

2. Pack your lunch. Saving money can be hard, and this is the most painless way to save $5-12 a day.  Another plus?  Small talk with co-workers in the kitchen is a great way to get comfortable with your new job.

3. Volunteer. The benefits are endless- helping a worthy cause, making new friends, and the sheer joy of feeling like you made a difference.  In addition, offering your say, PR skills, at an organization will look great on your resume!

4. Eat healthy, exercise, and get your z’s. Simple as that.  You will have more energy, avoid dark under eye circles, and those endorphins keep you happy!

5. Make time for down time. While hard work and professional development are important, it’s just as important to relax every once in a while to avoid burnout.  Spend time with friends, read a good book, watch some guilty pleasure TV (ahem…any Gleeks out there?).

So, let’s talk about this.  Tell me what works for you!

Volunteering is something I’ve always wanted to do but I never knew where to start.  Through one of my college professors, I came across the Volunteer Center of Bergen County and had the chance to start an internship during college.  After graduation, the internship led to volunteering. Because it’s been such a big part of my life I wanted to share my experience, check it out…

Habitat for Humanity is an important organization to me, and I try to volunteer on my spare time (when I am not working at MWW Group of course!) I wanted to share my experience with my fellow MWWers and all of you, so I have put together a video blog of my day spent at a building project in Waldwick, NJ. Enjoy!