Working with Students

September 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Tonight I had the privilege of fulfilling the best part of my duties as part of the IABC Orange County board. Not only am I the immediate past president, but this year I took on the role of education liaison.

This means that I get to spend time with the student chapter of IABC at my alma mater, California State University, Fullerton. Tonight was the first general meeting of the fall semester. A general meet and greet with the student board and a testimonial from one of the professional chapter members. That testimonial to IABC was me.

I spent a few minutes talking about my experiences and then about 30 minutes answering questions from the students. Now, I have done this in the past and heard nothing but crickets in the room; however tonight I answered more questions than ever.

Kudos to his new group of students for taking the initiative to learn. And, thank you to all of them for once again renewing my enthusiasm for what it is that I do. The more time I spend with students, the more I realize that communications is what I was meant to be doing.

IABC of Cal State Fullerton board of directors at Discoverfest with IABC Fellow and Dean of the College of Communications William Briggs.

Filed Under: Pure Fun

Happy Labor Day!

September 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It’s a three day Holiday weekend. What does that mean?

For many Americans, that means beaches, bar-b-ques and visits with friends and family. For me, I’m taking the complete opposite approach to the Labor Day Holiday.

I’m celebrating the holiday by sitting back and relaxing. And, that is what this day is all about. Originally designed to celebrate labor unions, we now use Labor Day as a time to commemorate the economic and social contributions of any worker.

Well, I’m a worker taking a welcome day off. How are you spending your long weekend?

Filed Under: Holiday Tagged With: ,

What’s Your Networking Hook?

August 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Tonight, I attended the SCVN general mixer. In order to do it well, networking takes practice and skill. The first question from most people is, “what do you do?”

Photo credit: David Moyle

It’s important to have your 10-second elevator pitch at the ready. Once you have shared your elevator pitch, then it is important to say or do something memorable. At an event like the SCVN general mixer you can meet anywhere upwards of 20 people. But, ask me, do I remember them all? No.

The one person I do remember had a unique skill and then actually took the time to learn about what I do. We went on to have a very interesting conversation about how to use LinkedIn to generate leads and to become a trusted source.

At the end of the day, networking is about being open, being prepared and making the connection between your expertise and the expertise of the person you’re talking to. Do you have your elevator pitch a the ready?

Filed Under: Networking, Social Media Tagged With: , , ,

The Planning Began Weeks Ago

August 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

David and I are embarking in September on a cross country road trip extravaganza. The planning began weeks ago, but the current state of our dining room table proves that it has been kicked into high gear. We decided to take the Northern route. So, I-90 here we come.

Maps everywhere. Where'd the dining room table go?

Now, if we just had a car to get from Seattle to Washington, D.C. That should be booked this weekend.

On our list so far:

  1. Seattle: Space Needle, Pike’s Place Market, Boeing Museum
  2. Yellowstone National Park
  3. Grand Tetons
  4. Mount Rushmore
  5. Lansing and Ann Arbor, Michigan
  6. Cleveland
  7. Washington, D.C.: National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial

Those are the big places, now I just have to look for some of the “off-the-beaten-path” attractions. My newest friend is RoadTrip America. Anything along the way we should check out? Please leave me a comment.

Filed Under: Road Trip Extravaganza Tagged With: ,

Well … Here Goes Something

August 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Yes, this is one of THOSE posts. Indulge me, this is my first post on my own site.

It’s nerve racking to embark on this journey. I’ve been staring at a blank blog page on my website for a few days. It’s scary to know that I now have to find things to write about.

My goal is to post at least once a week. Hopefully more. The posts will range from observations about life to my work as a public relations, marketing and social media professional to personal stories. The first few weeks will include a journal about my cross country road trip. My boyfriend, David, and I are driving from Seattle to Washington, D.C. Expect some crazy hijinks.

I’m looking forward to the journey. Please leave me comments and share your thoughts with me.

Filed Under: Goals, Introduction Tagged With: ,
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