In Perpetual Motion: Reflections On a 2.0 Vacation
That’s me coming out of a London phone booth on Heddon Street last week. If any David Bowie fans are reading this, they’re nodding their heads; and if the rest of you are scratching your noggins wondering what I’m going on about, here’s why Heddon Street is legendary to Ziggy Stardust fans, of whom my husband is king (and therefore, by association, am I queen).
In perpetual motion
You’re also probably wondering why I chose a photo that’s a bit fuzzy to illustrate this post. I did so because it captures me in motion, and that’s what our vacation (which was wonderful) felt like.
We were in perpetual motion, as we took in the Globe, Abbey Road, Lord’s, Abbaworld (awesome!), some great restaurants and the whole point of going to London in some very crappy weather – to see Elvis Presley in Concert as my “milestone birthday” celebration. (After all, when you’re in one of the world’s most vibrant cities for five days, you want to do as much as you can.)
It’s also how I think of life today. Ever since getting back to the U.S., I’ve slowly been getting back to my “real” life, which was blissfully suspended for a week. And real life in the 21st century moves very, very fast. The kind of thing we say we want to get away from… which is why we go on vacation, right?
Kinda sorta. While we were traveling, I did keep my Blackberry close at hand, but I didn’t send too many emails from it (at least, I’d like to think I didn’t, though my colleagues at IABC/DC Metro are probably snorting right now).
So while the vacation was meant to be a getaway, I didn’t really “get away” as much as I could have… but was that a bad thing?
The 2.0 vacation
Because of my BB, for example, we were able to minimize how much paper (directions, addresses, etc.) that we carried with us while we were traipsing across the city. A green vacation… after a fashion!
And I was able to stay in touch with my Twitter peeps thanks to Ubertwitter. One of them, Howard Riefs, introduced me to the fabulous Tom Aikens, who very kindly made a reservation for me at Tom’s Kitchen (which you really have to go to when you’re next in London). The best eggs benedict I’ve eaten in a while, not to mention the best loo sign ever. Check it out:
They also told me how much postage I’d need to mail in some bill payments that I’d forgotten to drop off in the mad rush before we left. Staying connected helped me find one of London’s three remaining post offices (or so someone said) and take that load off my mind.
Because we had mobile connectivity, we were able to find some really dinky record stores – the kind that only take cash – that my husband’s been dreaming of going to.
And I was able to meet up with friends like Richard Bagnall and Ved Sen, and meet IRL tweeps such as Kristin Wadge, Russell Pearson, Bryce Keane and Sheema Siddiqui (the latter of whom organized a #shonalitweetup – love it!)
Whether we like it or not, hyper-connectivity is part and parcel of our lives, especially for those of us who live in the social media plane. Yes, that’s sometimes tiring, even irritating… but it can also be incredibly helpful.
So while it’ll take me a little time to get back into full 2.0 work mode, I’m grateful to the 2.0 world for adding dimension to a vacation that was a once-in-a-lifetime event for us.
You might call it a 2.0 vacation.
Help These PR Pros Find A Job
Update: please scroll down to see several more HAPPOers – the afternoon edition of this post. Again – these are all wonderful people who have unique skills and personalities – so if, while you’re reading their bios and posts, you can think of a connection that will help them – do make it. It’s social karma. Thank you!
I wrote earlier about why I’m participating in #HAPPO, so I won’t bore you with those details again (but if you need a refresher, the post is here).
Since today’s the actual HAPPO “event,” I thought I’d aggregate any DC-area HAPPO pitches I could here, to make it convenient for recruiters and folks with job openings to connect with them.
So if you do find someone below you’d be interested in talking to, or think one of the folks featured here could fit a bill you know about, please leave a comment or contact them directly, not me (but why not leave a comment anyway?).
Good luck, HAPPODC-ers!
Heather Mahoney
Heather (@Heather_Mahoney) attended the University of Maryland, College Park, graduating with honors in Communication (PR specifically). She’s involved with UCA, NCA, and PRSSA/PRSA. Published writer/editor for two publications; interned for Brotman Winter Fried and CBS Radio. A current reporter for The Scene Bisnow. Now, she’s looking for a full-time entry-level position in PR, specifically for a large publicity firm. She’s a fresh young professional simply looking for a place to allow her talents to shine.
Emilie O’Toole
Emilie’s a senior public relations major and business administration minor at Boston University, searching at the intersection of government, public affairs and communications for her first job. She’s a highly motivated and creative communicator looking to sink her teeth into a career in public relations. She’s an idealist, looking for an opportunity to make the world around her a better place through creative thinking, strategic planning and most importantly, action. Check out her full HAPPO pitch here or her resume.
Ashley Marshall
Ashley Marshall is a highly energized, self motivated, communications professional with experience in various avenues of public affairs, public relations, and television production. A recent graduate of Georgetown University with a Masters degree in corporate communications and public relations, Ashley completed a public affairs apprenticeship at one of Washington DC’s K street public affairs firms, Adfero Group. She had the opportunity to work with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Microsoft, The American Institute of Architects, and many congressional offices on Capitol Hill. This experience provided her with many transferable skills such as written communications, new media, web-based research, website development, developing communications strategies, advocacy campaigns, and Internet advertising analysis. Reach her at http://www.untaintedpr.wordpress.com.
Eli Baratz
Eli is interested in entry-level and intern positions with a PR firm in public affairs. He’s a 2007 graduate of Indiana University, BA in Telecommunications, BA in International Relations. Read his #HAPPO pitch here, and contact him at 317-626-7674 or elibaratz (dot) eli (at) gmail (dot) com.
Kim Allen
Kim is a recent PR professional, and loves the PR game. She’s looking for an entry-level position and to build a stronger networking base. And more then anything, she would love to relocate from Indiana, in fact she would consider that a requirement. Here’s more on Kim.
Andrew Elwell
Andrew is a senior at The George Washington University majoring in political communication and graduating in May. He has experience working in communications with nonprofits and in an agency setting, as well as journalism experience. He enjoys running, listening to bad pop music and constantly checking his twitterstream. Read his #HAPPO pitch here.
Laura Peck
Laura (@peccolina) is an organized, fast learner with great people skills, who loves to creative brainstorm. She’s graduating with a degree in public relations with minors in english, sociology and international studies from Penn State. She took the initiative to help co-found Penn State’s first student-run PR firm, Happy Valley Communications. Her extracurricular experience along with my education & internship experience make me a great addition to any team. For more, check out her blog.
The Afternoon Edition
Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR
I am an award-winning Accredited Public Relations (APR) professional with more than a decade experience leading all areas of integrated public relations planning and implementation including: digital media, issues/crisis management, media relations, organizational change, advocacy, events, and publication design. I am knowledgeable, skilled, realistic, and principled. I have a strong foundation in all areas of integrated public relations planning and implementation. I can design a plan through research then make it happen while doing it on time and within budget. My passions lie in doing good and have spent my career in nonprofits doing just that. Learn more about me that a resume can’t say: http://bit.ly/9CwaIL
Therese Pompa
Therese Pompa has five years of Marketing and PR experience. Therese is diverse in her skill set and has an understanding of the connection between PR, Social Media, and Marketing; thereby allowing her to see the big picture when implementing a strategic plan. She has a strong attention to detail, is a creative thinker, a keen observer, sees the big picture and will go above and beyond until success is achieved. Learn more about her #HAPPO journey here.
Paula Newbaker
HAPPO-potomuses crash Internet!!! To avoid such PR pitfalls in the future, view www.paulanewbaker.com. I’ve been doing this a few years, so you can check out my case studies and other samples for ways in which I can help you. Strategic communications, PR, media relations, content-providing and writing, broadcast producing … I’ll even do your voice over work. Says Maury Tobin of Tobin Communications, “There are strategic thinkers and there are creative thinkers, but what makes Paula atypical is that she is smart when it comes to both approaches.”
Erica Lawton
Erica Lawton is an up-and-coming professional in the communication industry who is looking for opportunities in the DC area. She graduated from Bryant University in May 2009 with an Honors BA in communication and minors in business administration and political science. She is currently a master’s candidate at American University and will graduate with an MA in Public Communication in August 2010. Her academic background and internship experience makes her an excellent candidate! Read more about Erica and #HAPPO here.
Faith Dow
I’m an Online Content Editor and Community Manager seeking to combine social media with marketing. I’m greatly interested in advocacy work surrounding access to technology and broadband internet. My writeup on #HAPPO is here.
Image (right at the very top): Blake Patterson, Creative Commons
Moving from “Buzz” to “Business”: Social Commerce Camp DC Is Coming Up
Why bother with PR?
One of the things that yours truly focuses on in her, er my, “day job” is the business use of public relations – or, in other words, why bother with “PR” if it’s not going to impact business indicators? Far too often, I see and hear people assuming the raison d’être of “PR” is to “create buzz.”
I won’t belabor the point here but in a nutshell, it’s not. Effective PR is designed – and implemented – with a view to helping an organization achieve its business objectives. In other words, it really is about managing the relationships between an organization and its “publics,” and thus impacting the bottom line.
Which is why I’m excited to be a part of Social Commerce Camp DC this weekend (Saturday, Feb. 20); a free educational event that is geared towards small businesses and entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses and are looking for the tools to get them started.
Now, it’s a half-day event so no, you won’t be writing an encyclopedia on small business after attending, but what you should definitely walk away with is an understanding of how to use “social” to jumpstart your business (or kick it into high gear). And yes, PR is a part of that, and that’s what I’ll be focusing on.
Here’s the agenda
- 8 – 9 am: Continental breakfast , registration and networking
- 9 – 9:45 am: Social Media 101 for Small Business, with Shashi Bellamkonda , Social Media Swami, Network Solutions
- 10 – 10:45 am: Creating a Killer Social User Experience with your e-Commerce Site, with Steve Fisher, browncoatsmovie.com
- 10.45 – 11.15 am: Check your Twitter account/ blogging time
- 11:15 am to 12 noon: PR Tips and Best Practices for Small Business – Shonali Burke (me!)
Major props to the sponsors: Mayer Brown, Network Solutions, Kikscore and MyBusinessAssistant.com.
Will I see you there? Remember, it’s free, so come on out. You can register here.
Image: Daniel Broche, Creative Commons
Cross-posted from Women Grow Business, of which I am editor.
