Winter 2019 Winter 2019 FORUM FINAL version 1:2 | Page 6

Podcast With The Pros: Natalie Asorey Mindfulness and Spring By Celeste Brown American University For the 10 th episode of this series, Nation- al Vice President of External Affairs Rosa Ambriz welcomed Natalie Asorey, lecturer at the University of Florida. Asorey teaches public relations writing and social media management. Additionally, she is serving as the student-run firm adviser for Alpha PRoductions. She has years of experience under her belt, with time spent as head of social media and supervisor at BODEN, with clients such as McDonald’s, Delta Dental, and United Healthcare. Asorey graduated from the University of Flori- da herself with a Bachelor of Science in public relations and a minor in communi- cation studies. Throughout the podcast, Asorey discussed the important topics of diversity and in- clusion. While many Chapters are having these crucial conversations, many strug- gle to define the terms and connect them to public relations. Asorey put it simply: di- versity is giving someone a seat at the table, while inclusion is empowering them to speak up. She touched on her value of being includ- ed, not only Courtesy of Natalie Asorey for herself, but also to ensure that there are opportunities for those who come after her. In terms of connecting diversity and inclusion to public relations, Asorey explained that it is necessary to consider not just other languages, but cul- tures, too. She explained that America is changing, and brands must cater to that. In order to market to an audience, a brand must connect to their cultural identities and the truths that tie them together. Continued from page 1 Delaney Tarr was a student when the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, occurred. Brendan Duff was a former student and was very involved in the public relations process, helping the student activists spread their message after the tragedy they had been through. It had never clicked in my mind before that activism is a form of public relations. This session blew my mind with all the exciting and innovative ways this group of young activists is gaining the attention of people around the world, and what they are doing to continue to hold that attention. Our Chapter president, Trevor Bryan, had the opportunity to ask them a question: “How do you keep your emotions in check when going through all of these interviews; how does that affect what you do?” Their answer was perfect: “Emotions fueled our move- ment because it is about saving lives.” They went deeper into how their emotions helped their cause, and everybody cried. We were simply in awe of their strength after every- thing they have gone through. Continued from page 1 Applying these insights gradually will sustain improve- ments for the future. By Emma Ingram Publications Editor in Chief This mindset relies on being in touch with your key pub- lics and understanding what works and what doesn’t. Spring is a time when student leaders implement new programming and add new systems within their Chap- ters, which is great for capitalizing on the motivation of a new year. However, spring needs to also be a time where you reflect on what is not working for your Chap- ter or Firm and why. And just like that, the fall semester is complete! How was it? Did you enjoy your classes? Take on a challenging internship? What about PRSSA — was fall semester considered a success among your Chapter? Do some “Spring Clean- ing.” Explore why that guest speak- er did not resonate with your Chapter. Determine what can be adjusted in your Firm’s new structure. Write these down and begin conversations with your colleagues about what el- ements should be given more priority. Clear out the clutter that is blocking your success. If you are interested in recording a podcst with a notable public relations profession- al, email the publications editor in chief at [email protected] Five Takeaways from the “Art of PR” Courtney Fogle: Working in music and entertainment public relations One of my favorite sessions from this Con- ference featured Brett Cannon, senior publicist for SXSW. SXSW is a large music, film and technology conference and festival. Cannon spoke about some big names he’s worked with, event planning, communicat- ing with the press and how he makes such a huge event run smoothly. I was thrilled to hear from a professional with a successful career in entertainment public relations and ask him for some advice about my future endeavors. For an episode of our PRSSA podcast, PR Hangover, I met with Ryan Romana, the founder of a music and entertainment public relations firm called Press Junkie PR. Having another opportunity to network with and learn from a professional in the music industry was such an amazing experience. I learned so much about media relations, working with artists and how to be success- ful in the entertainment industry from both of these intelligent men. You can do this by setting clear, measurable objectives for the semester. By setting specific objectives for your Chapter or Firm within a realistic timeframe, you are aligning your strengths to a goal that will sustain suc- cess for future leaders to come. We are officially midway through this school year. That means it’s time to evaluate how you and your Chapter performed last semester to regroup and come out of the gate stronger than ever this coming semester. If you’re a senior like myself, you also may be realizing that this is your last semester to have a direct impact on your Chapter. Think about what that means — you only have a matter of months to leave your legacy on the Chapter and inspire younger students to continue building upon your work. Here are three pieces of advice to help you and your Chapter truly capitalize on the remainder of this school year. Reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re going. Now is the time to reflect on how last semester went for your Chapter. Regardless of whether it was a positive or negative semester, it’s important to take a step back and reflect on what was achieved, what was challenging and what occurred as a result. Just open yourself to present awareness. It will bring you opportunities of continuous, inspired success. As the godmother of public relations, Besty Plank, said, “Aspire and be inspired.” Hopefully, you and your Chapter planned out the school year back in August. However, if you didn’t, now is the time to determine what your plans are for the remainder of the year. When doing this, put your members first. What activities or efforts will provide the most value to your members? You have to think about the bigger picture because you want your members to be getting the most out of everything your Chapter does. Tools to Showcase Your Personal Brand Outstanding Chapter Awarded to Scripps PRSSA Continued from page 2 Blog Blogs aren’t for everyone, but they continue to grow in popularity. There are many different reasons people start blogging — sharing opinions, helping others from your experience or trying to build a following. You might be surprised to hear there also can be a lot of mon- ey made from blogging, but you can read about that elsewhere. If you decide to start a blog, the same rules surrounding social media are involved. Be professional and make sure it reflects your best self. Additional tools During a conversation with Jason Mollica, a branding professor at American University, he suggested the im- portance of using analytics when gauging the strength of your personal brand. “You are in control of your per- sonal brand. It’s always a work in progress and should be constantly evolving,” says Mollica. He encouraged people to regularly audit themselves using free tools like Meltwater, Talkwalker and Klear. Whatever tools you decide to use to showcase and audit your brand, the same principles apply. It’s import- ant that you start early in your career, as it will become more important as you progress. Start by taking a step back and understanding what you want people to think of when they see your name or photo. “You need a big picture look at your brand. Understand your audience and engage with them,” says Mollica. Now go and start branding! You may be surprised how easy it really is. 6 www.prssa.prsa.org/forum Editorial: The Moment Is Now, So Seize It Cleaning Fall 2018 FORUM Empower those around you. You don’t have to be a leader to leave an impact on the people around you. Take this semester to raise your voice, offer a different perspective, ask questions and inspire those around you. It doesn’t matter if you are a freshman, new to your Chapter, or a senior with four years of experience. Everyone has something to bring to the table, so encourage people to share their opinion. National Assembly is coming up in April. As you may be aware, every Chapter is encouraged to send one delegate to vote upon any proposed bylaw changes and the new National Committee. This is a perfect opportunity to send a younger, perhaps less experienced member of your Chapter to partake in this invaluable event. It will allow them to gain a broader understanding of PRSSA at the national level and hopefully inspire them by being surrounded by servant leaders and hearing from some incredible professionals. Remember that everything happens for a reason. Whether something positive or negative happened in your Chapter’s past, it’s important not to dwell on those experiences but instead capitalize on them. Perhaps last semester your Chapter wasn’t able to send anyone to National Conference in Texas. Well, that’s alright, because nine incredible Regional Conferences are happening over the next three months. As a person, you have to realize that things happen and they don’t always go as planned. Don’t let bumps in the road deter you from achieving your goals on a personal and professional level. Stay positive, stay strong and stay motivated for what the future will hold. I wish every Chapter the absolute best this semester. If you or your Chapter are in need of any advice or help, the National Committee and I are here to assist in whatever manner we can. Now sit back and enjoy the ride that this semester will bring you. Interested in writing for the PRSSA National publications? Email [email protected] to get started today! By Alyssa Gormley Ohio University During the PRSSA 2018 National Conference, Ohio University’s Hugh M. Culbertson PRSSA Chapter received the Dr. F.H. Teahan Award for Outstanding Chapter. This award is presented to a Chapter that demon- strates strong leadership, active participation and a positive community for networking. Engagement is essential in Scripps PRSSA and is shown in various ways. For example, every week, the vice president emails 462 Chapter subscribers about the upcoming week’s meeting events and details on the professional guest speaker. The vice president also selects a new member to spotlight at the weekly meeting, thus increasing the organiza- tion’s interaction. Fundraisers are another notable way that the Chapter supports and expands on member participation. Past fundraisers includ- ed Chipotle, resume-consulting and two headshot fundraisers. Through these, the Chapter was able to decrease the total cost of members that planned to attend the National Conference by $350. As current members establish strong relations in and outside of the Chapter, alumni relation- ships are prioritized just as highly. The Chapter invites alumni to be week- ly guest speakers, holds alumni-specific events, has created a Facebook group for current members and alumni to communicate through and is in the process of creating an alumni database and outreach program in honor of our Chapter’s 50 th anniversary (which is next year). Aside from this, the Chapter has a successful Student-run Firm known as 1804 Communications. The firm consists of 81 students and works with 13 clients. Between the Chapter and 1804 Communication, members gain heavy knowledge on how to successfully network. 7 www.prssa.prsa.org/forum Members of the Ohio University PRSSA Chapter (back row left to right): Haley Bender, Hannh Schuller, Flannery Jewell, Sydney Davis, Kate Ryan, Livi Wise, Maura Anderson (front row left to right): Jessica Rutkowski, Sierra Heilman, Mar- garet Mary Hicks, Brigitte Meisse, Sadie Newman, Emily O’Flynn, Alyssa Murtagh, Mishhalaina Coles Alyssa Murtagh, the national vice president of career services, explained her reaction to winning the award, “When Andrew announced ‘Ohio Uni- versity’, I was shocked. Not because I didn’t think we could do it, but because we actually did it. There is no greater feeling than receiving Out- standing Chapter and knowing that all of the hard work from our execu- tive board and members is well recognized!” Chapter president Brigitte Meisse, felt the same, “I was personally blown away. Our Chapter does so much amazing work that rarely gets recog- nized. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing that hard work finally pay off. Our main goal for the year was to engage with National more, and winning this award will serve as a catalyst to keep moving forward on that goal (and harder than before).” Fall 2018 FORUM