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