Eek! Some Spooky Lessons

It seems that October has been a month of professional development for yours truly. I've learned so much and met some amazing people! Networking can seem as scary as the Halloween decorations in my apartment, but it has opened doors for me that I never knew existed. The ideas and opportunities I've gained from listening to others has really inspired me. And networking gets much less frightening after the awkward introduction phase!

Happy Halloween! Scary, right?

My first major encounter with networking this semester was at the Public Relations+Social Media Summit hosted by my college earlier this month. I spend about 10 hours sitting in on presentations and panels about the communications industry, as well as connecting with other students, professors, and professionals during down time. It was an exhausting but rewarding day, and I'd like to share some of the top themes I picked out. 

• Relationships: as with most of the human race these days, the marketing and PR world revolves around relationships. Consumers trust what their friends have to say much more than what a company representative says, so things like customer service are extremely important. Want your customers to like you? Make them happy so they'll tell their friends about their experience. As Paul Rand, president and CEO of Zocalo Group, said, your brand is what consumers tell each other it is, not what you tell them it is. 
• Interaction: one of the greatest features of social media is its interactive nature. People don't just take in information that has been pushed to them; they select the information that is important to them, review it, share it, even co-create it. Many speakers talked about the immense opportunity this property of social media presents, as well as the risks it implies.
• Chaos as a ladder: this may sound like I'm quoting Game of Thrones, but risk and even crisis can present ways for companies to truly shine. Going above and beyond the typical problem solving techniques can turn a company into a thought leader. Especially with social media, which people use, as Tom Branigan, CEO of Branigan Communications, said, for both "directed and non-directed time" (for example, doing something productive like seeking information on a particular news story vs. killing time by looking through silly hashtags), risks are everywhere, but so are opportunities to flex your muscles of awesomeness. 
• Community: social media brings people together. Like the relationship function of PR, social media can build community around a company through authenticity. This means a company must be transparent, honest, and ethical when communicating with its publics. People can only gather around a brand if it is credible and its values are well defined.
• Know why: It’s not enough for a company to know what it produces or how it goes to market; it must know why. The best brands have stories behind them, sets of values that make them unique and influence every aspect of their business. As social media guru Augie Ray asserted, people don’t buy what you do, but why you do it. Have a purpose and make it real by living your brand in everything you do. 

I could go on and on about the things I learned at this conference (the presentation about Alterra changing its name to Colectivo had me at the edge of my seat!), but this post is getting lengthy as it is. I’ll conclude with something I learned from a conversation that resulted from the conference, but occurred a few days later. 

My amazing networking skills (AKA dumb luck) connected me with a professional who had worked in China, and he told me his favorite thing about the conference was the notion of “why”. The fact that more and more American businesses are being driven by a higher purpose really impressed him. While many (but not all) companies in China tend to use gimmicks to spark controversy and debate to gain attention, it seems that the trend in American social media and marketing communication is going in a more noble direction. That really fires me up! I’m excited to help bring a good name to this industry. 

Talking to new people and experiencing new things can be scary, but it's extremely rewarding. I should get in the Halloween spirit more often!

Trying Something New: Social Awareness

I recently wrote a blog post for my Communications Ethics class about the relationship of the media with Occupy Wall Street and what it means for my generation. I decided to post it here. This is a direction I usually don't go in for this blog, but after reading Occupy Nation by Todd Gitlin, I thought it might be good to bring some contemporary issues and more controversial topics to "Confessions". After all, my writing should always keep evolving, right?

Occupy Wall Street is a fascinating movement that is both rooted in and breaking away from, well, everything: history, culture, even democracy as we know it. Thanks to media platforms new and old, everybody has heard about it, yet no one can seem to fully explain it. Todd Gitlin attempts to clear up some of the confusion surrounding this complex movement in his book, Occupy Nation.

Over the last decade or so, the theme of the United States has changed from one of prosperity to one of uncertainty and frustrated hopes, especially for the middle class. As Gitlin points out, many Americans feel that “banks got bailed out, we got sold out” and that the 1 percent that holds the majority of the nation’s wealth also holds the nation’s power, which, according to our democratic system, belongs to all American citizens by right. 

Photo courtesy of CNN.com

For the other 99 percent, things are a bit bleak. The ever-present threat of post graduation loan payments and job searches are likely to strike fear in all college students. It’s said that Generation Y (of which most of my classmates and I are a part) is the first generation in about a century that will most likely not be better off financially than their parents. If you’re not just a little terrified by that, you’re lying.

With the Gen Y problem in mind, it’s no wonder that a movement composed mainly of young educated people (“They’re deep. They’re analytical. They go to the root,” Yotam Marom told Gitlin) sprung up to take down big business and big government. It’s also no surprise that OWS has utilized the media, as many movements of the past century have, to launch and maintain its campaigns. Only today, the media play a different role.

The movement would never have grown as rapidly as it did without the use of social media, something that didn’t even exist during the civil rights or antiwar movements. Everyone can participate because everything is transparent. Live streaming and live tweeting is the norm. Because of social media, OWS is out there for the world to see, if only people take the time to sort through their clogged news feeds to look.

Traditional media have tried jumping on the OWS bandwagon as well, but the movement seems to be too complex for newspapers and TV stations to keep up. They simply end up taking the “newsworthy” parts of the movement and repackaging them as ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OCCUPY WALL STREET. This “need to know” approach by mainstream media really doesn’t do the movement justice, and certainly doesn’t do the general public any favors.

I could never begin to accurately describe such a complex movement. I’m glad we have books like Occupy Nation to explain it as it is, with its many facets and faults. Even so, Occupy can’t be our only source on the matter. In this day and age, with millions of sources of information, it’s our responsibility as media consumers to try to gain the clearest picture we can. For those of us who are, or will be, media producers, it’s our responsibility to report fairly what we can and to be honest about our biases and shortcomings. No media outlet contains the absolute truth and no one should try to pretend otherwise.

So keep consuming. Keep searching. Keep learning. Maybe we don’t all need to become hard-core activists, but if we evolve personally the way Occupy Wall Street has evolved, maybe we will learn to improve our lives. Are you ready, Gen Y?

Surprise!

What? A blog post that hasn't been thrown together at the last possible minute to meet the once-monthly quota I've set for myself? Needless to say, I think it's time I revamped this blog.

I wasn't fully satisfied with my last post. In fact, I feel like something has been missing from quite a few of my posts lately. They are all very cheery, and I don't think they are painting the full picture of my life or what this blog is about. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things in my life worth celebrating; I would just like my writing to be as honest and realistic as possible. And part of life is struggling and overcoming those struggles.

It's pretty universally accepted that the best writers are those who read. I've been reading some really great blogs lately, with unique styles and interesting topics. This blog is nowhere near that caliber, but that was kind of the point of it all along. I'm the Last Learner, the one surrounded by social media and books and art and blogs and movies and projects that are completely creatively inspiring, and all I'm trying to do is catch up and play in the big leagues.

I will never be able to consume all the Awesome that is out there. I will never watch every great movie or favorite every brilliant tweet. I will, however, contribute to that Awesome in whatever way I can. I will not make excuses for myself. I will not be seasonally creative. Let this blog be actual written documentation that I will try to add to the world's supply of Awesome all year round, even during school when I'm stressed and have "more important" things to do.

It's time for a change in perspective. I am in college to learn what I can from the books I buy and teachers whose salaries I help pay for. But I am also in college to take in inspiration from my surroundings and produce something that may inspire others. Being "smart" and being "creative" are equally important in my book and I'm not doing myself any favors by favoring one over the other.

This blog isn't really meant to be a journal documenting what I've done over the past month; it's more of an exercise book. It's a place to flex my writing muscles, test out ideas, and practice. It's not a burden; it's a key to a locked door. By writing, I can open up the creative part of my mind that I keep shut too often.

I plan on taking on more creative projects and possibly collaborating with others. Collaborative writing is something I haven't really delved into yet (at least not in a very positive light) and I'd like to see what it holds for me. So stick with me because I'm kicking myself into shape!

Post-Summer Musings

The summer has ended and my internships with it. I've just completed my first week of junior year. I've jumped into clubs and extracurricular activities, new and old. It seems like things have taken a 180 degree turn!

My world really has been turned upside down recently. I loved both of my internships and got some amazing opportunities and learning experiences from them. I met some extremely kind, smart, funny, and interesting people, most of which were older and more experienced than me. What's more, I didn't have homework!

Now I have a completely mixed up schedule and perspective. Everything is different, down to the smallest detail. Instead of turning right when leaving my building, I turn left. There are people my age everywhere I look. I go to class for a few hours here and there and then I have homework in the evening. It seems so strange to be a student again after working for a full three months.

It's amazing how easily we become accustomed to our roles. I've been a student my entire life, but when I had a different way to occupy my time by working at my internships, I left the role of student behind without even thinking about it. It's nice to go to school again and spend time with my friends, but I can't help feeling as if I've gone backward somehow. The order of life goes "Grade School --> High School --> College --> Work", right? Since I've had my work experience, shouldn't I be done with the school part?

In the working world, you learn through experience; in the college world, you learn through study. They offer different ways of moving forward, but either way brings progress. It really doesn't matter what order you go in, or whether you fully complete every step. Life is certainly not a straight line. That's what makes it so interesting and exciting!

The important thing for me at the moment is not necessarily to follow the exact path I was going down, but to maintain the intensity of the creative energy I felt during the summer. I plan on keeping up with Gerome the Gnome and all his social media projects (he's been a lot of fun so far!), as well as doing social media for the environmental club on campus and singing in the gospel choir. I've started my Chinese class too! It's a challenge, but it's going to be fun.

I can't believe I'm already halfway done with my college experience. Obviously, I'm pretty excited to join the workforce, but I won't forget to enjoy the time I have left as a student. There are opportunities for me here that I won't find anywhere else. The best way to prepare for the future is to fully live in the present.

My Summer Project: A New Friend

Every summer, I take on at least one project to do in my spare time. Sometimes it's writing songs, sometimes it's making a scrapbook of the previous year, sometimes it's designing my dream home or planning my dream wedding. This summer, my project is of a slightly different kind. Instead of putting things on paper, I'm putting them online.

My roommate and I received a gnome our freshman year of college for our birthdays, which are both in October. We named him Gerome and displayed him proudly in our room for four semesters. This summer, we decided he needed some fresh air. I now post photos and the occasional video of Gerome exploring campus and the city beyond. And that's my summer project: creating and maintaining a quirky, adventuresome persona on social media.

A happy gnome by a happy building!

This project has been incredibly fun! My roommate and I have to come up with new ideas for Gerome's posts whenever we can. We have to think about interesting places and events, and then go to them. We thought we were giving Gerome fresh air, but he helps us get out of the house, too!

This project is really helping me grow as a person, oddly enough. I'm thinking creatively, exploring Milwaukee more than ever before, and developing quite a healthy sense of humor (which is more than necessary when you're holding a gnome at arm's length and taking a picture of it on a bustling street corner). I'm learning a lot about how social media works and making connections with some really interesting people. It's a great experience, and it mostly happened because I was bored and feeling a little silly.

It's good to let go and not take things too seriously sometimes. Who cares if you get a few odd looks for crouching behind a statue holding up a gnome while your friend takes a picture? The result makes people smile. That's more fun than going through life without stirring the pot. Don't be afraid to shake things up, be creative, be quirky, make a fool of yourself. It's all part of the adventure!

Gerome is on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Vine (@GnomeOnCampus), and Google+.

A Month of Milwaukee Summer

It's been just about a month since I moved into my new apartment in Milwaukee, and time has just flown by! It seems like only yesterday I was wondering which angle my couch should be facing and which bus I should take to get to work. Now I've figured out the perfect layout for my apartment, the fastest bus routes, and some other life lessons, like the fact that cooking isn't always terrifying; it can actually be fun! This summer has just begun, and already I know it is the best of my life so far.

I have two fantastic yet very different internships, where I am learning a lot about the entertainment and marketing communications industries. I could not ask for better people to work with or more interesting opportunities. I don't know how I managed to land two awesome internships at once, but I hope my luck continues! I wouldn't trade them for any other work.

When I'm not doing my intern duties, I'm lucky enough to spend time with some of my closest friends, who either live nearby or come for visits. We've gotten into all sorts of shenanigans, from attempting to go wedding dress shopping on a Sunday afternoon (none of us are engaged--it's a good thing that plan didn't work out) to heading out to the Summerfest grounds for concerts and Polish fest. Even just exploring the lakefront or a new side street has given me experiences that I will never forget.

That's really what this summer is about for me: new experiences. In my living situation, work, relationships, and the things I see and do everyday, there is always something new to learn. With each new experience, I gain a bit of knowledge about the city, those around me, and even myself.

This summer is about more than just being independent. I'm not just surviving; I'm thriving. I'm coming into my own and enjoying every minute! Living away from home doesn't have to be scary. It's a part of life, and a very exciting part at that! No matter where you are, there is always something to do or see. Collect those experiences like stones or stamps because they're worth more than anything you can put in a box. They're bits and pieces of who you are.

Growing Up and Up and Up

In a few days, I'll be moving into my first apartment to kick off what I hope will be the greatest summer of all time. The preparation has been intense. Packing, cleaning, organizing, disposing, donating: verbs that have ruled my life for the past few weeks. I've figured out a monthly budget and paid the first month's rent. I've got two internships lined up (one of which pays, thank goodness!), and I've downloaded a mobile banking app. I've got groceries and cleaning supplies. I am ready.

I guess all this financial planning and the gathering of basic survival tools means I'm turning into a real life grown up. Not so sure I'm ready for that. At least not the label. When I was a kid, 20 seemed ancient, like the age when you get married and stuff. Now I want to push all of that as far back as possible! Still, being more independent is in the cards for me as a 20-year-old, and it's something I really do desire.

I don't think there is an official age when a person becomes an "adult". It just sort of happens gradually. Baby steps lead to adulthood. And we never stop taking those baby steps.

I think we grow up a little each time we learn a new skill, visit a new place, or form a new relationship. The accumulation of experiences is really what aging is. It's what life is all about. It doesn't stop when we turn 20 or 35 or 62. My dad discovers something new on his iPhone almost every day, which usually drives me nuts because he asks me questions as if I know all things about technology, but it's actually pretty cool because it means he's still learning; he's still growing up, just like I am. And we can help each other grow.

Being human in this day and age is a pretty spectacular thing. Technology is kind of the great equalizer, where young people usually know more than their older counterparts, and older people usually know more about real life experiences--like getting an apartment, for example. There is something to learn from every person you meet, no matter their age, gender, etc. Take a chance to listen to someone, whether it's your grandpa, a freshman just arriving on campus, or a person at the bus stop. You just might learn something.