All posts by CT Michaels

Bravo TV #FAIL

Man holding television in fieldMany of you may not know this about me, but I am obsessed with the reality series The Real Housewives of NY/NJ. As in obsessed. I love the series, it’s definitely a guilty pleasure, but it gives me enjoyment in life to judge some of the craziest women ever. The Housewives each have a special place in my heart, or under my foot, becuase I feel that I can bond with any of them – even you Danielle.

I’m sure you have seen me live tweeting during the show, trying to interact with Mr. Andy Cohen – the most awesomest talk show host in the world (eat that Oprah) and even tweeting that I was standing next to Ms. Bensimon at an event. I talk about the show with my friends, at the bar, with my coworkers, and even with my family. Its a love-hate thing, but this post isn’t about my love for these wonderful ladies or my obsession with them or even how awesome Mr. Andy Cohen’s talk show is – even though he won’t answer my e-mails about trying to get into the audience of the BRAVO Club house… Continue reading

Recruiting Ethics

Interviewee and interviewer shaking handsIt must be hard to be a recruiter. I mean you might as well go into telemarketing since you spend 75% of your day scoping out potential recruits and cold calling/blind mailing people hoping that you can find the next superstar for your client. Just like telemarketing though, sometimes it’s just a bit out of control and silly. I’m not exactly sure how the process goes for finding candidates, but I wanted to point out something that really annoys me.

Please don’t try and recruit me at my job! I’m completely flattered that I was “confidentially referred” to you for an Account Executive position at some agency. Who wouldn’t want me? Continue reading

Tricks of the Trade: Small Talk

BusinesspeopleOne of the most awkward moments is waiting for a meeting to start, waiting for someone to show up, etc, especially when you don’t really know the people. That silence in the room, the tiny smirk that pops up…I always nod my head until I think of something to talk about. Sometimes though, we just can’t think of what to say or don’t want to push any buttons.

The art of ‘Small Talk’ definitely takes some practice over time. From talking sports or pop trends to the latest in technology, the small talk can really seal a deal, or break it.  Has anyone ever tried to make small talk with the receptionist when interviewing for a job? I’m pretty sure that’s how I got my last two jobs. If the receptionist loves you, you’re in. Anyway, I wanted to point out what I thought was the best small talk, and the worst. Continue reading

Tricks of the Trade: Style

View of a young man putting on his shoes in his walk-in wardrobeHave you ever walked into an office or a meeting and instantly judged someone based how they were dressed? I have. I do it all the time.  I feel the way people are dressed can instantly give a negative or positive vibe to a potential client or journalist you are meeting with.  I’m all about personal style, but there are definitely some rules that one should keep in mind when getting ready in the morning.

Read a Magazine – an Elle, GQ, Details, Lucky – Whatever floats your boat – and take note. Shoulder pads and suit dresses are way out of style and if you aren’t dressing in modern times, then you might as well not even present a new business presentation to a start-up.  On the other hand, if you do then you’ll give off the vibe that you know what’s going on today, tomorrow, and in the future.  It shows that you can evolve to what trends are popular – plus it shows that you keep up on the news.  It is impossible to not be affected by fashion even if you read a different magazine. Continue reading

Tricks of the Trade: Confidence

Male fencer, portraitConfidence is one of the most important attributes that anyone getting into public relations must have. It’s what makes you stand out, makes people believe what you have to say, and honestly, gives off the vibe that you are the one to beat. Not to sound cocky, or egotistical, okay maybe a little, but I have never not gotten a job after interviewing for it. Granted I’ve only interviewed at four places in my life, but I have never not gotten the job I interviewed for. I honestly believe it’s because I can sell myself because I’m confident.

From the way you walk to the way you talk on the phone, confidence just glows off of the confident folks and it shows in a lot of my colleagues who are successful. In PR, a shy person gets left behind in the dust, always riding on the coattails of others. If you’re shy and can’t make yourself stand out then go become a librarian so you can hide behind books all day. Continue reading

Thank You For Being A Friend

Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World Gala - Inside
She's the one in the middle

One of the best examples of the power of social media was the campaign to get Betty White on Saturday Night Live. How awesome is that that millions of people found a page on Facebook and decided to become a fan of it (or, “like” it), ultimately resulting in Betty White hosting Saturday Night Live? I’m pretty sure no one imagined that something like this could happen, but producers (Lorne Michaels and company) actually listened to what the millions of people were saying. So the masses did it – social media got Betty White on Saturday Night Live, but was it the right person to waste a campaign on? Continue reading

Facebook+Privacy=#SoWhat?

Businessman Using BinocularsDo you ever feel like you are the only one that believes in something or honestly doesn’t care at all about something? For example, I feel that the botched Times Square bomber should suffer a public execution, regardless of if it was a failed terrorist attempt. I’m rooting for the guillotine, but a hanging or stoning would be fine in my book as well. When I say things like this people look at me like I’m so weird.  Umm, my words to you…you spend all day in the spot he tried to bomb and then come back to me. Anyway, that’s just an example of what I’m discussing here.

So what’s the big deal with Facebook messing up this week? Everytime Facebook makes one mistake the Internet blows up saying so much nonsense.  Ahhhh Privacy! I’ve been exposed, I have to run for the hills and bitch about it! People, it’s the Internet…as mentioned in previous posts nothing is private. Continue reading

Back To The Basics

Classroom rulesWith the Internet constantly evolving, I feel like we have forgotten some of the basic rules of thumb that we all used to go by years and years ago. From the first day in 1993 or whenever I was in third grade, my father would always remind me of some of the following rules. I thought that this would be a good time to remind everyone about these rules, just because everyone needs a gentle reminder from time to time.

1. Everything you send, every website you visit, everything you type is there forever – Now I’ll be the first to say that I say what I want, when I want to, with or without censors, but I do have to put myself in check sometimes. Sometimes I do go overboard a little bit, and definitely don’t think what the consequences could be in the long run. Do I really want to be known as the guy that plagued the Internet with poop and jokes 5 years from now? Continue reading

The Morning Show Show-Down

Sunrise in the Florida Keys - Big Pine Key, FloridaAlright, I’ll admit it. I love PIX morning news. I watch it almost everyday. I feel that Sukanya Kristian is my sister and John Mueller is my uncle. I get sad when they are not on and are replaced by the 2nd tier anchors. Why more people don’t watch PIX morning news baffles me. It is the most fun and laid back pre-9am news program that gets me ready for my day while i’m putting on my underwear and otherwise getting ready for the day. I don’t understand why PIX news isn’t the preferred choice by all. I also don’t understand who watches Good Day New York, but that’s just me… Continue reading

Please Remove Me From Your List…or Not…

Mail falling from letterbox onto doormat (Digitally Enhanced)As publicists we are constantly plagued by the famed phrase “Please remove me from your list.” Alright, fine, no big deal, we all know that what you’re really trying to say is, “Ugh, I’m so sorry but I don’t know where my delete button is and your e-mail is going to permanently stay in my inbox.” We get it, we got it. Woo. Sometimes we are all privileged to get messages saying, “YOU MOTHER #$%^$# PIECE OF @#$% REMOVE ME FROM YOUR $%^&*% LIST” (You can tell this person is young). Or you get the “I’m telling all your clients you wrongly e-mailed me” (This person is old).

Anyway, this week I was added to a list. Not just a mass e-mail list, a list attached to an e-mail so that when you replied to it, everyone on the list got it. About 10 of my colleagues, and about 150 others I imagine were all included on this e-mail. Continue reading