Tag Archives: blackberry

Honesty and Transparency in Public Relations

This week, I had the great opportunity to speak with Ferris State University’s PRSSA chapter. Not only was it a chance to give them an idea of how a public relations pro got his start, it allowed me to give them advice they may not normally get in an academic setting.Some of the points I made during the talk:

  • Want a job when you graduate? Use your PR skills & put a plan together.
  • Research and know the company you’re applying to. Go to their website and study the job requirements.

CrackedBerry… RIM’s Fall from Grace

If you mentioned that you had a BlackBerry to a friend or colleague a few years ago, you may have heard some envy. Research in Motion’s (RIM) product was solid and perfect for the on-the-go business person. Lately, though, RIM has seen it’s reputation tarnished. It has left many wondering if the company will ever really recover.

Just this year, BlackBerry has seen the PlayBook launched to lukewarm reviews and disappointing sales. Earlier in October, Best Buy announced that it was cutting the PlayBook price by $200. In September, RIM’s said it shipped only 200,000 PlayBooks. On top of all this, revenues fell sharply after a disappointing second quarter of 2011. Continue reading

Work-Life Balance is Your Decision

Coffee Stained Sticky Pad with Broken Pencil and Telephone ReceiverThere is no doubt the public relations business is a busy, exciting and hyperactive assault on the mind, senses and body. Simply put: It is a profession that requires you to mentally (and sometimes physically, particularly with those pesky events) give it your all every day. And at one end of the spectrum, these indelible facets of the business are what makes it so great and such a wonderful profession to work in, but they can also be the downfall of many, the cause of extreme burnout, if not managed and dealt with properly.

Which is probably why there are so many damn blog posts, articles, books, and Web sites devoted to work/life balance and effective time management and whether you need to separate your personal life/time from your professional life/time, or if you should choose the new trendy time-management theory of “your job and your personal life should blend harmoniously and in perfect sequence with one another.”

I say bulls*** to all of that. Continue reading

The Power of the Smartphone

Samsung Launch New Smart PhonesPeople made fun of me for weeks, months actually. I was like the kid that never got those sneakers with the lights in them when I was in first grade. I’ve dealt with a lot of laughs and the brunt of jokes, but I finally did it. I said goodbye to the 2005 flip phone, and finally got a smartphone!

A bit overwhelmed, and a bit scared at first, I opened up the box to the Droid and got a little bit weak in the knees, started to drool, and then realized I had a lot of work to do and couldn’t touch it till that evening. After figuring it out how to turn it on, it was an amazing experience. Continue reading