Tag Archives: Work-Life Balance

A Workaholic’s Worst Nightmare

Pregnant Woman on ScaleIt’s safe to say that the majority of us that work in PR tend to fall into the workaholic category. I will fully admit that I am one of those. Of course, I’ve trained myself to take social media breaks, etc., but I am now about to enter new territory.

If you haven’t heard yet, I’m almost ready to deliver the next member of the PRBreakfastClub family. That means that I’ll be taking maternity leave for six weeks. SIX WEEKS! Gulp.

Now, I know having a baby is like a big deal, but not being immersed in the PR universe for six whole weeks? This concept is starting to turn into a very hard pill to swallow.

If you are a workaholic like me, when you go to sleep, you dream about work. When you’re on your way to the office, you think about work. When you watch the news, you’re always wondering how you can get your clients on it. Continue reading

Channeling the Overwhelming Side of Public Relations

Businessman with face pressed against wall, profile, close-upIt’s been about a month now since I joined Sternberg Strategic Communications and began, in earnest, working toward the career-long goal I have set for myself to “build something great. And in that month’s time, the biggest concept that has stuck out to me is one maybe I should have learned early in my public relations career: this really isn’t about me anymore; it’s about our company and it’s about building our clients’ business.

Throughout every contact I have with clients—whether that be a new business meeting, contract negotiations, day-to-day discussions about project work, etc.—it’s my thoughts, insight and expertise that has a lot to do with the success of a campaign, but ultimately, the only goal I have for myself is to build our client’s business. To “build something great,” and that’s really not about me, or my wants, desires, day-to-day stresses or anxieties. It’s about servicing wants, desires, day-to-day stresses and anxieties of our clients, and providing a value to them far greater than what I hope to receive out of the partnership. 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