Overheard in D.C.:

“If YOU ask me to be a fan of YOU on Facebook, I’m not going to do it. That’s like handing out foam fingers with your own name on them.” Read More…

DC Flacks will celebrate a HAPPO Happy Hour this Tuesday at District Chop House in Downtown D.C. If you’re a communicator in the area, please join us! RSVP here.

ABOUT HAPPO

If you’re following social media and PR Twitters like Mike Schaffer, Robert French, Heather Huhman or Sarah Evans, you’ve likely read about HAPPO via the hashtag #HAPPO. It stands for Help a PR Pro Out, a brilliant concept that connects PR job seekers with employers looking for top talent.

Although folks are Tweeting gigs and using the hashtag daily, the real event is on Friday, February 19, from 10am-2pm CT, when some of the nation’s leading PR pros will Tweet job openings and help facilitate matches. Read More…

From the latest issue of the Levick Strategic Communications e-newsletter:

While social media sites are as diverse as the millions of people that use them, they are all, for the most part, interrelated. This is precisely what makes the digital space ‘viral.’ Today, a single reputation-damaging blog post, Facebook update, tweet, or YouTube video can reach around the world in a matter of minutes. If you’re not actively watching and listening for mentions of your company, its brands, and your own leadership, you lose critical intelligence that can be utilized to stem a crisis before it happens. Read More…

My hometown of Nashville boasts an abundance of talented PR firms, but D.C. is truly bursting with fabulously useful PR events.

This week, I’ll be attending two flack-tastic gatherings. The first because I’m hosting it, the second because it features a rockin’ panel of D.C. journalists I’d like to get to know. And because the hostess makes for a delightful coffee date.

So, if you are a Washington D.C. PR pro (or just wanna hang out with cool people who like to talk a lot), I hope you’ll show your face on:

Wednesday, January 13 at 6:30 p.m. — it’s time to resume our monthly DC Flacks happy hour at the District Chop House downtown. Join us for cheap beer (a near-impossible find in this town), talented PR, PA and Web professionals, and onion rings. We’ll see you at the upstairs bar; membership is free. Read More…

A blizzard! (And a reason to figure out how to add several photos to one post without them looking pitiful.)

DC Flacks wrapped up our last happy hour of 2009 last night (we’ve got 68 members now – can you believe it?!). We had a great turnout and a surprise visit from Joe Flood’s very talented (and delightful) friend Vincent, who took these FABULOUS pics of our peeps and their various appetizers.

Oh, and this hysterical shot of Team Newman in the wild:

If you are a PR or PA pro in the D.C.-area, we’d love to meet you! We simply gather each month to talk shop, meet new peeps and share a beverage. No big whoop. Join us here and follow our #DCFlacks tag on Twitter.

The good folks over at Green Buzz Agency gave me a chance to pen a guest post about the makings of an effective PR pro. The Green Buzz-ers are digital media strategists and fellow DC Flacks; thanks to the Internet, Tod and I have bonded over our passion for pixels (and basketball).

Here’s the original post as it appears on their blog; throw some feedback at me in the comments!

Three Signs You’ve Found an Excellent PR Firm or Consultant

Not all public relations practitioners (a.k.a. flacks) are created equal. I can say that because I am one. Day after day, I see folks out there giving my craft a bad name. Fortunately, there are many great PR pros who will ethically and strategically work to advance your goals. The good flacks serve as knowledgeable, curious and creative partners. Here are three signs you’ve found one: Read More…

One year ago today I was blogging from a hotel lobby in D.C. — overwhelmed, honored and giddy. Recognized among the 2008 PR News 15-to-watch, I had just attended the PR People Awards luncheon at the National Press Club and still couldn’t believe I was looking at my name and bio in the program. (large PDF)

Dave and I stayed in D.C. a few more days to celebrate; not for one minute did we think that, just six months later, we’d be living here. What a difference a year makes, indeed!

And none of it would be possible without the World’s Best Husband, my supportive friends and stellar family.

Anyone who has talked D.C. current events with me lately is well aware I’m intrigued by D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Just Google her; clearly, there’s much to love, hate and scratch your head about when it comes to this woman.

Since last year’s fateful Time cover, I find myself reading just about everything anyone has to say about her; this piece is particularly good. And then there is today’s Washington Post editorial. Can I getta Amen?

You know my favorite phrase: if you aren’t pissing someone off, you’re not really doing anything. Not a problem for Ms. Rhee and — even though I don’t always agree with her and often question her PR strategy — I admire that.

It’s been nearly five months since I moved from Nashville to D.C. to take on an extraordinary job opportunity. Though I miss my family and peeps terribly,  I couldn’t be happier.

Establishing the Team Newman D.C. Bureau has been an incredible experience for my career, my marriage and my faith.

Moving away is scary but, if done correctly and for the right gig, is totally worth it. Here’s what I tell folks to consider before they pull up stakes:

1. Provide and demand transparency in the interview process. Moving for a new gig is the equivalent of moving in with your significant other: your family will freak out, your friends will become nervous and protective, and you’ll find yourself half thrilled, half second-guessing yourself.  Take no chances. You must know what you are signing up for and your employer should, too.

Examples: If you are, say, a blogger and technology columnist back home and you have no intention to stop when you get this gig, make that clear.  If you approach your work with an eye for detail that is only achieved in an environment with little-to-no distraction, say so. If the most important signpost of your workplace productivity is your vision of an ideal office culture, give your interviewees the third degree until you know know the ins and outs of your potential office.

2. Have at least four months of savings in the bank. Relocating is freakin’ expensive. SERIOUSLY. Unless your employer is paying to relocate you, your family, dogs, cars, house and will pay for your temporary housing while you look for a new place to land, you will need at LEAST four months of reserves. This means everything from first and last month’s rent up front, four months of car payments, four months of groceries. If your employer is paying for your move, congrats! Now, you’ll only need THREE months of savings.

3. Reserve judgment until month three. Know this: you are going to dislike your job, be homesick and wonder what the heck you’ve gotten yourself into for the first three months. Be prepared to think you’ve made a mistake – relocating is scary stuff — but trust your gut and know this is a smart move.

Example: As a purposeful job-hopper, I have never once started a new gig that I didn’t spend the first three months wondering what I had done to myself. Without fail, I find a comfortable stride, friends and a feeling of productivity in month four. Everyone I talk to - when they stop and think about it - finds truth in this timing. I have no idea why.

What about you? Have you ever moved for a gig? (I’m looking at you: RA, Noodles, Mere) If so, do these hold true? Have I left something out?

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