Let’s keep it green, folks. Keep it green.

Sarah Lichterman

At the Obsidian office, we know how to recycle. We have two separate trash bins – one for cans only and one for other materials – and keep a mountain of newspapers and magazines that are all recycled or donated to the Humane Society of of Memphis & Shelby County and the Humane Society of North Texas.

Recycling is the process of making new products from products that have already been used, thus extending the life and usefulness of something that has already served its original purpose. Most, but not all, products can be recycled. These include but are not limited to aluminum, batteries, biodegradable waste, clothing, electronics, glass, metals, paper and plastic.

The No. 1 reason to recycle is to protect and preserve the Earth’s environment. Recycling helps conserve our natural resources, reduces landfill space, conserve energy and reduce water and air pollution and the green house gas emissions that cause global warming. In addition, this growing trend is creating an industry and related jobs.

Recycling in the workplace can be made easy. You can provide bins that are clearly marked for recycling. If you do not have recycle pick-up at your office, you can assign someone each week to take it to a public drop-off center. There are five locations around Memphis, visit here for more details.

Recycling goes beyond just using bins. In the workplace, you can use energy-efficient light bulbs, recycle old printer cartridges and company cell phones, utilize emailing of documents instead of printing hard copies, print on both sides of the paper, use electronic posters and banners, use porcelain mugs instead of Styrofoam cups for coffee and bring lunch in a reusable container. These are just a few of the many ways to reduce your personal and company’s carbon footprint.

The Naughty List

Courtney Liebenrood Ellett

Please read this sentence aloud: “You know, the restaurant we ate at on Friday was super luxurious, and the staff was wonderful. However, the dining area was outdated, and the tables were sort of tiny. We had a good meal though.”

Now – and don’t cheat by glancing back up – tell me, which words do you recall most easily? If you’re like a majority of the general public, you just mumbled “outdated” and “tiny” to yourself.

Studies show that negative words, experiences and ideas crowd out positive ones in our minds. When we hear a negative word, it is what we remember the most. Check out this recent New York Times article that addresses why this is just human nature. 

Why should we care? It is important for PR professionals and business leaders to understand this phenomenon as it can have serious, and possibly damaging, effects on client relationships.

Imagine that you’ve just received word from a hotel representative that your room is not available. Ask yourself which explanation makes you feel better, knowing that you’re really hearing the exact same message: Sorry, lady, we gave your room away.

Option 1 (wrong): I’m sorry, ma’am. The suite you reserved already has another guest in it. We accidentally double-booked it in our reservation system, and the other person checked in first. Sorry for the mistake; I’m not sure how it happened. Would you be OK with a smaller room?

Option 2 (right): Ms. Ellett, we’re so sorry, but it seems the suite you booked isn’t available as we promised. We’re working diligently to get everything straightened out so you can thoroughly enjoy your stay here at our hotel. Please have a seat in our lounge, relax and enjoy a beverage on the house while we get this taken care of. We’ll get back to you within five minutes and get you all settled in.”

The point is this: Even when the news isn’t all Pollyanna in nature, it can be handled in a way that makes your audience feel better about the situation. The way we say something can make all the difference in the world.

Here are some tips to remember:

• Don’t say negative words.
• Never repeat negative words – even if it is your intent to deny them.
• Think about all of the positive words you want associated with your company. Ensure any front-line colleagues know these words.
• Think about all of the negative words you DO NOT want associated with your company. Again, ensure client-facing staff members know to avoid these words.
• And remember, jargon – words your audiences don’t use on a regular basis – is considered a part of the negative word club. If you must use jargon, immediately explain what you mean.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to avoid the naughty list, give us a shout.

There’s no “I” in team

Katie Pemberton

“No man is an island…and therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

In John Donne’s Meditation 17, he emphasizes the interconnectedness of mankind. It’s also a pretty accurate metaphor for our culture here at Obsidian PR. You see, although each client is officially represented by ONE Obsidian staffer, that client also has the ideas, expertise and experience of the entire agency in its corner. That’s because no account rep is “an island.”

As you may have read about in a previous “From the Rock” post, group brainstorming is a pretty major part of what we do here at Obsidian. There are many times that brainstorming among the entire Obsidian staff might be used for a client:

• When the relationship starts, to get everyone’s input on broad things, like overarching goals, or more specific things, like story pitching ideas or social media tactics
• When the client is starting a new initiative or event and the account rep wants to consider ALL ideas for promoting, helping plan and execution
• When the client has a problem or issue and needs our help overcoming the challenge
• When the client wants some ideas for a tagline or new company or product name

I can tell you as an account rep who has handled several of these types of projects, it is a major asset to the work I do to have our team providing input, guidance and feedback.
 
In addition to the formal brainstorming, there are many other ways that Obsidian functions as a unit, preventing any account rep from ever being the sole person servicing a client. 
Both the Dallas and Memphis locations have a manager of the team who keeps an eye on all client work from an aerial view, providing guidance and ideas to the account rep that she might not have seen from where she is “on the ground” executing tactical work.
 
Yet another example of how Obsidian fosters a great community and group dynamic is how we are all able to fill in for each other when needed. For example, if an account rep is going to be out of town during an important client event, he will transition all of the materials, from the publicity timeline to the contact list and the event planning notes, to another account rep, and that account rep will execute the last-minute promotional tactics, attend the event to field media, coordinate timing as needed, etc. Each account rep will ensure that client work is taken care of (by other staffers, if needed) while out of the office.
 
But sometimes things come up for a client, such as a media crisis, that can’t be predicted, which has actually happened with a client while the account rep was out of town. Fortunately, Obsidian’s culture is such that the team manager was totally up to speed on the client’s issue, and the other account executives had a solid foundation of information about the client from all the collaborative activities we had done. The team manager and the other account executive tag-teamed the crisis and handled it seamlessly while the original account rep was 1,500 miles away.
 
I also like Donne’s advice not to “send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” He was talking about death, but I look at it in a more abstract and therefore positive way. I equate a bell tolling to when we have had a great success for a client, such as a front-page news story. Even if it wasn’t one of MY personal clients, I am still excited for the success of one of OUR clients, and one of OUR account reps. So that bell…it still tolls for me.

Hey, customer! Take a chill pill!

Kerri Guyton

OK, so while this may be what’s coming to mind as you open your mouth to diffuse an emotional customer, good communication skills will filter this statement into something pleasantly soothing and magically transformative. Some may claim that performing magic would be easier than pleasantly responding to an irate customer, but with a focused commitment to positive communication, business professionals might be surprised at their own “power” to redirect a customer’s frustration.

While situations vary, keeping your cool is the overall goal of any heated interaction. Simply by remaining calm, you exude a confidence that the problem has a solution. The rest of the interaction can be remembered as easily as you remember your vowels: AEIOU.

•    Acknowledgment
•    Empathy
•    Insight
•    Offer
•    Understanding

Starting with an acknowledgement of the customer’s concern and empathy for their distress immediately softens the customer’s defense and begins to assure them that you are open to helping them.

The next stage of the interaction involves gaining insight into the situation – listening to the customer’s story to determine the problem. This stage may also involve providing insight, which may settle the situation right then and there. If you are able to clear up a misunderstanding or answer a question that wasn’t being answered, that may be all that was needed to clear up the situation.

You can most often expect the offer stage to turn the corner for the situation, be it an offer to do something about the problem, to provide a reimbursement or replacement, or even to handle something differently in the future. Unhappy customers are likely to come with a demand ready, and by having a spirit of offering ready to go after gaining the insight needed, you continue to control the positive momentum.

A lasting impression is made in the understanding phase, where it is imperative to communicate an agreement that the situation has been resolved, so that the customer can walk away feeling taken care of, satisfied and far from the angry patron who initiated the exchange. 

And then, you can put your “magic wand” back in your pocket.

Getting to know the final two...

 

An animal advocate from Memphis and a Louisina-native who bleeds purple and gold, Katie Pemberton and Kelli Eason are our final "getting to know Obsidian" entries. Both are equally as passionate about PR as they are about their personal loves for animals and football. 

Katie Pemberton

Katie and her BFFs

Birthday: 9/8/81
Hometown: Millington, Tenn.
College: Lambuth University (now The University of Memphis at Lambuth)

All-time favorite restaurant:
Imagine Vegan Cafe

Favorite thing to do in Memphis:
Spend an hour or two with my dog on a beautiful spring or fall day at the “big girl” dog park, as we call it, at Shelby Farms

What is your favorite cause?
Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County, which rescues and rehabilitates injured and abused pets in our community, and Mercy for Animals, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals and promoting compassionate food choices and policies.

Favorite Facebook page and Twitter account:
Facebook: Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County
Twitter: @azizansari

How old were you when you got your first cell phone?
I think it was when I graduated high school.

Favorite book:
The "Harry Potter" series, of course!

Favorite pastime:
Curling up with a good book or finding a new (or new to me) series on TV to waste entire weekends on.

First car:
1987 Toyota Celica

If you could go back in time and live during a different era, which would you choose?
I am fascinated by “the olden days,” but I definitely don’t buy that they were the “good old days.” It seems to me that in the “good old days,” a lot of people got hung without trials, sold as property, set on fire for being “witches,” women were their fathers’ and/or husbands’ property, and it wasn’t OK to stand out or be different. I’d like to visit lots of times from the 1800s on up, but the thought of living in them is terrifying. I think we are living in the best time right now.

What was your first paying job?
I worked in a florist as an assistant. To this day, the smell of oriental lilies makes me ill.

If your life had a soundtrack what song would you pick for it?
Definitely “Oh Happy Day” as performed by the St. Francis High School Choir (from the CLASSIC “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit”)

What TV show are you embarrassed about watching?
"Toddlers & Tiaras"! I need it to remind me that I’m a really good person, relatively speaking.

What was the first concert you went to see?
Randy Travis

If you were an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete?
I am really sad that it’s too late in life for me to be a gymnast. I can vault and tumble only in spirit.

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
Olives. They taste like death. And I hate sushi a lot.

If you could have a drink with someone from, history who would it be? 

Doris Day

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Kelli Eason

Kelli

Birthday: Jan. 6, 1987
Hometown: Lake Charles, La.
College: Louisiana State University

All-time favorite restaurant:
Darrell's — in my hometown of Lake Charles. They have the best po-boys, and I make an effort to go there whenever I'm home.

Favorite thing to do in Memphis:
Go to festivals…I love when something like Cooper-Young Beer Festival, Hot Wing Festival, Memphis in May, Italian Festival or another is going on.

What is your favorite cause?
Youth development (I've volunteered as a one-on-one mentor and as a youth cheerleading coach).

Favorite Facebook page and Twitter account:
Facebook: tie between Memphis (I Love Memphis) 

and LSU.  

Kelli and fiance, Blake

Twitter: tie between @mashable and @mentalfloss

How old were you when you got your 

first cell phone?
17

  

Favorite book:
"The Giver"

Favorite pastime:
Family Christmases — or any huge family gathering, really. We have weird traditions like Dirty Santa on my dad's side (which my uncle always throws a wrench into) and 

bonfires/skeet shooting with my mom's side. 

Kelli and family

First car:
2000 Saturn something. It was a five-speed manual and didn't have power locks or windows!

If you could go back in time and live during a different era, which would you choose? 1950s…provided I still get central A/C in my house. :)

What was your first paying job?
Babysitting, if we're getting technical, but my first real job was an aid at St. Luke-Simpson Preschool for the 2 to 5 year olds.

If your life had a soundtrack, what song would you pick for it?
Glee-style mashup of "Proud Mary" and "Louisiana Saturday Night" on a loop with "A Southern Thing" by Better Than Ezra (changing the male Kelly in the song to a female Kelli, of course).

What TV show are you embarrassed about watching?
"Teen Mom"

What was the first concert you went to see?
I honestly cannot remember. I do remember being really upset that my mom wouldn’t drive us to Houston or New Orleans to see 'NSYNC, though.

If you were an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete?
Ideally, gymnastics. Realistically…maybe I could get good enough at curling or racewalking to have a legitimate shot!

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
Whipped cream, and it's not even close. That is the most disgusting food.

If you could have a drink with someone from history, who would it be?
Walt Disney and/or Milton Hershey

If you could live in any other country for two years, where would you go?
One of the places on my bucket list — Thailand, Singapore, Greece, Spain…Bora Bora.

Getting to know our main man -- Thomas!

The only man among the women of Obsidian, Thomas Whitehead is an integral part of our team, offering valuable insight for our clients and the firm as a whole. He leverages his interests for the good, and you should take time to get to know him!

Thomas Whitehead

Birthday: June 29, 1976  
 

Hometown: Brandon, Miss.
 

College: Mississippi State University

All-time favorite restaurant: Bari Ristorante

Favorite thing to do in Memphis:
Going to Grizzlies games and Barbecue Fest

What is your favorite cause?
Mentoring

Favorite Twitter account:
I like following @seriouseats.

How old were you when you got your first cell phone?
Probably older than the rest of the office - 22.

Favorite book:
"The Tender Bar" by J. P. Moeringer

Favorite pastime:
Cooking, running

First car:
Plymouth Reliant

If you could go back in time and live during a different era, which would you choose?
I would be very curious to go back to the 1960s to see how society adjusted to itself, as well as how it was handled in the media back then.

What was your first paying job?
Sandwich Artist at Subway

If you life had a soundtrack, what song would you pick for it?
"Via Chicago" by Wilco

What TV show are you embarrassed about watching?
Greek

What was the first concert you went to see?
The Monkees

If you were an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete?
Half-marathon – setting the world record for slowest time.

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
Sea urchin. I had a bad experience with it once even though I love sushi.

If you could have a drink with someone from history, who would it be?
Bill Clinton

If you could live in any other country for two years, where would you go?
Italy
 

Get to know our Texas gals!

Part of Obsidian's new Dallas operation, Crissy Lintner and Kerri Guyton headed to the great state of Texas to launch the new office earlier this year. Get to know them now!

 

Kerri Guyton

Kerri with her three children, Hannah, Myles and Parks

Birthday: Oct. 20

Hometown: I don’t really have a hometown. I was born in San Antonio, Texas, and have lived in multiple places throughout Mississippi most of my life. I’m back in Texas now, living in Tyler.

College: Mississippi State University

All-time favorite restaurant: Ruth’s Chris

Favorite thing to do in Tyler/Dallas:
Take my kids to experience the “cool” things where we live – be it museums, parks, attractions, festivals, etc. 

What is your favorite cause?
I don’t really have a cause that I am all about, but I certainly have a heart for children.

How old were you when you got your first cell phone?
15

Favorite book:
Sad to say that I don’t have a specific favorite that sticks out.
 
Favorite pastime:
Spending time together as a family (with my husband and kids).

First car:
Nissan Sentra

If you could go back in time and live during a different era, which would you choose?
The Roaring '20s (although, I wouldn’t want to stay through the '30s)


What was your first paying job? 

Bus girl at a seafood restaurant

What TV show are you embarrassed about watching?
Anytime I find myself watching an MTV show.

What was the first concert you went to see?
New Kids on the Block

If you were an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete?
I’m too tired to think about competing in a sport of any kind!
 
What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
Chocolate-covered crickets at the Children’s Museum of Memphis

If you could live in any other country for two years, where would you go?
Somewhere beautiful like the Netherlands

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Crissy Lintner

Sarah, Max and Jackson

Birthday: 11/11/79

Hometown: Laurel, Miss.

College: Mississippi State University

All-time favorite restaurant:

It's a toss-up between two in my hometown: Phillip's Drive-In (PDI) and Watermill Fish Camp.

Favorite thing to do in Dallas:

We love riding our bikes on the White Rock Creek Trail to White Rock Lake! And we actually spend a lot of time plotting tours and learning about Dallas for Dallas Running Tours.

What is your favorite cause?

I like to support causes that help children, the homeless and the hungry.

Favorite Facebook page and Twitter account: and

Facebook: White Rock Running Co-Op and Dallas Running Project

Twitter: @runtourdallas and @nprnews

Crissy and husband, John

How old were you when you got your first cell phone?

Well, our family had one of those bag phones that could only be used in the car. We got that when I was in high school. I got my first real cell phone around 18 or 19.

Favorite book:

“Where the Wild Things Are” – who doesn't love a wild rumpus every now and then?

Favorite pastime:
Reading, running and spending time with my husband and kids

First car:

Oldsmobile Delta 88! A big ol' tank of a car.

If you could go back in time and live during a different era, which would you choose?
The '60s – love the music, the styles, and I probably would've gone to Woodstock.

What was your first paying job?

I worked in a pediatric clinic one summer helping organize patient files and get them updated. This is pre-EMR, people! We had hundreds of manila folders to sort through.

What TV show are you embarrassed about watching?

I don't really have one that I'm embarrassed to watch since we don't have cable. But I love to watch the sci-fi type shows – like “Grimm”! But...I did give in to the “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” hype and watched one episode online. I was instantly reminded why we don’t have cable.

What was the first concert you went to see?

New Kids on the Block, baby! I even made a sign professing my love for Joey McIntyre.

If you were an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete?

Track & field. Or soccer.

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?

Raw oysters

If you could have a drink with someone from history, who would it be?

Johnny and June Carter Cash

If you could live in any other country for two years, where would you go?

Somewhere in the Caribbean

Getting to know...

Our fearless leader and founder of Obsidian Public Relations: Courtney Liebenrood Ellett. Most people only know her as a powerhouse of PR knowledge, but this mother of two has other interests up her sleeve.

Jake and Savannah

Birthday: 5/10/75
Hometown: Collierville, Tenn.
College: The University of Memphis

All-time favorite restaurant:
Have lots of favorites. For Italian, I love Villa Castrioti.

Favorite thing to do in Memphis
Sunday drives and the zoo
 
What is your favorite cause?
Children’s grief camp

Favorite Facebook page and Twitter account: 
I enjoy following @SteveMartinToGo.

How old were you when you got your first cell-phone?
Maybe 16. Can’t remember exactly!
 
Favorite book:
This year’s favorite is “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”

Favorite pastime:
Love to fish; love to read (but not at the same time!) 

First car:
Mitsubishi Eclipse

If you could go back in time and live during a different era, which would you choose? Early 1900s

What was your first paying job?  
Video store clerk

If your life had a soundtrack what song would you pick for it?
The Shepherd Moons album by Enya

What TV show are you embarrassed about watching?
Tough one. Don’t watch TV very often. I used to watch Taxicab Confessions on HBO. Very embarrassed about that.

What was the first concert you went to see?
It was either New Kids on the Block or Debbie Gibson (both on Mud Island Amphitheater).

If you were an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete?
Swimming

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
Raw chicken salad. The restaurant forgot to cook the chicken. I’ll save them embarrassment by not naming the offending restaurant.

If you could have a drink with someone from history, who would it be?
Abraham Lincoln

If you could live in any other country for two years, where would you go?
New Zealand

Just who is Obsidian anyway?

That's a great question! Who are the fabulous people who make up the Obsidian team? This week we aim to answer that by giving you a better idea of who we are and a little insight into our lives.

Getting to know...

Lauren Hannaford

Lauren and Jackson

Birthday: 4/25/85
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
College: Mississippi College (No, it’s not an all-women’s college!)

All-time favorite restaurant: Pete & Sam’s Italian Restaurant

Favorite thing to do in Memphis:  

Go get donuts at Gibson’s at midnight!

What is your favorite cause?   

The Tim Tebow Foundation and Weimaraner Rescue of the South

Favorite Facebook/Twitter accounts:
Facebook: The Washington Post 

Twitter: @GatorZoneNews

How old were you when you got your first cell phone? 16

Favorite book: "The Help"

Favorite pastime: Catching up on the numerous TV series my husband and I start watching and must complete.

First car: 2002 Jeep Liberty and I’m still driving it!

If you could go back in time and live during a different era, which would you choose? 

Both the '60s and the '70s for the music

What was your first paying job? 
Harding Academy Early Childhood after school care. I worked in the 2-year-old classroom and changed lots of diapers.

If your life had a soundtrack, what song would you pick for it?  
“Red Red Wine” (Kidding!)

What TV show are you embarrassed about watching?  
"Pretty Little Liars" (I had to watch it because Lucy Hale (Aria) is from Memphis!)

What was the first concert you went to see?  
Elton John at the Pyramid when I was in the fourth grade. It was awesome.

If you were an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete?  
Badminton. I grew up playing with my dad and my granddad, who was a decorated badminton champion.

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?  
Tomatoes! Barf! And Sushi. Double barf!

If you could have a drink with someone from history, who would it be?  
This person is still alive but, Sir Richard Branson. Only because it would probably be the coolest drink ever, on the coolest airplane ever, traveling to the coolest place ever.

If you could live in any other country for two years, where would you go?  
The United Kingdom

PRoofread!

Kelli Eason

I am a lover of words. Someday, I should write a book. At least that’s what my fortune cookie read recently. 

It’s no secret to my family or friends that grammar is important to me. It is (admittedly) how I judge the validity or reliability of most written communications. This often results in conversations like the following:

For the record, both of the above conversations were with my sister, who will forever be my resource when it comes to math problems a calculator can’t solve. For years, she argued with me that grammar and writing skills were not important and that she would never need them in her science- and math-based profession. As it turns out, I won that argument and now edit the vast majority of the reports she turns in to her managers.

So why should you care about proofreading written communications? Consider the following:

• People will rarely notice when your materials are in perfect grammatical order, but if your gaffe is public, odds are you’ll have a lot of people noticing what you did wrong. In the age of the Internet, that means your little mistake could turn into a big joke…on you. Check out the following mistakes you may be familiar with:

• Sometimes these gaffes can cost you money! 

• Good grammar and writing skills often indicate education, attention to detail and overall credibility. While a variety of styles exist, from Associated Press to MLA, the concept is the same: follow the rules. We may never solve the argument over the validity of the Oxford comma, but we can all agree that commas have a place, and it’s not between every other word. Don’t believe me? Check out this article from the Harvard Business Review about why job applicants should understand grammar.

To wrap up, I’ll leave you with a few common mistakes and tips. If I’ve left off any of your pet peeves, leave them in the comments!

1.    Homonym misuse (or homophone, if you prefer that term)

• Its vs. it’s – A common mistake, this word doesn’t follow the traditional rules of an apostrophe. Apply the most literal rule – that the apostrophe makes it “it is” and you shouldn’t have a problem identifying which is possessive.
• Affect vs. effect – As you can see in the above text message I sent my sister, affect is a verb and effect is a noun. Need help with the difference in a verb and a noun? I recommend Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips.
• Accept vs. Except – I once read a fervently written letter posted on my neighbor’s apartment door. It was meant for the deliveryman that came through our building every day, and they told him “packages left outside the door would not be excepted.” The deliveryman must have gotten the message despite the error, because the note was removed a few days later. To keep this embarrassing story from happening to you, remember that accept is a verb and except is a conjunction or preposition meaning “not including.”

2.    Passive voice – In a nutshell, passive voice occurs when a sentence is not structured correctly and the subject is acted on, rather than doing the acting. Check out these seven examples of passive voice and how to avoid them. 

3.    Apostrophes in plural words – Don’t do it.

4.    Two spaces after a period – Odds are, your high school English teacher told you to put two spaces after a period. I’m here to tell you your high school English teacher probably learned that when he or she used a typewriter. The rule exists because of the way typewriters were made, and two spaces made the words easier to read. Thanks to our good buddy Steve Jobs, word processing software ensures a precise amount of space between each letter, rendering two spaces after a period an outdated rule. Check out this article for more information.