Don’t Sell Yourself Short, Literally

Kim Morrison

I recently posed the question to the Obsidian team about what exactly I can and can’t do when it comes to offering help and advice to friends, small business owners and organizations I’m involved in personally, in regards to my noncompete agreement with our firm. Like most people in the PR industry, I’m usually full of ideas and helpful advice, and when it comes to those I know personally, of course I want to do what I can to help them succeed in their dreams and aspirations. At the same time, though, I don’t want to create any conflicts of interest that might hurt my career.

The general consensus from our veteran team members was that talking, providing ideas, giving feedback, etc. was all kosher, up to the point of actually creating, drafting or doing something, which is where the line is drawn. Talk is fine, but doing something is a whole other ball game.

Then, Thomas came back with some even better advice. True, these are people and causes that I’m invested in and want to help, but we’re also talking about giving away my skills, my work, my knowledge and what I get paid to do -- for free. I went to school, worked hard, pushed for experience and built my network to get the job, degree and pile of student loans I can now call my own. Do I really want to give it all away for free?

Courtesy of Flickr

The takeaways I got from this discussion, which can apply to most any field of business, is (1) don’t sell yourself short, and (2) know your limits. 

Yes, I might be new to the PR industry, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t know anything. Between my time in school and my growth here at Obsidian, my skills have grown substantially, and while I’m certainly not at the level of a five-year vet in the industry, I’m slowly getting there. My skills may be new and developing, but they’re still valuable; otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing the work I’m doing. If I’m managing social media for established companies at work, why should I handle social media for the next door neighbor’s landscaping business just because they’ve known me since I was in diapers? 

As for the second point, yes, I want to help my friends, but everyone has to have their limits. A friend who does home repairs may happily paint a small room or fix your sink for free, but are they going to reroof your whole house free of charge? A friend who practices law may give you some advice, but are they going to represent you in court without reimbursement? Most likely not. It’s all a matter of knowing what your limits are and sticking to them. So, give your support, give your advice, give your help to a point, but ultimately, be scrupulous with your skills.

Stem Academy: An Experience of a Lifetime

William Young

Earlier this summer, I worked as a counselor at a summer camp called Stem Academy at The University of Memphis. The memories that I made while at the camp are some that I will carry with me forever. I met so many amazing people with awesome personalities. If given the chance, I would do it again with no hesitation. 

Stem Academy is a two-week summer camp where high school students who are interested in science, technology, engineering and math come to the U of M and experience college life. The students are provided with mentors and participate in many activities along with going to class. The students stayed in the dorms and were lectured by college professors.

My role as a counselor was to guide the students through the college experience. I also was a resource for the students whenever they needed someone to confide in. I was on duty 24 hours a day for two weeks. I was in charge of 50 students, and it really taught me how to have tolerance. Through this experience, I gained a new respect for people who work in the education field!

Upon arrival, I was very excited to be a counselor to a group of bright high school students. My passion is mentoring kids, and I wanted to use my positive attitude and energy to uplift them. I’m not that many years removed from high school, so I can remember how it was to be young, wild and free. 

At times, the kids got a little rowdy but never to the point to where I couldn’t handle them. They respected us counselors because we showed the kids respect. It was our goal to show them that school is not only about excelling academically but also having fun, as well.

I had tons of fun with the students.  One of the funniest moments of camp happened while I was resting my eyes one night. The kids caught me slipping! I was minding my business and sleeping with the door unlocked. Then all of a sudden, I was greeted with ice and lotion. I jumped out of bed and chased the kids down the hallway! I couldn’t believe that I had been pranked. 

The two weeks of camp went by quickly. I created some lasting bonds with people, and I look forward to keeping in touch with them. I was honored to be a part of the camp, and it has been one of the highlights of my career!

When you eat, they eat

Crissy Lintner

Did you know that one in six North Americans will go hungry tonight? And, chances are, your child has a friend whose only meals are served to them right there in the cafeteria – breakfast and lunch. It’s hard to imagine that such deprivation exists in a nation where fast food is available on nearly every corner…but it does.

Enter Andre Angel, a tech entrepreneur who created “an app for that.” Dallas-based TangoTab is a new movement focusing on a win-win-win model of business. Their tagline is, appropriately, “When you eat, they eat,” adding a new element to the successful “daily deals model” of companies like Groupon, LivingSocial and Zozi. Except with TangoTab, everyone wins, including a hungry family in your city.

At a high level, TangoTab is an application-based software for use on your smart phone, Facebook or the web that offers users incredible discounts at participating restaurants (currently in nine cities across the U.S. and Canada). However, YOU don’t have to pay for the deal to get it. And, restaurants can choose when the deals can be used, therefore offering a way to fill up during typically slow times of day. So, you get a 20 percent discount or buy-one-get-one deal (free), and the restaurant fills seats that normally are empty on Mondays from 11 to 2. The absolute best part (and the reason I’m an avid TangoTab user here in Dallas) is that a portion of your bill is donated to a local food bank to feed the hungry. To date, TangoTab has fed 167,959 people – in its startup phase and just from people like you and me going to eat at partner restaurants. It’s that simple.

What Andre has tapped into is a great business model – one that has a cause at the heart of its organization. How is that of benefit to TangoTab? Companies are always charged with giving back – at least, the public expects them to give back and show corporate responsibility. It’s one of the main ways to build goodwill with target audiences. Why do you think BP is feverishly working to clean up the Gulf of Mexico and its beaches (and the image of BP itself) following the oil spill of 2010? Of course, TangoTab is much smaller than BP, but it’s hit a strong chord that will ring success as they grow into new markets – offering people an opportunity to be philanthropists just by eating dinner at a restaurant.

Not every company can have a mission that serves a group in need, but every company should have a want and need to give back to the community in some fashion, whether monetarily or by allowing its people to donate their time to causes they support or that the company supports (like Hilton Worldwide, which partners with organizations each year with monetary and volunteer support). Corporate outreach is a hallmark for creating “good” publicity, and while TangoTab has a great built-in story to tell along this vein, your company can also tap into serving the needs in your community.

But, for now, because you’re going to go out to eat at least one time this week, why not use TangoTab? See where the deals are available on their website and download the app for your smart phone and Facebook and start making an impact just by eating. And, don’t forget to take advantage of special opportunities, like volunteering at the local food bank, with your employees!