The juice was definitely worth the squeeze

Kim Morrison

As I stood there in the middle of FedExForum about this time last year with my fellow University of Memphis undergrads and we all moved our tassels from the right to the left side of our caps, my eyes started to well up with tears and it hit me, “This is it!”

The road to that point was filled with oh so many obstacles for me. I chose to return to school as an older, non-traditional student. I quit a good-paying job to return to school to end up job searching for a year longer than I banked on. My father suffered a debilitating stroke. I experienced being cheated on for the first time. I had my own health issues by breaking one ankle, having a stroke, then breaking the other ankle, all in the name of roller derby. I moved three times. And, I went through it all while balancing work, school, the rebuilding of our PRSSA chapter and the joys of life in general.

All through this though, I kept my eye on the prize. I didn’t initiate this life path to be thrown off or get distracted by something else! I was ready to get my bachelor’s degree. That’s what I set out to do, and I was bound and determined to make it happen one way or another!

I wasn’t a perfect student. I worked hard, but of course, I had moments where I slacked off or I simply got overwhelmed and something had to give. However, I made sure my work and grades were in order before making such a decision.

And at the end of it all, I was so beyond stoked to be at that point, to look behind at the past several years and be able to say, “I dealt with that; I survived that; and despite life’s best efforts, I made it through.”

So, the lessons I took away from all that was: (1) Regardless of the situation, you always have a choice; (2) With perseverance, you can make it through any situation; and (3) College is hard, but in the end, it’s totally worth it!

After a year in the workforce, I look back on what I’ve accomplished and all of the wonderful clients I’ve worked with over the past year. I’ve promoted large and small scale shows; garnered morning show appearances; seen my photos appear in numerous local publications; arranged features for clients in TV, print and online outlets; and managed meetings with the heads of some of Memphis’ well-known companies and nonprofits. And, it’s all thanks in part to the degree I worked so hard for. So, I claimed it a year ago, and I’ll say it again today, the juice was definitely worth the squeeze!

Springtime took its time, but it’s finally here! (Unless Mother Nature decides she wants one more dose of winter at some point this week.)

Kim Morrison

When Ned Stark proclaimed that “Winter’s coming,” he sure wasn’t kidding! Memphians were treated to a colder, icier and snowier winter than normal this year, so I think everyone is glad for the warmer temperatures and opportunities to get out and about and enjoy the city. In case you find yourself wondering about what to do first, here are 20 quick tips to get you out of the house and enjoying some of the great outdoor activities the city has to offer!

A photographer buddy of mine, Ariel Antonío of AleksWorks Photography, is having a photo scavenger hunt, with new clues every Monday over the next few weeks. The prize is bragging rights for getting your photos on his blog, but more importantly, you can get out there and get some fabulous shots of this awesome city we live in! (Before it gets to be 200 degrees Fahrenheit with 500 percent humidity. Ick.) 

Get out and walk, run or bike any of the wonderful local parks we have. (Riverwalk, Tom Lee, Overton, the Greenline, Shelby Farms, etc.)

Yes, warmer weather means patio time, and there’s no shortage of them around town, so grab some buds and enjoy their company at your outdoor patio of choice!

Check out a show at Live at the Garden…

Or at the Levitt Shell…

Or at the Snowden Grove Amphitheater… 

Or at the Mud Island Amphitheater. (Yes, we have LOTS of outdoor venues, so use them!)

Go take a ride on a riverboat.

Take a historical walking tour with local historian Jimmy Ogle. 

Visit the world-class Memphis Zoo.

Check out Trolley Night on South Main. 

Check out the array of events in the Broad Avenue Arts District. 

Go to Thursday Nights Out in Cooper-Young.

Did you know we have an outdoor skate park? Check it out by Tobey Park. 

Check out the art and view from the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Downtown Memphis. 

Get the kids out of the house and check out My Big Backyard at the Memphis Botanic Gardens.

May means Memphis in May and weekends full of music, food and fun galore! Check out the Memphis in May International Festival website for all the details on the festivities surrounding the International Salute to Panama, Beale Street Music Festival, World Champion Barbecue Cooking Contest and AutoZone Sunset Symphony.

If Panamanian culture isn’t for you, what about Greek? You can get a taste of it at the Memphis Greek Festival hosted by Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.

If that doesn’t do it for you, you can get a taste of Italy during the Memphis Italian Festival.

Think you missed all your chances for crawfish? Not quite, go check out the South Branch Lions Club second annual Crawfish Music Festival in Olive Branch, Miss.

Oh, these aren’t enough? No worries, go check out the event calendars at the Memphis CVB, Memphis Flyer, GetDown Memphis, Memphis Magazine, Memphis Parent, Go Memphis, I Love Memphis blog and tons of other outlets!

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy our town! Got some other good ideas? Feel free to share them with everyone in the comments below!

Messaging? **blink, blink**

Kim Morrison

For those of us in the PR business, when we talk about messaging, we know exactly what we’re talking about, but sometimes we forget that the concept isn’t as clear to everyone else. We talk about consistency in it, shaping it for the right audiences and getting it out in a timely manner, but what exactly are we talking about when we say messaging? So, here’s a little PR 101 for you on messaging.

Messaging pretty much incorporates any communication you’re sending out to your audiences, whether we’re talking about internal audiences, external audiences and any mode of communication, whether it be a newsletter, morning show interview, elevator speech, etc. We want to make sure that our communication about our clients -- what they do, their missions, their goals, etc. -- is accurate, consistent and concise, from the wording and phrasing we use down to the color palette we use for clients various print materials. If there’s a variance in those factors, you can possibly confuse your audiences, sound unsure in your position and potentially lose audience members due to lack of consistent communication. People like consistency, people remember consistency and people trust consistency. 

The best thing you can do to ensure the quality of your messaging when reaching out to anyone is to take an extra minute to step back and look at your email, newsletter, poster, etc., from an outsider’s perspective. Does it make sense? Is it too lengthy or too short? Is it missing any information? If you didn’t already know this information, would you receive a similar level of understanding from the communication you created? Will it capture your audience’s interest, or is it boring?

With just a little extra work, you can make sure that your intended audience is receiving the best messaging possible to communicate your point. Good communication is the foundation for any good relationship, especially business ones.

Dealing With, Rather Than Suffering From, Writer’s Block

Kim Morrison

I’m not the first person to be in this position, nor is this my first time to be here - staring at a blank windows document, pondering what the heck to write about. Normally, when blog post time comes around, I’ve been mulling over an idea, or inspiration strikes from out of the blue. I have a funny story to tie to, something newsworthy or a topic that recently seemed poignant to write on, but this month? Yeah, I have some ideas, but none of them particularly sound good. And while I’ve given thought to various events personally and professionally lately -- stories in the news, relevant PR advice and anything else I could potentially write on -- none of it sounds good. It all just garners a “meh.” 

Well, “meh” is no excuse, especially in PR. On any given day you could be crafting pitches, news releases, advisories, web content, social media content, strategic plans or any other written works, and just because your muse has decided to take the day off, it doesn’t mean you get to. So, for those times where you get stuck with a fantastic bout of writer’s block, here are some tips to help you break through it.

Write through it.
Don’t look at me like that.  Yes, I know you can’t write, but do it any way. Write about what ever is on your mind. Write about not being able to write. Simply write what you know about what you’re tasked with - just get something on that blank document, even if it’s ranting about how much you can’t think of what to write. Eventually, at some point, your block WILL break, and you should have a good rough draft, if not a product that simply needs cleaning up before submitting. Show that blank document who’s the boss rather than letting it plague your mind.

Dive into your topic.
Immerse yourself in what you’re supposed to be writing on. Review the information for your release, pour over the particulars of a project, go back and review social media and online posts for your client, sift through the news, look at trade publications and review past media coverage. At some point, you’re going to come across a factoid, a photo, a quote or some other bit of information that’s going to strike you and get the words flowing. Plus, once you get going, you shouldn’t have to worry about going back and researching, as you’ve already done it.

Leave it be for now.
Granted, this one requires some advanced notice, but it’s still applicable. Take care to not procrastinate, though. If you’re staring a hole into your computer screen and just can’t seem to find the words, then don’t. Get up, walk away and do something else. Work on another task maybe, do chores, do something fun, but the point is, do something other than willing and stressing yourself to create something on the spot. It’s likely that your stress is causing more harm than good, simply extending the length of the block. So go, clear your mind, and then come back to the task at hand, preferably still with ample time to complete it.

Just do it.
Yes, in the interest of completion and breaking your block, I am saying just get the task done, regardless of how bad it is. Again, this one requires advance practice, as well, to allow for the editing and rewrites that’ll be needed, but the point is get the monkey off of your back and just do the darn thing. It may not be perfect. Heck, it might not even be good, but a complete rough draft is definitely a step ahead of a blank document and a deadline in the distance. Do it and then be completely open to the process of “How do we make this good/better?” Sometimes, baby steps are needed to get to the final goal.

Hopefully some of these tips help. If you haven’t gathered already, I simply went with a “Hey, I’ve got writer’s block, so by dangit, I’m going to write about writer’s block” approach.

How do you deal with writer’s block? Do you have any fun or interesting stories to share regarding writer’s block? Feel free to comment on my experience and advice, and share your own tales of writer’s block below!

Think Twice, Speak Once

Kim Morrison

Yep, I’m borrowing from the old adage “Measure twice, cut once,” which is perfectly applicable in the world of PR. 

How often do we hear or read something and want to immediately react, sometimes without truly considering the implications of our knee-jerk response? In the world of PR, it’s our job to do this at lightning-fast speed, if needed, but there is always that middle point of analyzing our response before putting it out there. 

An average Joe may not have this internal check, but it is something you can develop with a little practice. A good place to start is in your written/digital communications - email, text and social media. Once you’ve completed your response, take an extra second to review it. Does it say what you want it to say? Could the recipient easily misinterpret your message? Does it carry the tone you want? Does it explain your point? Could it possibly offend the other party without intending to? Does it add anything to the conversation? And my personal favorite, edit it to make sure that everything is spelled properly, you have proper punctuation and that autocorrect hasn’t decided to make you the next autocorrect fail sensation. (There’s SO MUCH bad grammar on the web and in social media, but that’s another post for another time. ^_^)

In this age of digital communication, despite being easier to communicate, the quality of our communication has taken a bit of a nosedive, but with just a few extra seconds, you can help prevent a texting war over a minor miscommunication.

Going on Vacation? Tips to Help Navigate Your Workload and Inbox

Kim Morrison

Although we all just returned from holiday vacations, we'll soon be looking forward to Spring Break and warm weather getaways. The most dreaded task for a vacation any size? The mountainous inbox you will return to whether it be from a short four-day weekend or **gasp** a two-week-long vacation. No worries, here are some tips before you leave, some advice while you’re gone and, of course, some help on how to tackle it upon your return.

Pre-vacation

• Communicate to your co-workers and superiors when you’ll be gone, how long you’ll be gone and provide them some way to contact you if they absolutely must reach you in the case of an emergency.
• Establish someone to act as a point of contact for your clients while you’re away. Yes, it’s normal to take a vacation, but you also can’t leave your clients high and dry for a week either.
• Inform your clients, vendors and other day-to-day business contacts about your upcoming leave, how long you’ll be gone and whom they should contact for urgent work and emergencies.
• Set up your work email to forward to your go-to-coworker while you are away. If possible, shut off your email for that period. You’ve alerted everyone you will be gone and not receiving emails, so it is unrealistic for them to send you emails anyway and expect you to receive them after the previous warnings.

During Your Vacation

• Take your vacation! You’ve put things into place in order to take time off, relax and rejuvenate, so do it! People know how to reach you if they absolutely have to speak with you about an urgent matter (hotel room info, alternate email, contact person, etc.), so relax and attend to yourself. Most likely the company you work for was successful before you arrived, and they aren’t going to fail simply because you took some time off. Do yourself a favor and unplug. Don’t know how? Fast Company, U.S.News, LinkedIn, Forbes, and MindBodyGreen all have tips and advice for unplugging.

Post-vacation

• Reach out to your superiors, co-workers, clients and day-to-day contacts -- either in person, phone call or via email -- to let them know you’re back at work and touch base about any developments that occurred while you were away.
• If you still received a ton of emails while you were gone, turn it into manageable steps. Sort your emails by sender and delete all of the newsletters, notifications, spam, etc. These do not need your immediate attention in the grand scheme of things. Then sort by subject, and get rid of all of the forwarded and emails that aren’t important (look at this funny link, long conversation on something that isn’t relevant anymore, etc.). Quickly look over the emails you were only copied on, and trash the ones that aren’t important.
• You’re email box should now be to a manageable size. Now, respond to the emails that will take all of two minutes to read and respond to and get them out of the way. Go through the remaining emails, and add them to your list of actual work to get caught up on.
• Finally, don’t get too wrapped up in email. Chances are you knew prior to leaving for vacation what things needed to be accomplished upon your return. Which is more important -- crafting and distributing a news release for an upcoming client event or taking 20 minutes to read a brainstorm email where everyone decided the idea was a no-go at the end? This is why my first post vacation tip is key; reach out to those parties, they’ll let you know the important things, that way you can get back to getting actual work done, rather than swimming in a sea of emails.

Do you have any useful tips for preparing for, unplugging or catching up post-vacation? Share them in the comments below!

Cooking with Kim

Kim Morrison

When I have the extra time, I really enjoy cooking. No, I don’t mean whipping up a box of macaroni and cheese and thawing out a veggie burger (although that is very yummy!); I mean truly creating a meal from the ground up. This winter, my favorites have been soups, finally nailing a good veggie “meatloaf” recipe, Eggplant Parmesan and various sides with cooked, fresh vegetables.

I’ve even become one of those people that has trouble sharing or recreating a recipe due to acquiring the skill to simply throw things together in a pot or bowl and having the dish turn out fabulously. I didn’t secretly sneak in classes with one of Food Network's Iron Chefs, but I have learned to heavily lean on one fail-safe trick. It’s actually a HUGE tenet of Hell’s Kitchen’s Chef Gordon Ramsay. What is this big recipe-changing secret?

Taste what you’re cooking.

Yep, it’s that simple! Think about it; when things go wrong with a dish on Hell’s Kitchen, other than a slew of expletives, what is one of the first things Chef Ramsay shouts out to the various chefs? “TASTE IT!!!” The dish is usually either totally inedible or missing some vital ingredient, both of which could have been discovered and remedied by simply tasting the dish. Instead that person usually ends up kicked out of the kitchen and eventually off the show. You can get away without tasting when making boxed mashed potatoes or some other prepackaged food, but when you’re creating a dish from scratch, how can you possibly know it’s been seasoned properly or has been cooked just right without tasting it? Simply put, you can’t. You have to monitor the taste of the dish to make sure it’s just so when you finally serve it.

The same thing goes for social media. (See what I did there?) Social media is just that, social. You can’t post a blog or something on Twitter and just walk away; it’s about interacting and becoming involved in the discussion. Are people commenting on your content, sharing your content, is it even getting any views? If the answers to these questions aren’t familiar to you, what are you doing with your social media content, and even more importantly, why are you doing it? In this day and age, social media provides a direct line to your publics and clients that’s never been available before. Grab this opportunity by the horns and become involved in the discussion, rather than halfway trying it and getting kicked out of the kitchen.

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.

I have a confession to make…

Kim Morrison

Not so long ago, I was one of those Memphians. You know the type. They have nothing good to say about the Bluff City, but they will go to blows if an outsider dare say a word about our hometown. They can’t stand Memphis for X, Y and Z reasons, BUT “it’ll always be home” due to A, B and C reasons.

I grew up in what started out as the boonies, transitioned into the suburbs and eventually became the wrong side of the tracks. Many times growing up, friends or dates would come out to my dad’s house and wonder if they were going to make it out of there without getting shot. It took roughly 30 minutes to get anywhere, and with nothing to go do in the general neighborhood around my home, it was very easy to develop a “there’s nothing to do here” mindset. With little knowledge of any of the goings-on in town and the plethora of bad news on the nightly news, I had always held an “I can’t wait to get out of here and move on to somewhere better” frame of mind. That is until roughly the past few years or so.

With a new mayor in office, I moved into Midtown on Dec. 29, 2010, just in time for a brand-new year. I always held fond memories of Midtown since I was a teenager, and it truly was the only area of town where I really felt at home.  In August 2012, I began my first internship, which would become my first and best job with Obsidian PR. Through my final semester at The University of Memphis and my work at Obsidian, I became more aware of the various professional and civic organizations in town. I became more aware of all the various events, shows and festivals that go on in town over the course of the year. I became more aware of the small businesses and nonprofits that are hard at work to help make Memphis and our people better. I became more aware, more engaged and more knowledgeable about all the amazing things my hometown has to offer. I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but somehow my tune changed to “This is my town, this is my pretty awesome town, and I want to be part of making it more awesome!”

So why exactly is Memphis awesome in my book? Here are just a few good reasons:

Courtesy of Ron Cogswell

• We are grit and grind.
  For years, even decades, Memphis has been the proverbial underdog, whether you’re talking about the sporting world, professional world, etc. Memphis has been looked to for Elvis, barbecue and very little else, but for Memphians, we’ve always wanted more, and we’re finally starting to see it. Whether it’s local businesses receiving accolades from national publications, the Grizzlies being name THE No. 1 team in sports by ESPN or Memphis being named one of the best cities in the country for artists, the hustle is finally starting to pay off.
• We are worth being respected.
  With higher education institutions the caliber of UT’s med school, Rhodes College, Southern College of Optometry, Christian Brothers University, and of course my alma mater, The University of Memphis, we are a center of higher learning. With hospitals like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, and the Baptist, Methodist and St. Francis systems, we have some of the most highly trained medical professionals in the world right here in our hometown. And with Fortune 500 companies based here in Memphis such as FedEx, AutoZone and International Paper, we have some of the greatest professional minds in business that call themselves Memphians.
• There is so much to do here!
  From Broadway shows to operas, ballets, art shows, street festivals, music festivals, food festivals, free music and events in Overton Park, concerts featuring every genre of music, sporting events, book signings, fairs, networking events, museums, parks, 5Ks, block parties, pop-up events, outdoor activities and more, you really have to avoid encountering any local print, TV or digital media to think that there is nothing to do in this city. Grab a Go Memphis, Memphis Flyer, look at I Love Memphis blog or even Get Down Memphis, and see all that this city has to offer.

Doesn’t all of that sound pretty darn awesome? Yes, there’s still crime and poverty and other social issues, but you’re going to find those to an extent anywhere. “Yeah, but they’re not as bad as Memphis.” Really? Most every moderate to large city out there has areas of town you wouldn’t want to be caught walking around in alone at 10 at night. Other towns are filing bankruptcy and dealing with economic issues. Other towns have bad news. Memphis isn’t unique in any of these aspects, so quit harping on about them. If a reformed hater can learn to love this underdog of a town, can’t you? ^_^

How to not screw yourself over three weeks before the end of the semester

Kim Morrison

Recently one of my teammates had a bit of computer problems which reminded me about the worst and most stressful 24 hours I ever experienced at the end of my last semester of school this past spring. Why, you might ask? Well, for several reasons: I failed to plan, my computer secretly hated me (or so I thought) and because you can always count on Murphy’s Law to catch you just at the right/wrong time. Let me explain.

I woke up early to a beautiful Saturday, thanks to the baying of my two Beagles, and started my day like normal -- breakfast with my roommate, play time with my dogs and once the cobwebs in my brain dissipated, I decided it was time to get to work.

Only it wasn’t.

I opened my Macbook Pro, hit the power button and started to hear a very loud clacking noise. I thought, “Well, that’s not good…” and waited for it to boot up.

Only it didn’t.

Once the screen lit up, it didn’t go to the normal log in screen. Instead, a screen opened up with a folder with a question mark on it. Again, I thought, “Ummmm, that can’t be good either…” So I shut it down and rebooted, again and again, and yet again, to the same result.

After much research via my iPhone, several phone calls, trips to the Apple Store and Macadvantage, and enough tears shed you’d have thought a family member died, I finally had all of my information off of my laptop while it went away to be diagnosed.

So what should I have done differently to keep something like this from happening?

Backup regularly

Regularly is a very ambiguous term, but that’s because it depends on how often you’re creating, downloading or altering files on your hard drive. If you primarily use your machine for Internet surfing, then once a week may be good for you. For someone like me who spends the day creating, downloading and altering files all day, daily backups are good, while keeping your external drive connected always so it backs up as you go.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Yes, make sure you have a backup for your backup. I have all of my work files backed up to my hard drive (thankfully!) as well as our server at work, although that backup isn’t completely current (my last back up there was at the beginning of the week). My personal files are all on this external hard drive as well, but that’s it. What if this hard drive failed? Years of pictures, writing, school work -- all gone. There are many cloud options out there that allow you to back up your valuable information via the Internet. Check out this article from NetworkWorld, which not only lists 12 free cloud storage options, but also pricing information for larger storage options.

Know your local IT options

Of course owning a Mac, whenever I have a problem, my first thought is “To the Apple Store!” Obviously from this experience, they do have limitations; they don’t do anything related to information retrieval. Actually, I was told in my case, they couldn’t even touch the hard drive other than for replacement. So the mighty Apple does have its limitations. Had I known that and known the abilities of the other Apple product service providers in the area, I could have gotten to Macadvantage much earlier, and possibly gotten to the root of my problem much quicker. It pays to know where to go.

Take a chill pill

Despite the frequency of technological problems in our day-to-day lives, methods for correcting and repairing those problems are keeping up at a good pace. It may hurt your wallet, it may take some time, but most likely, your computer problem can be resolved in a way that benefits you. Information can be recovered, software fixed and hardware replaced. Don’t have an aneurysm; just breathe and contact your local computer tech to find out what your options are.

So, how did my situation end? Rather anti-climatically. After spending three days worried and stressed to the max, my computer was OK. Yep, you read that right. It didn’t clack for them, rebooted perfectly 300 times in a row and the most they could find were a couple of software glitches. Thankfully, that’s it. So my computer may have made a liar out of me and I may have lost five years off my life, but I did learn a valuable lesson, albeit the hard way -- always be prepared, especially when your computer’s concerned.

Appreciate what you have before it’s gone

Kim Morrison

One of the many reasons I decided to get into PR is because I like people, like interacting with people and fancy myself at communicating well with people. Prior to getting into PR, I waited tables, worked at a call center and a spa in a four-star hotel, and while several of these positions paid better than others, I always got along well with my co-workers and clients on a daily basis. What can I say; I’ve got the gift of gab!

I’m also somewhat of a computer geek and love learning about and using new technology. The growth of social media is fascinating, and somehow, I’ve actually learned to “like” Excel, and yes, I pretty much love all things Apple. I do try to make sure though that I don’t sacrifice my real-life relationships and daily interactions for my digital addictions.

That being said, many times throughout the day, we are offered the choice of interacting with a human or interacting with a machine. Think about it -- at the grocery store, you can go with a grocery checker or check out your own groceries. At the bank you can make a withdrawal through a bank teller or the ATM. And even when calling into a company to schedule an appointment or to have a question answered, you can go through an automated system or press zero to speak with a person at any time.  

When given this choice, I always choose the human interaction. The reason is the convenience of that machine isn’t going anywhere, but that person’s job just might. That machine will still be there at 3 a.m. when you need to grab cash for the bar tab, buy diapers at the grocery store or you remember you need to schedule a package to be picked up, but if you also choose that option in the morning, afternoon or early evening, that business may elect to choose that machine over that employee.

In a city where the unemployment rate is 10.7 percent and only 23 percent of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, these service sector jobs are important to our city. I don’t know about everyone, but for me, those types of jobs helped me earn a living through high school, college, a time-out, and back to college. Those people have lives, families and bills, but not that unmovable machine.

So the next time you’re out running errands, take a moment to think about it -- what’s more important? Saving a few minutes or helping to ensure your neighbor has and keeps his/her job?

The 10 most common grammar & AP Style mistakes, plus the importance of using AP style

Kim Morrison

Is it sad that when I saw this topic in our blog list I got just a little giddy? I’m very much a grammar nerd. I cringe while reading most Facebook posts, using every bit of willpower to ignore the need to correct the poster. I’m the person my friends and (previous) co-workers will ask to edit something, and I’m usually the first to start rattling off letters when someone asks how to spell something. Interestingly enough, I was an English major before switching to journalism, so there were many habits I had to change to become compliant to the AP Style gods. Here’s a list of some egregious grammar issues and AP Style errors.

That vs. which

This is one that still trips me up. That is used for essential clauses (the sentence would lose its meaning without the clause) and doesn’t use commas. Which is used with nonessential clauses (meaning the sentence doesn’t lose meaning without the clause) and uses commas. I came up with a little rhyme to help with this; use that when you have to have it, use which when you can ditch it.

Its vs. it’s (plus their vs. there vs. they’re and you’re vs. your)

This is a simple one that drives me up the wall. It’s is a contraction of it is or it has and its shows possession. Along this same problem area: their shows possession, there is a place, they’re is a contraction of they are, you’re is a contraction of you are, and your shows possession. Get it? Got it? Good.

Toward

It’s always toward, without an “s.” Never add an “s” to toward, ever.

Punctuation with quotation marks

Periods and commas always go inside the quotation marks, whether they’re punctuating the quote or the flow of the sentence. Dashes, semicolons, questions marks and exclamation points only go inside the quotation marks if they directly apply to the quote, otherwise they go outside the quotation marks if punctuating the whole sentence.

Months, days and seasons

Only abbreviate months if used with a specific date, otherwise spell it out. Also, only the following months should be abbreviated and in this way: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. If you’re writing for tabular material, the following forms are acceptable, without a period: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec. Likewise, only abbreviate days of the week for tabular material, without periods, as so: Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri and Sat. Seasons are not capitalized unless they are part of a formal name.

Titles (formal)

I’m talking about mayor, sheriff, chairman of the board, president of the United States, etc. Essentially, only capitalize a formal or working title when it comes before the person’s name, otherwise it should be lowercase. The rules vary when you start to talk about military titles, royal titles, long titles, short titles, etc. The AP Style guide has a whole page about formal titles, so check it if you’re in doubt about how to properly address someone in print.

Numbers

The AP Stylebook has about a page and a half dedicated to numbers. In general, spell out the numbers zero through nine, and use the number for 10 or more. Try to avoid starting a sentence with a number, but if need be, spell it out, unless it’s a calendar year. There are a number of rules regarding decimals and numbers in a series, so check out the Stylebook for more detailed rules.

State abbreviations

Be wary, the postal code abbreviation and the dateline abbreviation will most likely be different. Plus, there are eight states that aren’t abbreviated in datelines, listed here: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah. The District of Columbia is also not abbreviated in the dateline. Only use the postal code abbreviation with addresses.

Commas in a series

Ah yes, lastly, but definitely not least, the Oxford or serial comma. The habit that many an English teacher probably propelled you to develop. It’s amazing how passionate people are about their punctuation. People seem to either love or hate the Oxford comma, and the AP Stylebook is part of the latter group. Don’t use the Oxford comma in a simple series before the conjunction. Only use it to avoid ambiguity, if part of the series contains a conjunction or if you have a complex series of phrases. I was a fan until I realized it wasn’t AP Style, all hail AP Style…

Honorable mention

a.m. and p.m.  - That’s how they’re used. The periods may seem picky, but they’re proper.

These aren’t life-altering changes, so what’s the big deal? You got into journalism because you want someone to read your work, right? AP Style is the Bible as far as the journalism industry is concerned. If your work isn’t in AP Style, it isn’t going to get read. It’ll be thrown in the trash, or become fodder for the office to laugh at, and maybe even live on in viral infamy online. So do yourself a favor, buy the book or the online membership, and become very, very close friends with it; your livelihood depends on it.

If it's worth a response, think it through

Kim Morrison

It was a day like any other day in the late 80s/early 90s, and since it was a day that ended in the letter ‘Y’, my little brother and I were fighting. While growing up, we were constantly fighting. Someone did this, someone took that, someone looked at the other crazy… You get the general idea.

This fight was no different. At some point in the argument, I yelled, “I’M GONNA GO TELL DAD,” who was outside talking with one of the neighbors. This started a back-and- forth of uh-huhs and nuh-uhs, and at some point, I took off running full speed out the front door to tell my dad the horrible, awful, stupid, annoying, etc. thing my brother had done. 

As I reached my dad and the neighbor, they were in the middle of a conversation, and while I can’t remember how old I was when this happened, I was old enough to know you didn’t interrupt adults when they were talking. So, I stood there, and anxiously waited to be acknowledged so I could do the sisterly thing and snitch on my brother. I never got that chance.

Before my dad and the neighbor were done talking, my little brother came flying out the front door, flailing, screaming and hollering at the top of his lungs, “SHE’S LYING DAD! DON’T LISTEN TO HER! I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!” As soon as he got to where we were, Dad simply looked at him and said, “What did you do?”
 
Cute story, but what the heck does it have to do with PR? Don’t be my little brother. Yes, something bad happened, and yes, you should respond, but don’t just wing it and hope for the best. Don’t freak out and just blurt out the first thing that crosses your mind. Stop, calm down and think it over for a minute. Is this worth responding to? If so, then respond in a way that addresses the situation, contributes to the conversation and hopefully places you in a better light than you were in before you started speaking. If it’s worth responding to, then it’s worth responding to properly.

Ever wanted to tell 'em off?

Kim Morrison

How many of us have half jokingly declared, “On my last day at work, I’m going to…” and proceeded to describe how we would give our managers a piece of our minds, tell off those rude customers, do nothing all day or do any number of devious deeds, without the fear of retribution?

I actually was given that chance, on a silver platter, during my last day at a local salon/spa chain in a hotel in Downtown Memphis.
 
A customer became irate because we were unable to validate her parking ticket. I explained to her where we can and can’t validate, and instructed her to speak with the hotel’s concierge desk concerning the parking ticket, because we did not have any way of validating it. At this point, she let me know that yes, she would be speaking with the hotel, to put in a complaint and recommend they get another salon/spa in there because, in her words, “You people are incompetent!”
 
At this moment, I had a choice to make. A big choice. One of those choices that has real potential to impact your life in a big way, maybe not immediately, but definitely down the road.
 
The opportunity was right there, right in front of me, just waiting for me to grab it! It was my last day, and for the umpteenth time, I was getting yelled at for a situation that wasn’t my fault. Why not take advantage of this situation and tell this lady what’s up, right?!
 
Wrong. I couldn’t. As soon as I thought it, I knew I couldn’t do that. I was leaving this job to finish my degree in PR; are you kidding me?! Doing that could be career suicide and not to mention unprofessional. I didn’t know who that lady was. She could work for a client of ours, volunteer for one of our clients, be a friend or family member of one of our clients or a member of the local news media. Yes, telling her off may have made me feel better, but the long-term implications would have been huge! Not to mention, on my last day there, did I really want to create negative PR for the salon/spa and hotel? What if I ended up working with either of them again? “Oh yeah, that’s the woman who went off on a customer on her last day at work.” Yeah, that’s a great way to be remembered while trying to network professionally.
 
In that chaotic moment of clarity, I chose to not be that employee who flew off the handle. I chose to be a brand ambassador, not just for the salon/spa, not just for the hotel, but also for myself. So regardless of what you do or where you work, remember that you don’t just represent your employer; you also represent yourself. You may not be able to control the branding of your job, but you can and should carefully shape your own personal brand.