There is always a bit of excitement in the air when starting to work with a new client. I began working for my newest client, CareerScribe, at the beginning of this month and I can feel anticipation building as the launch of the Alpha version of their Web site is quickly approaching. 

 

CareerScribe is the future of hiring and career management.  It leaps and bounds ahead of any other online job resource site. It has everything you like from other sites but brings the art of searching, interviewing and hiring into the digital age…the ‘YouTube generation’! And it’s launching right here in Indianapolis – recently ranked by Forbes as one of the hottest growing business communities!

To check out this site and/or create your own profile please visit: http://www.careerscribe.com/

The recent phenomenon and popularity of blogs, especially the extent to which they've grown in the past few years, astonishes me. The fact that something that never existed until very recently can provide a lucrative career for people now seems crazy. But that is the world we live in - where new technology is developed every day, and new developments very quickly become obsolete.

I vaguely remember becoming aware of what a blog was sometime when I was in college. A blog was then simply a means of online communication for friends, family or a group of people with similar interests. It was a simple forum for discussion, which until the past year I really had no interest in. But modern-day communication is constantly evolving, which requires everyone - businesses and individuals alike - to not only take notice of the trends but to join them. These days, you can find a blog on just about any topic you're interested in - from sports to politics, education to ice cream. Corporations and political candidates have their own blogs as do college students and retirees. Here at Dittoe PR, every account executive has her own blog for which she writes on a regular basis.

Online news sites have largely replaced print newspapers and magazines. While many people still enjoy picking up a hard copy of their favorite news source to read on a Sunday morning or when they're traveling on an airplane, it is far easier to read news on the computer - especially when so many people are in front of one all day long. Online news sites can still make money by selling advertisements on their web pages. Similarly, bloggers who are able to generate enough traffic to their sites can sell ads as a means of income - supplementary or even full time.

For example, I just read an article this morning in the New York Times on a woman, Heather Armstrong, who runs her own blog for other women - particularly mothers - called "Dooce." Her site has become so wildly popular that she's been able to sell ads to corporate giants like J.C. Penny, Crate & Barrel, Walgreens and Starwood. She's generating enough income through these ads that both she and her husband have since quit their regular jobs to focus on running the blog!

With forms of communication changing so rapidly - not to mention the other technological advancements that are constantly happening in our world - students in college today are likely to have a job in something that didn't exist when they were preparing for their careers. And for the rest of us - we'd better stay up to date with the changes, or we'll be left behind!

 Why do the fish at the Indiana State Fair ALWAYS die?

This week I went to the Indiana State Fair with my family and it was a blast. I honestly don’t think I have gone to the fair since I was six years old or younger. It was such a great way to spend time with my parents, grandpa and brother, and I recommend everyone in Indiana go for at least one night. Attendance records were actually set at this year’s fair.

One of the highlights of the trip for me was riding a train to and from the fair. Train rides were provided from the station near my house in Fishers, Ind. to the fair and back. I’ve never been on a train before, so it was a pretty cool experience. One of the conductors even came into the railroad car we were riding in and played railroad songs on his guitar for us. I wanted him to play Casey Jones by the Grateful Dead, but I settled for some more historic tunes I’m not familiar with.

Once we arrived, my first stop was at the corn dog stand, naturally. I am a huge corn dog fan and it was delicious. Then, we made our way through petting some of the animals, riding the carnival rides (I just watched everyone else) and playing games. That brings me to the purpose of my blog post…

My grandparents used to take me to the fair when I was very young and every time I would have to play the game where you can win a goldfish. You know the game- there are a ton of small fish bowls on a table and you have to throw a ping pong ball into one. Well, since I hadn’t attended the fair in so many years, I decided I had to play this game until I won a fish. And, I did! I was ecstatic! Seriously, I was so happy. But, that feeling was very short lived.

I remember many years back when I won a fish, by the morning following the fair it was dead. I was determined not to let that happen this year. So, as soon as I arrived home, I went to the store and bought fish food. I fed the little guy, who I named Phelps the Fish after the Olympic record setting Michael Phelps, before going to bed. Then, I woke up this morning, got ready for work and went to his bowl. I was going to make him the mascot of Dittoe Public Relations, but he was dead. Our time together was cut far too short.

Seriously, can someone please tell me what the deal is? I have NEVER won a fish from the Indiana State Fair and had it live longer than 12 hours. I have had goldfish as pets in the past that I did not win at the fair, and they lived for a very long time. Any insight you have is much appreciated. I need to know ASAP, so I can go win another one before the fair ends.

In public relations, there is no better feeling than landing a great piece of coverage for a client. At times, I am convinced that I’m even happier about securing a story or interview than my client is. Not to say that the client isn’t thrilled, but it’s just an unbelievable feeling that never seems to get old. Regardless of the size of the media outlet, from a large national newspaper to a small trade publication, the feeling of accomplishment is exactly the same. The fact of the matter (and this is widely under recognized) is that a story in a small trade publication may bring a client even more business than a story in the Wall Street Journal or New York Times. It’s all about the audience and the message.

This week, one of my favorite things in PR happened. Actually, it happened twice. I was contacted by two media outlets that I last corresponded with three months ago about doing stories (one television and one print) on one of my former clients, Sonicu. It all goes back to the age old saying, “Timing is everything.” The bottom line is a great story will get picked up, but not necessarily when you expect it to.

As put best by the president of Sonicu, it is “Interesting how seed planted a while back can still grow.” Throughout this weekend, he will be appearing on Indiana's most watched weekly business television program, Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.  The first airing of the week’s show is on Friday nights at 10:00 p.m. CHECK IT OUT!

Probably one of the most important aspects of public relations is longevity.  Defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, longevity is “1 a: a long duration of individual life b: length of life <a study of longevity>2: long continuance: permanence, durability.”

You want to work with a public relations professional and/or firm who you can stay with long-term not just because it adds stability and undoubtedly a continued stream of coverage – but also because you like calling one person, the same person, every time you need some PR assistance.

In my first job, I traveled across the country training businesses on how to use the computer software my company sold and supported.  Even years after I last visited a site, the managers or salespeople would call me asking for help with the software.  Why?  It was typically because every time they called customer support they reached a different technical specialist or their salesperson left their territory/region and they just wanted to talk to one person who understood their situation, not be passed around from person to person.

I was someone my former clients could call, no matter what, and they knew I would work to help solve their problem until they were 100% satisfied.

That’s what we do at Dittoe.  Every account manager deals with different clients, client contacts and media contacts on a daily basis.  Not only are we charged with telling our clients’ stories and getting them coverage in the media outlets they want to be in on a regular basis – but we work hard to ensure everyone we communicate with is happy.

Our clients know who their Dittoe account manager is.  We communicate with them multiple times a week and they know our mobile numbers – so even at 10:00pm, when someone gets an idea or a last minute decision is made, we’re on it.

I think our accountability and availability plays major roles in our longevity with many clients.  The proof is in the pudding…

We currently work with clients who were some of the first to try out Dittoe Public Relations back when Chris and Liza founded the company.  Clients don’t “come and go” here… they stay, and if they leave, they typically come back.

Longevity.  It’s a major key to the success of any company, whether you’re B-to-B or B-to-C.  You want to be good ole reliable.  You want to be the first name that pops up in your client’s mind.

Last night, I was one of millions of Americans who I'm sure witnessed the amazing finish in the Olympic men's 400 meter freestyle relay swim race for the gold metal. The United States relay team, led by swimmer phenom Michael Phelps, was not expected to win the race. While commentators said that they had a shot if each individual swimmer put in a perfect effort, the general concession was that the French team would take the gold.

There was also mention of the French team doing some trash talking prior to the race. The Americans, however, focused only on swimming their very best in this race. As the race began, with Phelps leading off, the excitement started to build. Phelps swam his lap in record speed but was still behind the French leader. The second and third legs of the race went similarly, with the Americans remaining in first or second place throughout. Once the fourth leg of the race - swam for the U.S. by 32-year old Jason Lezak - began, the French had a considerable lead. Lezak swam hard but remained about 4 or 5 feet (I'm judging this simply by the appearance on TV; I'm no swim expert, so that might be a little off) behind Alain Bernard, the French anchor, until the final half length of the race. In what seemed like an impossible burst of speed, Lezak make up the distance, pushing just past Bernard, to win the race by a finger-tip.

The members of the U.S. team went crazy, celebrating their victory after it had seemed to have slipped from their grasp. American TV commentators roared with excitement and the crowd went wild. It was certainly a great Olympic moment for the United States. Michael Phelps was particularly excited, because winning this gold medal meant that his quest to win a record 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics was still alive.

I find it inspiring the way that Americans support their athletes at the Olympics on the world stage. I generally have no particular interest in many of the sporting events that our athletes compete in. I would usually never watch swimming, diving, fencing, or volleyball - they're just not sports I find particularly entertaining. However, when it comes to the Olympics - when U.S. athletes are competing for our country, against the greatest athletes in the world, and as part of an event where members of countries worldwide come together - I find myself drawn to watch and to cheer for the American athletes in all sports.

I also love getting to see the powerful stories behind some of the athletes competing. One example is of a gymnast on the German women's team. At 33 years old, Oksana Chusovitina is an Olympic veteran and more than twice the age of many fellow competitors. After winning team gold at the Barcelona games in 1992 with the Soviet Union, she went on to compete for Uzbekistan prior to 2006. In 2001, when her son was diagnosed with leukemia, she and her family moved to Germany to seek treatment for him. The treatments were successful, and his cancer is now in remission. Chusovitina went on to gain Germain citizenship and compete in gymnastics for the country that "saved her son." The Beijing Olympics mark her fifth time competing in the Olympic games. Despite wanting to see the U.S. do well in every sport, I think I'll be silently hoping for her to do well - after all that she's been through with her son's illness, she deserves it!

Friday night my friends and I gathered at one of our houses to eat some Chex Mix, queso and candy to watch the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics in Beijing.  While our attention wasn't 100% focused on the dancing, symbolism and pyrotechnics, we were all impressed at the lengths China went to in efforts to show the world they are now a leader in the 21st century.

I didn't understand a lot of the negative buzz surrounding this summer's games... you know all the talk about the pollution and then of course, the protests.  I guess I was looking at the situation with rose colored glasses on.  After living in Hong Kong for three years, I had formulated my own opinions and thoughts on China and they are just so different from most of my friends'.

That being said, China really entered into this Olympics fighting an uphill battle.  Everything about the Olympics coming out of China needs to be positive... it's as if they are in "damage-control PR mode" without really having a "disaster" to be trying recovering from.

China is working extremely hard to impress the world... to show their culture, people and technology.  They are a world leader, and really have been for a long time but no one has ever noticed.  Their political issues and decisions both nationally and internationally have overshadowed anything else which could be a positive reflection of the country and its people.

This is a really good example for businesses worldwide to take notice of.  A series of questionable decisions, a bad product release or corporate scandal can put a bad taste in your clients' mouths which can last a few hours or maybe a few decades.  As consumers, we all put a lot of faith into the brands we trust.  If tomorrow you wash your clothes with Tide and they are ruined - will you use Tide again?

Now, of course, a bad experience with laundry detergent isn't quite the same as the political dealings of the world's largest communist society but you get the idea!

Overall, I think China's doing a great PR job positioning itself as a world leader and innovative society.  Many people's eyes are being opened for the first time to Chinese culture and what an exciting way to do so!

Have you ever used NO-AD sunscreen on vacation?  It's really good stuff... great value for the money too because the bottles are ginormous.  What makes this sunscreen really different than Banana Boat, Panama Jack and Coppertone is they don't advertise - hence the name "no-ad."

This company has relied on word of mouth marketing for years.  I first started using it when I was in middle school because I saw a friend with a hot pink bottle of 15 SPF.

While it makes for an interesting case study, NO-AD is also very unique.  Many companies are creating "word of mouth" marketing campaigns which rely heavily on social media sites like Facebook or MySpace, emails (like those sent out by Indianapolis-based ExactTarget), blogs (like your's truly here) and SMS text messaging.  NO-AD really relied on good, solid, old-fashioned word of mouth.

On the American Marketing Association's Web site, Marketing Power, they currently have a survey posted which I found to be extremely interesting.  They ask, "What is your most effective word-of-mouth technique?"  The responses are what got my attention:

• Social Media Sites - 22%
• Email - 54%
• Blogs - 16%
• SMS - 8%

Honestly, I voted for blogs.  I have experienced a great deal of success in gaining coverage for my clients in blogs.  Many blogs have a daily traffic snapshots reaching over 2.2 million making their online viewership greater than the printed circulation of the same company or other reputable media outlets in the same space.

I believe people are more likely to believe the word of a blogger than some group on Facebook or some email they've received.  Emails have a leg-up on blogs though... many campaigns are opt-in and all [should be] opt-out compliant.  To find a blog takes more effort than just checking your inbox - I'll give you that!

I am sad to see that SMS isn't appearing to catch on as quickly as I had anticipated.  I've yet to participate in any opt-in SMS campaign and I really don't think it's for me.  I equate it to receiving a phone call from a telemarketer right when I sit down for dinner.  There's never a good time to receive a random text message from a stranger... not for me, at least!

So what about you?  How will/would you vote?

This morning, I saw a video on Inc. magazine's website talking about "How to choose a PR agency." This was interesting to me, coming from the agency side, to look at what clients must think about in deciding to work with us. So I started thinking about each of the five "tips" given in light of Dittoe PR and our clients.

1.Use references.
Talk to friends and business contacts you know and trust to see what firms they think will be a good fit for your organization. I know we've gotten several of our clients through references and word of mouth. Since we're located in Indianapolis, it's easy for companies here to see our work and for Dittoe to attract the attention of more local clients.

2. Does a PR agency know your business?
Engage the PR agency in dialogue about your industry and business challenges. Ask them how they would likely approach your account. Dittoe works with a wide variety of clients but has particular expertise in the high tech industry. However, after working with several clients in the education industry recently, we've gained a great deal of knowledge about this industry over the past year. Similarly with working with other clients, we're continually learning as much as possible about the marketplace and various industries in order to be able to serve an increasing range of clientelle.

3. Test the chemistry between your company and the agencies that you’re looking at. Who do you think you’ll get along with best and be able to work well with? With any business partnership, it's very important to understand one another and be able to communicate well. Dittoe has a wide range of clients and therefore a wide range of client relationships. Some clients like to talk on the phone with us every day, while others will go days or sometimes even weeks between emails with us. It's our responsibility to understand our clients' needs and cater specifically to them, communicating in the method they prefer.

4. Be a partner. Make sure to let the agency know all the relevant information they might need in order to best tell your story. This is very important to a PR agency. Since what we do is "tell our clients' stories" essentially, it is critical that we have all the necessary information to paint a picture for the media. Clients who withhold information from us are doing themselves a disservice.

5. Define success. Make sure you and the agency have the same goals in mind. It is important for Dittoe to know what our clients expect of us and what will make them happy. That way, we can set our expectations - and help set theirs realistically. All clients usually say they want to be on Oprah, but unfortunately that rarely happens. Landing coverage like Good Morning America, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times is incredible and we're always so excited when stories like these run for our clients. Also, knowing where a client would most like to be featured is important. Some clients would actually prefer to be included in trade publications - written specifically for people in their industry - instead of national newspapers or magazines written for the general public.

Dittoe PR is very good at what we do, and we know how to achieve media coverage successfully for our clients. Anyone looking for a PR agency who would like national exposure should give us a look!

So this morning while I was getting ready to come into work (seriously, can you believe it's the last day of July?), I decided to wear my charm bracelet in a last minute grab for jewelry as I headed downstairs.

When I sat down at my desk today with coffee in hand, the jingling of the few charms I do have rattled against the laminate desktop and instantly I remembered the sound of this bracelet in high school and college.  Each time it seemed a little heavier -- and a little bit more "jingly."

It all started when I was 12 years old.  For Christmas my Grandmother gave me her mother's charm bracelet with one single charm on it... my Dad's silhouette with his name engraved on it.  She had one for every grandchild, I was told. 

After that Christmas, I began to receive new charms each year.  For my 13th birthday I got an ice skate since I had started skating lessons and surprisingly, was doing well at the sport.  For my 14th birthday a viola for the instrument I started playing at age 11 - and still play from time to time.  At 15, my mom gave me one of her charms for typing 60 words a minute - in honor of my own typing skills. 16 - a basketball hoop and ball to commemorate when I made the varsity basketball team that fall.  17 - a graduation cap and the number "2000," and at 18, the state of Indiana since I chose to attend Hanover College.

I didn't receive another charm after June 2000, until last year.  On the night before my wedding, my mother-in-law gave me a charm with my "new" initials on it, our wedding date and a special message just from her.

In a way, this charm bracelet is the story of my life and a continuation of my great-grandmother's. The jingling is a constant reminder of where I've been and what I've done.  I think for Christmas this year I'll ask for a new charm... maybe a telephone or a computer to mark my employment at Dittoe Public Relations?

On July 28, Laura Olson, a reporter from the Indianapolis Star wrote the article, "Indy-area volunteers not stingy with time." She stated in the article, "Indianapolis is one of the top 10 metro areas in volunteer hours per resident, according to a federal report released Sunday."

Many Indianapolis residents are always itching to learn more about where they can volunteer their time and services.  I know of a great volunteer opportunity that you can partake in at any time of the year and as much or little as you would like! 

Eagle Creek Park on the Northwest side of Indianapolis is looking for volunteers to help out at the park doing various activities.  Some of them include taking children on hikes, gardening, working at the marina, working at the newly built Discovery Center, answering phones, taking care of animals and setting up for art shows that exhibit four times a year at the Discovery Center.



If you or someone you know is interested please contact Rosie Johnson, the volunteer coordinator at Eagle Creek Park.  Her number is (317) 327-7148.

One thing I loved about Notre Dame is that a huge percentage of the student body is comprised of athletes - which meant there was always someone to toss a football, shoot hoops or play a game of pick up soccer on the quad with. As someone who loves sports and played competitively through high school, being part of this atmosphere was a lot of fun for me. Since Notre Dame's varsity sports teams are very competitive, a lot of students who attend Notre Dame are good enough at (one or more) sports that they could have played their sport(s) at another college. I actually considered applying to several smaller, Division 3 schools so that I could keep playing soccer during college. Ultimately, I decided that I cared more about attending Notre Dame than I did about playing soccer at the college level. However, I was lucky that this didn't mean I had to give up sports all-together.

In fact, during my years at Notre Dame, I played intramural flag football, soccer, basketball, volleyball and broomball - and had an absolute blast doing it. I met some of my best friends through these teams, and my experiences playing on them remain some of my favorite memories from college. I'll never forget when my freshman year flag football team - from the smallest dorm on campus - beat the team from the largest dorm on campus in the intramural championship game. The coolest part of this, though, was that the game was held in Notre Dame stadium. For a huge ND football fan like myself, getting to step foot on (much less getting to play a game of our own on!) this field was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Another one of my favorite intramural experiences was with my broomball team. If you're not familiar with this sport, let me give a quick outline. It's played on half of an ice rink, with goals at either end. Members of each team run on the ice in shoes (not skates) and hit a ball (not a puck) with a stick that literally could be made at home with a broom handle and a wider piece of plastic at the bottom. Games are twenty minutes long, and in this league they're played at night - usually at 10pm, 11pm, or 12am. My team, which played together for three years, was called Fr. Sorin and the Funky Bunch. (Fr. Sorin was the founder of the university.) For each game, we dressed up in ridiculous non-matching outfits and had so much fun out on the ice. The best part was that despite the recreational nature of the game, we actually took it seriously and got really pumped up for each game. One night we even had a friend who was in the school's band accompany us over to the hockey rink playing music & cheering us on.

Since graduating in May of '07, I've definitely missed getting to play on all these teams with my close friends. This fall, I'm hoping to help coach a soccer team. I think it will be a lot of fun getting to be around the game again, teach it to younger girls, and see them enjoy it the way I did for so many years. Maybe I'll even get to play a little too - although my footskills have definitely gone downhill over the past few years. Oh well, I guess I'll see if a little practice can help bring them back!

We've all done it. You see a homeless person on the sidewalk or at an intersection and you give them what little change or maybe cash you have in your wallet. Maybe you've even given someone your doggy bag from your nice dinner out. Ultimately you feel sorry for the person and try to offer assistance without really getting involved, right?

My friend Matt did this for an "amputee" and Vietnam War veteran who was seemingly down on his luck in Louisville. Hours later, Matt was astounded to see the man stand up out of his wheelchair and run off with some very real legs and with all of the cash he was given. Matt was upset and everyone who witnessed it commented they would never give money to a homeless person again. 

While finishing up her masters, one of my best friends worked for a company committed to helping homeless people here in Indianapolis. Sadly, one day her purse was stolen out of her office. Though it was later found, the man seen taking it was one of the people her company had offered its services to in the past.

It's hard to help people when you know the odds of them taking your help and actually using it to better themselves (buy food, clothes, etc...) are slim to none. A friend of my Dad's offered to take a homeless man in my hometown of Greenville, SC to McDonald's and buy him lunch - anything he wanted. The man stared at him in disbelief and said, "Just give me money, man."

Unfortunately, many people who are forced to live on the streets face addictions ranging from alcohol to gambling. Their addiction is a disease, and any money they receive goes to feed it. Other large portions of homeless people in the U.S. are victims of foreclosures, bankruptcy and sadly - many are mentally ill.

OK - so why my rant on homeless people? Here in Indianapolis, we have a problem. You don't see it every where... but downtown, especially at night, there are a lot of folks who have nowhere to sleep, no shelter and no dinner. The worst part of this mess is the city is forcing them to get out from underneath the bridges that provide them with the only shelter available and is not providing them with any alternatives.

Every city has a dark side - a side tourists/visitors never see. By placing nice hotels close to attractions like museums, malls, monuments, sport & concert arenas and convention centers most visitors never have to see the "bad" part of town. But what about those of us who live in these bigger cities? We drive through rough areas sometimes. In fact, we probably drive out of our way to avoid them. I say it's time we stop driving around the problems plaguing society and make a change.

Write to your mayor today if you agree with me, and ask them what their plans are to provide the homeless with shelter and increase safety for citizens throughout the city - regardless of race, religion and income.

For those of you in Indianapolis, write to Mayor Greg Ballard here.

Recently, I've seen several YouTube videos of the Muppets singing various songs. On the Fourth of July, someone sent me the Muppets "singing" the Stars and Stripes Forever, and this past weekend I saw three others - the Habanera, Ode to Joy, and a classical music piece the name of which I don't know. All of these are hilarious and have made me wonder whether they might be part of some sort of viral advertising for a new Muppets movie. I definitely hope this is the case, as I love the Muppets and always enjoy their movies.

I've always found non-traditional forms of advertising to be very interesting. Viral advertising tactics such as using YouTube videos, mock websites, and other forms of social media communication are all inexpensive (or free) but can reach an amazingly wide audience. With the numbers of people using social media networking websites, thousands can come in contact with an item posted by a single person. The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, talks about how ideas, products, messages and behaviors spread like viruses do. An example given is that of Hush Puppies shoes. At a time when this company was suffering and on the verge of going out of business, they experienced an unexpected rise in popularity and profit. A very small niche of urbanites who wore hush puppies (likely because they weren't popular) caused the popularity of these shoes to spread like wildfire. People started catching on - and once celebrities started wearing the shoes, the demand only grew more.

In my opinion, if you have a few people - who are widely respected and popular - with large social networks to help spread a message virally, you can reach a huge audience very simply. Once people start talking about something - the topic becomes part of the "buzz" - and it pops up everywhere.

In PR, having news about our clients "go viral" is exactly what we want. At Dittoe, we always hope that by generating some initial media coverage, this will stimulate discussion and that people will ultimately start talking about our clients on their own - and spreading awareness of their products and services!

Yesterday I had an experience at the mall which made me think about the fact that many of the skills necessary to be a successful retail salesperson are similar to those necessary to be successful at Dittoe PR.

As I was walking, I was approached by a salesperson with a lotion sample. Although I politely told him I wasn't interested in sampling his product, he continued to insist that I take the sample, all-the-while getting closer to me and more in my face. I decided to appease him, in the hopes of getting him to leave me alone after that. That was my first mistake. Once I took the lotion sample, he began to show me another set of products for nail care. Talking at a mile-a-minute, the salesman (who clearly cared FAR more about nail care than I, a woman, did) tried to convince me to let him demonstrate a nail smoothing product on me - "Just two minutes of your time." Yeah, right. He proceeded to smooth the top of one of my thumbnails with some sort of nail buffing product. Then, when I said "That's nice, but I really don't need the product," he went into a tirade about how my fingernails are like a business card. "Do you want your business contacts to see you with bad nails?" he asked. As I strained to keep a smile on my face and remain pleasant I thought to myself how my business contacts shouldn't care what my nails look like - they should base their opinions of me on how smart, professional and hard-working I am - and whether I get the job done well. Honestly, I don't care enough or want to spend the money to get a manicure each month - and I'd rather keep my nails cut short so I can toss a football more easily.

At this point, I started to get really annoyed and began to try harder to get away from the salesman. I hate being rude though, so I was still having a difficult time walking away. His tactics then changed to attempts to negotiate with me. He tried offering me the nail kit for half price, then offering me two nail kits for the price of one. The reality of the situation was that I wouldn't spend $5 for a nail kit - it's just not something I need, want or would even use. FINALLY I realized I would just have to be short with the man - tell him I wasn't buying anything, bottom line - and walk away.

To me, a good retail salesperson needs to resemble a good PR professional. He or she should be helpful but not pushy. Knowledge of the product, the ability to communicate and being trustworthy (which includes conveying accurate product and pricing information, especially in a negotiation-type sale) are all critical qualities to have.

At Dittoe, we pride ourselves on always being professional and pitching the media appropriately. The relationships we form with journalists and producers are largely based on their trust that we're providing them with accurate, relevant information. I know there are plenty of PR professionals who pitch using mass email lists and who don't do the necessary research prior to contacting members of the media. Going the extra mile by making ourselves familiar with new media contacts, the topics they general cover, and how they prefer to be contacted is what sets the account executives at Dittoe apart from these other PR professionals in the industry.

I always try to think about how I would react to something if I were the journalist or producer, prior to contacting him or her. By putting myself in someone else's shoes for a minute, it helps me to better understand what they want so I can get the best results for Dittoe and our clients!

OK, so is it bad that I'm already counting down until the Colts play the Bears on Sunday, September 7th at 8:15pm at the new Lucas Oil Stadium?

My excitement for this season is greater than it was last year when they were the reigning world champs.  I know... I didn't think it was possible, either!  Of course, you can imagine my excitement when I learned from MediaPost.com about Reebok's new commercial by Mcgarrybowen which features both the Manning brothers and other league stars like Chad Johnson, Vince Young and Brian Urlacher (all personal favorites of mine).

Of course, the commercial features several teams including the Colts.  By the way, where the heck are the Colts walking?  They look like they're in the swamps of Florida, not the fields of Indiana!? 

Check the ad out for yourself by clicking on the picture above and let me know what you think.  It gets me excited about football... not Reebok, but maybe that's because I'm a Nike girl all the way.  What about you?  Will you join the migration?

Last week, Dittoe's insurance company sent out a representative to our office to perform an annual "health screening" of all the employees ensured. We were informed that we would each have a finger pricked to draw blood for analysis and that we needed to complete surveys about our nutrition, lifestyles, etc.

During this process, I started thinking about how healthy I really am. While I feel like I've always been a pretty healthy eater and have always been involved in playing sports, I think I definitely owe it to myself to re-evaluate how healthy I currently am and to make necessary changes to my diet and excercise plan if necessary.

When I look at my diet, I know one thing I could stand to improve is eating more fruits and vegetables. I like the way I feel when I'm eating healthy, and I like most fruits and veggies. The difficulty lies in actually working these foods into my diet. I often seem to buy too many fruits or veggies which I'm not able to eat by myself, and they go bad. Or I won't feel like taking the time to cook or prepare veggies with dinner so I'll go without eating any. In taking a step back, though, I realize there are plenty of ways to work fruits and veggies into my diet fairly easily.

For the past week, I've tried to make a conscious effort to do so, and I've been happy surprised by how well it's gone. I bought cans of V-8 juice that I can drink with lunch at work - that give me a serving or two of veggies in each can. I bought and made an effort to eat green pepper and carrots with several dinners. And when buying fruit, I doled out portions that I knew I could eat before it went bad. (For example, I separated a smaller amount of grapes to buy from the huge, family-sized bags they're generally sold in.) The best part of my efforts to eat more fruits and veggies though, was that I allowed myself to buy berries. I generally don't buy raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries at the grocery store because of how expensive they are - even though I LOVE them. But this week I decided I was going to buy them anyway - because they're healthy and provide a nice break from eating an apple with every lunch. Yum :)

The second part of my self-imposed health evaluation was my exercise schedule. Growing up I played sports year-round and never had to worry about getting enough excercise. In college, 90% of the people I knew were extremely sports-oriented. I participated in intramural sports, ran with friends, and played pick-up sports all the time. A group of us even had a routine abs class - which one of my friends, who we affectionately dubbed the "Minister of Pain" led - that we held 2-3 times each week. Now that I'm living on my own, though, the responsibility to excercise falls solely on me, and without sports to play or a running partner it's much less fun, and it's more difficult to motivate myself to exercise.

This past May I ran the Mini Marathon in Indianapolis, which was a great excuse to get myself on a strict training schedule. For twelve weeks leading up to the race I ran at least three days a week, cross-trained on the non-running days, did a core/abs workout twice a week, and lifted twice a week. I was in the best shape I had been in for years! Unfortunately, once the race was over I reverted to my typical routine of just running when I felt like it and when the weather was ideal and not lifting weights at all.

So this week I decided I need to make a concerted effort to keep a stricter exercise schedule - where I make working out a priority. Even though I really dislike running on a treadmill, when it's 90 degrees outside that is the only option I have. So I've been doing that for several days over the past week, in addition to lifting some light weights. I'm also trying to attend the spinning class taught by my co-worker Christy Oberley at least once each week. It's a GREAT workout and is a lot of fun - and I know Christy will give me a hard time if I don't work hard!

It feels good to be healthy, and I know I'm doing a good thing for my body by remaining conscious of my health. Eating well and exercising gives me an increased energy level, puts me in a better mood, and gives me concrete goals to work toward with regard to my health. So thanks, insurance company, for coming to Dittoe PR and getting me thinking about healthy living!

This past weekend I headed home to South Carolina for the wedding of my best friend of over 20 years. 

She was the first friend I made in Greenville.  Last year she stood with me as I said "I do," and this year I was there for her.  It was an emotional experience for me -- and a lot of fun as I was able to hang out with her all weekend long and meet some of her new friends.

After the rehearsal dinner the entire bridal party headed out to celebrate with a few drinks, fresh oysters and live music downtown.  While getting to know everyone I quickly discovered what a small town I'm from... and what a small world we live in.

One of the other bridesmaids is dating a guy who will be in Indianapolis this week working at the new Lucas Oil Stadium.  I gave him some tips on where to go for dinner (St. Elmo of course!) and told him where he could find a good drink or two.

Another bridesmaid is getting married to a guy who lived with one of my best friends from high school while attending Clemson University.  We called him together and laughed while telling stories about him and some other folks we both had in common.

It was wild to know that I had so much in common with people I had never met before!

Overall, the weekend was great.  My friend looked amazing and the reception was a blast.  We did a little dancing, even though the humidity had us all sweating from the moment we stepped outside!  It made me miss home and everything "southern" I've been missing out on since I left for college. 

Who knows... maybe I'll run into someone from home up in Indy now.  If I learned anything from this past weekend, it's that it really is a small world after all.

Last night, along with several of my co-workers from Dittoe PR, I attended a dinner with the Two Million Minutes team and some special guests. This client account of mine is unique in that we get to meet people involved in the film from all over the world. This week, the two Chinese students from 2MM, Xiaoyuan and Ruizhang, are visiting Indianapolis as part of their first-ever trip to the United States.

Since Xiaoyuan sat at my table, I got to talk to her about her education, extra-curricular activities and the comparisons between China and the United States. I was very impressed with her English, as I had shown up to the dinner expecting our entire conversation to be translated by a Chinese/English interpreter. We were, however, able to talk freely, and she understood many topics that were brought up.

We talked about all the media attention Two Million Minutes has received here and how our national PR campaign has brought a lot of excitement to Dittoe. I asked about what she was studying in college and learned that she is a business major but also likes the arts. As a violinist and ballerina, she certainly has artistic talent.  

My favorite part of the night was when Xiaoyuan was asked to play her violin for the group. She had been asked to bring it with her from China and was happy to play a couple of songs for everyone. Now, let me preface this by saying that she had told me she'd been playing since she was four years old (she's now nineteen). Despite hearing this I didn't realize just how good she would be. The first piece she played was a fun, Irish dance song which made me want to go dance a jig at an Irish pub. I love Irish music, so I really enjoyed this one - and everyone clapped along as she played. The second piece seemed to be much more difficult and involved. It was a classical piece, and I was just amazed by how fast her fingers moved and the wide range of notes she was able to play.

It was pretty eye-opening to hear about China directly from Xiaoyuan as well. She mentioned the "one-child policy" which dictates that families residing in urban areas may only give birth to a single child, in order to curb the population growth. She also talked about how much more crowded it was in Shanghai than in Indianapolis.

Despite living across the world in a very different place, she also mentioned being familiar with American television shows such as Friends and CSI as well as some of the same athletes from around the world whom Americans watch. She mentioned that she loved to watch Rafael Nadal play tennis, her favorite sport.

It was definitely an interesting experience having dinner with these visitors from China. I learned a lot, and I hope the other Dittoe girls and I helped make their first dinner in America an enjoyable one!

Every two years I get really excited in mid-July because I am able to get a new, discounted mobile phone with my service provider (Verizon Wireless).

This year is no different. I have had my eye on the LG Voyager since it came out and I can't wait to trade in my beaten-up Samsung!

The discount is a nice bonus to signing a new two-year agreement with Verizon. It allows me to stay "up-to-date" with new mobile technologies and it feeds the hunger of wanting something new and shiny in my purse.

Unlike my husband, I am not interested in a Blackberry, Treo or iPhone. He's in sales and has to be connected 24/7, so for him it makes sense. I do all of my work either on my desktop or laptop and I never feel "disconnected."

My friends, family, co-workers and clients all know my mobile & office numbers as well as my email address and I feel that is more than sufficient for the work I do. Granted, it would be nice not to have to bring my laptop on day trips to NYC or back home to SC but it's something I don't mind doing. In fact, I like doing it... which is why I want the LG Voyager and not the Blackberry Pearl.

In a world where we are becoming more and more connected through the Internet, mobile devices, social networking, etc... it's nice to "disconnect" for a brief moment and have one electronic device meant to do just one thing: be a telephone.