6:30 a.m wake up/business calls

At Ripple, we’re in PR so we live and die by deadlines. And we love it. We thrive on the pace of this industry, but what is the limit?

Emailing all hours of the day and night is one thing, but when did it become acceptable to begin doing business at 6:30 am?

I asked myself this question when my husband received a call from an associate who was “sick of playing phone tag” this morning.

My husband is a real estate appraiser, so he’s not involved in PR, but this working behavior spans across every industry.

It didn’t matter that the person leaving said message was at an amusement park all day yesterday during working hours and was unreachable. He decided he wanted to begin his work day at 6:30 am and felt like my husband should too.

When we work with such blind determination, we fail to recognize that not everyone wants to begin their day when the sun rises, that the person on the other end of the line might want to spend the morning with their families. That perhaps that same person had been up all week throughout the night with a sick child, and was working on very little sleep (my husband and myself). Or that even in this manic age of business we live in today, some of us still like to maintain a sense of self for only a few hours a day, when quiet is appreciated and preparation to do our best during working hours is necessary.

At Ripple, we do admit we are accessible at all times for our clients. And we mean it. We pride ourselves on staying on top of every account, and I hope I never make my clients feel like I felt today. We enjoy our jobs and our clients. We do think it’s possible to be in this industry but not have the always knee jerk response when it comes to EVERYTHING. We hope to never bring the craziness upon our clients. EVER.

I read THIS interesting piece by famed author Anne Lamott about “time lost and found” and found it ironic it landed in my inbox this morning.

Just a glimpse “…if their children grow up to become adults who spend this one precious life in a spin of multitasking, stress, and achievement…will they be pleased that their kids also pursued this kind of whirlwind life?”

Do you agree?

posted by Tali Hylen, Partner, Ripple Public Relations.

an intern's experience

No matter how much you study in college, nothing can prepare you for the world of PR as a hands on internship can. We always say you either have the gift or you don’t when it comes to PR, no amount of schooling can teach it. Being a successful PR practitioner has a lot to do with the person you are, and the nerve you possess. We asked one of our former interns who definitely “had it” to write a brief blog about her experience to share below. Hannah Crew was certainly one of our finest, and we're proud to be sending her off to begin her new career at StrategyOne with Edelman. Below is what she had to say about her experience as an intern.

I started my internship at Ripple without knowing much about the world of public relations. However, after only three short months there I exited knowing more than I could have learned after any accumulation of college courses.

My first day at Ripple in Highland Park consisted of media calls for one of our clients. After writing a lot of notes and a quick practice call in the morning, I flew through a database of phone numbers and emails of reporters all over the United States pitching our client.

Over the next few weeks I was asked to write press releases for some of our major clients. While writing I learned how to attack a press release and how to write a pitch that would grab the attention of reporters. I learned how to approach media professionals and gain their attention for your client.

Not only was I responsible for media calls and written releases and pitches, I was able to build relationships with our clients and media professionals. One of my favorite weekends during the summer included going to the Taste of Chicago to supervise a live recording of one of our clients, Chef Greg Christian, by ABC 7 that I had booked the previous week.

My experience at Ripple provided the real world experience that put me ahead of many students interested in public relations. I left my internship with a portfolio full of experience and a strong confidence in the field.

For any aspiring PR professional, apply for internships and work hard…it pays off!

TEN TIPS TO LOOK YOUR BEST ON TV FOR WOMEN

Going in front of the camera for the first time? It can be a long awaited moment, but if you are unsure how to look great on camera, it can be a moment of terror too.

Here are ten tips that our gorgeous client, Debbie Glickman, followed for a flawless TV debut:

A guide for dressing for TV geared toward women is helpful. We like this one: Click here

When shopping, bring a friend who is going to be honest with you– even if you are shopping your closet!

Trust your comfort level, does the outfit feel right for your body?

Simple is always better on TV.

Stick with solid colors that flatter you, leave the plaid and stripes at home.

Limit jewelry – stick with one statement piece if any, and your wedding rings (if any).

Make sure that you have a manicure especially if you are showing products!

If you are not sure the TV studio is going to do your makeup, (you can ask in advance) wear some foundation and a little color. Or, if you are not comfortable doing your own makeup, go to your favorite department store and arrange to have one of the cosmetic specialists do your make up. Make sure you tell them it is for the camera – that way they will make sure you don’t have a “washed out” look.

How to choose a dress vs. pants vs. a suit? What feel s right for the format? Unless you are in an unusual profession that requires special clothing, business dress that is tailored and modern is your best bet.

For hairstyles, remember to keep it simple and sleek. You don’t want anything to be a distraction to what you are trying to communicate.

See Debbie’s debut interview – Click here

spreading the love

Recently, a special client of ours got her own radio show on TOGINET Radio. The show is entitled "Believe in your Fairytales and make your zing come true!"

Debbie, one of the co-hosts, is a mom who came up with a genius idea to create natural, aromatherapy sprays to help alleviate common childhood anxieties. She offers four sprays: Super Hero, Sweet Dreams, Happy Camper and Monster Repellent and you can find them all HERE. A genius product line for kids and parents everywhere!

But, even cooler and more genius is Debbie's way of marketing herself. Through this show, she connects with other women and entrepreneurs and works to spread the love about their products, ideas and achievements. With her co-host, another entrepreneur, they promote other products and companies and the result is really great karma.

That's a huge part of marketing. It's no longer ALL ABOUT YOU. Connect with, network, and praise your competition who's doing it right. It will only come back to you tenfold.

You can listen to Ripple's guest spot on the show on March 31, talking a bit about PR and social networking on a budget via THIS LINK.

A list of shows is on the right. Spread the love!




Why Ripple?

I think the first post on our blog should be about Ripple. Who are we? What makes us tick? Why Ripple?
Ripple Public Relations is an agency built on experience. Quite frankly, we're three partners who know what we're talking about when it comes to all things marketing. You can trust us, but we can also put our money where our mouths are. We promise.
We formed this agency in October 2009 based on a song by the Grateful Dead and on the premise of "the ripple effect." Starting an agency is never easy; starting an agency in the worst of economic times has been challenging to say the least. However, we're here, we're cranking, and we're well on our way to taking over the PR world. We're a force to be reckoned with!
It's here in this blogosphere where our professional lives and personal lives will intersect, providing good advice and humor along the way.
Thanks for checking out our blog and stay tuned.