Hello again! I'm writing from sunny San Diego, California today. Just a few more weeks until I'll be in New York! To prepare for New York, we've been reading The New York Times every day. It's been helpful to stay up to date on what's going on in the world - I feel like my IQ points went up a bit. Ha.
Since reading the news, I've also gotten involved with the school newspaper and have written a few articles for the UVU Review! I'll probably upload them on another page here. Shortly after I began writing for the paper, I also started my internship with Big Red Jelly. They're a company in Orem that helps other companies grow their media platforms to reach a bigger audience. One of the clients we work for is Even Stevens. They've made an appearance in the news lately, but not for their good... Even Stevens has been having a bit of a PR issue. The management isn't doing so well at carrying through their motto of "Buy a sandwich give a sandwich" in "which" they donate a sandwich to an organization that helps feed the hungry. Yeah, not doing so hot right now. So, the manager was fired. There is new team management now; however, the new team wants to keep it quiet that the other guy left. They don't want any public attention, but I definitely think they should make a public statement that announces their new staff and how excited they are to carry on Even Steven's mission of feeding the hungry. Just sayin'. Here is more on the ordeal if you're interested: www.sltrib.com/artsliving/food/2019/02/23/utah-based-even-stevens/ Isn't PR fun. www.uvuprssa.org www.facebook.com/uvuprssa/ www.instagram.com/kaitiguiver/
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The other day, a little boy I nanny said, "What if you were the only person on the whole earth? That would be awesome!" He started going off about how you could have all the chocolate at the grocery store to yourself, how you could watch T.V. all day, and pretty much do whatever you wanted.
I smiled, but then asked him, "Well, how would you eat chocolate if there is no one to make it? How would you watch T.V. if there were no one to film it?" (I don't think he heard me because he didn't respond... or he just ignored me. It happens.) Looking back on that conversation though, I realize how vital every single person's role is in this life. I want you to look up. Look directly at what is in front of you. For myself, it's a water bottle, a dresser, a mirror, and a case of vitamins. These items are more than just items. There are people behind them. There are stories. There were ideas, innovations, teamwork. Even if it's made by a machine, somebody had to make that machine. Someone put hard, back- breaking labor into making that machine. Am I going too deep here? The purpose I suppose of me making this point is that people are behind every single thing. We wouldn't have what we have today without the work of others around us and others who came before us. And I'm almost positive none of them did what they did completely alone. Behind one person is another group of people, who either helped with emotional support or physical support. See, we are all connected. We're in this big journey together. Our lives are intertwined to help push us forward and grow as individuals. Other people aren't just here for us either, we're here to build relationships and find what we can offer to the world just as much as we search for what the world can offer us. We move life forward. The small little footprints we make each day, the ripples in the pond, etc. etc. It all matters. And when we work together, we are so much better off. Growing up as a dancer on a studio team taught me that we all depend on each other to put in our best efforts. When it was performance time, and we walked off that stage knowing we had all worked our booties off and gave it everything we had, boy it was magic. I believe that every single person in our lives was put there for a purpose. There is something to teach them and something to be learned by them. If we have that mentality, we will progress tremendously more than passing through life unaware of those around us. Find something that intrigues you about everyone. Dig that information from them and make connections. Relationships drive us. They can offer the emotional support we need as well as potential material support in the future. They can get us jobs, experiences, other relationships that change our lives. I learned in my interpersonal communications class that you develop your relationship as you work together on a project, and I think that's why teams can have such a close bond. You truly grow together as you work toward a common goal. Find that common goal and get there. For more information on how relationship building can support your business, click this link: playbook.amanet.org/relationship-building/ But ultimately, put yourself out there. Be helpful. Say yes, even when you don't want to. Especially when you don't want to. That will build relationships and build your team. There's power behind the phrase, "Be a team player." It will get you far. Links: www.uvuprssa.org www.facebook.com/uvuprssa/ www.instagram.com/kaitiguiver/ One thing I learned in my preparation class is the importance of consistency. When you put yourself out there, you're representing yourself as a brand. Each brand has a unique theme, feel, and message. You want everything that is produced by YOU to represent those three elements. This can be controlled through color scheme, font, layout, descriptive words, etc. Point is - consistency is key in all things. Right?
I think so. Utilizing this to prepare for my trip to New York, I tried to incorporate the same elements from my website into my business cards and even into my resume. YOU can do the same, because YOU are a brand, too! Make sure the way you are reflecting yourself is the way you want to be portrayed. If you're not putting the effort to create an image for yourself, others will create an image for you. (Are you proud of me for spitting textbook truth, Professor Sanders?) This doesn't just include how you strategically craft printable documents or how you represent yourself via social media. This is for when you interview for a job, when you participate in a classroom, or when you're speaking to a friend. How you look, speak, and act all portrays yourself as a brand. Body language plays a big role in how people portray us without us even needing to speak. I've heard countless times that we have 30 seconds to make an impression, and by the time those 30 seconds are over, people have already decided what they think about us. The way we hold ourselves is so important. If you're avoiding eye contact, what're you scared of revealing? If your shoulders are slumped, are you disinterested and unengaged? If you're fidgeting in your seat, are you nervous? Don't be self-conscious, but be self-aware, because even if you're silent your body is sending a message. For more information click on this link: www.wikihow.com/Communicate-With-Body-Language Last thing. The biggest thing. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Who's heard THAT a million times? I sure have... and it's true! If Becky tells me she just learned all about how vaccinations are of the devil and the government is trying to poison us, I don't really care. Blab on, Becky. If Becky tells me how she just got back from a conference where they talked about the dangers of vaccinations, and she thought of me because of the study I'm doing in class on personal health, now I'm interested. Everyone wants to know, "What's in it for me?" I don't care if you're the biggest altruist in the world, maybe you go spend your Saturday afternoons feeding homeless bunnies in the shelter because it makes you feel better as a person. There's still something in it for you. If you can bring something to the table, you have an in. Always ask yourself, "What do I have to offer these people?" Be sure to bring that up, and they'll listen to you. Do it out of a genuine desire to help them, and they'll think you're amazing. Really, you can't go wrong with this. If you're coming from a place of sincerity, I'm telling you, YOU'RE IN. Now go home, quote me, write my name in your journals, whatever. I don't care. Just apply my golden advice. (Mainly talking to myself here, 'cause uh...I think I'm the only one who will ever read this.) POINT IS. You're the crafter of your own life. You can do anything you want! Maybe it's far-fetched, but you can do it. Now go do it. And leave everyone guessing how you did it. (What am I talking about? Idk. But I feel pumped) Xo, Kaiti www.uvuprssa.org www.facebook.com/uvuprssa/ www.instagram.com/kaitiguiver/ Let's say you're a PR student. You get an opportunity to go to New York with a group of 11 other students from your university, missing your classes for a week, and visiting some of the biggest names in public relations in the largest PR hub in the world... would you go?
He*k yes. Surprise - that's my reality. In April, I'll have the incredible opportunity to tour PR firms that I could've only dreamt of visiting. Four of these big PR professionals include: Hunter PR, Thatcher + Co., The 911 Memorial & Museum, and The LDS Public Affairs of the East Coast. Let's talk about these amazing companies for a hot second. Hunter PR was founded in 1989 by two amazing women. The CEO, Grace Leong, made history as the first woman to run a PR firm... and she ran it for 25 years. Hunter has over 120 happy staff who specialize in a broad mix of departments such as food and beverage, home and lifestyle, travel, health, wellness and beauty. They have an office in New York and another in London. Their goal is to increase engagement as well as measurably drive business for brands across the world, doing so through strategic content marketing, media relations, social and digital media, influencer engagement, and through events and experiences. They have at least 24 clients, whose average number of years they've worked with them is over five. These clients include names such as Johnson and Johnson, Amazon, Red Bull, Post, Arm & Hammer, and many more. Hunter has coverage all over the media and recently won two awards in the BullDog PR Awards (2018) for their work with influencers and celebrities. (In fact, it was the magic of Outback Steakhouse teaching Chrissy Teigen and John Legend how to make a "Bloomin' Onion.") Thatcher & Co., I'm so excited for you! Maybe because they have a balcony that overlooks the city and is directly next to where the ball drops on NYE every year... maybe not. This company has core values that stretch beyond simply business. Their goal is to constantly be finding the "why" to create truly successful companies rather than simply the "what" (which I love!) Working with non-profits, start-up companies, leaders in education, ambassadors, and countries around the world, Thatcher & Co. is always "on" as they say. PR doesn't take a break here. Hard work pays off for this company, and they received two PRSA Silver Anvil Awards in 2017 for their efforts in making the Internet safer. Working with the National Cyber Security Alliance, their campaign worked with partners such as Google, Facebook, and Visa to keep our "log-ins locked up"! Oh, and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum... I already know I'm going to be emotionally triggered. Something so heavy can't be easy to create PR for, but. Michael Frazier (Executive VP and Deputy Director for External Affairs) will surely have some good things to say about it. He oversees the strategic marketing, social media, mobile, web and digital communications for the memorial, which opened on September 11, 2011 (10 years after the catastrophic event) and currently works with partnerships such as Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft. Finally, we'll visit Ryan Koch, who works as the New York office director for Public and International Affairs. He oversees church outreach to diplomatic communities in New York and the U.N., as well as represents LDS Charities. I know he's an intelligent individual with good insights just by reading this article where he explains that social media isn't broadcast media as most companies use it. "It needs to be social," he says. (Click link to go directly to article: www.religioncommunicators.org/getting-a-like-is-not-enough-workshop-leader-tells-attendees ) I'm definitely looking forward to this one, as I'm currently working with the LDS church by creating a video for the new Friendship Centre located in London. But, that's beside the point! Point is, I'm so beyond grateful for this opportunity to expand my knowledge of PR in real-world settings and learn beyond the classroom. This will be an experience so valuable to my career and will make a deep impression in me. I already know it. Stay tuned to follow my journey, and be sure to follow along with UVU PRSSA as well! I love UVU. It's created so many amazing opportunities and I'm so grateful. That is all. Kaiti www.facebook.com/uvuprssa/ https://www.uvuprssa.org |
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