There's always an easier way

Before interning at Eisbrenner Public Relations, I had never used Microsoft Excel. My dad always tried to get me on the “excel boat” by making me budgets and sending me excel tutorials. Every time I looked at the worksheets, I got frustrated and promised to learn when I had more patience.

Unfortunately, patience was never a virtue I acquired. In fact, I’d go as far as saying I’m extremely impatient. With that in mind, you can imagine how putting together a media list with 200 contacts could make me a little edgy. There’s no way to get that done quickly, so when I finished the list, it was as if a rush of freedom spread through my body. But when I got the list back with edits, there was a comment that read, “please alphabetize.”

“NOOOOOOO!” I couldn’t understand why my teammate wouldn’t tell me to do this from the beginning. It would take me hours to alphabetize this huge list!

After some self pity, I began to strategize the most efficient way to put this list in order. There just had to be an easier way.

Thank goodness, my best friend Google had my back. I searched, “Microsoft Excel, alphabetize,” and a step-by-step guide to sorting a list appeared. With simple clicks, I alphabetized the media list. (Hint: Hightlight, sort A-Z and voila, it’s sorted.)

The point of this story is this – be curious! If you’re an impatient person like myself, sometimes putting in extra thought instead of rushing goes a long way. It’s just like asking for directions when you’re lost. You can either keep driving around, because getting out of the car and asking takes too much time and hurts your ego, or you can take five minutes and ask the gas station attendant to draw you a map.

Have you learned this lesson? Please share your stories below.

Aim at the stars, but don’t be spacey

Boy, I feel like a great intern! I talk to everyone, I take on meaningful projects and I picked the book for Eisbrenner Public Relation’s book club this month. I’m feeling pretty good right now. This morning, I woke up and felt like I’ve transitioned from a student to a business woman. I even wore a suit because that’s what business women do.

As I sat at my desk checking my e-mails in a bubble of exaggerated pride, I stumbled across an e-mail promoting an event. It looked similar to other events my colleagues pass along – networking with PR professionals, refreshments and a keynote speaker. Perfect, right? I thought, “I’m so smart, I’m going to forward this e-mail to my colleagues because that’s what business women do.”

After an hour-long meeting with a teammate, I checked my e-mail since I’ve learned to be great at staying on top of things. I saw a message from one of my colleagues and anxiously opened it to see what project she had in store for me. I began reading, “Jamie, when forwarding events there are some things to keep in mind...”

I don’t want to embarrass myself too much, but basically, I forwarded an event for professionals to improve their resumes and get jobs. My colleague explained how many teammates could’ve been offended or confused as to why I was promoting a career fair. That’s definitely NOT what business women do!

After I stared at the screen in humiliation for what felt like forever, I realized stuff like this probably happens often. I composed my emotions, apologized to my colleague and swore to myself I’d never forward another e-mail unless I understood exactly what the purpose was, the companies and people involved and who’d benefit from reading the e-mail. I’m grateful my colleagues bring the mistakes I make to my attention so I don’t make them twice.

Not only did I realize that I have a supportive team that wants me to learn, I also realized that this slip-up isn’t specific to e-mails; it applies to everything I do during my internship. My actions and the work I produce reflect my dedication and professionalism. This newfound accountability triggered something inside of me – pride. I’ll definitely still celebrate my accomplishments, but I’ll remember not to let it get the best of me.

Have you ever made a silly mistake?

“Oh say can you see….” we all make mistakes

Christina Aguilera will be remembered for singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, but not for the reason she probably hoped. Even though she knocked the vocals out of the park, it’s hard to praise her voice when she sang the wrong lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

I’m not an expert on memory or nerves, so I can’t offer the reason for her mistake. What I can comment on from a public relations perspective is the way she handled the after-math. Aguilera responded gracefully and respectively. Like Aguilera, below are two important steps to smoothing over a crisis:

Own the mistake: According to the Huffington Post, Aguilera said, "I got so lost in the moment of the song that I lost my place. I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through." She openly admitted to her mistake, not that she had a choice. I mean, it’s one of the largest televised events in the U.S. Nevertheless, instead of hiding from the media, she answered questions regarding the blunder and apologized.

Offer a solution: Aguilera apologized to the public and remained positive. Even though she messed up the lyrics, she reflected on the true patriotism and spirit of the anthem with her public statement..

Aguilera may have a reputation for forgetting notable lyrics for awhile, but she handled the situation correctly. Some celebrities, like Super Bowl half time singer Fergie, have supported Aguilera. In a recent Twirlit blog post, Fergie said, “it’s such a huge venue, your nerves take a hold of you. I completely understand, she’s one of the best singers of our time. Nobody can take that away from you….But you get nervous at these things. We’re human.”

True fans like someone they can relate to, so if Aguilera plays her cards right, her singing blunder might turn into a success story.

There's a lot of "Eis" in team!

I’ve always had a rough time getting on board with the concept “there’s no ‘I’ in team.” Growing up, I liked to do things my way, and I never relied on other people to help me complete a task.
Working at Eisbrenner Public Relations has allowed me to fully understand the concept of teamwork. Every day I see team members working together and relying on one another to complete projects effectively.

At Eisbrenner PR, it’s not just the professional duty of colleagues to offer advice and support, it’s something that comes naturally. Everyone here is part of the team. Whether we’re giving advice on how to improve a project, or how a teammate should pop the big question, we rely on one another for support.

I’m so happy to be a team member at Eisbrenner PR. My time here has taught me relying on others isn’t something to be frowned upon or a sign of weakness, it’s the best way to work. Although I still consider myself an independent person, I’ll carry my newfound appreciation of teamwork with me in my future career. There isn’t just one “I” in team, there are many “EIS” in team!

Check out the “Eis” that make up our team by visiting the Eisbrenner website.