Be a Good One.

Abraham Lincoln famously once said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” Good advice, don’t you think? As young professionals we often have lofty goals we strive for, which are great, but sometimes it can hinder our focus on being the best we can in this moment.

Instead of focusing so much on who we want to be, it can be helpful to focus on who we are right now. So what does that mean? It means to put your best effort into the task at hand, no matter how “mindless” it may seem. That is, concentrate on doing your best work even if you are just stuffing envelopes.

Recently, I was given the opportunity for a client event to brainstorm some topic suggestions and was able to use all the tools I’ve learned to come up with relevant ideas that my team loved! An opportunity like that won’t come around unless you’re constantly putting your best foot forward.

So go the extra mile and voice your ideas – even if they aren’t actually taken at least it’ll show you’re thinking creatively. By focusing on not only the big tasks but also the small ones, it shows how diligent you are – and by then, who wouldn’t want to give you that promotion you want?

It’s important that no matter what position we hold, whether that’s the intern or the president, we are striving to be the very best. There’s no way you can make it all the way to your dream position unless you can perfect the art of those mundane tasks, like compiling media lists. So next time you’re lacking some motivation, try just being “a good one” – whatever that may be right now. 

The Pillars of Our Firm

There’s a lot to learn as an intern at Eisbrenner Public Relations, from developing client strategy to the tedious-yet-necessary task of assembling a media list. But the most important things to learn, understand and demonstrate at Eisbrenner PR, or any company for that matter, are the core values of the organization.

At Eisbrenner PR, our core values define our culture. All of our actions and decisions are guided by these five core values:

Use individual curiosity to spur innovation
Work hard and have fun
Treat the world with respect
Be motivated to discover what’s next
Find the positive in everything we do

Two months into my internship, I’ve learned when people around here speak of our core values, they mean what they say. They are the essence of our agency. They are what drive us to go above and beyond for our clients. They are why we get out of bed in the morning and why we love coming to work (well, most days).

When working in a collaborative environment, sharing a common vision and attitude is not only important, it is crucial to the team’s success. Here are three ways you can integrate your company’s values into your everyday work life.

Know them
Even though our core values are on display on the pillars in our office and on company business cards, I still printed them out and tacked them to the wall at my desk, always within view. It serves as a daily reminder of why I am here and what I am here to do.

Incorporate them
Find your own unique way to incorporate your organization’s core values into daily activities. For example, one of the recurring tasks for Eisbrenner PR interns is to update the message boards outside the breakout rooms with the week’s meetings and quotations. The quotes I include generally are related to one of our five core values (thank you, Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations).

Believe in them
Core values are devoid of meaning if they are not appreciated and respected by employees. In the end, it is the people who are the true pillars of Eisbrenner PR.

Our core values are the pillar of Eisbrenner PR - literally!

(Left) My daily reminder of what Eisbrenner PR is all about. (Right) My defensive measures against intermittent koosh-ball-shellings, one example of how we work hard and have fun.

A New Journey

Hello! I'm Jessica Postema, the other summer intern at Eisbrenner Public Relations.

I recently graduated from Michigan State University, home of the almighty Spartans (GO GREEN!) with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and specialization in public relations. Prior to joining Eisbrenner PR, I interned with Mittenberry, Triterra and CRT Medical Systems in various public relations and communication positions. Throughout my internships, I have learned how much I enjoy working in public relations, in particular, the media relations and writing components. They also have helped prepare me for the busy-ness, and sometimes craziness of agency life!

Outside of my education and experience, I'm an avid baker (particularly known for my red velvet cupcakes), dog lover and aspiring marathon runner (although I'm a long way from it). I love traveling the world (hoping to visit Greece and South Africa next), spending time with my friends and now that I've graduated, having time to read something other than textbooks; which currently is "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.

So far, my internship at Eisbrenner PR has been great! They work hard, but definitely know how to have a good time. My co-workers have been so welcoming and willing to go above and beyond to ensure Greg and I have a good experience.

Well, that's a short introduction about me, more about my new journey as an Eisbrenner PR intern to follow. Stay tuned!

Pull Up A Stool

My first official pic at Eisbrenner PR

My name is Greg Melvin and I’m one of the new interns at Eisbrenner Public Relations. I will be your ‘tender for the evening. Not too long ago I was sitting on that side of the bar. I am a long-time reader, first-time writer of the SpeakEasy, and I couldn’t be more excited.

First, a little bit about myself. I am a recent graduate of Wayne State University, where I majored in public relations. During my senior year I served as chapter president of the James S. Measell Chapter of PRSSA, a position that allowed me to hone my ability to multitask and work in a team-oriented environment, both essential to agency life.

Getting goofy at The Henry Ford

Before coming to Eisbrenner PR, I spent eight months as the media and film relations intern at The Henry Ford. My experiences there were as fun as they were valuable – from giving media tours of Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit, to HOUR magazine photo shoots, to the Trevor Bayne vehicle dedication and everything in between. 

The Driving America ribbon
 cutting ceremony

I interned while the museum was opening the new automotive exhibit, Driving America. Working on press materials for Driving America is what initially piqued my interest in the American automobile and how it has and continues to impact our lives. It was a good introduction to life at Eisbrenner, whose clientele is around 60 percent automotive.

My first month at Eisbrenner PR has been great! Sure, I had a Kevin McAllister moment or two that first week – there is a lot of new information to absorb and a learning curve with any new place. But when your first week includes a hula-hoop contest, a game of office baseball and Koosh ball fights (plural), you know it’s a cool place to work.

Outside the Book, Eisbrenner PR’s intern program, is designed for you to succeed as an intern, and everybody – from my OTB “buddy” to the firm’s president – is happy and willing to help you find success. Plus, I’m not alone on this crazy ride – this semester Eisbrenner PR has two interns! You’ll meet Jessica Postema soon.

Well, that’s a little background on me. I look forward to sharing more of my internship experiences at the SpeakEasy in the coming months. So pull up a stool – I’ll start your tab

PR strategies for PR

One thing I’ve noticed in my short time in the public relations world is there are never enough hours in the day. We spend a lot of time meeting deadlines, developing new strategies and pondering ways to makes things better. We rush to meet one deadline and then we realize another one is fast approaching. We are in a constant whirlwind of deadlines and ideas.

I love this about PR, in fact it’s one of the reasons I chose to go into the field. We are all very creative people who like to put our skills and knowledge to good use by helping others. We strive to be the best, as well as to be on top of the newest technology, news, products, etc.

The lack of hours in the day and the never-ending deadlines keep us from doing basic things that allow us to show the value of what we do, which upsets me because I know our work is invaluable and that we are leaders with great ideas to share.

I know most PR professionals wish they could wave a magic wand and everyone would appreciate the value of their work, but it’s not that easy. We have to work for it and spend time educating people, but with looming deadlines and clients and organizations to look out for, we put educating people on the back burner.

So, what is the best way to combat this? How can PR people continue to dream up strategies and execute them, as well as be completely in the know and further the education of the PR world as a whole?

I surely don’t know the answer, but I do feel that as technology increases and communication formats change, we are going to have to focus on educating people on what we do and why we do it. We have to start using our public relations strategies for public relations!

Have ideas of your own? Let me know below!