To quote Charles Darwin; “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” So, the time has come for me to say with mixed feelings that I am leaving my position with Thornley Fallis.

I have learnt so much in the year I have been a part of this office and organization, about my career but also about myself. I want to keep this short and sweet, so here are just a few of the lessons I’ll take away.

• Be honest, with others and with yourself. Even when it’s hard to stand up and take accountability, it goes far in this world and will be recognized by the people who count.
• Never be afraid to admit when you are wrong or that you need help. None of us has the answer to everything, and being part of a team means sharing and exchanging strengths.
• Laugh. Life is about making connections and enjoying yourself. Take the time to get to know your coworkers, and share a smile once in a while. Even if it means someone completely covers your office with candies when you are away as a joke.

You can follow my exploits at www.BoardroomBlogette.ca, or JennOuellette on Twitter.

I suppose there is nothing left to say, so, play me out Shirley!

Jennifer

Note: Things have been really hectic, and PR Girlz has been a bit neglected. (Okay, a lot neglected!) We have some great new additions to the team who will be contributing to the blog soon, but until then I thought I would cross-post an entry from my blog – boardroomblogette.ca. It’s a lot more of a “Casual Friday” post.

I wrote the post pulling together lessons learnt from many PR Girls alumni including Jennifer Nebesky, Kerri Birtch, Marissa Lukaitis, Sarah Laister and Karen Nussbaum as well as ladies I am still learning from – Jennifer Gordon and many others.
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When I first started in PR, I knew this was not your average 9-5 job (do those even exist anymore?). And as all ambitious career girls do, I want it all.

We can try to find that ideal work-life balance but eventually need to accept that it just won’t be perfect. Sometimes, I have to change plans with friends or cancel going out of town because there is a big project that just came up or work has piled up (again). That’s just life. But what has helped is the advice of some incredible mentors and PR women who have given me tips on how they balance it all. This post is for them.

Stationary

A few months into my career I really started missing my friends and family and was feeling a bit disconnected from them. Facebook and email just aren’t the same and can lack a certain personal feel. A colleague told me that it helps to pick up the phone once in a while or send a card when you can’t manage face time. It lets people know they are never far from your mind. I went over to The Paper Place on Queen and stocked up on cards – I now have a stack of pre-stamped envelopes on standby. Everyone loves getting mail when it’s not bills, and it’s a trend I’m loving.

Get organized

One of the best things I bought recently is the “Wonder Hanger”. Yes, that thing from the TV infomercials – don’t laugh! They collapse and drastically reduce closet space, but what I then did is hang complete outfits together – accessories and all. It makes running late in the morning or changing after work that much easier. Especially if you are like me and have a packed closet yet amazingly – “nothing to wear!”

Don’t skip meals

It’s so easy to miss lunch or breakfast, and not to sound like my mother but it’s really not good for you. I now keep a granola bar or meal replacement at all times in my purse and desk – you never know when you’ll need it. I’m also a new convert to Kashi bars. Apparently, they’re healthy and stuff!

Take time for yourself

Life will always be hectic; we all end up fitting in as much as we can to our days and weeks to try to get the most out of it. But for the sake of sanity, find a few things you absolutely love doing and take some “personal time” once in a while. For me, this involves a glass of red wine and a bath with LUSH goodies – my weekly indulgence. Taking time out to catch up with friends over drinks and dinner  is also a great for easing any stressful, hair pulling days you may have.

What are some of your tips?

(Note: This post has been edited and cross-posted from my personal blog.)

It’s been three month’s since I dove head first into PR agency life, and I have to say it turns out I’m a pretty good swimmer! There is some good, some bad, but nothing sums it up better than slightly misquoting one of my favorite films; “Thornley Fallis, I think that this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

One of the things I have had to get used to is learning to negotiate a new work/life balance. I rarely leave at 5:00pm, and when I do I usually take home work with me or access it remotely. I’ve become a bit of a hermit, and have had more than one phone call/email/tweet from friends asking where I am and if I am still alive. But on the flip side, I have really started to appreciate that time I do spend with people I care about, something as simple as going to see a movie becomes so much more enjoyable than before when I had a lot more free time and took it for granted.

I think that as long as you are doing something you love and that interests you everything else will fall into place. I get invited out to some pretty nifty Toronto events such as Thirsty Thursdays and Third Tuesday, and have been able to coordinate some really great media interviews and press coverage for some of our clients to date. It’s a great feeling, and I can’t wait to see where I am in another three months, let alone after a few years of their mentoring combined with trial by fire opportunities for me to prove myself!

To all you account coordinators out there, I hope you’re having as great a time as I am!
(And remember, when a good book and a bubble bath fails to calm you after a long stressful day a glass of dry red wine might just do the trick…)

On behalf of PR Girlz I’d like to apologize for our month-long absence. Things have been quite busy around the TFC office and busy unfortunately turned into no time for PR Girlz posts.  But PR Girlz is important and we’re going to make an effort to post even when we are busy. And busy is ultimately good since we have more experiences we can share with you!!

I decided for today’s post, as it is Friday, that I would go ahead and bring back “Casual Friday’s“. They used to be a more frequent occurrence on PR Girlz  as way to ease into the weekend on a more lighthearted and not necessarily PR related way.  On that note I bring you, Casual Friday!

I’m going to play devil’s advocate and talk about the potential downsides to social networking sites. So, I saw the e-card above a little while back and besides making me chuckle, it actually got me thinking. Now I love Facebook and Twitter as much as the next 20-something who lives at their computer. I love the fact that I can keep in touch with my friends and family through pictures, wall posts, and 140 character messages. It’s awesome. But, after seeing this e-card, I asked myself ”Could Facebook and Twitter actually be doing friendships and relationships more harm than good ?”

Facebook and Twitter give you the ability to see basically everything about what is going on in your friends lives without ever talking to them. Sometimes it’s easier to look at someone’s Facebook profile every now and then instead of actually keeping in touch. Sometimes it’s just easier to write your friend a quick wall-post instead of giving them a call.

Have you ever felt awkward seeing someone after a while and asking what they’ve been up to even though you already knew full well what they’d been up to because you have them on facebook and have obviously seen every single one of their status updates and photos? I have! Even with my closest friends, we are so connected online that when I actually see them in person I sometimes feel like we have nothing to talk about because we’ve already said it all!

Is it just me, or have we somewhat lost the ability to communicate in more traditional ways? Sometimes I find myself just looking at my own brothers facebook profiles or sending them a quick wall-post and convincing myself that I’m “keeping in touch” with them. And that sort of makes me sad. Communicating solely through a computer can only get you so far. It erases the human factor of communication. There are no expressions, emotions… no human voice.

At this point I think it’s important that I reiterate that I love Facebook and I love Twitter. I think they are excellent communication tools, especially if you are unable to see people face-to-face and I can’t really remember life before them. But I think it’s important, especially for us folks who spend 99% of our time “connected” to realize that communication through social networks is only one part of communication. It shouldn’t replace the face-to-face communication in our lives, it should be an addition to it. It’s easy to get excited and constantly post everything we’re doing or thinking while at the same time forgetting to actually step away for a little bit and live!

Do you think we’ve lost the ability to communicate in traditional ways? Do you feel like you spend too much time on social networking sites? Or am I way off base?

I can’t see out my office window.

Usually, I have a wonderful view of downtown. I can see the skyscrapers, the CN tower and normally, a pretty snazzy sunset. Today however, I see white. Lots of white. We all knew it was coming.

The weatherman all told us to stay home today, Environment Canada issued their Winter storm watch, and somewhere along the way this storm started being referred to as ’snowmaggeddon’…which has now also shifted to ’snowmafriggenggeddon’. In fact, Air Canada even offered travellers the option to switch their flights before the storm hit.

Twitter is a blur with talk of the storm (#snowmageddon) The National Post is live blogging it and there’s sure to be an awesome collection of YouTube videos cropping up. (Here’s a few so far)

All of this craziness makes me wonder if we’re really as Canadian as we think. It’s just snow people. Okay…a lot of snow. But in reality, I think we’ve just been spoiled the past few winters. I still know that at the end of the day, I’m going to zip up my parker, put my scarf and mitts on, then I’m going to go home like any other day. On second thought, I may feel differently if I get stuck on the TTC for 3 hours, I’ll keep you posted though.

The end of the world is not here – just the end of grass and cement until Spring…might be a nice change.

Let’s just hope Miller doesn’t call in the troops.

This post is inspired by a number of events but is applicable to all facets of our lives whether it’s the social media realm, the employment world, our own emotions or even the salad dressing we choose. That’s right folks; this post is all about choices.

A few days ago, I read Ed Lee’s post about Setting Goals and Expectations. He links to this video of Barry Schwartz speaking at TED about the Paradox of Choice. Considering my own life lately, this presentation was quite thought-provoking, and left me pondering the choices we make and how we feel about those decisions once we made them.

One of Barry’s basic points (if you have 20 minutes worth of time, it’s an interesting talk all around though) is that because of all the choices we have, we are actually less satisfied. But shouldn’t we be happier now that we have so many options to choose from? Instead, he suggests that it is because of the vast amount of choice we have, that we will almost never be happy with our decisions.

His logic is this: Since we have so many options, there is much more room to regret the choice we didn’t make. Even though what we choose may be good, we are often left wondering if maybe there was a better one – a perfect one.

He suggests this could be one of the reasons for high depression rates. We’ve now gotten to a point where our expectations are so high as a result of so many choices, that anything less feels like a failure. And because we had a choice and made the decision, we are left with no one to blame but ourselves.

Given the few weeks I’ve had, this logic makes good sense to me. Maybe not perfect, but pretty good. But now that I see this logic, maybe it’s a chance to turn it on its head – no regrets, just be happy with what I’ve got.

Are you happy with lots of options or do you wish things were a bit more simple?

Side Note:

Schwartz mentioned that there are over 175 choices of salad dressing in one supermarket. Wow…decisions, decisions.

Just a few quick words to get this off my chest…a lot has been made in the States (particularly among Republicans) that Barack Obama’s middle name is Hussein. I have to say that in the name department, the guy got the short end of the stick from start to finish. Even his wife, when she first heard of him, said “Barack Obama? Who names their child Barack Obama?!” I also should add that lesser men would cower away with a name like that and stay out of the limelight and considering the man’s brilliance, we’d be worse off for it. So I give him kudos for embracing the name and going with it. Lately Sarah Palin (who shouldn’t throw stones about questionable religious practices) has been using his name in rallies, leading to supports yelling disgusting and stomach-turning chants I won’t repeat on this website. There are republicans blogs out there who simply refer to him as “B. Hussein” to further demonize him and feed the fear mongering.

The man isn’t Muslim – his grandfather was. He saw his father all but a handful of times in his whole life and never met his paternal grandfather. He was raised by a white woman from Kansas and her white, Christian parents in Hawaii. It is believed that religion is passed through the mother anyways, so it’s really a moot point. But the fact that I have to explain that or rationalize it is what REALLY gets me. Because…who CARES if he’s Muslim? There are radicals in every religion; radicals are dangerous, no matter their beliefs. To think that every Muslim is someone who wants to bomb the US and terrorize freedom-loving citizens is so blatantly stupid and ignorant, I don’t even have the words to describe my disdain. To say that because someone is Muslim makes them a terrorist is like saying that all Germans want another Holocaust. It’s cultural naivete at it’s best. And it makes me angry and frustrated, but above all that, it makes me sad.

And that, right there, is the reason that so many people outside the US (even when they’re Americans) look at them with shock and disgust.

That is all. For now…

First of all, I’m not even technically Canadian. I’ve lived here since I was three and am a Permanent Resident/Legal Alien/Landed Immigrant. The shopping might be far superior south of the border and they have Trader Joe’s and 99% of my family but Canada is my home and, in my opinon, a far superior place to live. But the biggest way in which the U.S. has Canada beat is in the celebration of July 4th. Independence Day is serious stuff in the States. Everyone has traditions and plans and they do it up right. BBQ, red, blue and white, singing the national anthem, fireworks, family and picnics. It FEELS like a different day, like a special day. And it is.

In Canada, we have Canada Day (try saying it 5 times fast. Now try after a few drinks) on July 1st. We have fireworks. And there are parades and concerts and lots of people do fun stuff. But everyone doesn’t. To most people, it’s a day off work and those darn kids set off firecrakers at night. I grew up in Ottawa which is a great place to be on the 1st and I recommend it to anyone who has yet to experience it. Most of downtown is closed to traffic (something Toronto might consider) and the whole city seems come together. When I was a kid, we used to bike around all day, visiting the various parks with activities such as rope climbing, face painting, craft making and much more. They have educational booths set up and cultural experiences and it’s hot and it’s sticky and crowded and fantastic. At night, we’d grab blankets and drive out to the river, park a million miles away (perhaps we should have just walked from the start? Gas was cheaper back then), trudge in and watch the fireworks.

When I was a teenager, Canada Day meant gathering with my friends at Major’s Hill Park, drinking (sorry, Mom) and generally having a good time. The bars were packed, the buses were free after 10 p.m. (another something Toronto might consider) and it was awesome.

Why am I regailing you of tales from my youth? Because Canada Day falls on a Tuesday this year and some people think it would be a great idea to make it a floating holiday, like Victoria Day (which is always the third Monday of May, so at least it’s consistent). This would mean that we would celebrate Canada Day on the Monday or Friday (depending on which was closer to the day) instead of on the 1st. To this I say “WHAT!?” How is that patriotic? On Breakfast Television this morning I was shocked to hear that Kevin Frankish was in favour of this, trying to sell it. I’ve always liked Kevin but was less than impressed with him and all the moronic viewers who wrote or called in to support him. Just imagine: every year we’d have to CHECK when Canada Day was.

Yes, it is annoying to have to work one day then have one day off but it’s CANADA DAY for chrissakes. It’s July 1st. We are supposed to be celebrating the day that marks the start of this country as we enjoy it today. It’s about the DAY not the long weekend. The reason I brought up the States in this post is that they would NEVER consider making the 4th a “floating holiday.” Why is that? Why the difference? Is it because the U.S. has been around longer? Because they have more people? Regardless of the reason, it’s a fact: July 4th is a bigger deal than the 1st and that is sad. 

To be fair, since I’ve lived in Toronto I haven’t taken part in “official” Canada Day festivities (except fireworks at Ashbrides Bay a few times) but we go to my boyfriend’s cousin’s for a BBQ and it’s become tradition. When I have kids, I hope to instill in them some pride in the day and start traditions they will remember, as my parents did.

So get out there tomorrow and celebrate Canada and how lucky you are to live here. Celebrate for all the people in the world who don’t enjoy a free and independent country, who don’t even know what that feels like. 

Happy Canada Day!

I’ve been known to be a contrarian. For some reason I like to go against the grain, just for the sake of being contrary. So when I was thinking about Earth Hour and what I really thought of it and considered writing it down, I made myself take a step back and let the thoughts percolate for a couple of days before I committed a long cynical rant to the internet. But after letting it fester a couple of days, my opinions haven’t changed. And after hearing what other’s thought on the radio, or reading what they thought online, I realized I’m not alone on this. I think Earth Hour is a crock.

It made a whole lot of people feel good to participate and allowed a whole lot more to be snide towards people who chose not to take part. It put a lot of pressure on businesses to “do the right thing” by turning off office tower lights and the ones who didn’t were shunned and booed. But did it have any kind of lasting effect? I’m fairly sure office towers were alight last night and will be bright tonight and tomorrow and so on. Lights were blazing again in homes last night, will be tonight and tomorrow (you get the picture). Offices should be turning off their lights on their own. They shouldn’t do it simply to succumb to PR pressure from the World Wildlife Fund. People should be careful about their electricity consumption all the time, not just for one measly hour because the media and your neighbours tell you to.

I do my best to only have the light on in the room I’m currently in. It’s not always easy and I do forget, but I do my best and I’m usually pretty good about it. We recycle A LOT. We have a blue bin for paper, a blue bin for everything else and a green bin for organics. There are a lot of people out there who do far more for the environment than I. There are far more people out there who do far less. Will those people step up and starting monitoring their electricity consumption now? A couple might, maybe for a little while. But not because they have chosen to; because they feel pressured to. And while some might argue that it doesn’t matter how they get there, so long as they do, I would argue that people who do things out of pressure and not willful desire, will not do so for long.

I have a friend who was very eager to take part in Earth Hour. She was going to go down to the concert in Nathan Philips Square and be all involved and take a stand and all that good stuff. And she did do that all that. She also left her computer on while she was downtown and drove a Jeep down there instead of taking public transit. I would venture a guess that she wasn’t alone. To me, those people missed the whole point. They heard “turn out the lights” but didn’t factor in the effect leaving home electronics on and driving has on the environment. We still have a long way to go.

Yes, Earth Hour bought some awareness to the cause, which is always a good thing. But at the end of day when the lights were back on and the city was buzzing with neon signs, did anything really come of it?

Apologies for being AWOL lately- thing have been busy! Summer is notoriously slow in the PR world- not so this year! I think I’ve been going non-stop since fall. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about today. Nope, today I want to know where you do your best thinking. You know, the place or time of day that you collect your thoughts, think up new ideas and solutions to problems, take account of what needs to get done and how you could have handled a situation differently.

For me, that place is on the treadmill. I can’t read on the treadmill as I run at a good pace and my gym doesn’t have TVs, so it’s just me, some music and my thoughts. I go to the gym in the evening and this is the time I use to figure out what I need to get done the next day, what I forgot to do that day, what I can do to improve on a project and what new ideas I can bring to the table. I don’t necessarily cover all that ground in one workout, but I have found that some of my best ideas have come to me during a run and some tasks that might have fallen through the cracks get remembered in that time too!

This isn’t a new concept for me either- in university, working out was an integral part of exam prep. I would compile detailed notes that I needed to learn, colour code them, staple them together or put them in a duotang of some kind and bring them onto the elliptical machine with me. The things I read through on the machine seemed to stick with me. My mind was clear, it was 30 minutes devoted entirely to memorization without anything there to distract me, such as MSN, TV, etc. When I started running, the same concept seemed to apply, only without the notes. I remember the things I have reminded myself to do on the treadmill the next day when I get into the office. I can’t tell you what I ate for dinner last night half the time, but I know that yesterday on the treadmill I had 5 things I wanted to take care of first thing Monday morning and they’ve all been done.

So, where do you come up with the good stuff? What’s your thinking place?

P.S. Sorry for the cheesy title. I couldn’t resist;)