Moments
after I posted my last blog the routine workday was cast aside for the
scrambling that all too often occupies my work days. It is one of those
frustrating cogs that may slow the progress but nothing that can’t be cleared
with some hard work and, in this case, putting forth the effort to keep the
opportunity alive. This, among other things, is what occupied my day… a day
that was anything but routine but one that, in the end, balanced out. After
all, the goal is to maintain balance.
In
this instance, a customer decided to back out of a story with a large publication
due to the potential exposure that comes with a high profile feature. On one
hand I completely understand, on the other I am left with a ‘what the heck’
feeling as it is an opportunity that came about after considerable effort. Many
would even say “I would definitely do it if given the opportunity” but that is
not what I do. I can recommend from a strategic standpoint and highlight all of
the benefits of such an opportunity but it is ultimately not my decision.
We
work on behalf of our clients and, in this case, their customers. Our job is to
balance the media opportunities with their goals, find the best matches, and
pursue them until they happen. At the same time, there is a tremendous amount
of trust that companies put in us to do what is in their best interest and that
is what we do, not what we aim to do, this is what we do on a daily basis.
Routine or chaos this is always the underlying current to the work that is done
on any given day.
While
many may see this as a somewhat restrictive position to find yourself in, it is
anything but that and, in fact, there is great freedom in the work that I do.
Both the strategy and creativity that we employ are limitless and has led to
complete shifts in both perspective and approach of certain topic internally and,
more importantly, in the media. How else are you going to keep it interesting
when you speak to the same industry publications time and again about the same
company?
You
need to bring strategy, creativity, and energy to the process. All feed off of
one another and being in an open work environment and with clients that
understand, or attempt to understand, our role, support our process, and value
our expertise. When you step back and look at the job, routine has nothing to
do with schedules. Routine, in the best sense of the word, is bringing those
three drivers with you to work, into meetings, and convey over the phone every
day because those three things equate to passion. Passion is what you need to
work in PR because passion is what gets results.
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