Three Lies I Told Myself During My First Two Years in Business

My brain likes to tell me lies, whether it’s perfectionistic with a self-deprecating attitude or positive with a side of nostalgia that never even existed.

And guys, I was 26. My brain was on the home stretch of growth. I didn’t have clarity and thought I had the direction I needed to head a small company. I had no clue what I was doing! I knew my industry very well, but I didn’t have clear goals and objectives -- although I made sure to have those for my clients.

Here are three outright lies I told myself during my company’s infancy. My hope is that they help you as you get comfortable in your own professional skin and wade through the clutter to live your best life:

My Favorite Hacks as A Small Business Owner

As a small business owner, I am constantly looking for ways to save time and money. So, bring on the freebies and insider tips of the communications business trade! So, here are five small business hacks that I use on a regular basis.

5 Lessons I’ve Learned During My Mental Health Journey

I’m no stranger to talking about mental health. I opened the door into the private rabbit hole of my mind in an op-ed piece in May 2018, and I haven’t stopped advocating for mental health issues since. Today is World Mental Health Day, so I am feeling a natural sense of reflection for my own mental health journey. I usually save these posts for every other Tuesday’s Mental Health Moments blog entries. Today is a celebration of where all of us have been on our mental health missions and where we will continue to go.

Mental Health Moments: #Last90Days Challenge

I love a good challenge. I don’t mean just of the small business variety, but a daily practice that encourages me to make better choices and lasting changes. That is why Rachel Hollis’ #Last90Days Challenge appealed to me. Each year, I struggle from October to December. While this time of year is my absolute favorite, I usually drink my basic pumpkin spice lattes with added stress. My time management takes a backseat to holiday gatherings, trying to find the perfect gift for everyone, jamming 5,000 new business ventures into the fourth quarter and so much more.

Why I Wanted To Start My Own Small Company

As many people know, I started my small business, Hourglass Media, in March 2015. At its inception, it existed only on my MacBook Pro, Nikon D5000, iPhone and a few odds and ends of backed-up files. I started this company while sitting on the floor of my childhood bedroom, with my cat, Oreo (my guardian angel cat now) stepping all over my newly established business license and IRS form printouts. I knew I had a company within me, so I started. Let me take you on a journey into my personal headspace and give you my reasons why I wanted to start my own company.

Ethical Considerations on Social Media

This may seem like common sense, but think before you post. Your reputation could be harmed with a single press of send or an off-the-cuff remark on someone else’s photo. When an answer isn’t cut and dry, I refer to the Public Relations Society of America’s Code of Ethics and resources page. Social media is here to stay, no matter your opinion on it. As companies, all of us can greatly benefit from the organic and paid exposure social media grants us. Whether you’re a communicator by trade or just a social media aficionado, here are five ethical considerations you should think about before you post.

Mental Health Moments: How To Be An Essentialist

I recently began listening to the book, Essentialism by Greg McKeown, on a work business trip. (Yes, I do personal and professional development while I am even in the car.) As someone with an often-cluttered mind, I always want to streamline processes and be productive, even when I don’t feel motivated. At its core, essentialism means “a belief that things have a set of characteristics which make them what they are, and that the task of science and philosophy is their discovery and expression; the doctrine that essence is prior to existence.” Author Greg McKeown begs the question that I posed at the beginning of the blog post -- what if you focused on what you could do less of but better?

Takeaways From PRSA-East Central District's QuickStart 2019 Conference

QuickStart is a one-day conference hosted in the fall to give ECD chapter leaders an opportunity to ask questions and learn from each other before assuming leadership positions in the new year. Student leaders within the PRSSA network also attend. I always learn a wealth of knowledge to bring back to my Chapter and to use for Hourglass Media. This year, the conference focused on how we can improve our Chapters in myriad ways. Here are some nuggets I wanted to share with you.

A Brief Overview of Ethics in Public Relations

In many cases, PR practitioners’ reputations are on the line. One stigma, in addition to the whole “spin doctor” line of old, is that all PR pros perpetuate fake news. Admittedly, there are public relations practitioners who do that, but as a whole, the industry relies on its ethical codes in two-way communications. So, as a public relations practitioner or your organization’s main communicator (with or without much communications experience), how can you ensure that you’re communicating ethically? First and foremost, how do you even define ethics?

Mental Health Moments: Four Ways to Reach Your Own Level of Forgiveness

Forgiveness can be a complicated word. At its root, it means a “release” -- the release of negative emotions and resentment. Thus, a feeling of neutrality or positivity takes its place. When you forgive someone, that doesn’t always mean that you will reconcile with them. Things may not go back to how they were, and in some cases, you will choose to forgive and walk away. That has happened to me countless times in my personal and professional life, and I’ve learned so much about forgiveness throughout my life. Experiences are the best teachers, after all.

What Are The Page Principles?

Arthur W. Page was a vice president and director of AT&T from 1927 to 1947. Known as “The Father of Corporate Public Relations,” Page revolutionized public relations practices and turned AT&T’s then-negative press around. The founders of the Arthur W. Page Society created these seven principles so the association's members -- and communicators in general -- could have tenets in which to practice public relations with honor and ethics.

10 Skills Every PR Pro Should Have (Or Develop)

Throughout these past 10 years, I’ve compiled list after list pertaining to what public relations pros (or anyone communicating a message) should possess. Some traits are natural, while others have to be learned in the classroom or on your own until you practice enough to meet mastery levels. Here are 10 skills every PR pro should develop and begin to practice every day.

Mental Health Moments: Recognizing and Dealing With Depression

“Things will be okay. Just snap out of it.”

If you have ever experienced acute or chronic depression, you know that this statement -- as well as others -- are not the most effective way to communicate with you in a depressive state. So, you’re feeling depressed, and it doesn’t seem to go away. If the following symptoms are compromising your daily activities and overall life for more than two weeks, you could be experiencing a depressive episode.

Why Stories Are Important To Your PR Efforts

No matter who you are, storytelling will help you achieve your goals and objectives through Research, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation. As public relations professionals, we use RPIE religiously. It’s paramount to communication and how you tell your story. Nearly 70 percent of our daily conversations consist of personal stories (source: Jeremy Hsu). Why are stories important to your bottom line?

Signature Course: Telling Stories Through A Holistic Public Relations Approach AVAILABLE NOW!

Unveiling the heart of stories is our way of life at Hourglass Media. It’s more than just a mission statement and a statement of being. We live and breathe stories, whether it’s reading the latest strategies in an industry publication or sitting with a client and brainstorming new messaging. That is what led me to craft my first signature course, “Telling Stories Through A Holistic Public Relations Approach.” In this course, students will learn how to confidently create, plan, execute and evaluate their stories through tried-and-true public relations practices.

Mental Health Moments: Accepting Yourself - Flaws and All

As I enter my 31st year, I am committed to self-love more than ever. I spent too many years backing myself into a corner or shutting my emotions off to even myself. Here’s to another year of adventures with authenticity and showing the world the true Kaylin. No matter where you are on your self-love journey, I wanted to share with you some tactics I use to express self love. These may or may not work for you, but if they resonate with only one person, that will make my heart happy!

What You Need For Your Customer Avatar

Why do customer avatars help us in public relations? We use them to carefully construct who we want to outreach to, or our publics. A public is a group of people who are tied together by some commonality. Our publics are a primary focus of PR efforts. Without them, we wouldn’t have the knowledge and results to back up PR and business-related goals and objectives. As communicators, we use insights behind the scenes to cultivate our PR messages and undergo the RPIE (Research, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation) process.

A Holistic View of Public Relations

Public relations is at the heart of Hourglass Media. It’s what we do every day, but it could be challenging to define or explain to others. In its truest and intended form, public relations is “the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends,” according to the APR Study Guide.

Mental Health Moments: An Open Letter To The Little Girl Version Of Me

A couple of weeks ago, I listened to the 15th episode of the “You’re Welcome With Hilary Rushford” podcast. While I usually listen to this podcast to give me that extra pep in my CEO step, she discussed one of the core areas of my being: perfectionism. The anxious me has a name, and it’s Kaylin. It’s no one but the little girl version of me. And all she needs is a little self-love. So, here is my open letter to the anxious little girl who didn’t know how amazing she was and would grow up to be.

Using Press Releases To Complement Your Communications

One of the most easily recognized public relations tactics is the press release. Even if someone isn’t in a communications field, enough TV shows and other forms of mass media use press releases as plot points and other devices. Here are components you’ll need for a standard press release.