Giving Thanks (and Other PR Blog Jots)

Ike Pigott tagged me in the following meme, and I’m responding by dedicating this PR Blog Jots to his and others’ posts on thankfulness, in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday. I will also be writing my own post on what I’m thankful for, coming later on today. In the meantime…

Thanks for the Direction
Communications Overtones
Kicking off the thankfulness meme, Kami Huyse discusses the person who had a greate influence on her career, and how thankful she is to them. Back in her “green” days, Kami phoned a real estate editor to pitch a story, and was shocked when he interrupted to ask her why he and his readers should care about her pitch. Momentarily flummoxed, she was able to successfully sell the story and get the placement for her client—and has been grateful ever since that he chose to guide her rather than reject her. “He could have published my name in a list of miscreants and off-topic pitches, he could have hung up the phone, but instead he taught me how to do it right.  He retooled my pitch, he asked me why.”

Thanks for the Mentor
The Buzz Bin
In his response to the meme, Geoff Livingston gives thanks for a mentor in a previous stage of his career, working for what is now Monster doing business development. After struggling under a previous supervisor, Geoff gained new approaches and attitudes from his new one and turned his slumping sales figures around, learning values that would guide him throughout his career. “It was more important to listen than talk, to give than take, to represent yourself accurately from the get-go. Why? My job was to build trust and faith so that business could occur. And he made me realize when I was negative, I projected it, and attracted bad results. He helped me refocus on the positive.”

Thanks to Many
Occam’s Razor
Unable to pinpoint the one specific person who had the greatest influence on his career, Ike Pigott salutes the many ways that several different people have influence him—including those who provided negative obstacles for him to overcome. His can be considered a “that which does not kill me only makes me stronger” take on the subject. He also provides several names of those with a positive influence as well. “There are many people who had an influence on me. Most of them are people who underestimated me in one way or another - who applied a prejudice against me, counted me out before giving me a chance. Those sorts of challenges just become the next fuel for my flame.”

Thanks to the Boss From Hell
Stuffelufagus
While Ike named several folks who impacted his career in a positive way precisely by being negative, Rob La Gesse has only one: the quintessential Boss From Hell. He describes toiling in a job that made him depressed under a nasty woman who only made it worse, and how one day he decided (almost on a whim) to just up and quit and go to work for Radio Shack. In just six months he was managing one of the more successful Radio Shack franchises, and having a blast, not to mention being a far better boss than the one he’d had. A good reminder that even the people who are negative forces in our lives can change us for the better. “Radio Shack also taught me about dealing with people - employees, managers, and customers. I also learned about managing costs, salary, marketing, hiring and firing, etc, etc. But most of all - the most important thing I learned - I never wanted to be Doris. So thanks, Doris. You were a mean, conniving, cruel, self-centered nasty human being. But you made me a better boss than I might have been had I not met you.”

Comments

[Rob La Gesse]

@Sarah - it wasn't "almost on a whim". It was COMPLETELY on a whim. You should have heard the discussion that night with my then spouse!

Especially since I couldn't even answer the basic question of, "How much will you make"!

Rob