JClo's Whiteboard

Giving Thanks

2011-11-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I've been thinking about what I'll be giving thanks for this year.

It’s so simple, really: I'm thankful for the people in my life. Family, friends, and even acquaintances. This is what makes life worth living. Making someone laugh, witnessing how you’ve made a difference in some one's life. Hearing a funny story that you can relate to. Sharing your sorrow with another person and hearing their similar stories. Relationships help you know and understand yourself better and your role in the world that we all share.

It’s the little things, too: a good cup of coffee in the morning. A great workout. A job well done. A home-cooked meal.

These little things aren’t possible for some people, especially in today's economy. A home-cooked meal can’t be made in the back of a car or under a bridge where someone is seeking shelter from the rain. But the most important things are possible: people are always possible. A smile, a helping hand. A shared moment, whether with your family, your friends or a stranger.

That’s the stuff.

Oprah's Impact on Female Culture: True or False?

2011-05-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

Oprah Winfrey officially calls it quits this Wednesday. While I've experienced my share of Oprah fatigue over the years, there is no debating that a personality and brand like Oprah's has a major influence over not just what people buy but what people think and long-term cultural norms.

I've been thinking about the impact Oprah has had on our increasingly female-driven culture, especially in the the last 10 years. If you disagree that we live in a female-driven culture (and I know many will), consider the market research data that shows women make the majority of purchasing decisions for their households, and jobs that are more traditionally oriented with women haven't been hit as hard during the economic recession. I have a number of girlfriends whose male partners are stay-at-home dads, at least in part because my girlfriends have more earning potential in their chosen career fields.

I'm not saying that Oprah got us to this place, which, by the way, has its own pitfalls for women (that's another blog post). I'm saying that maybe Oprah's brand and philosophies have informed the way in which women live in this environment.

Oprah's brand represents self-defined female empowerment and "living your best life," which I think embodies the outlook of many women of my generation. It includes same pay for same work AND spa pedicures (my mom and the moms of my girlfriends never had pedicures until we took them). It means splitting up cooking nights AND being wildly proud of baking a kick-ass chocolate souffle. It means taking time to do yoga AND working a 16-hour day.

The education of women and the resulting earning potential among women have certainly helped fuel the markets for spa services, gourmet cooking shows and fitness (among others), but I think Oprah's brand has also helped make these types of things fixtures in the world of women today.

Oprah's on-air segments and magazine columns dedicated to "My Favorite Things" and "What I Know For Sure" also seem to represent the tone of female culture today. They speak to our sense of entitlement for "treats" and our yearning for what's real.

I think that Oprah and her staff so intimately understood their audience that they were able to produce content that both watered the seed that was already there and helped it through a metamorphosis.

I wonder if Oprah's impact will permeate our female culture after her network show is off the air. There are a number of personalities from the 1960s and 1970s who still inform the way in which their generation sees the world.

What I know for sure: someone has to validate my requirements for spa days and mimosas.

(Off Topic) Green Tech: With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

2009-12-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

Riffing over the holiday. A bit off topic (although, my blog doesn't have a huge focus, I admit...so "off topic" is relative). But upon catching up on reading over the break, I wanted to acknowledge the following fact and encourage folks to contribute to making green tech startups successful.

Like it or not, green tech startups have more responsibility than your average startup. The way in which they come to market can bust open consumer demand for green products and services or set that demand back decades.

Startups have a tendency to rush to market. For good reason. A first to market position can make all the difference. The compromise is that the product may not be fully baked. Sometimes that's ok, especially in a world where customers can express what they like and don't like about a product and influence the direction of the next release.

But when it comes to green tech, a premature release of a new technology or product can stunt or completely halt market adoption and prevent our progress on becoming a more socially responsible, global community. Smart meters are one example of technology that wasn't ready when first introduced - - and backlash in places like California will likely dramatically slow the acceptance of this technology in the coming years. Battery-powered cars hold great promise but some manufacturers pushed cars to market much too early and saw the negative impact. Now, people are skeptical about buying these cars when they come to market ready to roll.

The stakes are higher for green tech startups. Getting it right the first time is essential to consumer adoption of the technologies that will shape our new economy and our future as responsible environmental citizens.

PDX Posse First Friday to "Reconvene" in January

2009-11-30T17:37:00.000-08:00

Has it already been a month since the debut First Friday Portland Posse? Indeed, it has.

Unfortunately, this month is just plain ugly in terms of scheduling and we're going to reconvene the PDX madness on January 1, 2010. That's right! The first day of the New Year and the First Friday in January.

Check back here for place and time as it gets closer.

And, don't think my co-host, Christina Williams (www.twitter.com/seeger), is out just because she has moved on to a big journo opp. We're still the PDX posse. And, so are you!

See you in 2010.

Jclo

Portland Posse Steps Out!

2009-11-05T14:28:00.000-08:00

It has been nearly five years now that I've been working for Page One PR, a valley-based PR firm focused on PR and social media services for enterprise software companies.

Back in the day ("which was a Wednesday" - - big love for the person who knows who I'm referencing with that quote), I worked from home a few days a week and onsite with a client a few days a week. Great gig. Still is today.

But that client is now based in San Francisco and I work at home all week. I dig working from home but when the rain sets in, I'll look for any excuse to step out! Luckily I have a Page One PR cohort right here in Portland - Christina Williams, who makes up 50% of the Page One PR Portland Posse! But while she is an east side hipster, I'm a west side gangster.

So, as we embark on winter here in the NW, we're starting a new tradition: First Friday Portland Posse. We're inviting friends and colleagues to join us the first Friday of each month for a good glass (or more...) of wine.

Please join us tomorrow at 5 p.m. at one of my favorite spots - Oba!

"He's Just Not That Into You" Translates into PR/Reporter Relationships

2009-07-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

Even if you haven't seen the movie "He's Just Not that Into You," you've likely seen the preview where Drew Barymore depicts the number of ways a person can get rejected in the dating world today. Facebook DM, Twitter DM, LinkedIn DM, IM, text, email, voicemial - and the list goes on.

I can say that I only reach out to reporters and bloggers through the channels I know they prefer, but I can also tell you I've been rejected via all of these channels at least once. What PR flak hasn't?

What has to be even more annoying is all of the DMs, texts, IMs, etc., that reporters get in a single day. When I started in PR, I would chat with reporters and hear the horror stories about their inboxes, but today - they have to juggle email in addition to all of these other messaging technologies.

Later this month, I'll be joining Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier, Esther Schindler and Steven Vaughan-Nichols on an OSCON panel titled "What Open Source Projects Need to Know About Interacting with the Press."

With new ways to connect with the press emerging every single day, I'm interested in collecting a data point for OSCON attendees on how most reporters and bloggers like to be contacted.

I'm experimenting with twtpoll and hope my media colleagues will take a quick sec (literally) to take the anonymous poll on preferable methods of communication. Even if you don't work with open source projects, I'm interested in finding out what the majority of folks prefer.

Managing multiple email accounts, DMs and "shout outs" isn't easy for anyone. Welcome comments here on my blog, too, about how you're dealing with "message overload."

See you at OSCON! Our panel is Thursday, July 23 at 5:20 p.m.

Shocked and Disappointed

2009-05-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

Portland’s Multnomah County Chair just posted a job for a social media professional at 60-70K/year.

Most folks have responded negatively, expressing that we can’t afford to spend money on such a “trivial” role that could be done by "any teenager that knows how to use Twitter."

I was both shocked at the lack of knowledge regarding what is social media and disappointed that more people don't see the potential for social media to help us engage as a citizenry.

I found the negative responses extremely shortsighted. And, not because I work in PR and social media, but because I’m an American citizen and want to be able to both monitor my government’s actions and engage on issues important to me. Social media brings this opportunity to every American citizen. Even if someone doesn’t have a home computer, they have a community library where they can access the Internet and engage in conversation. Have we already forgotten how President Obama rallied so much support for his candidacy?

I understand the hesitation to spend any money at all when we’re in a recession and important social services are being cut. My sister suffers from mental illness and getting her access to even just standard healthcare and services is extremely difficult. But, the process by which we make decisions on what gets cut in hard times and what we maximize in good times should be prioritized in order for every voice to be heard as we reshape our country and its future. And, social media makes this process achievable for the first time in a very long time.

The solutions to our nation’s problems shouldn’t be focused on short-term savings but on long-term investments that encourage participation in a country where 50 of our largest cities are seeing more than 50% of its high school students dropping out. Let’s pay for strategic communications professionals who can lay the infrastructure and facilitate community participation in the decisions that will define the future of our country.

The Truth Behind JClo

2009-02-16T17:38:00.000-08:00

I thought it was worth explaining where "JClo" came from. It's not a super interesting story, but it's important to me that peeps don't think I'm some closet "JLo" wannabe. Yikes.

I mean, I don't have anything against Jenny from the Block. I think her movies are ok. Her music, not so much. She's beautiful, no doubt. And a mom, to boot.

But, "Jclo" was a nickname given to me by one of my original Page One PR partners in crime: Bret Clement.

This is no doubt because he's one of the hippest guys I know. Out there, tackling PR challenges every day and delivering awesome results for clients. USA Today, anyone?

I kept it because it far exceeds the nicknames of my past. Hmmm, which ones should I include here?

*Jenny. No thanks.
* Rudy. My nose turns a serious red tone when it's cold. No thanks.
* Jen. If you know me, I love it.
* Goofball. Reserved for my mom.
* Idiot. Reserved for my cats.

* Jclo. My favorite. If I ever do try out for American Idol, I'll use it! Although, I'm too old to try out, which comes with its own bag of nicknames...

Jclo

Hodgepodge

2009-02-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

I have a lot on my mind. So, while I've been meaning to blog (I'm super delinquent), I just can't decide which one of the topics I should drill into...

So, I've decided to give a few snapshots of what's bubbling around in my brain:

* How social media is changing - or not changing - the public relations profession. On one hand, you could say it's changing everything. On the other hand, you could argue that the fundamentals are the same and that the emergence of social media just pushes us all to be better at what we do (both marketers and spin DRs). I find it really exciting! And, I find it gives PR peeps an opportunity to more easily illustrate results and value. More vehicles through which to communicate, and the interesting nuances for communicating via each one, is a daily adventure, seriously. What a cool job!

* Kids. I'll be 34 this May and I've been married 10 years next month. My husband and I have never been the kind of couple that yearns for children. But, as we get older, we think about it more. We just don't have that burning in the belly for kids. Is it coming? I don't see it happening but am afraid we might be missing out.

* High school. Seriously. All of a sudden, there is this huge influx of high school friends on Facebook. It happened all at once, too. I figure, who needs a reunion anymore? I know everything (and more) I'd ever want to know about the people who knew me better than anyone did 15 years ago. I grew up in a small community. There were no secrets.

* Kid Rock. I was never a fan of Kid Rock when he first hit the scene. But, I have to admit that I'm in love with his new album. I don't dig every single song, but do love most of it. He is the only musician paying forward the rock essentials of the 70s and 80s. I heart Cobain, Greenday and many others, but someone has to bring rock to the new generation. He's the only one doing it, as far as I can see.

* The Linux Foundation's Collaboration Summit. Ok, so this kind of a plug. But seriously, I'm pumped about this year's event. The fact that Linux is powering a new generation of devices that would otherwise take decades to develop, makes me a reborn fan of the technology (original love affair: March 2005).

I'll leave it at that for now. Hope friends/colleagues will leave their comments!

Jclo

Coming soon!

2009-02-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

I planned to blog something deeply interesting this week, but it got away from me. With the weekend approaching, I'm looking forward to posting. Stay tuned, friends!

7 Things...And, My Blog Debut!

2008-12-31T00:34:00.000-08:00

So, one of the best young PR people I know has called me out. Called me out to participate in the latest meme game. But, I think there is a much bigger plan in motion: she is prompting me to start my own blog.

And, I can't take that challenge sitting down. Tonight, I debut my blog with the 7 things you may (or may not) have wanted to know about me.

Shelly says this is how it works:

1. Link to your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.
2. Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they've been tagged.

And, 7 known and unknown facts about me:

1. I grew up in the sticks. Literally. My parents were hippies in every sense of the word and I lived on a couple acres of green grasses, wildflowers and a creek that ran through our property. They instilled in me many good things, including a great appreciation for classic rock, which remains my favorite kind of music.

2. I really love working in PR and feel really lucky that I get to do what I do for a living. There are frustrating days, but the challenges are interesting ones and the work is evolving now more than ever.

3. I married the best guy in the universe. 10 years this March.

4. I don't have kids and don't plan to have kids, but my 8-year-old niece is the apple of my eye.

5. I've never had a bad boss. How did that happen?

6. I'm decorating my home office with Rolling Stones covers. I just received four new ones today. I'm a pop culture junkie, and can't help myself. In case you were curious, Robert Downey Jr., Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Ashton Kutcher, Barack Obama, Christina Applegate, Selma Blair and Cameron Diaz are each giving me inspiration as I crank out PR results for my clients!

7. I love pickles. Dill pickles. I can eat a whole jar at a time. But, I've quit. I've given up the junk. The sodium was killing me. I'll live to fight another day.

My seven targets for keeping this party going:

* Christina Williams. My Portland Posse partner.

* Wayne Newitts. One of my oldest friends in Portland who should get to blogging.

* Amanda McPherson . One of the smartest people I know.

* Joe Brockmeier. A good friend doing important things.

* Teresa Schlitt. One of my Canadian friends who lives the kind of life for which we all should strive.

* LeAnn Locher. An old colleague and forever friend. Peaceful and funny with creativity oozing out of her.

* Lonn Johnston, Page One PR founder. I'll echo Shelly's sentiment!

There it is. My life as a blogger has begun. Stay tuned for more musings.