InsidEPR

For Good Measure

By Molly Miller

I don’t own a bathroom scale.  I tell myself I really don’t care what I weigh, yet I’m obsessive about weighing in whenever I’m at the gym.  Why?  Because otherwise I don’t know for certain if I’m putting on extra pounds.  It’s easy enough to rationalize to myself if my jeans are a little tighter than usual (“I must have dried them too long”), but if the scale says I’m 3 pounds heavier, I believe it.  I work out harder and watch my calories until, on some later trip to the gym, the scales tell me I’m back on track.

The point about measurement is that, without it, you don’t really know how things stand.  That’s why measurement is a big part of our process here at EPR.  We like to define quantifiable goals for every client and for every program.  We put a stake in the ground about what we will achieve per quarter.  We then track these goals monthly, to make sure we are delivering what we promised we would.  We also work with clients to define what we call “meta goals:” overarching guidelines that help us map our tactics to each client’s “big picture” marketing objectives—the qualitative goals. 

We even track and measure our corporate goals at EPR.  Not only is this good discipline, it helps us to have better visibility into our operational status so that we can make corrections if necessary to satisfy our business plan.

How does your agency measure up?  If you don’t know, post a response for discussion.

Hitting Life’s High Notes

By Becky Frost

I have a confession to make, I like opera, have since I was a kid. So, like a lot of his fans, I was saddened at the loss of world-renowned Luciano Pavarotti. He passed away early Thursday after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. When people pass on, we have a tendency to look at their lives and take comfort in their wisdom, accomplishments, love, or friendship.

This news got me thinking about potential. Seventy-one years ago, I wonder if Pavarotti’s parents imagined the life their son would have. Yes, it took great talent and dedication to achieve his level of success, but I wonder what would have happened if he would have stopped believing in himself or his talent.

So many of us have talents that we are able to use and develop in our careers. I see this daily with smart and passionate clients who are experts in very specific areas of technology. Each of these companies affects us whether we know it or not. Where would the world be without people dedicated to making enterprises safe from threats or making sure that mobile devices were constantly improving our way of life?

Where, too, would we be if we stopped believing in ourselves? My colleagues at Engage are extremely talented people – from knowing how to write well while on a tight deadline, to maintaining media relationships, to diffusing stressful situations with grace, or to those few who are able to use just the right amount of humor to make even the stodgiest journalists crack a smile.

The point is, we all have something to bring to the table. So, whether you’re an avid shower singer, a curmudgeonly comedian, or a witty writer, never stop believing in what you do, because it does make a difference.

Bet Big to Win Big…

By Jenna Broughton

Someone once said you have to bet big to win big. I decided to put this idea into action, and I slid two $100 chips across the green felt table. "Hit me," I said to the dealer. That time the risk paid off and I won big. No, this is not about how I hit it big during a weekend trip to Las Vegas. This is about my first day at Engage PR.

Beginning a new job can be daunting, and I was not immune to first day jitters. Typically, the first day is filled with awkward introductions and large amounts of paperwork. My first day at Engage PR consisted of blackjack and craps. I knew almost immediately that this would not be like any place I had worked before. After all, who can actually say that they got to partake in faux gambling on their first day at a new job?

Engage PR is different – and it is not just because we have casino days. The truth is there is camaraderie that exists amongst co-workers that is all too rare these days. While words like "teamwork" are popular buzzwords in workplaces, few actually nurture such environments. Teamwork is not just a figure of speech at Engage PR, but rather it is heavily intertwined in the company culture.

My first day of work was good, and I left eager to see where this journey would lead me. I felt like I had found a place where I fit – and not just because they shared my new-found love of craps and blackjack, but also because I had found a workplace where the employees are valued and the employees value each other.

Whenever you enter a new workplace you are taking a gamble. The uncertainty you experience when you are making a bet at a casino can feel comparable to that of starting a new job. But sometimes when you put all your chips on the line you win big. This may not be Vegas, but in the whole scheme of things I think I won pretty big.