I’m not a fan of country music.
It’s a different story for many friends who attended the Route 91 Harvest Festival last year.
 
For days leading up to the concert and throughout the evening my newsfeed was filled with happy photos and updates. While I’m not in tune with country, I love music. It has the power to heal, transport and transform. Concerts are celebrations.
 
Before turning in for the night, I decided to check email. The news alerts, posts, photos and videos were terrifying and heartbreaking. Propped up on pillows, I sat in bed anxiously searching for news that friends were safe and the threat had ended. It was 3 or 4 on Monday morning before I fell asleep for a few hours, waking again to the nightmare.
 
As a second-generation Las Vegas native whose family moved here in 1936 and helped build this town, this attack felt personal - against Las Vegas, friends, music, safe spaces . . . so many ways.
 
In the aftermath of tragedy, our community showed the world Las Vegas is so much more than a Strip. Countless acts of kindness put a spotlight on the real Las Vegas, beyond the neon skyline. Neighbors, strangers and heroes came together do whatever was needed to help. Tourists returned our hospitality, helping the healing process in many ways.
 
Our Knights in Golden armor embraced their Vegas born roots, rolled up their sleeves and modeled what it means to be Vegas Strong both on and off the ice.
 
What happened in Vegas will be remembered for the stories of bravery, compassion and the light of human kindness that outshone an evil act.
 
Today, we are VegasStronger.

Thank you to John P G Stiles for having me as a guest on his show Doin It With Stiles at the World Wide Digital Broadcasting studio. Listen in to learn a little about PR and all that jazz.

Click here to watch: https://youtu.be/wVIU2_j-S8k
​

How many of you really know your fathers? 
 
How many of your fathers really know you?
 
I grew up seeing my dad through everyone else’s eyes. 
Everywhere I go, everyone I meet seems to know my dad.  
 
“I took lessons from your dad for years!” 
 
“He’s the best!” 
 
“Your dad has the patience of Job!” 
 
“You must be a great golfer, your dad’s a pro!”
 
What many don’t know is my dad went to college on a football scholarship. Oh, he could have gone on a band scholarship (he played the coronet and legend has it he kicked the band teacher off the stage at Las Vegas High) or a golf scholarship. He didn’t finish college. Instead he quit to pursue a career teaching golf and get married. He was the first person inducted into the Southern Nevada Golf Hall of Fame.

I was very proud of him because everyone told me how great he was. I didn’t see the person they saw, though. 
 
In fact, if we wanted to see him, we had to go to Muni, the golf course where he taught for more than 40 years.  You see, dad worked 6 days a week, 8 - 12 hours a day. He got 1 week vacation a year. We would go to the cabin and sometimes play golf one day at Mt. Carmel in Southern Utah. Monday was his day off. Not Christmas, not Thanksgiving, not Easter. Monday.  

​I didn’t get a lesson spot from my dad until I was 30. I got tips. When we were kids, we would hit balls next to where dad was giving lessons and try to get his attention. Periodically, he’d yell out, “Slow down!  Take it back halfway!  Turn your hands over!”  Sometimes, he’d cut his lunch short and show us our swing in the reflection of the clubhouse windows.  Other times, he’d have us look at our shadow as we swung the club. I can still do this when I try to figure out what's wrong with my swing.
 
I used to get mad that he wouldn’t give me lessons. I begged him, daddy pleeeeeeaaaaase give me lessons!  He would just say, “You can’t afford me.”  In reality, he couldn’t afford to give up a
paying spot. But an 8 year-old doesn’t understand these things.

According to my parents, I was lucky they could afford to take me home from the hospital.  My mom said the only reason they had the money to pay the hospital bill was because dad had just won some tournament. Now that puts a whole new spin on work-related stress.
 
When I was 10 I played in my first Pro-Am with my dad . . . . . and Jerry Foltz who I had a crush on!  We came in 2nd due to a nefarious score card playoff.  When I was 11, I played in Junior World in San Diego with kids from all over the world. My brother, sister and I traveled with a family friend whose daughter (Bari Brandwynne) was also playing,. My dad was working, helping other people with their golf game.
 
I never got to see my dad play in a professional tournament. I remember him going out of town to play, but I never heard what happened. When he went out of town, we spent time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I almost got to see him play once. When I was in college, he’d won an exemption to play in the Panasonic (today, the Shriners). But the day before in a practice round, his back went out. That’s when he stopped playing golf. He continued to teach, though.
 
He didn’t watch me play in the Las Vegas Invitational, either. I found out the day before that I got to fill in one day in the Pro-Am. Dad said he couldn’t cancel his lessons on such short notice. I asked him to be my caddy so he could help me while I played. Again, he said he couldn’t cancel lessons on such short notice.
 
A couple years later, dad retired. Despite my pleading, he wouldn’t give me golf lessons anymore. When I asked, he said he was busy . . . watering the lawn. He made a point to tell me about people who called for advice on their swing, though. About a year later, he had a stroke (he fully recovered). I thought I was too young to be in the caregiver role . . . . I didn’t even have kids!  I was wrong.  Because I worked at a hospital for 7 years I was able to call in favors and got a doctor from St. Rose to come to Mountain View Hospital.  I think I shocked my mom more than anyone with how quickly I took charge and arranged for doctors. For the first time, I realized that I really did know more than my parents!  When I was younger I thought I did. Now, I really did. That was kinda scary. 
 
As I watched my dad get older, I could see his frailty and his fears. Like everyone’s father, he went from superhero to human being. I was in the hospital room when he passed. After a day of suffering in pain, he finally fell asleep and didn’t wake up.
 
The last time I played golf was when we scattered his ashes in 2012. I want to play again. It’s a matter of time and money. It’s also a matter of living up to the expectation of playing like a pro’s daughter. I’m supposed to be as good as I was when I played and hit balls several times a week.
 
Now you know what my dad looks like through his daughter’s eyes.

From entrepreneurs to entertainers; from charities to CEOs; from survivors to thrivers; I’ve told a lot of stories. And while each person’s story is as unique as the individual themselves everybody has something in common. You see, each one of them told themselves a story that they believed. That’s what helped them survive and get to where they are today.
 
The most important story is the one you believe.
 
So let me ask you, what’s your story?
 
For more ideas, insights and inspirations to help you share your story, visit https://www.1bluecube.com.

Before I wrote stories, I told them. In elementary school, I changed the ending while retelling ghost stories to avoid a deadly demise. Hours were spent in my Grandparent’s backyard imagining fantastical characters, grand adventures and heroic feats acted out in worlds of wonderment.
 
It was inside the written stories, though, where I found the key to unlocking the most valuable lessons.
 
You see, I started writing poetry at age 12. Or should I say, the poems started writing me. I had a deep desire to be heard, express my feelings and share insights.  In my 30s, I began rereading my poems once a year. This annual ritual wasn’t about living in the past. To the contrary, it provided an opportunity to reflect on where I’d been, acknowledge how far I’ve come and see things differently. The written poems were filled with perspectives that sometimes literally changed before my eyes.
 
Our reality is shaped by the perceptions we hold. Our perceptions are shaped by the stories we tell ourselves.
 
                   The most important story is the one you believe.
 
However, every story has many sides.
            1. The facts.
            2. What we think happened.
            3. What others think happened.
            4. What we think it means - the stories we tell ourselves about why/what happened.
            5. The intentions/agendas behind the actions/reactions of everyone involved.
            6. How we choose to remember what happened - victory, lesson, tragedy, etc.
 
Dozens of things happen every day. Often, we base whether our day was good or bad by the stories we tell ourselves about what we believe happened.
 
When we are able to step back and look at what happened from a different perspective, we are able to re-solve the puzzle by re-membering the pieces and re-write the True story in our mind.
 
Just as forgiving doesn’t make what happened OK, re-membering doesn’t excuse bad behavior or trivialize your feelings. Intentions, like actions, speak louder than words. Listen to your gut and trust your instincts above the words you hear. If someone continues to rationalize, apologize or deny repeat offenses, they aren’t sorry they are manipulating.
 
Likewise, this is not a license to dwell. To find and seek the Truth is the goal. By separating facts from feelings, we are better able to focus on what happened, learn and hopefully see more clearly it in the future. Re-solving and re-membering is a process and some stories take longer than others to re-write. It’s a process that requires courage, patience and honesty.
 
For more insights, ideas and inspirations for sharing your story, visit http://www.1bluecube.com.
 

Every person you bring on board is important to the success of your business or nonprofit.
When hiring a Public Relations professional, it's important to select someone who fits your needs. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

     • Business is personal.  It’s about relationships.
        Make sure the person you pick shares your vision, values and business philosophy.
                      
     • Be honest about your expectations and make sure you are in alignment.
        - If they guarantee you press, run the other way. The only way to guarantee you will be in the 
          press is to buy an ad. However, if PR didn't work it wouldn't still be around. It takes more than
          one medium to tell a story.
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       • Ask for testimonials from past clients.
           -  Testimonials are the best form of word of mouth. People believe people, not ads.

For more insights, ideas and inspirations to help you share your story visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZTar4BPfoo. 

Many people think the sole purpose of Public Relations is to send out press releases.

The truth is, a press release is just one tool Public Relations professionals use to help companies and nonprofits share their story.  We utilize numerous strategies to reach beyond the media to build relationships, create conversations and help shape brands.

To this day, one of the most common questions I'm asked is: ‘How do I write a press release?’
A more appropriate term is news release because the purpose is to share newsworthy information.

Here's the scoop . . . . the who, what, when, where, why and how of a press release:
 
                        WHO
                                   A press release is not about you. It's about the readers, viewers and  listeners
                                   who make up the audience.
 
                        WHAT
                                   A press release is about delivering news that your audience finds valuable.
                                   Despite popular belief, not everything a company or nonprofit does is
                                   newsworthy to their audience.

                          WHEN
                                    Timing is everything. People want to know what's new and news now. Your
                                     customers, employees, volunteers and donors want information they can use
                                     now.
 
                        WHERE
                                   With so many mediums at our fingertips, it is crucial to ensure the message
                                   fits the medium - print, TV, radio, social media. Just as you wouldn't place a print
                                   ad on TV, you need to create different versions of each story for each medium.
 
                        WHY
                                  Communicating without a plan is risky business. Before you send a press release,  
                                  know why you're sending it and how it fits into your overall Communication
                                  Plan. Is your purpose to:
                                     - educate
                                     - establish credibility           
                                     - highlight what you’re doing in the community
                                     - announce a new hire, initiative, product or service
 
                        HOW 
                                  To increase the possibility of news coverage, you have to know who to send the
                                   press release to and how to write for their medium. Public Relations
                                   professionals maintain a list of media contacts and consume media every day to
                                   stay up to date and look for potential opportunities to connect clients with the
                                   media.
 
For more insights, ideas and inspirations to help you share your story watch this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls6nlpoEMHo.

People remember stories, not statistics.
 
Today, Public Relations professionals help companies and nonprofits excavate, craft and share the stories that shape their organization.

Stories describe how people wove their passion, vision and values into their organization. 
 
To paraphrase Maya Angelou:
            People don’t remember what you did or what you said,
            but they remember how you made them feel.
 
Stories that make us feel are the connecting points that create an endearing brand in the minds of customers, employees, volunteers and donors.
 
There are the many ways Public Relations helps build brands and relationships through stories. 
 
     Who are you?
        - purpose, passion, mission
 
      How did you get to where you are? 
         - failures, successes, lessons
 
     Why do you do what you do the way you do? 
          - philosophy of service
 
Your customers and your employees are part of your story, too.  
           -capture testimonials, reviews and case studies.
 
For more insights, ideas and inspirations to help you share your story, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCVkitLJ9f8.

Whether you have a company or nonprofit, your web site is often the first point of contact for customers, employees, volunteers and donors.

Your web site is a dynamic, living story that helps shape and endear your brand in the hearts and minds of your audience through:
         - Bios
         - Testimonials
         - Blogs
          - Photos
          - Press Articles

What story are you telling your customers, employees, volunteers and donors?
                       
For more insights, ideas and inspirations for sharing your story view this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opH6smJ-bV8.

Word of Mouth remains the best form of advertising. 

​People trust people, not ads.

However, if you want people to talk about your company or nonprofit, you have do something worth talking about. Creating conversations is an important part of building relationships with your customers, donors, volunteers and employees. 

The book Creating Customer Evangelists outlines several strategy to help your company or nonprofit create word of mouth.
 
        - Continuously gather customer feedback.
 
         - Make it a point to share knowledge freely.
 
          - Expertly build word-of-mouth networks.
 
           - Encourage communities of customers to meet and share.
 
          - Offer Samples, like this blog post to showcase smaller offerings to whet the appetites of your
            audience.
 
         - Focus on making the world, your industry or community a  better place.
           
For more insights, ideas and inspirations for sharing your story view this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nsg-s-60f0.