The Power of Public Relations: How does earned media really work?

At 8-years-old my son experienced his first press event to celebrate the more than 8,000 COVID-19 vaccinations the CATE mobile unit disseminated across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Public Relations. By definition, this term and the entire industry can be many different things. Often it's lumped into the large category of communications and outreach, spilling into …

Appealing to Culture: How to Effectively Reach Small and Diverse Markets

Over the last decade spent at the helm of Bennis Public Relations, I've had the distinct pleasure of working with a vast and varied network of vendors, businesses, organizations, and fellow consultants whose goal is to reach unique markets with highly customized messaging. It's been rewarding to team up with these individuals to craft the …

What My Family Thinks I Do for a Living – Part II

If you've been following along, you may have caught my most recent blog where I asked my husband to answer a series of questions to help describe to the world what he thinks I do for a living. The public relations field can be a bit abstract, particularly as technology and now virtual communications have …

What My Family Thinks I Do for a Living – Part I

I met my now-husband in May 2011 just before I took my entrepreneurial leap the following July. For almost 10 years, he has been with me as my business has evolved, he’s shared in my successes, and has provided a sounding board for advice. I’ve written other blogs on how we function together as dual …

Effectively Working with the Government – My Rule Book

Let's talk government contracts. For most businesses who partner with Uncle Sam, it's a bit of a love-hate relationship. What's to love? The often very large price tag tied to them, the prominence of working with federal or state agencies that can really make your portfolio glow, and the connections you make that almost always …

Top Things Every College Student Needs to Do Before Graduation

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with some Penn State undergrads to mentor them on the steps they should take right now to better position themselves for a career in the field of communications. I will tell you that the post-graduation job hunt was rough when I was in school, and …

Every Day Is An Interview

For most people, a job interview is something you have to do only periodically throughout your career. It’s that nerve-wracking moment where you’re sized up asked ambiguous questions about your teamwork and professional skills and then ultimately judged as to whether what you’re offering is worth hiring. Even if you’re fortunate enough to snag the …