Author: Dana Phelps

Trends Tuesday: Pretty Peplums

Dana PhelpsBlog, Trends, , , , 3 Comments on Trends Tuesday: Pretty Peplums

Clairemont intern, Margot Horgan, gained major points with me on this Trends Tuesday post. She introduced me to a new word, peplum, and used the word flouncy. I love flouncy! And I suspect you trend watchers will love this post! –Dana

Spring is the quintessential season for ultra feminine fashion. Pastel colors, lace and classic silhouettes always dominate the trends, but this season a newcomer is on the scene and making a big statement in the most ladylike manner.

Fashionistas, meet the peplum, a short overskirt or ruffle attached at the waistline of a jacket, blouse or dress. This flouncy detail made its modern debut in the fall lines, but this spring is the pepulum’s real coming-out party into society.

This trend cinches in the waist and accentuates curves, giving the allusion that all of us ladies have already gotten back our summer beach bodies. It dominated the lines of fashion powerhouses like Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent and is available in a slue of ready to wear stores like J.Crew, Nordstrom and Anthropolgie.

We can’t wait to sport this perfect day-to-night spring trend in the office and around town. The peplum has already won us over with her simple flirty details, but what about you? Is she your new fashion must-have, too?

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Trick Out Your Pinterest Board

Dana PhelpsBlog, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , 2 Comments on Trick Out Your Pinterest Board

This More Monday post brought to you by Clairemont intern, Margot Horgan. As an early adopter and prolific user of Pinterest, today Margot tells us what more we can do with our Pinterest boards. Fun stuff!

As more uses for Pinterest emerge, Mashable recently gave its readers a quick tutorial on how Pinterest users can trick out their boards. By taking a photo and cutting it up into nine different squares, users can create a mosaic-like effect on their boards. For more instructions on how to “hack” your boards, check out this article. Below, we have posted some of our favorite Pinterest hacks from business and social users that were uploaded to Mashable.

User Tyler Cheese hacked his boards to create a Pinterest resume, with different boards for his education, experience and portfolio. What does everyone think? Would you create a Pinterest resume?

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Social Suit? Think Before You Post (and before you sue…)

Dana PhelpsBlog, Free Advice, 3 Comments on Social Suit? Think Before You Post (and before you sue…)
Junior High Margot rockin' the side ponytail.

Despite the fabulous advice of Ashley Huteau in her blog post a few weeks ago, Facebook mishaps happen to everyone. As today’s Free Advice Friday post, Clairemont intern, Margot Horgan asks the question: would you sue over a Facebook photo? Read Margot’s advice below for an alternative course of action that is likely less stressful and certainly less expensive than filing a lawsuit…

Whether you are in the background of a picture acting in a less than socially acceptable behavior, or, cringe, are photographed with not one, but two chins, as Forrest Gump says, “S***t happens.” We can untag these photos or beg a friend to take them offline, but would you sue a friend or family member to get an undesirable photo off Facebook?

Well, that’s exactly what Aaron Olson of Chisago City, Minn. did when his uncle refused to remove an embarrassing childhood photo of Olson from Facebook. After his uncle told him that if he didn’t like the photos he “should stay off Facebook,” Olson sued his dear old Uncle Randall for harassment.

However, Judge Natalie Hudson from the Minnesota district court ruled that, “To constitute harassment, words must have a substantial adverse effect of the safety, security or privacy of another. Comments that are mean and disrespectful, couple with innocuous family photos, do not affect a person’s safety, security or privacy—and certainly not substantially so.”

So after this ruling, we are all forced to accept that family-teasing and ridicule is fair game at the dinner table—and on Facebook. Our advice? Take it in stride. If you can’t laugh at yourself, what can you laugh at? If someone posts an obscenely embarrassing photo, be the first to make a joke about it, and that picture won’t be nearly as bad.

Besides if you wage war against a friend or a family member, you might end up being described like this in that person’s obituary.

What do you do when an embarrassing photo is posted on Facebook? Untag it and beg for it to be taken offline, or make fun of yourself? If your sense of humor allows for the latter, let’s see those links to G-rated embarrassing photos in our comments section… after all, I’ve already shared mine!

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The Worst New Year’s Resolution: Network More

Dana PhelpsBlog, Free Advice, 9 Comments on The Worst New Year’s Resolution: Network More

Today’s Free Advice Friday is brought to you by the topic of networking…

Has grabbing coffee replaced doing lunch?

I’m a big advocate of networking. Two weeks ago, I would have said that there is no bad time to network. Now, I’m not so sure. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy the process of networking and meeting new people, and there’s just nothing better than helping someone make a connection that leads to that first job, a better job or just gets them working again. I love that.

However, trying to squeeze just one or two more meetings into my calendar this first week of 2012 reminded me of the first few months of 2011 and 2010. So here’s the trend I’m noticing: requests for informational interviews, resume reviews, overall career advice and coffee meetings to “pick your brain” — all great things if you are job searching — dramatically increase at the beginning of a new year. I’m guessing there are a few reasons. First, December grads. Second, time off over the holidays to think about career goals, combined with potential resolutions to take action to achieve those goals.

If you must amp up your networking in the first quarter, here are some tips to consider:

  1. Realize that the beginning of the year is a very busy time professionally for most people, as plans for the year can still be in the approval stages while the day-to-day management of tasks must move forward. This means there are fewer available times for courtesy meetings, with more people competing for them during this time of the year.
  2. Be straightforward in what you are seeking. If you are looking for a job, don’t try to disguise it as another reason for meeting.
  3. If you request a meeting, make it convenient for the other person and be flexible on scheduling.
  4. Don’t take it personally if your meeting request is declined. Sometimes, it just isn’t possible to take another meeting. (And I feel horribly guilty when I have to say no.)
  5. The real key is less about holding back on networking in the early months and more about consistently networking throughout the year.

If you are a connector and have folks on your list who you repeatedly refer other people to, check in with them from time to time. Ask how the meetings went. Ask if you are connecting them with people who are beneficial to them. Ask them the types of people they would like to meet.

Hopefully these tips will help strengthen your professional relationships. Happy networking and happy New Year!

 

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Clairemont’s New Year Cheer

Dana PhelpsBlog, The Clairemont Team, , , 18 Comments on Clairemont’s New Year Cheer
Three cheers for Gelaskins!

Wow, 2011 was a whirlwind year that brought so many blessings to Clairemont, but we aren’t sad it’s gone with all we have to cheer about for 2012! What do we have to cheer about you ask? (Thanks for asking.) For starters, here are 12 things:

  1. Our very own Josephine Butler has been promoted! As the absolute best writer, a social media maven and a dedicated team member, she is living proof that hard work has its rewards. Congrats, Josie!
  2. Clairemont turns two this year! In fact, today is the 2nd anniversary of my resignation from an amazing position with a truly outstanding global agency — a very difficult decision and the first step in launching Clairemont.
  3. New clients! As 2011 was coming to a close, we added a new account and gained new client contacts for existing accounts. We look forward to doing the work we love for and with you and exceeding your expectations.
  4. We have a team member in Charlotte now! That’s right, the always-networking, media savvy and oh-so-stylish Ashely Hurteau has joined the Clairemont team and is based in Charlotte. Stay tuned for more news about our work in the Queen City.
  5. We also have a new team member in Raleigh, as Margot Horgan joins us this semester as an intern. Highly recommended for her sharp writing skills and social media know-how, we are thrilled she accepted our TLC (team, learning, career) internship.
  6. In the spirit of improved productivity (and coolness, so we’re told) Clairemont is transitioning from a PC agency to a Mac agency. I have to say, I will forever love my pink Lenovo ideapad, but as we continue to incorporate more video and creative elements into social media for our clients, we need more robust programs.
  7. Speaking of social media, three cheers for Pinterest! In addition to becoming an addicted pinner personally, we are excited about how we will be incorporating this platform into our clients’ 2012 communications strategies.
  8. With new computers come new accessories! Check out the photo of our Macs + Gelaskins. In addition to being a protective cover, this helped ease the pain of saying goodbye to my pink netbook as my everyday computer. I became a Gelaskin lover when I ordered one for my iPhone last year, and it has become my most complimented accessory.

    Kickin' down doors and takin' names.
  9. New shoes! Yes seriously, shoes. Ever heard the Todd Snyder song, Sideshow Blues? I wholeheartedly believe the line, “it’s hard to kick the door down wearing seven dollar shoes.” Let’s just say that the Clairemont team has made some purchases and received some gifts that will adequately allow us to kick down all the doors we face in 2012.
  10. This year will be the 10th anniversary of Triangle Family Service’s Gingerbread Benefit. Because it is also the organization’s 75th anniversary, we will be working all year with the talented team at Triangle Family Services as our primary pro-bono account to promote both of these newsworthy milestones.
  11. We have a surprise! We can’t tell you about it now, but it certainly has us cheering. More to come! (And if I left that for No. 12, you would think I simply ran out of things that are cheer-worthy!)

  12. No. 12 is Twitter Tervis Tumblers! Beyond the alliteration of that sentence, we love Tervis Tumblers  because they help keep us green. If you have read our Green Thought Thursday posts, you know that we are all about baby steps to protecting our Mother Earth. Santa got on board with our no throw-away cups and fewer water bottles efforts and brought us TervisTumblers with our customized Twitter handles. Isn’t he considerate to think about the environment while helping us increase our following? (And never again do we have to have the conversation of who left her cup on the conference table!)

I could easily tell you 12 more things that have me totally jazzed about this year, but I’d rather hear about what is making you do cartwheels these days. Firecracker, firecracker, boom, boom, boom? We promise to cheer for each comment. In fact, we’ll come up with and video a cheer about the best one! Happy New Year!

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