Category: The Clairemont Team

Clairemont Celebrates 7 Years

Dana PhelpsBlog, Public Relations, The Clairemont Team, ,

This week Clairemont celebrates seven years in business. I am proud. I am grateful. I am blessed. Beyond that I struggle for words to describe how it feels to achieve this milestone. Therefore, I’ve selected seven blog posts, each offering a view into the year it was written. Together, the entries provide a snapshot of our journey.

2010: Social Media Audit for UNC’s Kenan-Flagler

2011: Take MSNBC’s Advice/Clairemont CEO Appears on MSNBC

2012: Lessons from the Lemonade Stand: What My 10 Year Old Knows About Branding and Marketing

2013: #Xmasjammies is Viral! Now what?

2014: Listen to Your Mother Wisdom

2015: Let’s Eat Cake: Clairemont is Five!

2016: Good to be Alive Virtual Dance Party

Thank you to our clients for allowing us to do what we love. xoxox

 

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Why Are We Afraid to Lean In?

Tracy LathanBlog, Professional Development, The Clairemont Team, , ,

While I recognize that I might be a little late to the game, I choose to read Lean In by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg for my Clairemont book review selection. It’s a book I’ve wanted to read since it first was published in 2013, but seeing as I have two young children, here we are three years later.

Since the book has been out for some time, I was familiar with a few of the criticisms prior to reading Lean In, such as, “It’s easy to lean in and do it all when you have a lot of money.” But since the percentage of women in C-suite leadership positions is disproportionately low, I was interested to hear from Sandberg about her experience climbing the corporate ladder, especially in the male-dominated tech industry.

What I discovered is that,while she has held some very powerful positions throughout her career, Sandberg was also trying to juggle being a good mom, wife, friend and employee just like the rest of us. I thought Sandberg shared some insightful observations in this book. Here are a few that really resonated with me:

Don’t be afraid to speak up and take risks.

“We hold ourselves back in ways both big and small, by lacking self-confidence, by not raising our hands, and by pulling back when we should be leaning in,” Sandberg writes in the book.

That was one of the most powerful lines in the book for me and something I have seen time and time again throughout my career. By nature, women are people pleasers. We don’t like to brag or call attention to our accomplishments. I know it’s a generalization, but men don’t seem to have the same problem accepting compliments for their successes.

And when offered a new role or the opportunity to take on a new project, women often hesitate – worried that we don’t have the right skill set – and suggest that someone else would be a better fit for the job.

The key takeaway here for me was that we should not be afraid to throw our name in the ring more often and be comfortable just saying thank you when approached with a “job well-done.”

Visualize your career as a jungle gym, not a ladder.

Being a working mom who has taken steps backwards and sideways in my career to balance work and family, this analogy really hit home with me. It made me realize there are many different ways to get to the top, and they are not all in a straight line.

“Ladders are limiting,” Sandberg writes. “Jungle gyms offer more creative exploration. There are many ways to get to the top of a jungle gym. The ability to forge a unique path with occasional dips, detours and even dead ends presents a better chance for fulfillment.”

You really can’t do it all…and that’s ok!

Gone are the days of trying to do it all…at least all at the same time. The reality is that when woman try to juggle career, children and relationships, inevitably one of those things suffers. We can do it all, but maybe just not all at the same time. And that’s ok! What we do need is a really good partner or support team to make it all work. Sandberg urges women to make their partners real partners instead of trying to do it all themselves. And if you are a single mom, surround yourself with a strong network to help.

The sad twist to her story is that in the book she talked so much about the importance of having a strong partner, and how her husband Dave Goldberg played a huge role in her career success. As you are probably aware, her husband died suddenly on a family vacation in May 2015. In May of 2016, she delivered the UC Berkley commencement address. During this address, she shared some very personal and very good advice with the new graduates.

“It is the greatest irony of my life that losing my husband helped me find deeper gratitude— gratitude for the kindness of my friends, the love of my family, the laughter of my children. My hope for you is that you can find that gratitude—not just on the good days, like today, but on the hard ones, when you will really need it.”

Want to read more Clairemont book reviews? Check them out here!

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How to Plan for Maternity Leave

Tracy LathanBlog, Oh Momma Monday, The Clairemont Team, ,

Last month, we helped Sarah and Dave Hattman welcome the newest member of the Clairemont family into the world. In the weeks and months leading up to Mary Lawrence’s arrival, I helped Sarah begin planning for maternity leave, since I had already done it twice. Reliving this process got me thinking about how much is involved in transitioning your entire workload to other team members. As PR account managers, there are just so many details. And so much resides in our heads…where do you even begin!

When it was time to plan for maternity leave with my first child, I had never taken more than a few days of vacation except when I got married. So the idea of preparing to be out for three months seemed daunting to say the least! I find that whenever I feel overwhelmed, the best thing for me to do is get it all down on paper, so I used the same technique to begin preparing for my maternity leave. Here are a few tips that really helped me navigate the process:

 Seek assistance. For those of you who are like me and love a checklist, there are plenty of resources out there to help you get started planning for maternity leave. I found this one from BabyCenter to be very helpful. Also, ask other moms who have been through the process for advice; they will help you think of things that never even occurred to you.

 Start early. Nine months seems like a long time, but it really goes fast! I began this process approximately four months before my due date to be sure I captured everything. This allowed me the chance to walk through the details with team members and prepare clients for the transition. Also, you never know when the baby will actually arrive, so I wanted to be sure everything was in place in case I delivered early. Alas, I was still sitting at my desk on my due date.

 Write down everything. I started outlined everything, including client contacts, contact info, schedules for weekly calls and weekly trackers, monthly reports, upcoming events, personality nuances, etc. Essentially, I wrote a manifesto for each account (which was no doubt overkill), but I wanted to ensure the transition for those jumping in was seamless. Having everything in writing eased everyone’s minds.

The good news is that even though you think the world will stop turning the minute you deliver, it won’t. Your coworkers will keep the train moving so you can enjoy that precious time home with your baby. And that three months will go by very fast; so enjoy every minute!

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Pressure PACKed!

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

Editor’s Note: This summer, our fabulous Clairemont Intern Natalie Labonge competed in the Olympic Trials and returned with tales and tips!

Staying cool under pressure is a skill that is absolutely essential as an athlete.

If racing beside Olympians under bright lights with 15,000 people watching doesn’t get your heart racing and stomach churning, I don’t know what will! As a collegiate swimmer who will soon be transitioning into the workforce, I like to think that what I learn as an athlete can be applied to PR. At the end of July 2016, I stepped out of the Clairemont House for a week-long, pressure-packed competition – the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

As a rising senior at North Carolina State University, the Olympic Trials were an experience of a lifetime. I had the chance to compete against my role models, improve my personal best times and represent the Wolfpack on a national level. It was easily the most elite competition I have ever attended. I found that there are three things that help me handle the pressure and stress of competing at such a high level, and they can apply to the fast-paced, high-stakes PR industry.

Three Keys to Keeping Cool Under Pressure

1. Preparation

Arguably the most important. As a swimmer, I need to have confidence in my abilities when I step up to the starting blocks for a race. There is a reason why my swimming schedule is as intense Natalie Badgeas it is — to prepare me for competition. Every practice has a specific focus. I have been training for the Olympic Trials for months (well, years really). I practice 20 hours every week to prepare for a race that will last less than a minute.

Eliminating doubt is the best way to handle nervousness, knowing that you have done everything possible to be ready for this moment. Preparation doesn’t stop until the race begins. Each day of racing I made sure to wake up at a certain time, eat properly, follow a specific warm-up in the pool, wear the best racing suit and report to the blocks at the right time. Focus on controlling what you can control, and trust your training to do the rest.

The PR Connection
In PR we all know the key to a successful campaign or event is how well you prepare. The research and planning stages are extremely important, because they allow you to create well-informed strategies and implement the tactics necessary to reach your objectives. Being flexible and handling last minute changes at an event is much easier when you have prepared yourself and your team. Be the expert in your field.

2. Repetition

By repetition I mean putting yourself in high-pressure situations repeatedly. It is important to know what it feels like to have your back against the wall. I have been swimming for many years and been to more swiSwim Lanesm meets than I can count. I am about to enter my senior year at NC State. With three years of collegiate swimming under my belt, I have competed in the ACC and NCAA championships multiple times; I know how it feels to have an entire team relying on you. Each time I go to a championship meet, I stay a little calmer than the time before and learn how to perform the best I can for my team.

The PR Connection
Public speaking, interviews, presentations, talking to the media: these are all skills that do not come naturally for most. It is necessary to practice these stressful situations as often as possible until you become, as an old coach used to say, “comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Media training and talking point preparation are strategies that can give you an edge under media spotlight.

3. Perspective

Keeping perspective can be tricky in stressful situations. At Trials I made sure to enjoy the experience for what it was — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It IMG_1367(resized)was an honor just to compete in Omaha for a chance to represent Team USA. Instead of freaking out because my race was live on NBC, I did my best to have fun, wave to the camera and enjoy being on national television. (I mean how cool is that!?) Since a large group of NC State swimmers qualified for Trials, I also had a blast sharing the experience with my teammates and coaches!

The PR Connection
Working in PR with a variety of clients can provide opportunities to attend engaging events and destinations on the job! As the saying goes, make sure to stop and smell the roses along the way. Also, remember your role as a member of a (PR) team. The best teams are those that motivate their members to do their best work and can enjoy the process of contributing.

The week I spent at Olympic Trials was one of the most inspiring and humbling weeks of my life. From watching dreams come true as athletes made the Olympic team to seeing the heartbreak as others miss qualifying by .01, I felt such an appreciation for the hard work invested by every athlete and coach there. I was fortunate to accomplish my own goal of qualifying for the semifinals in the 100-meter butterfly, which was one of the most exciting moments of my swimming career.

Editor’s Note: We’ve had some great interns over the years! Check out some of their other adventures, like Kaitlyn Goforth’s journeys to Amsterdam!

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