Category: The Clairemont Team

There’s Hope for Clairemont

Josephine ButlerBlog, The Clairemont Team
Our intern Hope loves the Canine Couture pictures in the office.

Don’t let the title mislead you. Everything’s going just swimmingly at Clairemont Communications, and one of the reasons why is that we have the lovely Miss Hope Hemby on board as this semester’s TLC intern. For those of you who haven’t heard of our internship program, TLC stands for team, learning and career. Hope is learning a little bit about all three during her time here. Here’s what she had to say in my recent interview with her:

For the record, Hope, where are you from?
Well, I would have to say I am from Kinston, North Carolina even though my family lives in Clayton now.

And now you’re a student at North Carolina State…
Yes! I am studying business administration with a concentration in marketing.

So why marketing? And why intern at Clairemont?
I have an entrepreneurial spirit, I think. I took a class called the Entrepreneurial Initiative with State, and it consisted of obviously classroom experience, but also touring local start-ups. The class really piqued my interest. Just seeing the amount of work that goes into owning your own business…the little things, the big things….I would like to have my own company. Eventually.

So what have you learned so far here?
The work it takes not only to sustain an entrepreneurship but also to make it a success! I am getting the inside take on the whole thing.

We’re glad you’re liking it here. We like having you here, too! So what’s your favorite thing to do here?
I love writing blogs! It’s fun! And I never thought I would be doing anything in writing, but I like to write, so it works out really well!

Besides the work you’re doing, what’s your favorite thing about the office?
I am in love with the Canine Couture frames. As soon as I saw those when I was interviewing, I thought, I am going to get along great with these people. I love dogs.

Speaking of dogs, which of the office dogs is your favorite – Billy or Charley?
[Blushes] Can I just say my own dog, Valentino? He’s a toy poodle. We call him Vally.

I guess you can….So what else do you love outside of school and work besides your dog?
I am a member of Delta Gamma sorority, and that takes up a lot of time. I also am involved with the American Marketing Association, where I attend meetings, go to sponsored events and hear guest speakers. It’s a good way to make connections in the Raleigh area.

And your hobbies?
Oil painting, reading and running.

Oil painting?
Yeah, I took an oil painting class over the summer while I was studying abroad in Florence. But even before then, both of my aunts are professional artists, and they got me started early. Probably in elementary school.

Florence!? There’s a whole world of things we don’t know about you, Hope Hemby.
[Laughs]

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Fan Mail Friday — A Little Client Love

Dana PhelpsBlog, Clairemont Client News, Hiring a PR Firm, The Clairemont Team

At Clairemont, we talk a lot about love. One of our immutable laws is written around the fact that we love our clients and the work we do for them. In the meantime, we hope they fall in love with working with us, too. Today, we are feeling the love of several appreciative clients, and want to share a recent letter from one of them. (Thank you, Teri!)

January 23, 2011

Over the course of my 20+ year career, both as an agency owner working with high profile clients, and as a client myself, I have worked with some of the best PR pros in the United States and Canada. Dana Hughens is in that class, and she now has a place on my list of trusted advisors.

Boyce Thompson, editorial director of BUILDER magazine, with Newland\’s chairman and CEO, Bob McLeod.

Dana and the team at Clairemont Communications provided strategic planning for a major national announcement at the International Builders Show earlier this month, and coordinated the implementation of a multi-region media relations campaign to increase recognition of the announcement.

I selected Dana to lead this initiative as a result of the reputation she has with our teams in the Carolinas and DC markets for her strategic focus, professionalism and unending commitment for delivering results, no matter what the obstacles might be.

From our first contact just before the holiday break I knew my decision was the right one. Dana jumped in and met head on a series of challenges – limited time, perceived “soft” news focus and the need to motivate teams from all over the country to support a national strategy while customizing it for local market coverage. She handled the teams with ease, gaining the trust of other agency owners in the process and managing all the details throughout.

When interview opportunities arose, pre-show or at the event itself, Clairemont prepared backgrounders and briefing documents that were focused, detailed and clear. The result was our chairman and CEO was prepared and confident to make the most of these opportunities. He relaxed, knowing that Clairemont had the details covered.

The results are still coming in. From major market coverage, trade pub and online pick-up, social media mentions, to measurable increases in website traffic, our work with Dana and team paid off. Awareness of Newland’s achievement is higher than we could have imagined, and now sits as a business asset we can leverage again and again.

It’s not easy to earn a place on my list of trusted advisors and consultants. Dana has, and I would work with Clairemont again any day of the week. If you get the opportunity, jump at it!

Sincerely,

Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki

Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Newland

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What I Learned My First Year as a Business Owner

Dana PhelpsBlog, Owning a Business, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Team10 Comments on What I Learned My First Year as a Business Owner

What started as a blog post about the lessons I’ve learned in my first year in business turned into a Triangle Business Journal guest column that ran in Friday’s issue. This should perhaps also be called, “Good question, Chuck Norman!” Thanks to all of our friends who support us on what has already been a wonderfully amazing journey! Below is the full article, with added hyperlinks for relevant info.

Confessions of a new business owner

Earlier this month, I sent a text message to a few friends on my one-year anniversary of resigning from an amazing job to risk that starting my own communications firm could be even more amazing. Sure, there were other firsts that followed – filing my company’s paperwork with the state, getting my City of Raleigh business license, signing a lease for office space – but none as significant or terrifying as resignation day. It meant there was no turning back.

Responses to my text message included “congrats” and “mazel tov” and “how does it feel?” One response, however, stopped me in my tracks. There was absolutely no way I could respond quickly to, “What have you learned?” After a bit of reflection, here is my answer:

1. Starting a business is not just one risk. It seemed like simply making the decision to start a business was the risk. I envisioned it like this: resign, open a business, exhale and let the bliss begin. Now I know that being a business owner is about taking risks every single day, and that’s actually what makes it so satisfying. Once the doors are open, you have to take risks to go after clients, hire team members and invest in professional development and networking opportunities. Moving ahead is all about risk-taking.

2. Ask for help. Like most entrepreneurs, I started a business to do what I love. Sometimes, running the business can get in the way. You need help! Find people you can trust, and admit your weaknesses. QuickBooks is mine. At first, I was determined to conquer it, and I made decent progress. Then I realized I had spent two hours in QuickBooks that I should have spent on a new business proposal. I knew I needed to reprioritize. Now I neatly organize my paperwork so that someone else can update our QuickBooks files, and I can focus on what I do best — serving clients and building a business.

3. Network smartly. Networking is about meeting people to meet more people to meet more people. Right? But what happens if that first person doesn’t really understand what you do or what you are seeking? I learned a one-question strategy for smarter networking while lunching with Sherry Essig, a business life coach and owner of Raleigh-based Flow Dynamix. As the check arrived after a lovely conversation, Sherry got a serious look in her eye and asked, “What does a good lead look like for you?” What a simple AND important question! And yet I had never asked nor been asked this question in my 18 years of professional networking. Try it. I bet you will always be asked the same question in return.

4. Having hurt feelings is okay. Dwelling on them is not. It’s confession time. I’m so personally vested in my work, that I occasionally get my feelings hurt. As I was considering becoming a business owner, I told myself that I simply couldn’t have feelings anymore. This was unrealistic and unnecessary. I care about what people think and say about me. (Goodness, isn’t that a trait of most PR people?) At the same time, I’m in a competitive industry, and sometimes things are said that simply aren’t accurate. I’ve had to learn that it is okay to feel hurt initially, but I have to move on and stay focused on my goals.

5. Stay true… to your values, yourself, your hopes and dreams, your mission and your promises to your team. As well as every reason you wanted to start a business and every thought that followed, “If I had my own business…” If you haven’t read The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, buy a copy today. I took author Mike Michalowicz’s advice and carefully crafted immutable laws for Clairemont Communications. They have guided me through launching my business, hiring (and unfortunately firing) team members and recently having the courage to politely tell a prospect “no thanks” because working with him would have meant being untrue to our value system and nearly every reason that made me want to start a communications agency in the first place.

6. Celebrate & enjoy. Another confession. Throughout most of my career, I’ve been an approval-junkie. Hey, don’t we all want a pat on the back? If you want to fully embrace the lesson of taking pride in a job done well and being completely satisfied with that and that alone, start a business! At the same time, as a business owner, I believe in stopping to take time to celebrate our big wins as well as everyday accomplishments and freely handing out pats on the back to team members. What’s the sense in taking all the risks if you aren’t going to celebrate your successes and enjoy each and every minute of it?

CLICK HERE to download a PDF version of the article.

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We’ve Got Pooch Power!

Dana PhelpsBlog, The Clairemont Team1 Comment on We’ve Got Pooch Power!
See how happy Josie is with Charley boy taking a seat next to her?

Beyond the tail wagging and the forced breaks away from the desk every few hours, are there real benefits to having dogs in the office? Yes, says the current issue of Entrepreneur in “Power of the Pooch — Dogs in the Workplace Can Make Humans Happier.” One in five American companies allow four-legged friends to come to work, and according to a Central Michigan University study, a happier and more connected workforce is the result.

Christopher Honts who is leading the study, has essentially found that by having dogs at work, people are nicer to and more collaborative with each other. His findings on this have also been written about on the New York Times blog.

At Clairemont, we know that we’re happier when Billy or Charley can be with us. We love our Clairemont dogs! Does your pup go to work with you? If so, please upload a photo on the Clairemont Facebook page. Yea for office dogs!

I love to glance over while sitting at my desk and see this sweet face.
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