hcla class of 2018.

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I’ve done pieces of life a little backwards. It started around 8 years old when I decided to sign up for dance class. Did I enroll in the class that would build my foundation as a dancer for years to come? No, I hated ballet. I started with jazz *insert jazz hands motion here* before continuing with hip-hop, tap, modern, and ballet—in that order. This backwards decision-making followed me into college, graduate school specifically. My graduate program included two required classes: communication theories and qualitative research methods. I took both classes in my last semester. Whoops! Did I mention I also became a mother at 17 years old? Luckily, these decisions worked out for me, but they each strayed from my original, forward-thinking plans. Now here’s the real question: how could a backward decision-maker ever call herself a leader? Continue reading →

Whole30 before 30.

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Okay, so here’s the truth, I’ve known April 7th, 2018 was coming my entire life. But is it just me or did time speed up and *boom* now I’m approaching my 30th year? Don’t get me wrong, I’m blessed to see my thirtieth year and to usher in the next chapter. But, I was also determined to make some fundamental changes in who I am before my actual birthday arrived. Enter the Whole 30 before 30. Continue reading →

Accessibility: Why PR Pros Should Care

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In the world of public relations, there’s never enough content real estate. Think about it for a second. Social media has limited word count, many digital ads have word restrictions, and print publications almost never have enough real estate to include all the details clients desire to see featured. But with the arrival of March I’ve been wondering, should client desires come second to user experience? Continue reading →

Adaptability vs. Structure: Channeling the Yin and Yang

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[This post was shared both on my blog and LinkedIn page to garner more feedback from public relations professionals. Thoughts appreciated in the ‘comments’ section below.]

A Chinese philosophy, yin yang is used to describe seemingly opposite or contrary forces that when deeply explored may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent of the natural world. They also may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. At their most basic essence, yin and yang serve to illustrate the importance of a natural balance between variables. Continue reading →

GRLPWR

GRLPWR.

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In the last two weeks, I’ve received two invitations to speak to groups of students. The first, to speak to a few classes of high school students at my alma mater about professional and career development. The second, to speak with a newly formed sixth grade girls’ empowerment club, who invited me to speak about being an influential woman in my community. These aren’t the first speaking opportunities to present themselves to me, but perhaps coming back-to-back they had me a little uneasy. I kept wondering what could I possibly talk to them about? What words could I find to inspire these students on their career paths? What have I done that’s made me an influential woman? What could I offer them, when I’m still figuring this whole life thing out myself? Continue reading →

Lacing up shoes that aren’t yours…

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How many times in your life has someone suggested that you put yourself in someone else’s shoes? It’s a great suggestion, but how easy is that to do? First of all, I wear fancy shoes. So, I can’t imagine a man actually envisioning himself in my favorite Diba booties. Okay, that was a bad attempt at humor. But it’s difficult to put yourself in someone else’s life. Perspective isn’t easy to come by. We each go through a series of trials and tribulations, making it hard to gain understanding of those around us – and I would argue almost impossible to empathize with those around us. And by those in the above line, I mean friends and family members, people we’ve known for long periods of time. But what happens when you’re asked to understand someone who’s completely different then you are? Different skin color. Different religion. Different education level. What happens when you step into shoes that aren’t yours? Continue reading →