EMPOWER

As an Emmy award-winning journalist, Kimberley Kennedy is one of Atlanta’s media darlings, and a wise and inspiring addition to the EOS’ team. As our media and communications coach, she leverages 25 years in the Atlanta market serving WSB, WXIA, and CNN, where she told stories that created indelible impressions for captivated audiences across the Southeast.

This experience in front of the camera and podium, coupled with Elyse Hammett’s 20 years of award-winning PR work, is just what we needed to launch EMPOWER, our unique and comprehensive, hands-on communications and media training program.

So, if you want to shine for a new business pitch, a press conference, a speech to your employee team, a media relations campaign or a YouTube video series, EMPOWER is your answer.

Media Relations in a Social Media World: The Presentation

PRSA/GA set a new record for their monthly morning seminar welcoming over 50 attendees for EOS’ presentation on Media Relations in a Social Media World. If you weren’t there, check out the presentation below.

Enjoy!

The Right Perspective

I recently came across a TED video by Kathryn Schulz, the author of “Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error,” and “The Wrong Stuff.”  In this video she discusses the question of what it really means to be wrong and the feelings associated with being wrong.

From the beginning, the idea of what is “right” and what is “wrong” is instilled in us. As early as grade school we are introduced to the dreadful feeling of being wrong and the negative stigma associated with it (I sure remember the very first time I misspelled a word in front of my class). So, as a way to avoid that uncomfortable feeling, most of us decide to become perfectionists and overachievers.

Still adjusting to the fast pace of the real world and learning the ropes of a growing agency, this video hit home for me.  As a relative rookie at EOS, it is not a question if I am going to be wrong and make a mistake, but when.

“Things don’t go wrong, they simply happen”. Listening to Kathryn speak, I realize it is not about being right or wrong, but all about perspective. The big idea here is how we perceive the feeling of being wrong. Society’s obsession with being right can affect our productivity and creativity. I often lack confidence in my work and will make sure that each of the partners have reviewed it before I move on. This is the perfect example of how my efforts to avoid doing something wrong, can waste valuable time.

I know that taking chances and learning from my mistakes is a part of life and is fundamental to who I am in both my professional and social life. Embracing unexpected change and the instances in which we are wrong, can enable us to see things in a different light– allowing us to take a step back, see the big picture and put things in perspective.

This is why I find the EOS mantra “New Day, Fresh Perspective” completely inspiring.  As I continue to learn and grow with EOS in this industry, implementing creative, intuitive and innovative campaigns for our clients, I am hoping to overcome my insecurities of making a wrong decision by accepting the hiccups along the way, and remembering that tomorrow is always another opportunity to get it right.

So, check out the video yourself and let me know what you think!

Taking our Media Relations Flair to the Fairways

We took our PR smarts to the links this year with the nation’s 16^th ranked amateur event, The 2011 Dogwood Invitational.  Held at Druid Hills Golf Club since 1941, EOS created a PR plan to increase coverage of the tournament and heighten the cache of the club.

EOS used its marketing magic to get the Dogwood name out. And it worked. Resulting in 41 television stories, 45 million media impressions equaling $240,000 in corresponding ad values and a 45% increase in Facebook fans, not to mention two, four-year college scholarships thanks to the tournament sponsors. It’s safe to say that the 2011 Dogwood was a hole-in-one.

Check out photos from the two media days and the tournament on our Facebook Page, and call us if we can make the magic work for you.

It’s Gonna Be a Lovely Day, Lovely Day

A Goddess Insight: Vision, Value and Valor

Five years ago, Susan and I sat in my sunroom and formed a company on the foundation of a vision to create uncompromised marketing.  As visionaries, thinkers, doers, and hard-workers, we’ve cut through the challenges of new communication channels, market changes and the Great Recession to provide vision and value to our clients. 

Sarah Shaw, executive editor of The Entreprenette, recently interviewed me on the characteristics EOS’ looks for in sourcing great employee partners.  Check out an excerpt from this article here.

The Amazing Race

The weekend of February 25th,  my daughter Allie and I traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio to try out for the Amazing Race. Only 200 people are allowed to try-out and we secured our spot in line as number 199! We had a great time in Cincinnati and all and all it was a great experience. Stay tuned, because for all we know, you could be seeing Allie and I on the next season of the Amazing Race!!

New Perspectives. New People

As we continue to expand our public relations and social media practice, we are excited to announce our new public relations coordinator, Molly Davis!

Molly served as an intern in the fall of 2010 where her inquisitive nature, coupled with her positive attitude made her a great addition to the EOS team.  

As an irrepressible public relations enthusiast, and a social media user since high school, Molly implements campaigns and promotions for our clients as well as brings a fresh twist to today’s marketing dilemmas with her social media savvy and interactive media knowledge.

Welcome Molly!

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Back in the day, I worked for a telecommunications company called BellSouth. I had the privilege of being on the team who introduced Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) to the southeastern United States. Encouraging loyal landline phone customers to become interested in this new communications product, engage to evaluate it, and ultimately be motivated to buy DSL required a whirlwind of late nights and midnight oil. The fearless leader, a phenomenal gentleman named David Scobey, often quoted Abe Lincoln’s line, “Measure twice, Cut once”. This wisdom resonated, and I’ve carried it with me.

In business today, Abe’s line equates to plan, plan, plan…then execute. At EOS, Abe’s thinking comes into play every day, where we work to get at the heart of our client’s business objectives. Once we understand the essence, and the intuition of the target audience’s behaviors, we create plans that deliver. Funny thing – Abe delivered too, and wrapped up his speech on measurement with the quote, “If I had eight hours to cut down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe.” Chew on this the next time you face an opportunity, or reach out to EOS for help!

Taking the Leap in 2011

The New Year is a natural event to help us reflect, change and set new goals. At EOS, we have been reflecting and incorporating those new changes into our goals for 2011. Last November marked the 5th year anniversary for EOS. Five years is a crucial turning point for small businesses and the goddesses are excited to take EOS to the next level in 2011.

As I sat in a brainstorming session with the team, excited by all of the talk of change and growth we wanted to achieve in 2011, I thought back to a book I read in college, Good to Great by Jim Collins.  An extremely beneficial book for any young professional to read, I want to share what I learned.

Jim Collins and his research team compare and contrast 28 companies in a five year research experiment. The team identified the companies that took the leap from good to great, and compared them to companies that either failed to make the leap, or failed to sustain it. The comparisons of the success and failures of the different companies make it relatively easy to understand the importance of a company’s management structure.

Collins describes a successful buildup as getting the right people, in the right positions and then deciding on a plan of action. He acknowledges that although people are an important asset to the company, the Right People are the Crucial Factors in becoming great. Margaret and Susan have used their experience and knowledge to compile a management team with multiple competencies who work together to bring success to their clients as well as to EOS. Working in an integrated agency, we give our perspectives on projects that help create well-rounded campaigns that show results for our clients. By flattening the hierarchy but not completely disregarding it, the goddesses are able to effectively combine related tasks and get rid of irrelevant ones.

After reading Good to Great, I have a better understanding of the importance of a company’s management structure and how each system can work differently for individual companies. As a young goddess, it is important that I understand EOS inside and out. Good to Great stresses the important relationship between effective management strategies and good public relations practices. EOS embraces this relationship and I have seen first-hand just how successful it can be.

Our team at EOS is full of passionate and independent women, all with different experiences that offer insights into one another’s lives. This momentum keeps us engaged–we are constantly learning from each other in every aspect.  Jim Collins says that “For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work.” I agree—it’s great to have meaning and to make a difference for the clients we have the opportunity to serve.