Today we’re talking about looking great for your unplanned media interview. Your PR team has been pitching you as an expert to the media – and one day you get the call that a reporter wants to interview you. This is great news…. but they’ll be at your office in an hour. Not so great news if it’s casual Friday in your office.

My parents once told me to choose my words wisely. It was an important piece of advice 20 years ago and it is even more relevant today. In this digital age, it is imperative that you think before you speak.

I’ve taken a couple weeks off from writing my Friday Favorites and I’m finally back at it. Today, it’s all about my clients.

When I started my own firm I decided that I would only work with people who I truly believe in. I will NEVER help promote a product, person or company that I don’t feel passionate about.

Today’s Friday Favorites is again slightly different than the norm. It’s not about a business or product…it’s about people. Sometimes it takes a crisis to see the good in the world.

Today’s Friday Favorites is all about connections and courtesy. When was the last time that you received a hand written note in the mail? It’s probably been a while. But, when you find a special note in between all of your bills, how does it make you feel? I know that it makes me extremely happy! For me, it’s all about the simple things in life.

I recently had dinner with a successful, gorgeous, and intelligent woman. Many women envy her and thousands of men would love to date her. In many people’s eyes, she has a dream job. She’s a television journalist.

Ever send out a press release and never hear from the press? Yeah, it happens and you can’t blame them. Their email’s are flooded daily with press releases, story pitches, media advisory’s…you name it. But, say one day they do pick up your story and want to interview you, that’s great! So they call you to set up an interview, but you have a lunch appointment or a staff meeting at that time. One piece of advice, re-arrange your schedule, make that interview happen!  I have known people who declined interviews because they had plans during that time.  Listen, this is your one opportunity to be interviewed, don’t blow it. No, they can’t come back tomorrow or next week.  They want to do the story that day and it will most likely run in their 5-6pm newscast.  The press can Not and will Not wait. If you can’t make it, they will move on to someone else who can. A great example of making things happen is when CBS 3 Springfield wanted to interview Stevens Diamond Jewelers the day before Valentine’s Day. In the jewelry industry, V-Day is one of their busiest, but the manager figured out a way to be available for the press. Great job!

They squeeze the last drop out of the toothpaste because they’re on a budget, a tight budget.

Today we’re talking about looking great for your media interview. Keep in mind, these interviews will be all over social media… so not only do you want to sound your best, but you want to look great too! If you’re lucky enough to have a scheduled interview then you have time to plan. So hit your closet.

Has anyone ever told you that they will have something to you by a certain day? That day comes and goes and you don’t hear from them. It’s frustrating – right?

When people ask me what I do and I tell them I’m in public relations, their reaction is all very similar. It goes something like this, “Ohhhh…that sounds exciting.” PR is exciting – I love it.  But, for many folks, that seems to be all they know about it. In addition, somehow PR gets meshed into the job category of marketing and communications. Well, it’s not either of those.