INK PUBLIC RELATIONS

I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions. I just never thought of them as very motivating. Of course, I would love to think that I will lose 10 pounds (a goal of mine probably since junior year of high school) or save more money over the course of the year. If I actually made these resolutions, however, I would immediately go have a cheeseburger and fries, then sit on my couch and do some online shopping.

For me, I think it’s because I’ve always thought of resolutions in the form of statements that are restrictive and very specific.

- I will run 1,000 miles this year.

- I will get married and have 2.5 kids this year.

*Trust me, these are NOT my resolutions.

I think INKers have the right idea about professional and personal growth in 2012. See Blair and Rachael’s blog posts below. It isn’t just about achieving one specific resolution. It’s about the various possibilities, experiences and things you will go through in the next year.

As Blair mentioned, each INKer chose a word to define our goals and experiences for the year. I like this idea because it’s not confining and can encompass anything you want it to include, personally and professionally.

My word is CHALLENGE. What this word means for me is that I want to challenge myself…

- to step outside of my comfort zone

- to take on different things that I would usually step back from

- to push myself and not just do the things I am comfortable with already

(“Uncomfortable” could have also been my word, but that’s not very positive J)

The reason I chose “challenge” is because I often feel like it’s easy to just be comfortable with what you know, what you are used to doing and to maintain the status quo – to stay exactly the same because you already know what that’s like. However, when things become too comfortable, you may find yourself in a rut.

Challenging yourself means change, and change is often times uncomfortable and scary. It’s hard – making that leap of faith, going outside of the box and taking the road less traveled. When we do challenge ourselves, it doesn’t have to be big, extravagant displays but instead, steady and small movements forward.

Professional Challenge

Tackling different projects – For me this means, taking on projects beyond building media lists, editorial calendars and monitoring reports that I already know I can do well. I’ve already gotten off to a good start with writing a byline, putting together a case study and handling social media channels for two weeks.

Stepping up to the plate without fear of striking out – When I start off in a new job, I often shy away from certain tasks because I think someone with more experience should take it. However, as of March of this year, I will be at INK for a full year. I know that I have a good foundation and knowledge regarding my clients, because I’ve learned from the best around me. So when I do see those to-do’s come along, I can assess them and realize I have the qualifications to accomplish them.

Networking – Good relationships with clients, media and others leaders in the industry are important in growing yourself and your company.  CES 2012 was an excellent opportunity for me to get to know my clients (Bluetooth SIG and Gemalto) better, meet different media and analysts and challenge myself to be more than just a name on an email or business card.

Personal Challenge

A big reason why I like this “New Year Word” is that it can apply to anything. I’ve started using this word in my personal decision-making and personal growth

Work-Life Balance – One of the things I love about working at INK is that they get this. I know it’s really easy to just go home after work, lie down and watch TV but there’s a lot to learn and do out there. My challenge is to do so. I would like to volunteer. Check out this great list of opportunities from Austin360. I would like to continue my education and learn more skill sets that are fun and just good to know. UT offers several informal classes. I’ve signed up to take an InDesign class in February (this one is a work challenge, too J).

Make time for family and friends – I’ve realized in the past year how important family and friends are. Yes, it takes time. Everyone is busy and traveling is expensive, but it matters. I can make an effort to call my Dad more often (though I’m not a fan of phones), I can make plans to have dinner with my sister and see her adorable puppy (she lives just 15 minutes away) and I can talk to my cousins and friends online. I’ll be heading to Florida for Chinese New Year’s with my grandma and to Chicago in April to see several friends.

It’s always easy to say I’m going to X, Y and Z but then never get to it. Having a new year word means having a driving force behind my thoughts, decisions and actions.

The challenge to my challenge will be to keep this going through 2012!

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 23^rd is Chinese New Year! This is a very special holiday for me because it’s a really neat part of my Asian heritage. It’s also kind of an extension of the winter holidays but with an Asian flare!  I would sum up the holiday in three words: food, booze and MONEY! Okay, okay it’s not just about the money, I actually do love all the traditions and meanings that go along with Chinese New Year.

A little history…

*There’s quite a bit. It’s culture over 5,000 years old. I’ve grown up with it and I’m still fuzzy on the details, but I’ll do my best to sum it up.

- Chinese New Year is also known as “Lunar New Year” (農曆新年) because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar. It’s also called the “Spring Festival” (春節- Chūn Jié) as it signals the start of the spring season.

- In the western calendar, Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year, usually between mid-January to mid-February).

Fun Fact: In 2010, Chinese New Year fell on Valentine’s Day and the day of the NBA All-Star Game!

- The festivities last for 15 days with various activities each day, depending on the country and traditions.

- Why is there so much RED? In Chinese culture, red symbolizes joy, luck, truth, virtue and prosperity. (Ex: In traditional Chinese weddings, brides and grooms wear red, not white.)

-According to my childhood stories, the beginning of Chinese New Year started many, many eons ago with the fight against a mythical beast called “Nian” (年).  This word also means “year” in Chinese.

Nian would come on the first day of new year to eat livestock, crops and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, people would make lots of food and put it out at the beginning of every year so Nian would have something to eat and not attack the villages. Nian is also scared away by the color red (why red is the official color of Chinese New Year). People also used firecrackers to scare the best (why firecrackers are used in celebration of the new year). From then on, Nian never attacked again.

- This is the Year of the Dragon (龍) – Each year coincides with one of the 12 Chinese zodiacs. If you were born in the year of the dragon, congrats! It’s your lucky year!

Dragons are Magnanimous, stately, vigorous, strong, self-assured, proud, noble, direct, dignified, eccentric, intellectual, fiery, passionate, decisive, pioneering, artistic, generous, loyal. But can be tactless, arrogant, imperious, tyrannical, demanding, intolerant, dogmatic, violent, impetuous, brash.

The Schedule:

*This holiday is a full 15 days of activities so I’ll give you the highlights. In Asian countries, school and most business are closed for extended amounts of time.

Leading up to the New Year celebration:

1. Clean your home, sweeping away all the bad luck and things from the previous year to welcome in the good fortunes.

2. Buy new clothes, shoes and even get a haircut to symbolize a fresh start.

3. Hang “Chun Lian” (see below).

New Year’s Eve: (除夕- Chú Xī) is when families gather for an annual reunion dinner. Traditionally, firecrackers were lit to scare away evil spirits with the house doors sealed, not to be reopened until the new morning in a ritual called “opening the door of fortune.”

And…red envelopes!!!

Red Envelopes/Packets (红包) – or Ya Sui Qian (壓歲錢) which means “the money used to suppress evil spirits” – Packets that contain cash, usually given by elders or married couples to children or those unmarried.  You keep them under your pillow for good luck.

*So the key to getting more money on Chinese New Year: Don’t get married for as long as possible. Adopt some kids.  And the more relatives you have, the better – lots of aunts and uncles, married cousins, family friends count too and if you have multiple sets of grandparents (just kidding).

Day 1: Welcoming of the deities, lion dances, etc. Also, I’ve always been told not to wash my hair on New Year’s Day because you don’t want to wash away all good luck and fortune.

Watch a lion dance HERE.

Day 2: Traditionally, this was the day married daughters visited their maiden families.

Day 3-14: Various celebrations commence including celebrations of deities, paying tribute to your ancestors, going to temples, family gatherings and other customs and traditions.

Day 15: Chinese New Year ends with the Lantern Festival (元宵節 – Yuanxiao Jié). You light paper lanterns that you can hang or carry around and you solve riddles in lanterns.

 

The Food: Everything you eat for has special meaning.

- Dumplings: They’re shaped like money back in the old days, symbolizing a year of wealth.

- Fish: In Chinese, the pronunciation of fish (yu) is the same as “surplus”, meaning you will have plenty in the new year.

- Noodles: They must be uncut, because they represent a long life.

- Nian Gao (年糕): these words sound the same as the meaning “year high” (年高), meaning you’ll have a good year ahead.

- Tang Yuan (湯圓): sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in soup eaten on the last day in celebration of the Lantern Festival.

So basically Chinese New Year is about having food, new things, longevity, luck and wealth! Sounds good to me!  Actually, it’s a really fun holiday about family, appreciation and tradition.

So Happy Chinese New Year or in Chinese, 新年快樂, “Xin Nian Kuai LE”!

 

Hope everyone had a good time at CES 2012 and that you’re recovering from your week there.

Not only was this my first INK business trip, it was also my first tech trade show and it was my first CES (Consumer Electronics Show, as I had to explain to many of my friends not in tech or PR).

Talk about doing it big for a lot of “firsts”. I’ve heard about CES since my agency interning days in college.

The things I had heard people say about CES:

- Your feet will hurt.

- You don’t get much sleep.

- It’s massive. It’s crazy. It’s hectic. It’s a lot of cool, new gadgets and technology. It’s a spectacle. It’s a lot to see in just a couple of days.

And yes, it was all of the above.

First things first, the CES checklist:

*Personal note that I must share because I am so proud of myself: Usually it takes me hours to pack, because my method is to take everything I own and throw it on my bed and then slowly weed out things I don’t like. Packing for CES took me just ONE hour!

- Learn everything you can about CES and what your clients are doing there: read those web sites, memorize the briefing book and if you need help, I hope you are as lucky as I was to have colleagues and PROS like Helen Rodriguez, Allison Glass, Blair Poloskey, Starr Baker and Kari Hernandez to show you the way!

I was truly amazed and impressed at how these ladies handled themselves, kept it together, carried themselves with confidence and knocked everything out of the park – using the INK spirit, creativity and hard work to secure top-tier meetings and make some happy clients.

As of September, I have been with INK for six months! I believe this is the point in the relationship where you’re starting to get past the whole initial getting to know each other, the hesitation about what to say and how to say it, constant wondering if you’re being liked, remembering tidbits about the other person, and the “you can’t see me unless I have my make up and hair done” thing.

So my thoughts after six months…I think I’m ready to commit. After all, INK and I have been through quite a bit. So here’s what I’ve taken away so far…

Client-wise,

Security, mobile payments, smart cards, online banking…and fraud possibilities for all of those are everywhere. (Thank you, Gemalto.)

How light is emitted through a bulb. (Thank you, Nuventix.) Next, how ink comes out of pens.

Bluetooth technology is not just a headset, and I am now slightly less freaked out by people who seem to be talking to themselves when using said headsets. (Thank you, Bluetooth SIG.)

INK-wise,

Natural lighting is amazing – INK has moved into an amazing new office. I don’t think I could give up this up, with the TVs, the pool, the gym, knowing that it’s still hot and sunny outside in September. Plus, I’ve already decorated.

A good chair contributes to productivity – We have upgraded to some first-class chairs. The key is the ability to go up and down, roll, and have amazing back support. This makes you think less about wanting to lie down constantly.

I don’t think I know how to wear heels anymore – I have bought two new pairs and they’re still in the shopping bags they came in.

All INK babies are cute – This makes me more excited to view the baby videos and pictures that are posted, and see them in person. When I awww and make strange noises during such viewings, this is genuine.

Women can be drama free – I have never worked in a predominately female workplace setting before, and I thought it would be odd at first but it’s been refreshingly wonderful – talking about everything from books, music, movies, food, professional development, sports, and really anything and everything. These ladies are great connoisseurs of just about everything – including, of course, PR.