INK PUBLIC RELATIONS

One year ago today I woke up on an air mattress, pulled my clothes out of a duffle bag and anxiously sat in forty-five minutes of traffic on my way to the INK HQ for my first day on the job.

I was so pumped for the opportunity that I started working before I had an apartment to live in. During my first week at INK I slept on an air mattress at a friend’s house, and I was a constant mess of nervous excitement. I had accepted a job and moved across the country in a heartbeat*. New city, new people, new job, new life. Was this the best or worst decision I had ever made?

I’m happy to say that it was in fact a great decision, and over the past year I have learned some incredible life lessons:

Take the chance. I remember telling myself, “Even if you get fired and only end up staying in Austin for two months, in ten years you won’t look back with regret.” Little did I know, I had landed an amazing job in a crazy city and was about to fall in love with this new life. The riskiest chances have the most significant payoff.

Find the best environment for you. We spend eternity trying to do just this, in all aspects of life. As for work environment, I was lucky to find the best for me—one that is supportive, flexible and creative, always encouraging me to discover and develop my professional strengths. This keeps me confident and motivated, as an ideal situation should.

Be a part of a family. I was a quintessential boomerang kid, which according to the New York Times are, “those young adults who left the family home only to move back in because they can’t make it on their own.” Pft. In the months I spent home after college, I only ever thought about leaving to start a career. Looking back, that time with my family and childhood friends was humbling and empowering. Now 1,700 miles away, my connection with my New York home is stronger than ever, but I have also developed a family here in Austin—with new friends and INK.**

I had considered writing a post about the professional lessons INK has taught me (a lot), but really this past year has meant so much more. Thank you INK. Looking forward to year two!

It’s not an INK celebration without warm Tiff’s Treats delivered to our door.

*Side note: I defied the New Yorker code of ethics when I moved here, proudly wearing the Texas-is-actually-cool grin. When I told my parents about the job their initial response was, “But Jess… Texas? Are you taking the job? It’s TEXAS.” Seeing that INK is ideal and Austin tops nearly every Forbes city-ranking list, they’ve clearly come around.

**Sorry for the cheese. Had to be done.

Well, we did it. We made it through another SXSW—the whole shebang. Beyond the marathon of intellectual inspiration, music discovery and free food, I’d have to say my favorite part was the photo booth we put together for INK’s Green Room sponsorship.

Three criteria are crucial to the success of a photo booth

1. The camera. Smilebooth’s innovative technology produces high quality photos.

2. The props. Leslie Blevins contributed her craft, creativity and sleeping time to make our unbelievably spectacular props and backdrop.

3. The people. The heart of a photograph is the subject, so we thank all who participated.

We have closely analyzed each and every photo from the week, narrowing them down to a handful of favorites based on the following criteria: facial expression, body language, use of space, use of props and creativity and/or weirdness. We are pleased to present each of the following photos with a special recognition.

Award: Best Life Advice

Award: Best Interpretation of Props

Award: Best Shameless Plug

Award: Most Likely to be an INK Client (Gemalto)

Award: Most Adorable Nerd

Award: Best Representation of Austin

Award: Most Air (we have a tie!)

Award: Best Unified Theme

Award: Best Interpretation of a Deer in Headlights

Award: Best Accessorizing with Props (how well does that bow tie go with those glasses?)

See all the photos from the week on INK’s Facebook page. What do you think of the booth? Do you have a favorite photo or prop?

Volunteer.

To some, it’s a scary word. To others, it is what life’s all about. To me, it’s a way to dive into in my community, to befriend new personalities, to learn and to donate my resources.

A few months ago I decided it was time to start volunteering here in Austin. After poking around and weighing my options, I decided to get involved with the HOPE Farmers Market, an ideal combination of Sunday Fun-day, food, music, art and creative people.

My first time helping at HOPE I hung around the merchandise station to sell posters, t-shirts and water bottles. I had a great time chatting up strangers about HOPE’s parent organization, mission and artwork. I even ended up buying a few posters for myself (which look fantastic in my apartment, I might add).

A week later the volunteer coordinator approached me with the question, “Do you have a smartphone?” “Yes.” “Okay, great. I’ll make you a Facebook admin for our page.”

It was brilliant! The PR and media flack in me was thrilled that I could bring my professional skills and resources to the table. After all, I spend much of my day discussing social media strategies for clients anyway, and I enjoy breaking out my DSLR for freelance photography projects—why not incorporate these skills into my volunteer work?

Since then I’ve been using my phone to update HOPE’s Facebook directly from the market, posting photos and videos of vendors, market-goers and live music. I’ve been taking photos with my DSLR camera for use on Facebook, the HOPE blog and even local ads for the market. And just last weekend we put together HOPE’s first ever market photo booth, complete with veggie props and burlap. Next on my list are website and blog recommendations.

Applying professional skills to personal interests. Is this volunteering of the modern world? As it turns out, I’m not the only HOPE volunteer with the idea. Young bike connoisseurs have established a pop-up fix up shop at the market, a part-time caterer runs the tasting booth and cooking demos (pictured below bottom), and the owner of an Austin landscaping company facilitates the community compost (pictured below top).

Maybe we’ll soon see award-winning chefs behind soup kitchen counters and urban architects building playgrounds. What skills can you offer your community?

Join me at the HOPE Farmers Market – Sundays 11 AM – 3 PM, Pine Street Station at E. 5th and Waller St., Austin, TX.

This summer INK made a big office move “to the West Side,” as Starr calls it. And since office-warming parties are crucial to the success of small businesses, INK followed a very serious plan to organize and host a triumphant party:

1. Unpack desks at new office.

2. Establish a party planning committee.

3. Decide on quirky theme: Oktoberfest.

4. Decide on quirky name: INKtoberfest.

5. Send out quirky invitations.

6. Make room in the budget for INK branded beer steins.

7. Debate beer, brat and cheese choices.

8. Debate dessert choices.

9. Re-debate beer, brat and cheese choices.

10. Reserve, order, shop.

11. Party!

12. Eat leftover brats, cheese and dessert for three days.

Well, it was a success, We were happy to welcome friends, family and colleagues to our new HQ. Cheers to those who couldn’t make it, as well as those who did. Thanks for joining us!

P.S. If you ask me, INKtoberfest should be an annual tradition. We can only get better at party planning, right?

P.P.S. If you have any photos from the evening, send them our way. We’d be happy to post them!

Working with clean energy clients, I stay up-to-speed with the latest news about the energy industry, particularly the U.S. renewable energy industry. And as a relatively recent college graduate, university life is still fresh in my mind. Considering this, I have come to realize:

U.S. colleges and universities are leading proponents of sustainability and renewable energy.

These days, American colleges are not only judged by prospective students on their acceptance rates, student-teacher ratios and tuitions, but also on their levels of green-ness. The Princeton Review, for example, has introduced Green Ratings, which “evaluate colleges and universities on their environmentally-related policies, practices and academic offerings.” The Princeton Review now annually releases a Guide to the 311 Green Colleges, as well as publishes each school’s Green Rating in the annual guide, The Best Colleges.

Topping the 2011 Princeton Review Green Honor Roll are well-known schools like Harvard College, UC Berkeley and Yale, but being green isn’t limited to prestige. The list is saturated with lesser-known schools, such as Unity College in Maine. Unity College has adopted the moniker “America’s Environmental College,” boasting a Center for Environmental Education, using only Green Seal-certified cleaning products and, most notably, deriving 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources.

Unity College is among a vast network of colleges and universities pioneering the sustainability and renewable energy fronts. For example:

Dartmouth College in New Hampshire built a grid storage system that uses tanks of compressed air to store energy—and sparked SustainX, a company that recently received $14.4 million in funding from GE;

Wesleyan University in Connecticut generates its own energy from sources like wind, solar, geothermal, biogas and biomass;

American University in Washington, D.C. (my Alma Mater) recently opened a campus building that has been designated LEED Gold Certified—“the benchmark for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”—based on sustainable design and efficiency. Schools around the country are rushing to LEED certify their newest buildings;

Drexel University in Pennsylvania has arranged for cardio machines in its recreation center to produce 50 watt hours of energy over a 30-minute workout.

Colleges and universities throughout the U.S. are placing extreme importance on their green initiatives. Is it to bump up the schools’ rating on another prestigious list? To work toward states’ Renewable Energy Standards? To appease outspoken, environmentally-minded students? No matter the motive, these schools have become pioneers for sustainable practices and renewable energy. The renewable energy industry would be smart to look to these institutions for support. After all, they have the motivation, financial backing and innovative bright minds equipped to advance the industry.