Public Relations* is my Life-or- The Yin and Yang of Being What You Do

I see it everywhere I go, every new media I discover, everything I read, everyone I meet. I see opportunity. I see connection. Sometimes I see limitation, but sometimes I’m wrong. If I believe, and I know someone, some company, some show, some ‘thing’ wants to be Out There in a way that resonates, I will do what I can. This is why I embrace the new breakdown of personal and professional. What I do to make money has never sat well with me as something that is separate from who I am. 

I function a lot better in a barrier-free world.

In my job it’s handy, to be honest.  I’ve always liked referring people to articles, resources, creating opportunity for expansion, gathering like-minded people. I won’t and (knock wood) have never had to publicize or communicate things I can’t stand (As a side note, a potential test of this assertion is coming up in the next few months which might make or break me with the The Man currently paying the bills, but that’s a whole other blog post).

If I like something, I let people know. And I like being trusted as being someone who does my research.

However, it does sometimes get a little tricky out there in what my boss describes as the Wild West; referring to social media and the new frontier of professional and personal aligning. What if a journalist doesn’t want to work with me because I’m a feminist? Or I’m ‘caught’ doing PR for a company other than that which pays me, just because I can’t help myself? Or if my faith becomes an issue for some in the amazing online communities I’m a part of (heaven forbid!).

But it seems, in a way, that’s just the way life is in general. As Dumbledore said in the third or fourth Harry Potter book, if universal popularity is what you seek, you will be sorely disappointed. And in this Wild West, there is something very refreshing to me to be able to connect the dots with other dot-connectors, and reap the increased opportunity of the incredible learning experiences which have come my way.

Not to mention the all of the great ideas I’ll never have all the time to execute! That’s my favourite.

*Corporate Communications. Whatever.

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