Black Tie Lounge

Guess what song I woke up to this morning? Well I didn't exactly wake up to any song. Instead I cut on the television after I woke up and the song that played after some random stripper song--the type that has a beat and the type of lyrics that will only have an affect if you are drunk in a club throwing ones--was a song that I am beginning to use as my own. Low and behold after the stripper song was a video to "Titanium" by David Guetta and Sia, which is the latest single off the album Nothing But the Beat. Pop music fans may recognize Sia because she is featured on FloRida's song Wild One. "Titanium" goes like this: I'm bullet proof nothing to loose fire away fire away Ricochet, you take your aim fire away fire away You shoot me down but I won't fall I am titanium You shoot me down but I won't fall I am titanium Not only does this song get me hyped to run when I don't want to but it also encourages me to keep pushing through the ...

I used to wonder why smart people stay in bad relationships. After these past few months, maybe less, I completely understand why. The reason is because that relationship provides them with some benefit that they can't seem to get anywhere else. So it is with people that HATE their jobs with a passion but stay because they have bills to pay. The diplomatic person stays until they find something else, but in these times it takes longer to find something else than one would imagine to expect. So for the past two months I've worked part-time doing tasks that were so out of character and out of purpose that I was changing into a different person. When you are generally a cheerful person and revert to cussing everyone out that upsets you, this is clear indication that something is wrong. This is what happened to me. I said in previous blogs that I knew this relationship would be ending soon. I was not joking. Either I was going to end it myself or circumstance would have brought i...

I had lunch with a consultant that I look up to and we got into a conversation about marketing and creating a brand. He mentioned that I should take a look at a PBS special entitled The Persuaders. I just viewed 3 of the videos and the biggest thing that this is confirming to me is that there is a lot of bull behind marketing. What I'm saying is that the emotional focus of marketing is not always successful for the majority of products. A lot of the concepts in advertising maybe entertaining and may even be noteworthy but they do not sell the product. Let's remember, these concepts are successful for certain brands and not so for others. Everyone has a concept and a gimmic but how often do they work? Advertising and PR agencies are run by 6 holding companies. Long story short much of advertising is b.s. I say that with conviction with only 3 months of real advertising experience. The real issue is do marketers really sift through the information to find out what it really says ...

So in the midst of defending framing as an ethical way to practice public relations, I'm still attempting to answer the same question. I'm in the middle of studying for comprehensive exams which will be the roughest test I've taken so far. Can you believe I'm using my spring break to do this. Right now I'm in the "do what I gotta do" mode so it will get done. Last Thursday I went to the Mosaic Career Fair hosted by the American Advertising Federation and USA Today. If I haven't shared this let me give an update. Last December I did a job shadow at Arnold Worldwide. As you should know, I worked with The Bahamas last summer, which is one of Arnold's clients. I was not interested in advertising and honestly I can't think of my motivations for asking to do a job shadow. I believe it was along the lines of career exploration and I know that they do some integrated PR in their campaigns. Oh, well. I did the job shadow, met some really cool people, an...

So today I was faced with some choices that I never thought I'd ever have to make. It's not a bad things just very unexpected. I'm going to refrain from saying too much because I don't have all the information before me. Let's just say that something I ended up being involved in may turn out to be a greater opportunity for me. I considered getting my PhD, which I have made clear is not going to happen for a minute. I considered staying around for a little longer. I considered a whole new career direction opposite to the route I originally planned. I considered what I'd have to do to negotiate more than I ever had. I considered things that I was so adimant about leaving. Believe me I want to leave Blacksburg just as much as the next person. I've spent the past 7 years here seeing the community grow to what it is now. I'm ready to bounce but hey it may not necessarily be that way so soon. I've got to really reflect on some things and see where this cou...