Recently, I had the opportunity to work closely with CK Principal Ralph Katz on a presentation focused on creating and facilitating effective brainstorm sessions. Prior to co-founding CooperKatz in 1996, Ralph received training as a brainstorm facilitator at Burson-Marsteller, where he went on to lead the firm’s highly-regarded Creative Services unit. He has carried the skills with him ever since, making the sessions a cornerstone of our open and innovative culture here at CK.

For Ralph – and really, our agency as a whole – brainstorms are all about disciplined creativity. They’re about tackling the problem at hand head-on, but also taking productive “excursions” away from the problem on occasion. In working with Ralph on the presentation, I learned some key tips on how to create the most effective brainstorms in the business. 

Public speaking is often referred to as the most commonly held fear in America – beyond such terrors as heights, snakes and spiders. In fact, some studies say it’s even more common a fear than death. As Jerry Seinfeld famously joked, “This means, to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

Alas for the fearful, public speaking remains an integral part of most business operations, including and especially our own here at CooperKatz. Though most of us engage in some sort of presentation delivery on a weekly – if not daily – basis, we understand that even seasoned public speakers have room to improve. Thus, in recent weeks, many members of our team took part in a presentation skills workshop with Timothy Cage, a Burson-Marsteller veteran who has provided communication training for more than 25 years.  

A group of women here at CK recently joined together to watch the first in a series panels hosted by Ketchum CEO Barri Rafferty entitled, “Real Women Fostering Women’s Leadership.”  The panelists included communications professionals Cheryl Callan of Weight Watchers, Edna Johnson of Michelin and Janet Riccio of Omnicom Group. From leadership advice to the delicate balance of being a respected executive and a cherished mother, this panel of women explored some of the challenges professional women face today, as we create high goals and even higher expectations for ourselves.

I admit – I still feel like the new kid at work. But I can’t say I expected to feel quite different with just a few months of experience in the public relations industry. I am relatively new to the PR world. And I still have a lot to learn.

When I graduated last May, I viewed my public relations degree as an impressive accomplishment, the culmination of four years of hard work paying off. Finally, I reached the finish line!

Now, after a few months in the workplace, I realize that my education isn’t over; it’s really just beginning.  My degree has proven to be my ticket to learn even more.  Read on to see the three significant lessons I’ve learned since joining the CK team in September.

Recently, Paul Holmes penned a blog post discussing the ambiguity surrounding the definition of public relations. The post examined the need for a 21^st century definition of PR. He argued, in my view, correctly, that PR “is the process of building, nurturing and leveraging relationships with a wide range of publics.” But it also struck me as odd that he had to write this post at all. For a field approaching the century mark (if you count forward from World War I and the rise of Edward Bernays), many professionals—even those somewhat familiar with our field—still seem to mistake the purposes, advantages and functions of PR as compared to advertising and, more broadly, marketing.