Hi there! My name is Kaitlyn Dwenger and I just began my fall internship with O’Keeffe PR. I am a fourth year student at the University of Cincinnati and I am studying Rhetoric and Professional Writing, as well as pursuing a certificate in Copyediting and Publishing. I have loved reading and writing since I was little (thanks, Harry Potter), so after stumbling as a nursing major for a semester, I found my rightful place as an English major shortly after. I have had some amazing internship opportunities to explore the world of marketing and communications, and I’m extremely excited to now add public relations to that list.

Why did you want to intern with O’Keeffe PR?

I was excited by O’Keeffe from the beginning—I am eager to learn and I can tell these folks are eager to share their knowledge. Because I have never worked directly in public relations, I thought an internship would be a great chance to get my feet wet and broaden my skill set.

If you could tell our clients one thing, what would it be?

You’re in good hands! I’ve barely been at O’Keeffe for two weeks and I truly believe our people know what they are doing and have our clients’ best interests at heart.

What was the last book you read?

I recently finished “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. You know when you finish the last page of a book and you feel a swarm of emotions and aren’t quite sure how to describe it? That’s how I felt after completing this book. I recommend you check it out if you like mystery or romance.

Favorite word?

Shenanigans. It’s just fun to say.

Least favorite word?

Opportunity—but only because I consistently misspell it and second guess myself every time.

What profession other than marketing would you like to attempt?

I am very intrigued by the world of publishing—so maybe a career somewhere in that industry.

Tell me two truths and a lie.

I have met Taylor Swift. I fractured my skull when I was little. I crashed my car the first day I got it.

Ask any writer what they write to, and you’re more than likely to get a very specific answer. From jazz to techno to classics of the 1960’s, all of us have that specific playlist that helps us write. In honor of all of the writers out there, we’re sharing a few writing tips as well as our team writing playlist that help us create that perfect piece of content.

Writing Tips

Don’t be afraid to exercise the madness of your methods.

Whether it’s earplugs, a specific huddle room, or a coffee ritual, lean into the method that helps you write your best content. Often a change of environment can reignite your writing voice, and the O’Keeffe tribe is fond of shifting to a local coffee shop or bar with strong wifi to finish a day. Pro tip: if you’re an open office like we are, over the ear headphones paired with earplugs can be your saving grace. You may look crazy, but at least you’ll be productive.

Read it aloud to edit.

This one harks back to my writing center days (shout out to the Xavier University Writing Center!). Reading your content out loud helps you catch missing words, awkward phrasing, or other strange constructions that your brain misses when you’re just reading.

Discover your writing style.

There are two primary methods of attacking a writing project: creating an outline or diving straight in. Often in a business context, you’re going to lean into the outline method because of the depth of the topic, but sometimes the best blogs come from a keyword and some dedicated creating writing time.

Find an editor.

No writer can edit their own work. It’s nearly impossible to gain the kind of distance from a piece of content that’s needed in order to effectively edit it. Even a nonwriter is better than no editor at all, and I’ve found that often someone who isn’t close to a project is more able to spot confusing sections or incomplete information.

Writing Playlist

Our writing playlist reflects music that we all write to, but it also reflects who we are as a tribe. Dan added some jazz standards, Lisa offered techno, Jocelyn gave us a grab bag, Rob had a mix of rock classics, Dale offered the country, and I included the jazz classics. We’re a bit of a mix ourselves, but somehow it works to form a strong collective. Hopefully you’ll find some new favorites, but please don’t judge us. We make no claims about how it works as a playlist overall.

Listened to our music selections and want to learn more about the people behind the tribe? Let’s connect!

Three Tips to Keep You Performing Without Losing Your Mind

There seems to be an unspoken badge of honor associated with being busy. When asked how work is going, often the response is something along the lines of, “Oh, I’m crazy busy right now” or, “This is our busy season, so it’s kinda bananas” or only “BUSY.” To which the individual who posed the question will often reply, “Great to hear, busy is good.” However, is it? Is merely being busy a sign of accomplishment or somehow job security? 

Busy, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “engaged in action” or “being in use.” That makes me think of a constant state of motion with zero rest. I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds exhausting. A 2016 Fast Company article about busyness and the brain says this; “Since an overly busy life is so often linked to stress, the result of not having enough downtime could release hormonal chemical cortisol that temporarily shuts down our digestive and immune systems. This could stop us from performing at maximum potential, keeping our bodies in a constant ‘fight-or-flight’ mode.” Yikes! So maybe busy is not good?

However, this is real life, and we have work and kids and pets and friends, and how could one not be continuously engaged in action? Is there any way around this cortisol-creating way of life? I believe there is. The benefit of productivity is accomplished goals and tasks, and the opportunity to enjoy some downtime. Here are three tips to help you cut the busy and become more productive.

Make a List

There are two types of people in the world; the listers, and the non-listers. Here’s some tough love- if you’re not a lister you should be. Our brains are bombarded with millions of messages each day. If you do not write down items that need to be accomplished, those thoughts will flitter away with the wind. Losing track of what needs to be done only creates more busyness when that one thing is eventually remembered. Instead of it being a manageable task, it has now ballooned into a massive operation with a tight timeline to finish. Don’t set yourself up for this; write it down or type it up, do it!

Prioritize

OK, so making a list alone does no good if everything you write has equal importance. Take a look at what you have written and move the items that you need to accomplish first at the top (you can also color code or star them). Put the things that have a longer timeline below that, and the ones that you’d like to do, but it’s OK if it hangs out and collects dust for a bit, at the bottom. Now, start at the top and work your way down. Some of those deprioritized items will hang out at the bottom for days or weeks, and that’s OK! The important thing is that they have not fallen off your radar and you’re still aware they exist. So, here’s the FUN part, once you have completed an action item, make sure to move it from your to-do list to your Ta-Da list! There is something to be said for looking at your list with strikes through the items that have been completed. You are on your way to being productive, my friend!

Say No or Ask for Help

This last one is the hardest. Most people who are busy are that way because they are not lazy. They take additional tasks on and desire to make the most of their time. These same folks who take on too many jobs are (generally speaking) the same people who do not like to say no or ask for help. This can lead to excessive busyness and eventually burn-out. My advice is to take a look at your list when asked to take on a new project or task. Assess your priorities and see where you’re not the best person to tackle the job, or if others can come alongside you to work toward the goal. While this may take some pride-swallowing, it will make you more productive at the end of the day.

While these tips might not be earth-shattering, if put into practice, they will work. If you’re struggling and feel like there is never enough time to do the things you love to do, give this a try for a week and let me know your thoughts. That is, if following up is on your to-do list, of course!

Need help prioritizing your communications? Let’s connect!

Hello there! Morgan King here, O’Keeffe’s new PR and Marketing Intern. I am a recent graduate from Ball State University in Muncie, IN. When arriving at college, I was slumped with the thought of “how the heck am I supposed to know what I want to do the rest of my life.” I was involved with journalism classes throughout high school, and introduced to the public relations world in my sophomore year of college. I quickly became interested in all areas of public relations such as event planning, writing, and social media. And to think there’s even more to PR!

Why did you choose this industry?  

Before being introduced to the public relations world, I first thought I was going to put my journalism skills to the test in the world of news and broadcasting, but I soon learned that being behind the scenes of things interested me more. I love being able to see things finally come to life at the end of the project.

What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the industry?

Networking. Networking is crucial in today’s world. Along with networking, I would also say another critical point when coming into the industry would be to know your brand and stand for it. Being able to represent your brand to others right away is helpful when trying to connect.

What’s the last book you read?

The last book I read through definitely had to be a college textbook. I am currently reading “You are a Badass,” by Jen Sicero. From someone who just recently graduated from college, this self-help book gives me the confidence to tackle anything in the real world.

Favorite word?

Garlicky. Just the thought of this word can make me hungry!

Least favorite word?

“Umm.” For some reason, I can always point this word out when someone starts using it over and over again. It is most definitely a pet peeve of mine.

What profession other than PR would you like to attempt?

I have a love for dogs, so it would be a dream to be able to open up my own shelter one day. I mean, who wouldn’t want to hang out with dogs every day?

What’s the best thing about our line of work?

The best thing about O’Keeffe’s line of work is seeing the array of talent from the team members that are brought to life for each of the client’s needs. You can most definitely see the passion that is put into all of their work.

Tell me two truths and a lie.

I have a twin sister. I was born in Orlando, Florida. I was the first to graduate from college in my family.

Last week, the O’Keeffe team nervously trudged over to Rebel Pilgrim for an improv workshop hosted by Joe Boyd himself. Most of the group went in blind save for our fearless leader, Dan O’Keeffe (who is both a PR mastermind and an actor), and myself (a former theater kid hailing from California, land of mime workshops and bad productions of Othello set in space). Lisa also professes some theater background, and we bonded over our introduction to the National Thespian Society back in high school. Which is to say that about half the team had some idea of what was about to happen and the other half was willing to trust me on all of this.

I say nervously because I actually hate improv. It’s a personal thing. It’s like jumping off a cliff, and the only way to not die is to shut off your brain and fervently ignore anything past the fourth wall. I also desperately seek approval which means that I was willing to volunteer as long as someone patted me on the head afterward (It me, amirite?).

Thanks to the kind tutelage of Joe, the tribe was soon off and running on a series of energy exercises and mind reading. We had a fantastic time, and Rebel Pilgrim is the kind of relaxed, nonchalant but utterly genius company that you can’t help but love.

Like the marketing nerd that I am, I begged the team for lessons learned for a blog. This blog. Because content. Here’s what we learned.

Lessons from Improv

– We learned how to think and step outside of our comfort zones, which of course fuels our creativity. Our clients depend on us to be more creative than they are or think they are.
– We learned how to spark creativity in others. Of course, that’s a benefit in collaborating amongst ourselves and within our client teams.
– We learned how to work as a team, especially when under pressure and without much or any direction. To work efficiently and effectively, we must know how to read each other’s actions and intentions.

– Dan O’Keeffe

I anticipated the improv session would involve comedy, and many interactions between teammates were hilarious. However, the exercises Joe guided had much deeper motives. We were guided to interact and work together in ways none had ever experienced before. Working together in very unfamiliar situations forced us to define individual roles quickly.
 
The exercises demanded collaboration. What I learned was that our objective performance (achieving the immediate goal) improved, but also our subjective performance (our view of our personal performance in helping to achieve the goal). As we gained empathy for one another, we gained self-confidence as individuals.
 
One particular exercise was to answer any opening interaction with the word ‘Yes,’ to be open to new experiences, dialogues, and situations. We were guided to build new interactions spontaneously. Rather than individuals focusing on their performance only, success demanded empathy, collaboration, spontaneity, and interaction with others. We built trust among ourselves and had a lot of fun in the process. I highly recommend Joe’s program.

– Dale Justice

The improv class taught me a lot about client relationships and teamwork.
 
It’s about entering into a situation, about which you have very little control or previous knowledge, and going with the flow. By surrendering to it and affirming external suggestions (“yes, and…”), you can steer the situation toward your desired conclusion.
 
Also, being thrown into an improvisational situation with my team members was a huge trust builder. Think boot camp for non-verbal and other communication skill nuances, giving your teammates permission to take a chance on things and helping them to succeed with your own creativity.

– Rob Dietrich

– We were encouraged to “play.” This perspective helped lighten the mood and encouraged us to keep the conversation or idea moving, even if we made a mistake.
– The random scenarios put us in situations where we had limited information or context. We had to think on our feet and rely on each other to tell a story that made sense.
– In PR we often work within our team and with clients to tell a story. Using the phrase “yes, and” to build on ideas with clients will help creative solution to fit their unique needs.

– Jocelyn Summers

Experience:
– The space was open and bright and allowed for freedom in creativity.
– Joe was thoughtful and relaxed and encouraged a “safe space” to express.
 
Take Aways:
– Be mindful when listening and let the other person know that you hear what they’re saying and together you will find a solution. Take their thoughts and build on them.
– Slow down and focus on the goal – together.
– Three in a row of anything is funny, after that it’s overkill.

– Lisa Dyson

Love working with collaborative folks who can do a mean improv scene? Reach out so we can tell your story together.