Wishing you warm holiday wishes from the O’Keeffe team! We hope you enjoy these outtakes from our holiday card.

Hello! I am O’Keeffe’s new PR and Digital Marketing Intern. I am a 2018 graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, and excited to pursue a career in communications. Although a journalism major on paper, I was lured by the grandiose idea of writing with creativity into the world of public relations. This is my second internship after graduation, the first being social media focused. I aim to learn as much as possible about PR and digital marketing outside of school to prepare myself for a life-long career.

Why did you choose this industry?   

PR is where impartial, journalistic writing meets the creative world of storytelling. When choosing a career, I thought I had to pick between being a broke novelist striving to get published and a no-nonsense (also broke) journalist. I’ve never been happier to be wrong as I can now combine my passion for both forms of writing.

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

Don’t just build a portfolio, be passionate about the work you put into it. Whether you show your work to a potential client or an agency you hope to work for, they want to see your best work and drive to do more of it. If you aren’t passionate about what you’re doing, it isn’t worth it.

Tell me your favorite metric to track.

I am fascinated by strategic social media. I completed a social media certificate at my alma mater. When tracking social success as a marketer, I love finding the number of engagements a post receives – particularly shares. Shares mean people liked a client’s content so much they wished to show it to their friends and family. I believe there is no higher compliment to any brand online.

What’s the last book you read? 

I am currently reading Dan’s copy of This is Marketing by Seth Godin. The lovely Megan Smale suggested that the entire O’Keeffe tribe read it just before I joined the herd. I should probably get a move-on so Dan can read it too!

Favorite word? 

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Least favorite word? 

Cramped. Oof, my claustrophobia is kicking in, I feel trapped already. Help!

What profession other than PR would you like to attempt? 

A theatrical property and craft maker/manager. I know what you’re thinking, that was wildly specific, but doesn’t it sound awesome?

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

Being able to make a difference. Bringing a client’s story to life can change everything for them. The joy of helping a client/brand you love grow is highly contagious.

Tell me two truths and a lie.

I’ve been hang-gliding. I held the same baseball bat as Joey Votto. I’ve been to Slovenia.

Happy first week on the job! Now let’s envision a thunderous drum roll as I take this time to introduce myself.

I’m a marketing and communications enthusiast who nerds out over the latest technology trends. I like to think that my left and right sides of the brain are in harmony with each other. I discovered O’Keeffe PR through mutual connections (hurray for networking!), and was immediately impressed by the culture that values collaborative creativity, openness, and delivering awesome value to our clients.

What did you do in your previous life? 
I worked in the higher education and nonprofit fields before venturing to O’Keeffe PR. I wore many hats including PR, media relations, marketing, special event planning, fundraising, sales, and volunteer management… phew!

If you could tell our clients one thing, what would it be? 
We are your partner, and we obsess over your success. To help us achieve your goals, the more information the better. Knowledge and communication are key elements to success. We’re here for you, so we’re just a phone call or email away!

What’s your best piece of advice for a marketer? 
Be a go-getter and say yes. Say yes to that networking opportunity, workshop, and project or job opportunity that you may think is over your head. As marketers, we need to stay on top of the latest trends in this rapidly evolving field. It’s not enough to just read about what’s going on in the marketing world, you must practice it. With data and technology becoming increasingly crucial factors in marketing strategy, it’s important to not lose the human side of the story. You still need to create content that connects.

What’s the last book you read? 
I’m currently in my last semester in the Master of Business Informatics program at Northern Kentucky University. I’m reading two textbooks for my classes – E-Commerce and IT Strategy. I have a long list of leisure reading I need to catch up on after I graduate this May!

What’s your secret marketing weapon? 
My curiosity and willingness to get experience in trying new things. I fully believe that marketers need to be curious, look outside of the box, be open minded, and have the drive to learn new skills. I’ve been fortunate enough to explore all the different facets of marketing throughout my career, by volunteering, and with the American Marketing Association.

Tell me your favorite metric to track. 
I’m a ROI type of guy. I like to see what the cost per conversion is. Knowing how much we’re spending for conversions is a key indicator in figuring out whether the campaign is working in our favor or if some tweaking needs to be done. On a separate note, since I like attention, I satisfy that craving with engagement metrics.

Favorite word? 
Rad. Can you tell where I’m from?

Least favorite word? 
Deserve. We don’t deserve clients, customers, sales, press attention, and reputation. We earn them. We must keep earning that trust by being great partners with our clients and diligently working to help them succeed.

What profession other than marketing would you like to attempt? 
It’s going to seem like I’m cheating off Megan’s blog post, but being an astrophysicist or astronaut would be my career choice in another life. I’m a huge space nerd and have always found physics to be extremely interesting. Astronomy and physics are my favorite branches of science. Not going to lie, I’m kind of jealous of SpaceX’s “Starman” who is cruising around the cosmos in a Tesla Roadster.

What’s the best thing about our line of work? 
No day is dull or the same. I’m stoked to be working alongside an awesome team of dedicated, creative, smart, and hilarious people. I love working with a diverse array of clients and helping them achieve their marketing and PR goals.

Tell me two truths and a lie. 
I’m ambidextrous. I only need to travel to Africa and Antarctica to visit all continents by age 30. I’m from California.

Learn more about me! Check out my full bio here or take a look at my LinkedIn profile here. And if you have any guesses about which statement is my lie, send us a tweet.

Beginning something new is one of my favorite things to do. Especially, right after I ring in the new year. Everyone is energized, enthusiastic, and ready to start something, anything.

That exactly how I felt when I commenced my final semester at the University of Cincinnati and my new position at O’Keeffe. For the foreseeable future I will be here soaking up all things public relations and content marketing. This isn’t my first internship, but hopefully it will be my last before I graduate this spring. Here’s what you should know about me…

Why did I choose this industry? 
Technically, I didn’t. It choose me (corny, I know). I study Communication, Economics and Public Relations because I love learning about people, their behaviors and why they make certain choices. When I landed a great co-op in 2016 working as a marketing intern under Megan Smale, I found that Marketing allowed me to do all those things and more. So, I haven’t looked back since.

Favorite marketing tool? 
Hootsuite, because not all millennials like to be on social media twenty-four seven. Being able to schedule out social media content for weeks or even months ahead of time is organization at its finest. My favorite thing about this is being able to sit back and watch my social media plan unfold, mwahaha.

Favorite thing to read? 
Right now, it’s Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students. It’s given me a new appreciation for how words are presented and made me even more detailed orientated. What the point of writing something beautiful if no one can read it clearly?

My spirit animal?
It’s gregarious, colorful, and likes to dance, can you guess what it is?

You can learn a little more about me here. Know what my spirit animal is? Send us a tweet!

I love year-end holidays. It starts around Thanksgiving when everyone tries to squeeze in their remaining vacation days, and continues through New Year’s Day. Offices are virtually deserted. Yesterday morning, while manning my post in the office like a good soldier, I received two emails, both from co-workers informing me they were going to work from home. Perfect. Continue reading “Time to Plan The Perfect Plan”