I have some news…

A little over a year ago, I co-founded energi PR. I was looking to start something new.  What I didn’t realize then was that my dream was to work pretty much exclusively in social media.

I wanted social to be the core.

So, after many sleepless nights and lots of deliberation, I’ve decided to make a change. A big one for me both professionally and personally. (more…)

The energi team is Aces

Wednesday was the annual CPRS Toronto ACE awards – celebrating the best PR programs of the 2010.  As president, I have the honour and pleasure of congratulating the recipients and handing out the awards. Special thanks to the committee for a wonderful and streamlined event, meaning I didn’t slow down the process posing for photos with all the winners. (Last year, it took me a week to wipe the silly grin off my face .)

This year’s gala had a double meaning for me.  I was excited to present energi PR with our first award – a gold for media relations for our client Astellas’ Pharma’s community, The Powder Room.   (more…)

So what happened in 2010?

Well… for me a lot. (more…)

Counselors Academy 2010 – Twitter notes

Last year, after live-tweeting from Counselors Academy’s annual conference, I noticed my Twitter feed had become my notes for the sessions. So I used them in a blog post to capture the flavour of the event.

Counselors is, as I’ve said many times, my PR highlight of the year. If you run an agency, it’s a gathering like no other. And, if you haven’t been there before, it’s hard to describe the  exhilarating energy of being in a room with so many bright people, most of whom share your interests, challenges and entrepreneurial dreams.

I’ve made some of my best friends in PR at Counselors. In fact, that’s where I met my new business partners, Carol and Esther, and first had a chance to get to know them. Long before she and I had an inkling that we might be working together, Esther put my name forward as the Canadian rep on the executive committee.  So, I guess, energi PR has its roots in Counselors.

Here are 10 Twitter highlights from CA2010 in Asheville (in no particular order):

1. @bgindra: We learn visually, not by words; video stories are becoming more and more important.
2. @jaybaer: Many mobile developers have platforms that you can tweak and customize; you don’t need to start from scratch.
3. @jaybaer: Social media success factors: broaden your horizons, sell ingredients, not entrees, embrace math, adjust to 24/7.
4. @darrylsalerno: If the 1st and last letters of a word are in the right place, it’s hard to tell if it’s misspelled.
5. @darrylsalerno: 500 most used English words have 14,000 meanings.
6. @ambercadabra: We over complicate social media; it’s just communications. Need to get over our obsession w/ tools & focus on intent.
7. @ambercadabra: B/c social media was labelled media, we want to apply trad media metrics, which don’t work.
8. @elisemitch: When you’re building a biz you need to consider how you deal with change, both up and down.
9. @briansolis: Try writing story in 120 characters so it can be RT’d.
10. @briansolis: Today PR agencies function top to bottom; need to have most senior people on the frontlines.

Of course, there was so much more wonderful talk and ideas that weren’t captured in 140 or less – like the after-hours drinks and conversations, the Sorry game, the 60s banquet, prom-night in Ashville and, the wonderful southern hospitality of Justin Brackett. You can also read Gini Dietrich’s thoughts here, Abbie Fink’s musings or Dana Hughens‘ post for some other perspectives.

If you run an independent PR agency, it’s not too early to start thinking about Counselors 2011.

(Disclosure: I’m the conference co-chair.)

More energi… on Inside PR

It was a funny feeling – announcing our merger, creating a whole new energi, so to speak, and then having to rush off to Hamilton for two days; 15 hours of lectures/instruction at McMaster to a group of smart, local business people who wanted to learn about social media.

And while I enjoyed the sessions, I felt a bit dislocated being away from the action after the initial burst of merger excitement.  This week, neither Gini Dietrich nor I were able to record Inside PR. (Gini was injured on her bike but is OK; and you know about me.)

So I want to thank Joe Thornley, the other member of our triumvirate, for zooming solo and interviewing my new partners, Esther Buchsbaum and Carol Levine and giving them a chance to talk about our new venture and plans!

You can read Joe’s post or listen to Inside PR.

You’ll hear my take in podcast 2.07.