I Faught the Law and... I WON!

On January 13, 2009 I was given a ticket outside of my house, while I had my parking permit displayed. I was supposed to pay $40 to the City or come into the Courthouse to set a Court Date so I could come back in and contest my ticket. I could only go in between 9-3 Monday-Friday. Naturally, I was a bit troubled since I didn't want to use time off of work to fix something that shouldn't have happened. However, when I called the ticket office, for two weeks I never got a call back.

So, I decided to make a fuss. I just wanted someone to tell me I was out of luck or totally not responsible for paying. No one was responding. I e-mailed the County Board, the local newspapers, the local TV stations, the Treasurer and the Police. I heard back the very next day. Surprise surprise. After speaking with two different City Sergeants my ticket was dismissed and I was a happy camper.

My Letter to the Editor was published and a few days later I received a call from the Treasurer saying I slandered his name... (never used his name and only said his Office was unresponsive). So weird. SO WEIRD. I wrote a thank you note to the paper, thanking the officers and mentioning the phone call.

Lesson from all of this: never give up. Make a fuss if you need to but know that some people are going to make a fuss back! Oh well. I won!!

Broadcasting the Office

Does your office have a YouTube page? What about a Twitter account? Facebook Fan page? 

For all of the Public Relations and Advertising firms out there telling clients to "get online" and "use social media", many aren't as good at practicing what they preach. In my humble opinion, an agency who urges their client to "be online", yet doesn't even stick a toe into the deep end of social media, is like a dentist with bad breath. 

Luckily, I've been fortunate to work for two companies who "get it". That's rare because it's difficult for a company to find their online identity. If you're working somewhere that hasn't even tried yet, I'd recommend suggesting it. You'll get kudos for thinking outside the box and, in the long run, having a presence in social media can turn into a revenue builder when done correctly. It may take a while, though, because finding a balance between sharing too much and not enough information is difficult. 

Here are my very broad suggestions for what companies can do to break the social media ice:

1) Find out if any of your employees are online and what mediums they find most useful. If they are avid Twitterers (tweeters, if you will) then entering the Twittersphere will be easy with their guidance.

2) Don't join every social network. Not all of them are relevant to your industry and some are just plain weird. For a PR and advertising firm, I recommend joining Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to start.

Why those three? 

• Well, Twitter is simple to learn and even simpler to maintain. All you do is enter 140 characters worth of industry advice, client news and/ or employee acheivements. You can follow competitors, freelancers, reporters and industry leaders to share ideas and spread the company name. 
  
• YouTube gives your company an instant channel for broadcast clippings and clever videos. While having a YouTube channel may not bring in loads of new business, I guarantee the next great person you interview is Googling your company's name and, if you have some cool content on YouTube for them to view, you just got another check in your "pro" column.
• A Facebook page for your company allows employees, past and present, to connect and share. If you create a "fan page" with your work, your clients will be impressed by your online presence and "know how". Because Facebook advertising and PR targeting is effective and still rather new, a Facebook page illustrates that your company is a pioneer and can lead future clients and employees to the social media realm.

3) Monitor Monitor Monitor! Remember that social media is a conversation. So if you're posting content, people can post replies. Be sure to monitor what people are saying about your company and reply when relevant. Never delete negative feedback and alway encourage and thank those who offer positive feedback. 

Finally, here are some examples of the social media practices my current and past employers have created...

Susan Davis International has a Facebook group, a YouTube page and a Twitter Account. Before I came on staff they won the honor of being one of the Top Six Small PR Firms in the Nation by PRNews. This video was produced as a result and is now posted on YouTube (and below)

"A Day in the Life at Susan Davis International"

Seventh Point Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations gave me my first job. They were 

very open to my social media ideas, though when I was there we only implemented them 

for clients. I'm glad to see that they're online presence has grown and I think they're doing 

great. I was just invited to be a fan of Seventh Point on Facebook and they have a bunch of 

videos on YouTube, including this video which shows the preparations for their Annual Client 

and Staff "Santa Night". This event is huge and their clients love it. Basically, their Courier 

dresses up as Santa and the Art Department decorates the office to look like a different 

Winter Wonderland each year.

Check it out...

Habitat Saturday

This Saturday, Boyfriend and I carpooled up to Baltimore, MD at 6:30 a.m. to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. I wasn't sure what we'd be doing but was promised that there would be heat wherever we were so I was down.

We arrived at the Chesapeake Habitat Headquarters at around 7:40 a.m. One of Boyfriend's classmates did two years of AmeriCorps service there, so that's why we drove so far. Boyfriend also did one year of AmeriCorps service for Habitat, but served in the International Headquarters Office in the booming Metropolitan Center that is Americus, GA. 

Once we signed our waivers we were off to the build sites. We were told that over 16,000 homes in Baltimore are vacant. Having a vacant home in a neighborhood causes property value to go down because of crime, pests and deterioration. The neighborhoods we went to, though, were almost all vacant. I'd never seen anything like it. Such a beautiful historic district was boarded up, with trash filling up some vacant lots and make-shift thrift stores filling up others. What I found interesting though is that these houses we are building don't get "given away". They are made for people living above the poverty level in Baltimore (making $17-24,000) but don't make enough to afford a regular mortgage. 

We showed up and were immediately put to work. Boyfriend and I knocked out two windows, including the frames, from a nice row-house. Then our team (three men and me) cleaned up and swept out the trash and dust from that house. We moved down the block to the next house, which needed much more work than the first. I was immediately put to work nailing in framework. I'm not a girly girl but it's been quite a while since I was required to really swing a hammer (2 and a half years, in fact. On the very mission trip where Boyfriend and I met). I was taught how to hold the hammer and get a good swing in. Then they let me at it. I built three frames for the walls and it felt great. Not physcially. Physically it hurt like Hell and I'm still stiff and sore. It felt great knowing I was helping built a house for a family in need. It felt great that I learned a new skill and stuck with it long enough to excel. It felt great to let out aggression on bent nails and knotted wood. 

We had a quick lunch break and worked until 3:30 p.m. then cleaned up and journeyed back. I'm not going to lie and say I felt awesome at the end of the day. I felt defeated by work and pooped. But my spirits were high and they still are. I highly recommend volunteering at your local Habitat affiliate. You don't have to know ANYTHING about building things. They train you on the site. 

But, a word to the wise: keep your gloves on the whole time or you'll be sure to break a nail. Trust me...

Caption: Neighborhood in Baltimore, located on Jefferson Street, where we worked on Saturday. Picture taken from Chesapeake Habitat Web site.

Famous Momma

My mom was on TV yesterday. WTKR in Norfolk came to her school to see the reaction's of the kids and wanted to talk to my mom, the teacher sitting on the floor with them singing along with Aretha. I love it. 

Inauguration

President Barack Obama, waving to his Nation. Taken by Meghan Sager, January 20, 2009.

Pictures from Inauguration- Meggie Poo

So I'm back from Inauguration. My experience was humbling, crowded, loud and happy. The crowds were the most joyous I've ever been in and, surprisingly, well controlled. DC Police and Metro helped the large crowds get around well, at least where I was.

I wasn't able to tweet live from my @meggiepoo account like I thought because the network was busy. I did post all the tweets I tried to get through after the fact though.

The worst part: how excruciatingly numb my toes got. It was disgusting. I told my cousin Eric that if I needed prostethic toes he would help me pay. Luckily it didn't get that far. We bought some hot pocket warmers for $5 (total rip off) while waiting in line. Mine didn't work. Eric's did. So I took his. Then the ones I took stopped working, and his started. So I took his again. This cycle went on the entire time. He's a gentleman!

We arrived at around 7:30 a.m. and were seated by 8:30 a.m. That left a lot of time for sitting sitting and more sitting. But then, my favorite activity was able to happen... CELEBRITY SPOTTING!!! I saw four bonifide celebrities: Wyclef Jean, Sicily Tyson, Don King and Forrest Whitaker. And yes, I did go paparazzi on them. At one point someone in front of us yelled "OPRAH!" so Eric and I stood on our chairs for a good 10 minutes trying to see her. We didn't.

Then the Boys and Girls Choir of San Francisco started singing, and the Inauguration began. It was amazing, and I hope you all got a chance to see it for yourself. I'll try and upload my official invite and ticket this weekend, since they're really cool.

In the mean time, thanks for reading, and know that the only reason I'm able to write so freely is because of our great Nation.

Obamarama

Hey folks, tomorrow I will be at the Inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama. To check in on what's going on through my eyes, visit http://www.twitter.com/meggiepoo. I plan on tweeting live and maybe even taking some pics to upload to my twitter page. However, if my cell reception is blocked out my the 2 million people trying to do the same, then I'm outta luck.

Here's a picture of where I'm sitting. It's the Orange Section 10 and I think we're in seats 200 something. I've marked an X where I think my seats are. I'm so excited to be going to this historic event. But I may be more excited about the possibility of running into Beyonce. Is that bad? 

Thoughts from 2009... so far

Hello friends, in an effort to blog about what's been going on in my life while I was taking a blogging hiatus, "bliatus" if you will, I've decided to write short summaries of the topics that have been on my mind lately. 

Twitter versus Blogging

I've been tweeting much more than blogging lately. I think the time commitment is much more fitting for me than sitting down to think through a blog post. Check me out here http://www.twitter.com/meggiepoo. I'm going go Inauguration on Tuesday with my cousin Eric so I'll try to tweet news, opinion and pictures. I'll also share the pictures and video I take with my digital camera when I get back.

Office No-no's

- A few friends of mine have been experiencing difficulties with co-workers lately. For one, the lines between upper management and employees have blurred so much that the confidential company information exchanged in meetings has disseminated down to the staff and caused confusion and large amounts of gossip. And I'm not just talking about "we're ordering a new type of water filter for the office Brita" kind of info. This is information about the status of people's employment and their reviews. Isn't that shameful? Peeps- don't get too nosey into the office business that doesn't involve you. It's awkward, rude and in some cases illegal.

- Speaking of illegal, another friend's HR rep has been sharing an employee's review and medical information at the lunch table. This rep also told employees she was entitled to say whatever she wants to them because she was HR. Where do these people come from?

Washington Women in PR- teaching us how to balance work and life

The Annual Meeting for Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) was on January 13, 2009 at the Arts Club of Washington. It's a beautiful venue that I didn't even know existed. This lunch went through official WWPR business and then hosted a panel of women talking to us about the struggles of balancing their personal and professional lives. Though the conversation focused on balancing your children and husband with work, many of the tactics and advice given could be transferred into other situations (i.e. boyfriend, ill relative, travel, pets, etc.). The #1 piece of advice I took from this event was to surround yourself with a support system. If you have people you can call on when you're in need, and return the favor when you can, your life will be much easier. It's hard to try and gauge how much time you should dedicate to your job and how much time you need to spend with loved ones, but remaining flexible should help all of us keep our priorities straight.

Social Media Club- DC, Government 2.0

Another networking event I attended last week (January 14) was Social Media Club DC's first meeting in 2009. This meeting had a panelist of government communicators discussing, debating and offering suggestions on how to improve the transparency and process of social media in our government. I was incredibly impressed with the ideas offered and the panelists. #1 thing I took away from this meeting: staying current and up to date with the latest in social media will get you far with a small niche of people, being able to teach the older versions (yes, Facebook is now an older platform) to your supervisors, while setting up a process to use them in your workplace, is truly how social media will be successful in our government.

And finally... is chivalry dead? 

Why do I ask? In the past three weeks, the only people I've seen give up their seat on the Metro for someone elderly or pregnant have been women. Many young men sit there with their iPods playing the latest and their Blackberries beeping from very important messages while people who are obviously having troubles standing on the sometimes turbulent Metro train are practically bumping into them. I'm not saying that men are the only ones who should give up their seats. Women should too. I give mine up quite often. However, I've only seen ladies doing it lately. 

I hope you all have a fabulous week. Hopefully I'll post an update later this week on Inauguration.

And today's letter is...

Last week, Megan with Wandering DC played the "I love the following 10 things that begin with the letter ___" game and I asked to join in. She gave me the letter "N". So, without further ado, the 10 things I love that begin with the letter "N" are:

1) Nineteen- This number turns up somewhere in my new address. I love my new house and my wonderful roommates. People often say that I'm lucky for finding a place and people so nice to live with, but it wasn't luck it all. We all tried really hard to get exactly what we want... and we got it.
2) Noses- This was one of the first things I thought about when given my letter "N" assignment. I don't really love noses that much, they're good. We breathe through them so that's cool. Next...
3) Nice People- I LOVE nice people. People who get up for elderly/ pregnant people on the Metro. People who say "excuse me". People who smile and use understanding. Love it.
4) Nicknames- I love the nicknames that people have given to me. They're out of love, and they include: Meghead, Big Head, Meggie Poo (duh), Mego, Megs, Megalicious, QUEEN, Meggers, OFB, Bidget, Beavis, Pooker, Pickle, Baby Duck, Squeaks, and many more.
5) (K)noxville- The K is silent so it counts. My sister and brother in law live there, along with their giant dog Tucker and snobby cat Mia. So whenever I go to Knoxville I have a blast. I love my family. If I had "F" as a letter, family would be #1 on the list. 
6) Naps- They're amazing. A 20 minute snooze of two hour catchup, I think naps are the most under-appreciated tools American employers ignore.
7) Nature- Who doesn't love nature? I only met one person, my friend Lori who would tell us in college that she didn't want to go outside because then she'd smell like grass.
8) Nerds- The candy and the people. I relate to both. Especially the purple ones.
9) Nintendo- Wii! And 64! and Old School! Classics! 
10) Nightgowns- specifically pajama pants.