Get Ink DIY Blog

Spreadsheets - Love or Hate?

business public relations Jun 22, 2020

Do you love or hate spreadsheets?

To me, this is a purely rhetorical question. Like everyone else in their right mind, I DESPISE spreadsheets. With a passion. Opening Excel makes my skin itch and my face fall asleep. Could there be anything more boring and tedious? 

Okay, maybe bookkeeping or doing tax stuff… Am I right, or am I right?

(If you fall into the spreadsheet lover camp, good for you, weirdo! You probably already have a master spreadsheet that tracks more things than I can think of. I don’t know how you do it, but I have the utmost respect and maybe wish I could be just a little bit more like you...)

That being said, I actually do use spreadsheets, albeit reluctantly, because tracking is supercritical in PR as in every kind of business. I even have fancy PR software that is supposed to do it for me, but honestly, it leaves a lot to be desired, and I often find that it’s more effective to keep it simple (the Get Ink DIY mantra!) and set up a basic...

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Business as Usual, Almost

business inspiration May 23, 2020

 

The time we are going through has been called unprecedented, unusual, challenging, tough, devastating and so on. And it can be all of those things. Yet, change is the only constant in life. Life goes on, business goes on. (And as the wife of a restaurant owner I am not saying this lightly.) We will make it through this crisis.

Launching a new business during a global pandemic may seem counterintuitive, but in my line of work - public relations - the wheels don't stop turning. Magazines need to be produced, websites need to be filled with fresh content, and my job is to help the media do just that. So that's what I did. I finally launched my project to help interior designers do PR without spending a lot of time and money.

One positive of being locked down over months is that many people have taken the time to dig deep and think about what is valuable in their lives and careers and what is not. Plus, considering new strategies for business growth, like PR. As I know...

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The Temptations of the Pandemic

business public relations May 12, 2020

Turn on the radio, the TV (okay, not Netflix, TV news!), open any of your social media accounts, and you are flooded with articles and reports about the new coronavirus. It is of course a topic that is top of mind for all of us, as I am writing this at my kitchen table under "Safer at Home" orders from the Wisconsin governor. I haven't been to the grocery store in almost two weeks. My fridge and pantry have never been this empty, but at least I have enough toilet paper for another month or so...

As a PR and social media consultant, I am helping my clients navigate this time by creating messaging and content for employees and the media. Luckily all of them are considered essential businesses and can continue to operate, even if at a reduced capacity. I also help my husband run social media for his restaurant, which presents a whole other set of challenges.

The one thing all of them have in common is that we have to find a way to keep communicating and promoting our businesses in a...

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Done is better than perfect

business inspiration Apr 10, 2020

Lao Tzu said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” How many miles we'll go is yet to be determined but without taking the first step, we'll never know!

A couple of years ago, I had an idea - to create a program for interior designers that teaches them to do their own PR without spending bunches of time and money. And a way to help them enough to keep going and stay accountable. Everyone I talked with loved the idea and there definitely is a big need.

But then...

Life happened. I got really busy with client work while taking care of my three boys. And then, my husband opened a restaurant. He needed help because, yeah, restaurant!! 

My idea kept popping up and I kept color-coding my calendar to see where I could fit it in, but honestly, I had no energy left to start anything new.  As a multi-passionate person, I am always intrigued by a million different things, and as a recovering perfectionist, my goals can be a bit unrealistic.

(I can...

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