Philo Ventures’ Post

"Home" carries a lot of meaning. It can represent family, friends, comfort, safety, warmth, accomplishment and a sense of belonging. Home doesn’t just represent where you physically live – it can also be where you feel most welcome throughout life, whether it’s at summer camp, college, in a professional networking group or in the workplace. I’ve always thrown myself head-first into my job over the years. I care deeply about the work I do and how it contributes to the company’s mission. When I feel “at home” in the workplace, I not only perform better but am also a happier, healthier human being. If you're in a place where you don’t feel you belong, it can adversely impact your life outside of work. While looking for my next role, I paid special attention to what kind of culture a company had, the quality, integrity & kindness of the people, how they talked about & treated their team, and whether their core values were not just written on the wall but actually show up in how people operate. Of all the companies I talked to, one stood above the rest: Lennar. Some of you may ask, “Who?” and, honestly, I hadn’t heard of Lennar when they reached out. But, as my philosophy was to be open to new opportunities, I talked to them. And they checked every single box above. Not to mention that they are a 70-year old, Fortune 150 company that's been public since before I was born. Lennar... - Not only builds thousands of high quality homes every year all over the U.S. – a huge need in the current housing crisis – but also makes them attainable for first-time homebuyers. - (Quietly) gives a tremendous amount back to the communities they serve, through the Lennar Foundation, because it’s the right thing to do. - Truly cares about its Customers and “Associates” (what they call their employees, many of whom have been there 30+ years!), and about being on the cutting edge of how technology can transform the home building industry. On April 1, I officially joined the company as SVP, Communications, and am commuting from Brooklyn to Miami, where Lennar is based (I buried the lede!), until I fully relocate with my family this summer. Leaving New York after more than 25 years is a huge change – and I will miss it – but my family and I are excited to embark on a new adventure in the sun. In just three weeks at Lennar, I already feel like I’ve found my home, hopefully for many years to come. The people are warm and welcoming, the company is doing work that is both impressive and mission-driven, I can build within a well-resourced, stable organization, and I believe I’ll be able to make a lasting impact. Thanks to Olivia Witmer & Emma Putre at Daversa and Drew Holler, my amazing new boss, for believing I was the right person for the job – I’m honored to be part of the Lennar family!

Today I had lunch with Boston PR legend, Jack Agnew, and Nancy McGee, a life-long friend I made when we both worked at Jack's PR agency: Agnew, Carter, McCarthy (ACM). We met 28 years ago. Jack, Lew Carter and Terry McCarthy (RIP) ran one of the marquee agencies in the region, representing brands such as Ocean Spray, Polaroid, Hasbro, The Boston Globe and its eponymous Jazz Festival, Gorton's (of Gloucester), Ronzoni (the Tri-State Area's favorite pasta once upon a time), Feld Entertainment / Ringling Brothers, and the Women's Tennis Association. Doors opened for Jack. ACM was sold to MSL (Global) in 1998, when Jack was then a spry 58-years-old. He's now 88. NOTE: The beard is part of his preparation for appearances as Santa Claus at events this winter 🤷🏼♂️ I've never seen him unshaven before today. Jack, Lew and Terry gave me two opportunities that set the course of my career and life: 1. A senior role managing PR for multiple Polaroid lines of business; 2. The chance to start a tech practice; then an emerging specialty. That was a risk for a consumer agency to take on a 20-something me. And I learned so much from them and the process of starting a technology PR practice. For that, I thank you, Messrs. Agnew and Carter. Nancy and I bonded over a shared appreciation for the importance of punctual, accurate time sheets (she was the No. 2 in the Finance Department) - a homemade sign above my desk read "Billing is Being" - and jazz. Plus, we just gel. Long gaps go by when we don't see one another, sadly. But when we get together, it's as though we were never apart. So...this post isn't about insight, innovation, market drivers and such. It's acknowledgement of good people who matter. Good, genuine people who more than make up for the scads of schmucks out there. #publicrelations #pr #pragency #marketingcommunication #corporatecommunications #techmarketing #techpr #workfriends #mentoring #mentorship #mentor #agencylife #careergrowth #careerreflection #careerreflections #techmarketing #agencylife #bostonbusiness

Today's spotlight is Adelyn Biedenbach who is the Vice President: Communications for the Florida Panthers. Adelyn joined the organization in 2013 and has grown from a coordinator to her current role as a VP 👏 1) Where do you feel you've grown the most as a professional since joining the Panthers? Wow, great question! It will be 10 years for me in August and I am grateful for every shift! I have learned a lot about myself and my work style, my leadership style, how to lead a team throughout exciting times and slow times and am just so excited to see the Panthers be in an amazing position heading into the 30th anniversary season. 2) What steps do you feel teams and leagues can take to ensure they're staying ahead of the curve in the communications world? Consume, consume, consume! You can't be a good writer, communicator or marketer without reading a ton, listening a lot and experiencing what's out there. I think teams, leagues and anyone looking to succeed in a role should dedicate a portion of their day every day to news, current events and what's going on in their industry and other industries who are leading the way. 3) What has been your favorite story or player to cover since starting your career? I've been lucky to have worked with many! I think this past year, hosting the 2023 All Star Game at FLA Live Arena and having our hometown Matthew Tkachuk as All Star MVP was a lot of fun. You could tell how much it meant to our hometown Florida crowd! 4) If you had to give a piece of advice to recent graduates hoping to work in sports, what would you say? I would say, say yes! Say yes to reaching out to folks in the industry you want to be in, alumni from your school who have followed similar paths, yes to that opportunity that might be far from home or out of your comfort zone because it's how you'll break in to the sports world and how you will learn about yourself. 5) Where do you feel the aspect of sports communication has changed the most over the past few years? Not the last few years, more like the last 20, but the 24-hour news cycle and just constantly being aware and on-call. Social media platforms like Twitter are so important to sports communicators to get real-time information and when there's change there, that changes how we do our jobs. 6) If you were making the game-day playlist for the Panthers, what is one song you'd make sure to include? haha! Luckily this is NOT one of my responsibilities. But for right now, I would add the new summer jam 'Good Girls on Vacation' by Flo Rida. Just because.

Terrific read from Michael Patino about the increasing importance and evolution of #corporateaffairs leadership roles, how #corporatecommunications teams are leveraging #artificialintelligence, and why leaders must be #transparent in these polarizing times when communicating with employees and key stakeholders.

How do you add color to an announcement that feels stodgy? Good corporate storytelling is the foundation for effective media relations, community engagement, and brand advocacy. It’s a hard thing to do well in the best of times, and it can feel particularly difficult when you’re trying to share news that, at first blush, might seem a bit uninspiring. So how do you give it a bit of sparkle? First, give it a full-body checkup to identify what’s newsworthy about it. For example, is it timely, unexpected, relevant, or impactful? Is there a human interest angle? If the answer is none of the above, there are a few approaches you can take: - Connect this announcement with the last one by finding a common thread that helps you tell a story about your company’s winning business strategy. - Share data that demonstrates an industry need for your announcement. - Bolster your story with momentum numbers and usage milestones that demonstrate growth and leadership. - Leverage customers to tell the story of your impact. - Where possible and relevant, build it on a contrarian take. Everyone loves a bit of tension! What other approaches have worked for you? #communications #publicrelations

We’re so excited about today’s “5 Things” feature!! We‘re joined by Muck Rack’s amazing Senior Director of Communications & Community, Linda Zebian! Tap into the 5 Things Linda wishes she knew before starting her career. Linda currently leads Muck Rack’s communications strategy, overseeing messaging, media relations, social media, employee communications, partnerships, and events. She joined Muck Rack as the inaugural Director of Communications in January 2022, after nearly a decade at The New York Times in escalating communications roles, culminating as Executive Director. Previously, she was a communications associate at Consumers Union, managing media relations for Consumer Reports magazine. Linda began her career as a reporter for Folio, covering the magazine media industry, and later managed conference programming for Red 7 Media. Here are the 5 insights she shared with us: 🔑 PR isn't one thing 🔑 If you're questioning if your language could offend someone, that's your red flag to change it. 🔑 People won't understand the value of your work unless you tell them. 🔑 Just because someone is in a leadership role doesn't mean they're comfortable doing media 🔑Use active language when sharing coverage Swipe to check out all of Linda’s insights and let us know what resonates the most! You can also read her insights here: https://lnkd.in/e_Z4dV7F What is one thing you wish you knew when you first started? ⬇️ #prinsights #communicationsinsights #mentorship #5ThingsPRGM

Public Relations is a lot like baseball. At least it used to be. There was a time when we all strived to make the perfect "pitch". And getting a "hit" was all in a day's work. We called it "earned media" and some still do. So much has changed, and yet so much hasn't. The media landscape we once relied on to engage with stakeholders is a fragment of what it used to be. But we still need to share ideas that earn the attention of stakeholders, regardless of the media channel. And we still need to make "the pitch." Yes, there may be a pitch clock - both in baseball and PR the game needs to move faster. But the fundamentals are still the same. And maybe the pressure and responsibilities of those "in the game" are, too. The great Roger Angell once wrote, "What really makes baseball so hard is it's retributive capacity for disaster if the smallest thing is done wrong, and the invisible presence of defeat that attends every game." And the legendary Arthur Page, for whom the Page Society is named, is believed to have said we should, "Conduct public relations as if the whole company depended on it." Perhaps baseball and PR are more similar than we thought. Time to play ball. Opening Day is March 28th - if you're a New York Mets fan and still believe, as we do at The Bliss Group, like this post.

I want to share a story about returning to work after the birth of my first child. I always had a feeling I would be the kind of mom who would return to work sooner than most. The truth is, I really enjoy working. I have always known this, but I became even more keenly aware of it after my business was acquired a few years ago. When I exited, I took a partial sabbatical while I considered my next move. This was hard for me. I don’t always thrive in stillness, but years of burnout and disillusionment with my profession had taken their toll. I needed a break badly. In all honesty, I never expected to return to the industry. I explored a few new and different opportunities, but they never quite hit the mark. It wasn’t until I was pregnant that I started to think about a return to the PR industry. This was an unexpected development, but as time went on, I started to gain clarity on the things that really mattered to me in my work: freedom, collaboration, creativity, and leadership. For the first time, I began to miss the field I turned my back on. About six months after my daughter was born, I was hungry to get back to work. I really enjoyed my maternity leave, but I knew that I needed some variety in my days and that being totally off work for much longer would make me antsy. I needed something just for me, something that would fill my cup and help me be the best possible parent. I started to get a sense of the job market. I applied for a few in-house roles for which I was extremely qualified and anxiously mentioned I was returning from maternity leave in my cover letters. I didn’t get a single response. I was already nervous about returning to work after an extended break, and this didn’t help. I spoke to a few trusted advisors, colleagues and friends to get their insight. At the urging of Tak Yukawa, I started to think about returning to agency life. He introduced me to Maxine Jakubke at PUBLiSH Partners. One email introduction all of a sudden became an incredible offer that included working remotely, a gradual return to entry, and the chance to do the meaningful work I craved. More importantly, it gave me the gift of being a present mom for my daughter, which is undoubtedly the greatest perk of all. I am so grateful to work for a company that celebrates women and mothers. Imagine the world today if every workplace did the same. I hope that world is one my daughter gets to experience in her lifetime.

What do you love most about your job? For me, it’s digging deep into people’s stories and finding out what makes them tick. What is their inspiration? Why did they choose this path? What got them where they are now? Who has influenced them along the way? I interviewed Magic Rock Brewing Co. founder, Richard Burhouse, at The FILClub recently. He was so open and honest about his journey in business and the challenges he’s faced, but also transparent about some of his success, simply being down to good timing. The audience was so engaged because of his authenticity. He shared his story openly and honestly, and on a level with everyone listening. Do that in your business comms, and you’re on to a winner. #pr #communications #marketing

Direct Impact is thrilled to welcome Senior Account Executive Kate Bellino to the team! Before joining DI, Kate spent over two years leading national and local strategic communications and press relations for a United States Senator on Capitol Hill. Originally from Colorado, Kate has called Washington D.C. home since 2020. Kate enjoys being home with her husband and German shepherd/husky mix, tending to their house plants or devouring a good book.   Get to know Kate below!   What was your very first job? My first job was as a backwaiter at a country club when I was 16. I had backed into my dad’s brand-new truck and needed to find a way to pay for the damage. I paid off the damages in two paychecks but ended up staying with the club for years, touching every position of operations through the various stages of school and early college years before pursuing the first of several career interests.   What is your biggest piece of advice for people coming up in the media and communications industry? Be curious and try everything! From daily clips and media list maintenance to reporter interactions, pitch decks and more, every part of the process involved in media and communications is integral to creating and executing a strong and successful communications strategy and PR campaign. Every part of the process is important so say yes to as many opportunities as you can -- you will develop different skills with each task that will only make you stronger and more confident wherever you land in the media and communications world, and beyond.   Why do you think local matters?   No one knows the unique needs and priorities of communities better than the folks living and working in these communities. Now, more than ever before, local is what people turn to, believe and trust in, so engaging in grassroots advocacy and hyperlocal PR campaigns is a necessary strategy to have the biggest impact on even the smallest of communities.