I always wake up and get going super early. When I arrive at work before the world begins, I find it is easier to be productive.

Today, I found myself sitting at my desk before 7:00 AM because I had an early interview on CNN American Morning in which I provided PR commentary on the Tiger Woods Brand.  Besides CNN, this week I appeared on CBS, ABC, Fox New York and have Fox Business, ABC, ESPN Radio and more interviews scheduled for later on today, all Tiger related.

I think the Tiger Woods brand will never return to where it was, but today is the start of re-building his image and brand. To date, he has received an F in how he handled this Public Relations debacle.

This week…

I had a slew of client meetings, executive changes, crisis management, and general activity.

Some new business meetings were great, some were good, and some otherwise.  We aren’t the right PR firm for everyone.  We will not always tell prospective clients or current clients they are right when we strongly believe they aren’t, and we will not simply follow marching orders.  We provide PR counsel, brand building advice and want great clients who want results and appreciate hard work.

I had two crisis communications new business meetings this week. I always leave time every week for last minute crisis PR.  It still amazes me that this boy from the Bronx will read stories about big name people, and 3 hours later they will call me and arrive in my conference room ready for counsel.

I went out 3 nights this week with clients, never arriving home before 10 PM.  Building and investing in important relationships for my PR agency are part and parcel of any business, but it’s tiring. In this economy particularly, we provide more than just traditional PR service.  It’s about being a good partner and keeping an eye on our clients business.

I am eagerly awaiting the weekend and some rest. It’s not easy… but it’s not supposed to be. Onward and upward…

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

It’s not easy being an entrepreneur.  Just finished a conference call with a client located in Washington, DC.  He lamented that he hasn’t received any mail this week and doesn’t think he will.  I commiserated with him in not understanding why February 15th (celebrated as Presidents Day), means mail wont be delivered.  Will bills be suspended that day, as many businesses like mine don’t receive checks and updates?  No mail delivery in an already short 20 day work month like February?

This is clearly something only an entrepreneur could understand and relate to (and being an entrepreneur myself aggravates me.)

In regards to the snow, yes of course we will work tomorrow.  Being an entrepreneur isn’t the same as being a civil servant. As long as newspapers are published and TV/news airs, this PR agency will be open to work very hard for our clients.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

During this morning’s monthly networking meeting at 5WPR, Laurence Haughton, a New York Times bestselling author, told an inspirational story that serves as a great lesson to entrepreneurs.

The story which captivated twenty of us:

In 1949, 13 firefighters lost their lives at Mann Gulch. In 1994, 14 more firefighters lost their lives under similar conditions at South Canyon. In both cases, these 23 men and four women were overrun by exploding fires when their retreat was slowed because they failed to drop the heavy tools they were carrying. By keeping their tools, they lost valuable distance that they could have covered more quickly if they had been lighter. All 27 perished within sight of safe areas. The question is, why did the firefighters keep their tools?

The imperative, “drop your tools or you will die,” is something businesses today should watch, and know.  “Dropping one’s tools is a proxy for unlearning, for adaptation, for flexibility, in short, for many of the dramas that engage organizational scholars,” according to Haughton.

Apparently, Karl E. Weich studied the conditions for smokejumpers during tragically difficult fires, and throughout interviews discovered that smokejumpers who survived very dangerous fires were those who dropped their equipment in the midst of the fire.  The smokejumpers who held onto their equipment were killed, and those who dropped their equipment survived.

Lesson for entrepreneurs:  Know when to drop heavy unnecessary baggage, and always be prepared to adapt to situations as they develop.

Interesting food for thought for this owner of a PR agency.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

·The morning got off to a slow start. At 9 am, I began back to back potential new hire interviews to fill five vacant mid-level positions at this PR firm. Thankfully, 2010 opened with a bang. A number of new client signings has left us short staffed and looking to bring talented PR pros on board

·After a brief client meeting, I headed to the monthly lunch I host at a client’s midtown restaurant.  Since I have established close contacts in many different industries, I like to bring people together regularly to meet. At this particular occasion, six clients including a high-profile publisher, two attorneys, a real estate developer and a few others joined me in a private dining room to discuss business opportunities.

·Like clock work, a client crisis emerged as I was leaving lunch. The CEO of a $100 million company called me with a serious issue, worried about potential PR backlash. We succeeded in keeping this potentially harmful story out of the media, at least for now.

·Then, I met with a travel client to discuss ongoing strategy and re-cap 2010PR results to date.

I always wish more hours would magically appear in a day.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

I am undoubtedly addicted to my blackberry, but it is a mandatory addiction for anyone who works in the Public Relations industry.  As I often tell clients, there are a million other tasks that need to be attended to simultaneously, making it nearly impossible for me to go two hours without checking email.

For example, if I miss a call from the media or my client misses their interview, “not available for comment” will be printed instead of our commentary. Like it or not, checking emails every few minutes is a necessary evil that prevents such an occurrence in the PR business.

Recent Book Recommendations

It is rare to find a successful Public Relations pro or business person in any industry for that matter who does not read regularly. With this in mind, I want to recommend two great books I have recently read – one focusing on professional development and the other personal development.

· For great business lessons, It’s Not What You Say… It’s What You Do – How Following Through at Every Level Can Make or Break Your Company by bestselling author Laurence Haughton is a must-read.

· For amazing lessons in personal growth and development, Garden of Emuna: A Practical Guide to Life is a book that “once you get your hands it, you won’t know how you ever lived without it.”

http://www.1800eichlers.com/Books-and-Sefarim/Emunah-&-Bitachon—Believe-&-Hope/Garden-of-Emuna-A-Practical-Guide-to-Life/p-388-1931-5230/

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Kudos to the public relations team at Apple for doing things their way. I read this article over the weekend, which discusses how Apple has closely guarded their message and brand, refusing to open up to the media.

I admire them for playing by their own rules and refusing to succumb to the pressure of outside sources.  Clearly, they realize that the media isn’t always a friend and can easily spin information negatively to create a titillating story that will sell.  Kudos yet again Apple!

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

This article ran in The New York Times over the weekend. It speaks about the MLB rookie camp, which brings together professional baseball’s brightest prospects for three days to prepare them for “life under the lights.” It is a must-read for all CEO’s and company leaders as there is also much non professional athletes can learn from this article – Success requires change and attention.

In today’s tech driven society, any speech or even off-handed discussion can be captured by a camera phone, or recording device, posted online, and then instantly registered on the Public Relations machine known as Google. These simple sound bites that may not have been intended for public viewing can easily be misinterpreted and distributed online where they will live for many years.

Among the lessons to be learned from this article — leaders across the board should be well-trained and prepared to speak publicly.  As a general rule, always ask if you are being recorded when making a public speech, and remember, in the world of PR, people who are paranoid will survive far longer.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR