Been a really tough day professionally. Received this message via an email list I subscribe to www.friendsofjeff.com which I joined at the urging of a client of ours who is on the Forbes 400 list.  Today was a day I really enjoyed it…

“Many people die at twenty five and aren’t buried until they are seventy five.”-  Benjamin Franklin

Do you remember the sense of awe and inspiration you felt with the world as a young child?  Perhaps you cannot remember simply because it has been forever and a day since you have felt that way.  In this case, observe the small child chasing butterflies or playing with an empty box.  They squeal for joy and entertain themselves for hours with such trivia that we say to ourselves, “I wish I could be that easily entertained!”  You might have outgrown the box and the butterflies, but life is still a daring pursuit and a hilarious adventure, if you will let it be so.

There are two things that will keep a person young and alive- the fire of a burning dream, and the ability to laugh at life. The dream that burns the brightest in my soul is for my message of optimism and hope to reach the world at large; for my suffering to have a positive reason for being.  If you’ve quit dreaming and quit laughing, you’ve quit living. Resurrect yourself. Rekindle the fire and laugh until it hurts. Otherwise, they might as well start shoveling the dirt on top of you now.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Random musings from a NYC PR guy -

As the owner of a Public Relation agency, I realize that the PR business is ‘go-go-go’ all of the time; it is hard to find opportunities to reflect, an opportunity to lament on an NYC August day. It is hard work all of the time and, to make it in this business, resiliency, hard work and persistence are necessities.

I am quite proud of our read and react PR programs. Part of garnering media results is continually checking the news, and when something happens, coming up with an angle that fits, and getting the client quoted.

I was cleaning up some emails, and came across this inspiring article by Jay-Z, which is an interesting read for self-made entrepreneurs of any kind.  A truly inspiring piece:

http://www.menshealth.com/men/best-life/career-money/jay-zs-secrets-for-personal-success/article/ebb1b36e20405210vgnvcm10000030281eac

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

When I twitter so regularly, I find myself not blogging as much.

Some random thoughts:

People (unfortunately) hate winners.  Accidentally came across this study and wasn’t surprised at all.
Wish it was different. I love to win !

Website “design” is a lot less important than SEO friendly design.  I remain amazed at how few Public Relations folks understand the importance behind key words, search words and the like.

Public Relations in 2009 and 2010 will continue to be about business development, not just brand development.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

I remember as a kid watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a movie about a High School wise guy who cuts school and gets into various teenage adventures around Chicago. A central issue in the movie was trust – between parents and their kids and schools and its students. Clearly in today’s A.D.D. generation, such a thing could never happen as the new media world now allows everyone to serve as “citizen journalists.” Videos and messages, via YouTube and Twitter, would be everywhere before anyone could feign illness at home.

This post came to me after a few simple weekend observations:

Dining alone at a mid-tier Japanese restaurant on a leisurely Sunday afternoon, the woman next to me was served the wrong order twice. She told the servers that she planned to post to the Internet how bad the restaurant was and relay this experience to everyone she knows.  While she was telling the truth, what’s to stop others from spreading lies?

A couple was in line behind me at an amusement park joking about a friend who was fired because someone else posted inappropriate pictures of him smoking marijuana to the Internet on a day he was supposed to be working.  People can “tag” photos without permission.

A close friend is firing an employee today because he discovered the employee twitters and blogs every hour while at work and on his payroll. His reasoning: “Why am I paying someone to twitter instead of work for me?”

Many questions still remain and I believe they will continue to evolve along side these changing forms of communication.

Amazingly, by 10 AM Tuesday post Labor Day we have eight new business leads, all of which have materialized since close of business Friday. While I am far from optimistic that the economy is close to recovery, there has definitely been a slight uptick in people’s interests in marketing and PR programs.

Post-Labor Day, summer is really gone in NYC – Musings from a PR Agency.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

I admittedly haven’t blogged as much as I’d like to the last few weeks. Day to day work and traveling has worn me down. I’ve been posting a lot at Twitter, which regrettably means less blogging.

Some random musings:

1:  While Goldman Sachs received negative press this week for reportedly “telling employees to tone down their spending,” I thought it wise on their part. If employees do not heed wise messages from their CEO, I believe they should rightfully be disciplined. Much like Mafia movies where characters are told to watch their spending, Wall Street today is under intense scrutiny. Business people have to be careful to not become the poster boys for gluttony and greed. In today’s world, a black card is something to be hidden rather than flaunted.

2: The communications industry remains confused about where the business world needs us most.  After multiple discussions with CEO’s from other PR Agencies, I think many don’t realize that clients need us now more than ever.  PR is a relatively light expense, but it can greatly impact SEO, consumer confidence, brand messaging and shape public perceptions. I believe it requires more focus and precise targeting than ever before. Clients demand more… but there is ample opportunity if we look in the right place.

Lastly, I remain confused as to why more of my colleagues don’t utilize blogs or twitter.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR