“Honey, your man Tim is on!” I’d direct these words at my husband, but I knew that he was really my man Tim. And now he’s gone. I loved Tim Russert. I loved him almost as much as I love Jon Stewart, which is a lot. I spent every Sunday morning with Tim.

Typical scene: my husband and I in the kitchen making waffles for the kids (ensconced in the family room watching cartoons so there would be no interruptions during Tim time.) The TV in the kitchen is little and old, but Tim didn’t require hi def. We’d cheer him on as he’d dig into the politician or pundit du jour, never letting them off the hook. We loved watching them squirm and try to dodge Tim’s questions.

The latest one to get us going was the aptly-named Harold Ickes, refusing to answer certain questions from Tim about Ickes’ gal Hillary. Tim was masterful and always a delight to watch at work. It seemed like his panel of regulars had such a good time together. I have to believe that in large part was due to Tim’s obviously gregarious personality. Most of the usual gang participated in the tribute to Tim that aired on Sunday, lead by Tom Brokaw. It had some tear-jerk moments and some funny/strange ones (old video of Doris Kearns Goodwin popping out of a cake for Tim’s birthday??)

Like so many, I’ll be glued to the the Sunday morning slot to see what NBC does. In an article in the New York Times this morning, Bob Schieffer was quoted as saying NBC would need to hire four or five people to replace Tim. The names being bandied about provide interesting fodder for speculation but one thing’s for sure. They are big shoes to fill. And Sunday mornings just won’t be the same.

My husband and I were out walking our dogs with our friend Edie the other morning and passed a small table with a sign on it:

“DUDE! You do not realize how awesome this free table is. Owned previously by A. Jolie and B. Pitt. Can be seen in the background of Mr. & Mrs. Smith as well as Lara Croft: Tombraider. THIS TABLE IS AN UNPLEDGED SUPERDELEGATE! Take it now, you won’t regret it.”

I took it. I couldn’t resist the note. Without the note, I most certainly would have left the table on the sidewalk. I think Edie really wanted the table too, but I grabbed it and we hauled it back. We really wanted to grab the person who wrote the note. That unpledged superdelegate part is brilliant. I love great copy-writing and this person has the knack. Problem was, the table wasn’t in front of a particular place, so hard to tell where it came from. The mystery copywriter will remain just that, a mystery.

But this whole episode reminded my of something I read lately, an article about recycling junk. It’s surprising to me how many junk recyclers are in business around here and the kind of “junk” they recycle. Toilets and cubicles, yes, but koi? IReuse found a home for the koi at a school. The New York Times has an article in the home section about people remodeling their almost-new kitchens (they want the latest styles or whatever) and the companies that recycle those kitchens (to the tune of about $25,000 but it’s still recycling.) There are so many ways to get rid of stuff, there’s just no excuse for throwing something out that someone else might want. But don’t forget about the old fashioned way — sticking something out on the sidewalk. I suggest adding a really clever note. In fact, I have a play structure I’m trying to get rid of. Maybe I’ll give it a shot. Mystery writer, if you’re out there, feel free to give me a hand.

Environment

I’m borrowing from Thomas Mann, but it’s possibly more true today than when he said it 50+ year ago. Especially in this endless season of presidential politics, it seems like we’re surrounded. On the Democratic side, it doesn’t look like things will settle down for awhile. I’m sure we’ll be sick to death of it by this summer, but in general, I think having a choice is a good thing. If I lived in a state that had yet to hold its primary, I would want a choice. I’d probably be offended by people saying we need to unite around a single candidate right now. Yeah, the below the belt politics isn’t productive, but democracy is about choice, right?

If you’re in the tech business, it’s hard to miss the battle that’s going on between TechCrunch and DEMO. I won’t rehash it — just check the blogs (and here) to see where the lines are drawn. It comes down to money and power, just like politics. Different business models for sure, but they’re not in this for altruism. And that’s just fine with me. We advise companies on how and where to launch products, so I like the choice. I realize any company that’s engaged a PR firm like ours for its launch is probably not going to have a problem scraping together the fees for DEMO, but nonetheless, I like the idea of choosing from the launch platform that makes most sense. We certainly had that in the past with DEMO and PC Forum. Each had its own distinct vibe. And the fact that they were held at different times made it easier for a young company, antsy to get its product launched, to get out in the market at the right time. Different timing meant the companies stood a chance at rising about the noise in the press coverage that inevitably resulted from those events.

If I were an entrepreneur weighing TechCrunch50 and DEMO right now and trying to decide what to do, I’d be bummed. Not only is the audience fractured, but it will be even harder to get noticed in the flurry of coverage during those few days. A little breathing room would have given all of us a lot more choice.

Silicon Valley, Uncategorized

Last week I went to the annual fund-raising breakfast for Youth and Family Enrichment Services (YFES,) an organization that provides an incredible fabric of counseling, intervention, education and crisis services to families in San Mateo County. All I can say is thank God for waterproof mascara. I have been involved with this group now for several years but I am still reduced to tears every time I attend one of these events. What got me this time? A short video about The Children’s Place, a Redwood City-based organization that provides services, including summer camps and group counseling for children of parents struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction. The video shown this morning was a clip from a longer documentary called Lost Childhood: Growing Up in an Alcoholic Family produced and narrated by Emerald Yeh. The documentary combines clips of young kids talking about the challenges, fears and sadness that go along with growing up in an alcoholic household. Fast forward these same kids a few years later to middle school - talking about those same struggles, with a maturity and insight far beyond their years. Final fast forward to those same kids in their 20s, facing their own struggles, opportunities and dreams, all impacted by living under the cloud of alcoholism. It’s incredibly moving. Following the video, Jerry Moe, founder of The Children’s Place, took the stage. He clearly understands the power of a good story, well told. He had the audience in the palm of his hand, waiting to hear what had happened to Grace & Juliana, two of the young women profiled in the video.

And the Children’s Place was only part of it. We heard from a panel of teenage girls involved in a youth development initiative at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, talking about how helping their peers and contributing to their community has helped them navigate the high school years with a sense of purpose and hope. These are two glimpses into the many ways YFES helps children and families. Check out the organization and read some of the stories. And if you can find the Lost Childhood documentary on your public television station, its definitely worth a look. But keep the Kleenex box handy.

Community, Uncategorized

I was listening to Forum on KQED radio this morning and heard a sobering statistic. It’s estimated that 25% of the homeless population is made up of veterans. Not much of a way to honor our war vets, is it? It’s bad enough to hear the horror stories about disabled vets from our current two wars having to fight for reasonable medical benefits. But you shouldn’t have to live under a bridge or sleep in a park when you’ve put your life on the line for your country. I realize it’s way more complicated than that, but at some level, it should be quite simple. There are some wonderful organizations providing services — food, shelter, healthcare. But so many slip through the cracks.

Some of the homeless I see around my community hold signs that reference their service — “homeless vet needs help” or the like. But there are numerous others who I assume are vets, but don’t know for sure. Take George, for example. I think of him as the unofficial greeter of Menlo Park, a local fixture. Everyone knows George. From his perch outside Peet’s Coffee, he chats it up with passers by. I look forward to his greetings as I head in for my morning fix. But a couple of weeks ago, George stopped showing up. I’ve asked around, but haven’t found anyone who knows what’s up. I suspect he’s a vet but it’s only a hunch. George, wherever you are, I’m thinking of you this Veteran’s Day and wishing you better days ahead.

Community, homeless vets, KQED, Menlo Park, Peets Coffee, Veterans Day

Henry Miller spent 20 years of his life in Big Sur and although he didn’t die here, his ashes were scattered here after his death in 1980. What a final resting spot. My husband and I honeymooned here 10 years ago and have come back many times since, including this last weekend. I never cease to be amazed by the beauty of Big Sur, no matter the season or weather. Whether shrouded in fog or sparkling in the sunshine, it is a glorious place. Each time we come, we discover something new. This time, we stopped at Limekiln State Park and took a magical hike through the towering Coastal Redwoods alongside creeks dotted with waterfalls. While there are so many reasons to find fault with the government, I’m grateful we spend money on maintaining these little gems that are tucked away throughout the State.

Over our anniversary dinner, I asked my husband what he wanted to do differently during the next ten years. He cringed, thinking this would lead to a talk. Mind you, he loves to talk, but hates it when we talk. He was much more interested in savoring his dinner. But once we got beyond that, we quickly agreed that one thing we really want is to make the environment an even bigger focus in our lives, from the choices we make at the grocery store, to the causes we support, to the way we use resources in and outside our home.

For me, a key part of the picture is finding a way to get my kids more engaged in the process. After all, how can we expect them to clean up after our generation (and let’s face it, that’s the reality), if they don’t appreciate the magnitude of the problem and the role we each have in solving it? I’ve gotten some inspiration from a program that was initiated last year at the Peninsula School in Menlo Park. It’s called the Peninsula Cool School Campaign, and the impetus for it came out of a leadership program sponsored by Acterra, a grassroots organization devoted to finding local solutions to help the environment. The program is designed to get families to commit to making at least one change a month towards saving the environment. One change a month. Surely we can do that.

More about the Cool Campaign in a follow up post.

big sur, Blog Action Day, cool school campaign, Environment, henry miller, limekiln state park, peninsula school

I’ve always loved the Habitat for Humanity model. Volunteers working side by side with future homeowners who are providing sweat equity. Comunidad para Baja, one of my pet organizations, uses the same approach. If they install a septic system in a tribal community, for example, the Nativos are the ones doing the heavy lifting and getting the system up and running. When you have more skin in the game, you’re likely to care more about the resource, whether it’s a house, a bathroom or a schoolroom.

SOLARTHON 2007, happening this Saturday, October 6, is a green take on this idea. Conceived of and organized by local non-profit organization GRID Alternatives, a group of corporate participants & volunteers will be installing solar electric systems for eight low-income families in East Oakland. In fact, the systems will be installed at Habitat for Humanity’s new Edes Avenue development. Corporate participants include PG&E, Google, WaMu, Solar City and others. By putting a spotlight on this effort, I hope they’ll raise some money for a good cause and raise awareness about the good work that organizations like GRID Alternatives are doing around renewable energy. The forecast for Saturday calls for a sunny day. That’s only fitting.

Community, Comunidad Para Baja, Environment, giving, Habitat for Humanity, SOLARTHON 2007

I got my start in the working world the way many people do — by getting a hand up from someone older and wiser.  In my case, it was my friend Amy’s mom, Valerie.  I was fresh out of college and unlike most of the other moms I knew, Valerie was a professional woman.  She was smart, funny and always dressed to kill, usually in a navy blue suit.  I wanted to be like her.  So with her help, I did what she did.  PR.  She helped me get an internship at a PR agency and I never looked back (well, I did once, but that’s a story for another time.) 

Valerie left us far too soon in life, and I often wish she could see what she sparked.  Here I am, a quarter century later, still practicing the PR trade, albeit sans the navy blue suit.  And I’m practicing something else that she instilled in me, no doubt unconsciously.  That is, the importance of giving back to your chosen profession and lending someone else a helping hand up the ladder.  I have the perfect opportunity to do that at Eastwick with our intern program.  What started as a summer-only program a few years back has blossomed into a year-round program for college students and recent grads.  They’ve come from all over, with different levels of experience.  But the common thread is they all have more than a passing interest in communications.  Most have been incredibly passionate, especially those who have graduated and already have a laser-focus on PR as their career of choice. 

We get a lot of value from our interns.  They work hard, often at tasks that aren’t exactly the most exciting.  Sometimes it’s downright tedious (I mean, how many briefing books can you put together while remaining enthusiastic?)  But they also get a lot back in return.  For the time they’re with us, we bring them right into the fold and treat them like members of the Eastwick family.  They are part and parcel of whatever goes on here — from crazy client deadlines to pranks on our neighbors at Google.  It’s fun to see the interns have what for many is their first “real” job experience.  Some decide PR is not for them (like my stepdaughter, who after a summer at Eastwick declared she’d never work in an office again) but all of them seem to learn something and have fun at the same time.  And for a few of them, Eastwick becomes a long-term home. 

We’re lucky enough to have several of those right now.  Lindsey, Marissa Kevin, Rachel and Rachael — former interns, turned account coordinators and beyond.  They are amazing and we’re lucky to have them.  They remind me how fun it was to start out in this business.  I didn’t know a thing but I learned fast and had a blast doing it.  Difference is, they know a lot more than I did starting out.  They’ll probably go farther, too, and I’ll enjoy watching them from the sidelines.  So if you know a college student or grad who wants to try his or her hand at PR, send them our way.  We’ll do our best to lend them a hand up.

interns, PR, PR Careers, Recruiting

I just signed up on Facebook a week or so ago and every day I learn something new about it. I’ve been familiar with Facebook for several years now, hearing about it from my stepdaughter, Kate, as she went through college. Seemingly overnight, Facebook became the social networking spot for everybody else too. (I can only imagine what Kate and her friends think of that. They’re probably off finding some other space where they can do their thing without the oldsters horning in.)

While I’m far from being a Facebook evangelist, I can see the value. It’s definitely a more engaging way to connect with people, in comparison to something like LinkedIn. Some of the stuff is downright silly, though. Like the zombies, for example. What’s with that? I got bit the other day (or whatever it’s called.) I stared at the screen for a few minutes, trying to figure out what to do, then decided I would treat it like the FB-equivalent of a chain letter and just ignore it. But yesterday I received something that was harder to ignore. One of my FB friends sent me an invitation to her cause. Now it looks like a very worthwhile cause — aiding Zimbabwean women and girls plagued by violence. The invitation asked me to join, donate or tell my friends. And it was accompanied by a heart breaking picture of a little girl. But I have to say, my feelings about this are conflicted. Will it become so easy to ask friends to get on board with our causes that we’ll be barraged with requests? Will we just delete them without a thought (sort of like the way I treat chain letters?) I hope not, but I do wonder. I find it hard to say no when a friends asks me to attend a fund-raiser or to lend support for something like Team in Training (mostly because it assuages my guilt that I’m not out there myself running a marathon for charity.) The more personal and direct the plea, the more likely I am to say yes. I know that I can only support so many things and I want my support to be meaningful — not spread too thin — but it’s hard to say no to a friend.

So far, my first cause invitation sits on my Facebook page unanswered. I don’t want to say no, at least not yet. For now, I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing most of on FB for the last few days — talking to Kate — while I keep a watchful eye on that little girl.

cause, facebook, giving, Social Networking

I was on vacation just last week, and one of the best parts about it was having the luxury every day to linger over the New York Times with a cup of coffee, chat with friends, and reflect on the state of the world.  Ah, the simple pleasures.  We talked about one piece that really caught me by surprise. There was an article in June in the NYT (subscription required) about the number of NY women who spend $3,000+ per month on personal maintenance (facials, Botox, hair, etc.)  Now I’m as big a fan of the mani-pedi as the next gal, but $3,000/month??!!  That is what I call high maintenance.  

But if you’re in the mood for a little maintenance (without the high price tag), there is a way you can indulge yourself and still do some good, too.  The Preston-Wynne Spa in Saratoga is hosting its second annual Healing Touch Spa Party on the evening of Thursday, August 16th, in support of Next Door Solutions for Domestic Violence.  (Full disclosure — Next Door Solutions is an Eastwick client but more on that in future posts.)  The event was a sell-out last year and they’re hoping to repeat the success this year.  It promises to be a fun evening.  Check out the Next Door site for details.

Preston-Wynne isn’t the only spa that supports local non-profits with fundraisers like this.  LaBelle Day Spas held an event to benefit the Rafael House of San Francisco earlier this year.  Rafael House supports the homeless in San Francisco.

I’m sure there are others doing similar events.  My guess is these spas have found a ready audience for this winning combination of friends, good food & wine with a little dose of pampering tossed in.  Hats off to Preston-Wynne and LaBelle for supporting groups like this — the local non-profits working with the most neglected groups in our communities.  So indulge yourself at the Next Door event.  You don’t even have to feel guilty about it.

Community, domestic violence, giving, Healing Touch Spa Party, Labelle Day Spas, Next Door Solutions, Preston Wynne Spas