What I continue to learn, though, is that stepping beyond this feeling of assurance means embracing change. If I refuse to change, I’ll get left behind.

So how can we step outside of our comfort zones? You have to put yourself in a situation that’s unconventional, and you need to develop the confidence to know you can achieve anything with the right effort. This can be done in various ways. For me, it was a recent SEO staff training.

I was asked to train the Bohlsen Group team on search engine optimization. Admittedly, I initially knew very little beyond my ability to carry on a basic conversation on the subject. I knew that any advanced questions would leave me stuttering and backtracking.

So I took to background research – SEO guides, Power Point presentations and YouTube videos to gain a much broader understanding. I’m not an expert, but my grasp of SEO is now much greater than before. Win.

Except – understanding the basics was just the first step. I still had to present to our entire staff and field questions that I had to answer. Relaying all that I had learned to my colleagues? My hesitation to step outside the comfort zone was front and center.

Looking back, I now see that this training wasn’t just for the staff – it was a self-training in developing my confidence in my own abilities. I learned something new, and because of it, was simultaneously forced to advance.

When we force ourselves to in a new direction we’re almost always surprised with what we accomplish. It might be awkward at first. It might be difficult or embarrassing. But success in so many realms happens when we take risks and face our fears, not from playing it safe. Embrace what you don’t know and use it to better yourself.

Are you ready to ditch your comfort zone?

College graduates everywhere have recently made the long awaited transition from student life to the workforce. While this is an exciting experience, it’s also a nerve-wracking time of uncertainty. The new independence and responsibility that seems to suddenly appear can feel like the widely referenced ‘quarter-life crisis,’ but I see it more as a temporary transition to embrace – it’s an opportunity.

More than anything, finding a mentor and cultivating that relationship is what can turn this opportunity into the tools needed to jumpstart your career. As I’ve worked my way through the transition period, I’m learning that no one in the working world is ever too young or old for a career mentor. Having turned to several of mine for advice on numerous occasions, I’ve found that there are four main reasons to maintain these relationships at any stage in a career.  

Ease the transition periods. Mentors can help alleviate the stress of starting a new job by sharing industry and company insights gained from years of experience. By learning about others’ early successes and failures, I have been able to gain a clearer picture of industry expectations and learn to avoid pitfalls – so far.

Learn the simple lessons. A former college professor told me that the best thing one can do throughout their career is simply to continue asking questions, which always shows engagement and a willingness to improve. In the fields of PR and advertising our methods and tactics are constantly changing. Practitioners should always be asking questions in order to improve efficiency, and it’s often a mentor who will be able to pinpoint these simple but impactful lessons.

Elevate your career. A mentor is likely to be established and successful in their industry, and the best advice and insight will come from those who have relationships with individuals of varying levels of experience in numerous related industries. There is no rule saying one mentor is the limit as you develop your career path – find and cultivate relationships with those whom you aspire to be like in the future.

Have a cheerleader. The workplace environment is very different from the college life. While the collaborative atmosphere at Bohlsen Group lends itself to conversation and frequent interaction with colleagues, it’s important to have someone on the outside able to provide tips on fostering relationships in the office. Additionally, when both personal and professional questions arise (and they will), you’ll need a cheerleader in the wings.  

As beneficial as the help of a mentor is for the mentee, the relationship is symbiotic. As you move forward in your career, you may simultaneously be a mentor as you continue learning from your own. How have your mentor relationships affected your career? 

Here are a few tips to narrate your brand from a visual standpoint:

Capture images that help – not hurt – your story. You can’t show everything, so focus most on what deserves to be front and center. With this in mind, it’s important to stay mindful of what I call the three F’s: finding the “what” to capture, framing the picture aesthetically and focusing on the most important part. Just because everyone knows how to snap a photo doesn’t mean everyone should. In any setting, only allow those that have the creative eye and the company’s brand in mind to help create the visual story.

Think outside the box with social media. Creative thinking will take you far beyond simply attaching a picture to a tweet or Facebook post. At Bohlsen Group, we like to host photo contests on our clients’ Facebook pages to encourage fans to offer their own content and increase engagement simultaneously. You can also pin images from your Flickr account to Pinterest, using your own photos instead of solely relying on re-pinning.

Internally, our recent month-long photo a day challenge offered a fresh visual perspective on our company.

Improve your iPhoneography. People love feeling a behind-the-scenes connection with a company or brand, and posting spontaneous pictures from your smart phone offer authentic, personal insight. If you want to improve your iPhone’s pictures, Camera+ is an app superior to the standard camera, much like the difference between a DSLR camera and a point-and-shoot. If you like the look of filters, there are hundreds of apps, including Pixlromatic, Hipstamatic and Vintage Camera, that provide endless options aside from the popular Instagram. You can export these filtered pictures into your camera roll or share them directly via your social media platforms.

In PR we know that content is king, so our creative services division uses photography and videography to strategically provide our clients with content. We embed videos into digital collateral, produce video blogs and enhance social media posts with pictures. Our industry continues to become more visual as PR evolves in the digital world, and we increasingly have the ability to support our messages with high-quality images.

How do you visually narrate your brand?   

When I look back on the past three years, I realize how much I’ve grown as a professional. I’ve had ups and downs, made mistakes and experienced successes. And as I’ve embraced the lessons that have come with each, I realize this is the pattern of any successful career.  

If you’re in this new group of young, aspiring professionals, here is my advice to you:

Be confident in your abilities. With experience comes confidence and poise, and it develops over time. I remember attending strategy meetings early in my career and feeling apprehensive about speaking up. While there is a fine line between being self-assured and overly confident in your abilities, I’ve developed a confidence in my skills that helps me to better interact and collaborate with coworkers, supervisors and clients.    

Recognize where you can improve. When you’re searching for a job or trying to prove yourself in a new workplace, it’s only natural to play up your strengths. However, an experienced professional knows that there are always additional skills to gain. Whether it’s attending a webinar to learn about new industry trends, tweaking your leadership style or changing the way you approach group projects, it’s important to seek opportunities to continue improving yourself as a professional.

Know that sometimes, the hard way is the right way. Whether it’s admitting that you made a mistake or making a tough phone call to a client, I’ve learned that the easy way out isn’t always the mature thing to do. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and step outside your comfort zone to resolve an issue.

Learn to say no. I definitely had this issue early in my career, and my enthusiasm to take on work would lead me to take on more than I could handle. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. It’s much better to be honest than to miss a deadline with a client or drop the ball on an important project.  

Ask the right questions. While we’re told there is no such thing as a dumb question, that isn’t free rein to ask for the sake of doing so. Do your research and prioritize what you need to know before approaching a supervisor or project lead with questions. 

Understand that promotion follows hard work and dedication. My previous work experience was incredibly rewarding and although I served in two different roles at the same company, I was never actually promoted (gasp!). But the experience I gained with the company was invaluable to my career, and I relished the opportunity to demonstrate my skills. I recently received my first promotion of my career, and it was something I felt truly reflected the dedication to and quality of the work I had done.

Add in the background commitments of families, bills, health issues, carpools, in-laws and other life stresses, and it’s a wonder anyone can focus long enough to stay sharp. Those PTO days you have? Use them wisely. There are certainly times you need them to deal with the obligations of life, but I’m a firm believer that in this stressed out world everyone should keep a number of those precious days in reserve just for you.

So, what is the best thing you can do to feel renewed? Everyone is different, but your special day should ultimately rest your brain and soothe your soul. Here is a list of Indianapolis-area options that are inexpensive (some are free) and all within I-465.

1.) Bike the Monon Trail and stop along the way for a leisurely bite to eat.

2.) Hang out at the Main Library. Sit upstairs and enjoy the downtown view with a good book.

3.) Pack a wine and cheese picnic and relax in the IMA gardens. 

4.) Walk the newly completed Cultural Trail and find a new place to enjoy lunch.

5.) Catch an afternoon game at Victory Field.

6.) Pick up a White River State Park pass – seven great attractions in a beautiful setting.

7.) Explore historic Fountain Square. 

8.) Go for a stroll along the Canal Walk – people-watching central.

9.) Enjoy a daylong scavenger hunt and take a friend “Goodwilling.”

10.) Volunteer.  Nothing makes you feel as good as helping someone else. 

According to The Huffington Post, the average American worker leaves two unused vacation days on the table each year. This year, how will you recharge and take a day for yourself?

No logo. Five fonts. Bad graphics.

And a Post-It note from her boss: “See me.”

What’s an organization to do when faced with people who think they’re helping the cause – but, in fact, are hurting it? 

Many of our organizations rely on volunteers to deliver core services. We couldn’t pay enough people to take food to the homebound, give museum tours or teach adults to read.

Moreover, if we serve people hundreds of miles from our offices, volunteers don’t think of us when they need help. Out of sight, out of mind.

It’s natural for a volunteer who believes wholeheartedly in your mission to want to help spread the word. And with PowerPoint, PhotoShop and so many other tools at everyone’s fingertips, just about anyone can create promotional materials on your behalf.

But, should they? 

Of course not.

Companies spend billions on developing a brand – a look, a tone, a personality, a message, a promise – because it’s important for reasons that form the basis of everything else you do.

It’s vital to your credibility. 

If your patrons can’t tell at a glance who they’re dealing with, then you’ve wasted an opportunity you may never get again.

This is why Sara is sweating in her boss’ office. She knows every communications piece must communicate the brand of XYZ Organization. She also knows how proud the volunteer must have been when he made this flyer, and how she’s going to be the one to deflate him.

How should Sara handle an overly enthusiastic volunteer?

Thank the volunteer for his help. Everyone likes to hear a thank you, even if they brush it off. And the volunteer did put forth some effort. The flyer is probably not all he did to help, so begin with gracious gratitude.

Acknowledge his special insight in knowing that your organization needs to reach out. Not everyone gets it; too many people have the “build it and he will come” mentality. All of us like to hear how smart we are, so tell us.

Explain that in order to make sure your organization isn’t confused with any others, you have guidelines for all promotional materials that are produced. Obviously, you’d better have actual guidelines. Tell your volunteer that the organization can be most effective when everyone is “singing from the same song sheet,” as the saying goes. Tell them that your department is ready and willing to produce materials as needed.

Ask the volunteer to help in a specific way. If he likes to write, ask him to send in his story to share. Ask him to interview someone else in the community who has a relevant story that can be used in your materials. Ask him to be in charge of placing your sponsorship signs at the next event. Vesting him with a sense of purpose will help him feel needed and soften the news that you’d rather he didn’t design any more flyers.

Some of your co-workers or volunteer managers may say, “But what if a volunteer gets mad and walks away?”

If an individual is working for the good of the cause, he or she won’t leave. On the other hand, if the volunteer is simply seeking a platform for a talent that doesn’t serve your organization, then you should be willing to let him take that talent elsewhere. He’ll be more fulfilled, and so will you.

Are you looking to create a new edge for your blog to help bring in more visitors?

Are you constantly writing mind-blowing blog posts, only to have them go unread?

The key to a successful blog is creating the best user experience possible. How do you do that you ask? It is as simple as adding pictures, videos or my favorite, GIFs, so the visitor can easily scroll through the blog without heavy reading.

What is a GIF?

GIF: /jif/ Noun 

1. A popular format for image files, with built-in data compression.
2. A file in this format.

Why they are so great?

From Jennifer Lawrence photo bombs on the red carpet to beloved TV clips, GIFs are a great way to encompass culture, humor and entertainment all into one clip. 

Still lost? Try exploring Tumblr. Tumblr holds the mecca of GIFs. And here are a few more sites to get a better look at a great use of GIFs: I Work in PR, How do I put this gently, Buzzfeed.

How to use as a PR professional:

Use GIF’s to help explain your company’s culture, brand and client base, rather than overloading your blog with text. GIFs are not only an easy method to increase traffic to your website, but they're also a great way to make your audiences laugh and idenitfy with your brand, as they allow you to show off your organization's culture and creativity.

How to make:

Don't know how to make a GIF? 

Don't worry! Before you start hitting your head against the table, I am here to show you in a few quick and easy steps.

1) Find a GIF-worthy moment. 

GIFs can be from anything: from mainstream celebrity bloopers to grumpy cats. Any YouTube video will work. 

2) Create the moment. 

 Trim down the file using something like RealPlayer Trim, GifSoup or MAC’s iMovie  

3) Open Photoshop. 

 Once the program is up and running, go to File>Import. Select Video Frames to Layers and the animation screen should pop up.

If your animation box (located at the bottom) does not pop up automatically, then go up to Window > Animation to open manually.

To delete layers go to the animation screen and pick out the slides you don’t want. I deleted slides one through six; to do that, click slide one, hold down shift and click layer six. It should highlight all the slides in between. Then look at the bottom on the animation screen and click the trashcan to delete those slides. 

4) Editing. 

 Now that the GIF is spilt into a series of frames, you can manipulate the video as needed.

Add text: Click the T (the red circle) then type what you want onto the picture. Once you are finished, go to the layers bars, click the text layer, press shift and click the layer below it. Once those two layers are highlighted, right click and merge layers (green circle). This will add the text to all the frames. 

5) Save your GIF. 

When saving this file make sure you save as File>Save as Web. When a little box pops up make sure to check Animation. If the file size is too big for your liking, you can cut down on MB’s by resizing the dimensions to less then 500 pixels across. 

6) Release your creation to the world! 

7) Don't have Photoshop? No problem.

I want everyone to be able to share in the fun of creating GIFs, so if you don’t have Photoshop, or just don’t know how to use it, here is the best GIF generator online. Oh, and did I mention it is free?

Unified is the word that jumps out at me, because unity is crucial to team success, to reaching desired outcomes and achieving goals.

I believe this to be especially true in communications.

Fostering the desired public perception of your organization is directly tied to a unified voice, or the consistency of your organization’s messages from all sources.

For nonprofits, pursuing a unified voice is a formidable undertaking. These organizations often rely on many actors with widely variable levels of personal investment (think soup-kitchen volunteer who puts in 20 hours a week versus a runner who registers for one charity 5K race).

What nonprofits must understand is that even the actor with the lowest level of engagement (the 5K racer) informs public perception.

To achieve a unified voice, make sure every actor engaged with your organization knows your key messages. Here are some steps you can take to make it happen:

Identify your organization’s preferred minimum knowledge base. Is this your organization name and target clientele, or is it your mission statement? If a staff member or volunteer could say just one thing about you, what would you want it be?

Assess the knowledge of each of your organization’s actors. Take a poll, conduct a focus group, use whatever tool(s) you need to understand what your staff and volunteers know and what they may not. This understanding is vital to success in the next step.

Commit to a unified voice. You’ve identified what it is you want people at all levels of engagement with your organization to know. You understand where knowledge deficiencies may exist. Now, it’s time to educate your actors. Create talking points or use other appropriate tools to get everyone speaking to the public on your behalf with a unified voice

Sure. The idea of moving to a new place is exciting. But then you have to do the actual moving part. And let’s face it, that’s no fun at all.

At Bohlsen Group, we’ve been an active bunch. A number of us have recently relocated for various reasons – more space, a shorter commute, etc. In the process, we’ve all discovered that you can apply to a public relations profession the various things you learn while loading and unloading the U-Haul.

Jordan Overton: Publicist

Know what your team can accomplish. Before you begin, figure out what you can handle and set goals you can accomplish. Don’t wait until you’re halfway down the stairs, like I did, to realize that the giant TV might be too heavy after all. If a task isn’t possible, don’t promise that it can be accomplished. Doing so could lead to friction down the road – or in the case of the TV, a broken back.
 

Cindy Dashnaw: Senior Publicist/Chief Copywriter

Assign roles and priorities that support your overall goal. People are willing to help, but they don't want to spend time figuring out what to do with each and every box, lamp and mirror. Tell your helpers what gets loaded into which vehicle first, who needs to help with cleaning vs. carrying boxes, and who needs to pick up the pizza and beer.
 

Karen Hurt: Account Coordinator

You can't do it alone. Whether it's building a heavy wardrobe, organizing your kitchen or transporting all your stuff from place to place, things are easier when you have some help – and this transcends to the workplace, too! From a brainstorm meeting to simply asking someone to proofread, work flows better when you ask for help when you need it.
 

Ryan Simpson: Publicist

Expect the unexpected: Moving is exciting, nerve-racking and exhausting. It’s not mundane. Have you ever had a move where everything goes according to plan? Neither have I. Dishes break, or it decides to storm as I’m unloading the bulkiest object I own.  The move is always worth it, but the process offers unexpected challenges. PR is very much the same, and a good practitioner learns to, ironically, expect the unexpected. The way in which we roll with the punches is what counts.
 

Stephanie Perry: Account Executive

Organize your inventory. I'm currently preparing to move for the third time since January, so it is an understatement to say that my belongings have been sorted, unsorted, packed and unpacked more times than I can count. Organization is the key; one wrong move and you'll never be able to find that rubber band ball again. True story: Recently, I really needed a rubber band and couldn't find it, so I had to resort to using a hair tie. That's no way to live. The same applies to PR. If you don't organize your inventory beforehand (tip sheets, strategy documents, artwork, background information, etc.) then you might miss out on substantial publicity opportunities, like not making a reporter's deadline because a relevant high-resolution image isn’t readily available.


Are you moving soon, or have you recently moved? There are more than dishes and clothing packed in those boxes – what have you learned?  

Sure! Why not?

I expected a trendy hotel with house music and strange furniture in the lobby – and yep, this place had both. A night club on the first floor? Check. An incredibly tiny room in a renovated New York factory building? Double check.

But I didn’t expect to see my bed on the floor, housed in what can only be described as a large wooden box. I was also surprised (after an hour of searching) to find the TV remote kept in a hidden compartment in the floor. I was warned that the room key must be plugged into the wall before electricity will come on, in an effort to use less energy.

In this hotel room, there’s no carpet. Who needs it? Just cold, distressed concrete floors for the hipster inside all of us. And closets? Oh, they’re there – but hidden in the wall. I should have thought to start pushing my way around the wall as if trying to activate a secret passageway at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rookie mistake.

My hotel room was supposed to be relaxing... but navigating the streets of New York was easier than figuring out how to flush the toilet. Turns out, the button was one of the tiles that discreetly blended into the bathroom wall.

Is this where the future is headed? Will we be sleeping in pods with voice-activated appliances in a year or two?

If guests have to struggle to turn on the lights or adjust the water temperature in the shower, then you went too far with the trendy plan.

Let me say, this was one of the coolest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. The employees were extremely helpful in guiding this overwhelmed guy through the Big Apple. But there is such a thing as different for the sake of being different.

Sometimes, you don’t have to try so hard to stand out.

This trip turned out to be a good PR lesson. Less doesn't always mean more. It’s crucial to make sure your content creation and pitches are understandable to anyone and everyone. In other words, make sure the toilet is easy to flush.