“Time to move on…time to get going. What lies ahead babe I have no way of knowing. But under my feet babe, the grass is growing. It’s time to move on. It’s time to get going.”

That song gives me butterflies.

Anyhow- I’m moving. Both physically and electronically. I’ve graduated from a blog page and moved on to a Web site. With my own domain!

Here’s the link: http://jessicalomelin.com/

I’ll be blogging about similar topics as before, but now with a more casual and organic feel. I have lots going on in my life, so I’d love for you guys to join as I navigate and learn of ropes of the so-called twenties.

I’ll likely talk more about three topics that are near and dear to my heart: Travel (and all that it entails), Communications and Philanthropy/Social Giving. Join me as I focus my life more on these topics, chat with industry pundits and newcomers and share thoughts and impressions. I’m looking forward to it

I mentioned above that I’m moving somewhere (physically and literally). To keep the suspense going…I’ll let your mind wander on my next whereabouts and encourage you to check out my new site to find out where I’m headed!

I promise, it’ll be shocking…but make you proud!

Lots of love,
Jess

I’m completely beet red in the face putting this video up, but I am doing so in order to show my commitment and support toward, One Day’s Wages. It’s a wonderful, amazing organization from the Seattle area that is currently partnered with Charity:Water, HEAL Africa, and Not For Sale.

The site serves as a hub for fundraising, sharing stories and creating a community of passionate people wanting to make a difference. Instead of asking for a $50 or $100 donation, the organization poses it as donating your “one day’s wage” and putting it toward a good cause. It’s amazing how one day can mean so little to us, but so much toward someone else.

Check out the organization and please donate! They just started 2 months ago and have already hit the ground running with exposure, support and funding.

As a thank you for your donation, I’ll let you enjoy a terribly embarrassing video that I filmed with Eugene (the founder of ODW) showing how easy it is to donate.

************

“Impact” – Jessica Donates Her One Day’s Wages from One Day's Wages on Vimeo.

We recently “tweeted” a casting call for someone interested in being featured in an upcoming video to demonstrate how EASY it is to donate and join the movement of One Day’s Wages.

The catch?

The person had to actually donate their one day’s wages on film.

Within an hour of sending out the tweet, we heard from numerous including Jessica – a 23 year old from Seattle who works in a public relations firm.

Couple days later, we met up in a neighborhood cafe (it’s Seattle!) to chat and to demonstrate to her and the rest of the world how EASY it is to make a donation to the fight against extreme global poverty.

It’s transparent, simple, and empowering.

One Day’s Wages = 0.4% of one’s annual salary = Dramatic impact for those living in extreme poverty.

JOIN the MOVEMENT.
Visit http://onedayswages.org
Choose the project you want to support.
Donate your one day’s wages or another amount.

Join us on FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/onedayswages

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* Thanks to Joseph, our volunteer videographer, of http://jtwomedia.net

As a way to decompress from a long week at work, I was talked into enjoying a glass of wine and watching the intellectually stimulating flick (okay, I’ll stop the sarcasm), “Confessions of a Shopaholic.”

MOVIE PLOT:
Long story short, the movie follows the character of Isla Fisher who considers herself a “shopaholic” and learns the hard way by way of hurting friendships, turning her back on a career path and possibly losing the guy she loves. While the movie is fairly simple and easy to watch, there is one scene that particularly caught my attention. In the movie, Isla meets a Financial guru who talks about the difference of value and worth. The words can be interchangeable (worth something, highly valued, vice-versa), but it was knowing and understanding that some things are worth the investment and other things aren’t. It’s important to know the difference, but really be in tune with your desires and know when something is worth having.

Translate that into my personal life.

I’ve been contemplating for weeks, months over getting a yoga membership. Let’s face it- it’s extremely expensive and in this day and age, I really can’t afford to be shelling out $75-$100 a month in Yoga classes. As I was getting ready to walk away from this venture, I reminded myself of one very important detail. I LOVE YOGA. I love the way it makes me feel, it changes my mood, encourages me to eat better and helps me gain clarity in a normally fast-pacing world. It was then I decided that some things are worth the investment and that yes it may be a little tougher on my wallet, but you know what? Who cares. It makes me happy.

Why should I second-guess my health and well-being? I have no problem purchasing a dress or treating myself to beers at night, but if Yoga is something that affects me in multiple ways, why would I even question pursuing the activity?

As my wise mom would also mention- This is the reason I work. Of course there is the professional growth, but why work hard if you won’t treat yourself and play hard as well?

To acquire somewhat of a balance, I’m in talks with a local studio about doing possible work-study (work a few hours a week to take free classes). So there, looks like I may be lowering the cost of Yoga for me after all.

With that said- I’m now a Yogi again. I have rekindled my passion for Yoga and haven’t felt better and you know what? I’m not second guessing my decision, because it makes me happy and that is a reason enough to keep moving forward.

SO now to you all: What is worth the investment and value for you? What is something that may be a tough spending, but ultimately makes you happy?

Remember, yes we live in a tough economy, yes life is hard, yes we are in debt, but you know, our happiness should never be put on hold. We work hard and as a millennial we are innately pushing ourselves to be better, stronger, more intelligent than ever before, so pat yourself on the back and reward yourself. We deserve it

Aside from Yoga, I’d list my top 3 as eating organically/locally, traveling and participating in outdoor activities.

Picture from: The Quaker Agitator

Through this global networking, I had the pleasure of “virtually meeting” Colin Byrne. Colin first joined Weber in 1995 and has since become the CEO of Weber Shandwick Europe.  Prior to, Colin was heavily involved in international affairs and politics having worked for The Labour Party and serving as the deputy to the current EU Commissioner, Peter Mandelson.

Simply put, Colin is a busy, busy man. Fortunately, he was kind enough to let me pick his brain on public relations practices overseas, cultural differences and what advice he has for younger PR enthusiasts looking to expand their work to think, breath and work globally.

Q: Having traveled between the US and Europe, how would you say the approach to PR varies in each place? Are there any case studies or campaigns that can illustrate these differences?

Two main differences, both relating to scale. In Consumer PR, where the US has nine times as many consumers as the UK and a much more decentralised and diverse media, I have seen US campaigns that are awesome in their scale and the use of eye-catching events geared to television. At the other end of the spectrum, in public affairs, I think US companies still take political relations much more seriously and with a greater level of sophistication  than those in Europe.

Q: A big advantage to working in a global agency is being able to work on international initiatives that allow you to tap into multiple regions. What are some cultural differences that have caused you and your teams to alter particular campaigns and strategic thinking?

Good question. I think CSR means different things in different regions. In some countries it is still seen as philanthropy, in others more about core business strategy. Then there are the local regulatory frameworks which mean you can’t always run the same healthcare campaign in Europe as you would in the USA.

Q: As a pioneer in the PR industry, you have had the opportunity to work with practitioners of all levels. What personality traits and qualities have stood out to you the most?

That makes me feel old! Seriously, I think the key traits include a real interest in the world around you, a passion for media consumption, creative thinking, flexibility, the ability to argue a case, a toughness of character and an understanding of the need to listen and learn, not just speak.

Q: What suggestions do you have for young PR practitioners to reach the position of top-level management?

Get a mentor who has made good headway in their careen and learn everything you can from them. Be entrepreneurial. Focus on new ideas and bringing your own perspective to a problem. Don’t hide your light under the proverbial bushel. Consume media and information like there was no tomorrow. Live the digital life, don’t just talk it.

Q: PR is an industry that is limitless and ever-growing, yet many people choose to work domestically instead of taking the risk to work abroad. What would you recommend to a young practitioner interested in eventually working internationally? What sort of qualifications would this person need and what personality traits would you look for?

I would absolutely encourage PR people in their twenties to take an international posting. PR is increasingly less about understanding New York and London and more about China, The Middle East, India, Russia, Brazil etc. Before I came into consultancy I had the opportunity to work in corporate communications internationally. Seeing how PR is done differently around the world is a real asset for any future PR leader. At Weber Shandwick we have a great international exchange programme. In terms of qualifications and personality traits, the important thing to demonstrate is a passion for PR and a hunger to learn, plus the ability to be a team player.

Q: I can imagine you’ve had the opportunity to travel all over the world, tell us about your favorite city and/or country. Any young backpacking stories you’d like to share? =)

I didn’t do the ‘young backpacking’ thing. I went into PR straight from college and had four different PR jobs in four different sectors under my belt by the time I hit thirty. I wish I had done the year out thing but back then it wasn’t an option for me. In terms of interesting places I have worked or visited, working in Russia in the early 1990s was fascinating, seeing a huge society go through changes in a few years that Americans and Brits had centuries to go though. St Petersburg is an amazing city. Arriving in India for the first time was a cultural and sensual shock and a must if you get the chance to go. Hong Kong is amazing. I love Sydney and I love San Francisco, for pretty much the same reasons. Closer to (my) home, Ireland is wonderful but get out of Dublin and into the country. Cycle round the Dingle peninsula. Take a boat on the Shannon. Drink Guinness and eat oysters. Rural Ireland is magical. My favourite city in the world though is Florence.

For more information about Colin, his personal interests, his views on public relations and public affairs and why he’s proud to be from Greater Manchester (maybe it’s a UK thing?), visit his blog, Byrne Baby Byrne.

One of the biggest problems regarding social media and philanthropic efforts is that while people take notice and show interest, it may not become actionable. Even the simple task of having people find their wallets to donate online is enough to keep people from donating.

That’s why I thought I’d share this site that I’ve set as my home page and use all the time: GOODSEARCH. So, it’s powered by Yahoo! Search (I know not as good as google or even bing), but when you begin using the search engine, you select a charity of your choice and every time you search, the site will donate a penny to your charity. Now, a penny may not seem like alot, but think about how often you search something on the web…now times that by 7 and you’ll find you’re donating up to $15 a week! Plus, if you use this while working, I’m sure the donations will multiply exponentially!

Also, you can go through the site to do online shopping from 900 top online retailers and a percentage of your purchases will go to the charity or school of your choice.

Here’s an more comprehensive list of ideas (tool bar, custom searches, etc.): http://www.goodsearch.com/getinvolved.aspx#blog

As of now, theres 80,000 charities! It’s simple, easy and completely do-able

Twitter: http://twitter.com/GoodSearch

*This is part of my 21-part series to the Summer of Social Good*

As I saw this develop, I realized that I too wanted to help. I’ve always wanted to make an impact, but found it tough to find my niche. To backtrack a bit, It’s important to note that my birthday is JUNE 21ST- summer solstice and the longest day of the year. I’ve always warmed to my birth day and found it the perfect way to kick off a summer. So, to participate in the summer of social good and to start off on the right foot into my 23rd year of life, I’m going to contribute to a summer of love and social good in 21 different ways. I’ve done amazing things in my life (from planning events for The Make-a-Wish Foundation to donating blood to helping run a PR campaign on seat belt safety), but some of my fondest memories have been in helping others and just doing good deeds. Nothing makes me happier

I haven’t quite figured out the details, but please comment below if you have suggestions or ideas. As well, through the help of Philanthropic extraordinaire, Chad Boettcher, I’m also involved in Weber Shandwick’s Social Innovation group that will focus on similar tactics via three specialities, Social Impact, Planet 2050 and the Greenhouse. The team will focus on using these amazing tools and help the greater good. I’m so excited to see how it all plays out All in all, my ways and ideas will be  everything from volunteering or donating or sharing good stories of social good.

Here’s a short list of Ideas thus far:

• best feel good movies
• Philanthropies in Seattle
• Philanthropic events in Portland
• Highlight on wonderful non-profits

To kick off my birthday, I created a Facebook Cause page asking for donations to Charity:Water. So far, I’ve raised over $100, but I’d love any support. It’d be the best gift I could ask for

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/birthdays/82723?m=e0bc6388

It reminds me of a funny quote from Drew Barrymore from “He’s just not that into you” where she notes that in order to impress someone, it’s no longer about getting your hair cut and styled, but simply, updating your Facebook profile picture.

It can get a bit extreme at times, but what I love, love, love is that NGO’s and non-profits are beginning to capitalize and utilize social media and put it to good use. Why not? If people are willing to invest the time to adapt to new forms of relationship management and communication, why not make it for the greater good?

Zemanta (along with Weber Shandwick) began the “blogging for a cause campaign” thats described as such:

A campaign to give corporate cash to the charitable causes bloggers love

All you have to do is blog about your favorite charity and spread the word. The charity most often blogged about will get a generous donation from both Zemanta and Weber Shandwick. How easy is that? We all know most people blog and a majority update their profiles, so why not take an extra second and recognize a well-deserved non-profit?

My Non-Profit of Choice:

The non-profit that I choose to highlight is Invisible Children. This organization was started to help the children  of northern Uganda find shelter, support and their families. Since the war began, almost 1.8 million children have been displaced from their homes. It has been said that some children have been displaced for almost a decade and have no guarantee to food, water, sanitation and education.

It was hard for me to choose just one organization, but what I love most about Invisible Children is how it all began. It was a grass-roots effort from three travelers who produced a documentary in 2003 about the invisible children of Uganda. From there, the organization was formed. After showcasing the documentary, young avid travelers and philanthropists have worked diligently and ruthlessly to make this situation known. Sure, funding has helped, but what’s most important is the stamina and passion these young adults possessed.

This blog post is part of Zemanta’s “<a href=”http://www.zemanta.com/bloggingforacause/”>Blogging For a Cause</a>” campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

My dad was diagnosed with tonsular cancer in the beginning of February. The news shook my world and the last few months have been filled with chemotherapy sessions, doctor appts, lots of waiting, patience, strength and support. It’s been incredibly challenging, but my dad’s handling everything so gracefully and with a smile, so I too, must hold myself to the same standard of strength and battle. I know we’ll make it through, it’s just now is the time to take each day as it comes and really focus on the betterment of my dad.

With that said, I strayed from writing and my blog. I’m not sure if it was the exhaustion or motivation, but it seemed like at the end of the day, I had a hard time writing without wanting to shout “I’m dealing with cancer in my family!” Yet, as many of you know, it’s tough to even say that to myself =)

It’s been a couple of months since my dad was diagnosed and I’ve really taken the time to take a step back, do some reflecting and prioritizing. I realized that while I love journalism and communications, there is inherently more I am interested in and want to write about. I love writing, communication and expressing myself and I couldn’t be happier with Weber Shandwick, but for now, I think I may leave my main PR/Comm focus to the office. I realize that with everything I’ve gone through, what’s made it most unique was that it coming from the perspective of a generation-Y, young adult. Whether it’s living in a city (from a gen-y perspective), dealing with cancer in the family (from a Gen-y perspective), job hunting (from a gen-y perspective), figuring out how to transition out of college, wanting to live and work abroad…basically, how to handle what many will call “the quarter-life crisis.”

Now you’re probably wondering, “why this blog?” and “why this reader?” There are so many similar blogs that this one may be just another. But, I’d like to consider myself slightly different than the masses. How often do you find a Northwest hippy that loves social and digital media? How often do you come across someone that at 22, has decided that through journalism and communications, is determined to change the world? I would consider myself curious, passionate and open-minded, so I’ll offer some more intriguing insight into everything going on.

I think this is a fair balance. For a while, I almost gave up on blogging. I didn’t want it to be an arduous task, but I thought I had stuck myself in a corner and whilst I wanted to change blog topics, I never knew how to make that smooth transition. I began this blog as an assignment in my undergraduate studies and I want to continue it. Similar to my life right now, I want this blog to morph and adapt to growth and surroundings as I get older.

We’ll see where this all goes, but I thank you for listening. That wasn’t easy =) But, I’m excited. I have lots to share with the world and lots to explore.

We should consider ourselves lucky that we were taught and exposed at an early age how to incorporate social and digital tools into our lives, which interestingly, we now see as an every-day characteristic. We blog, twitter, text, email and converse through multiple means throughout the day. Although we find this normal, to companies, this skill is a goldmine. Being able to successfully use another mode of communication that is still new, cutting-edge and requires creativity and innovation is key in relaying a message and standing out.

So as the generation-y enters the work world and immerses themselves in a company setting and uses their personal and academic knowledge of social media, how do we adapt and transcend? It’s becoming more and more that the lines of public and professional work life are blurring and often intertwining as we incorporate more social media tactics. Now, we see that it is not a company or brand speaking, but rather, a person behind twitter or a blog that we can relate to. We’ve seen this become a successful tactic as consumers are finding a stronger connection to companies based on individuals who are the face of the company. My question you is, what happens if you become that person?
We’ve seen numerous blog posts discuss one’s “online identity” and keeping our online appearance professional as employers and recruiters often seek sites to dig up a little more information about you. That message has come across loud and clear, but what happens once you are hired? Should one aim to keep their profile as neutral as possible and not share company likes or product dislikes in fear that it may be a conflict of interest with your company or client down the road? Something I have personally come across is migrating my personal twitter account into a professional one as well. I don’t regret keeping separate accounts, because I do consider my comments and insights relevant, but what happens if I want to vent for just 140 characters? Could something I say be used against me?

My question that I pose to you all is: How do you incorporate social and digital media into your life, but successfully and realistically keep your professional and social lives apart? Is there a way? Or have we just accepted that our lives have now been fully replicated onto the Web and from here on out; we must put our best foot forward?

I’ve had this conversation several times with my colleague and later  suggested I read this blog post by Louis Gray.  He begins his post by commenting on the following,

Many of you, possibly tasked with maintaining the social media presence for your company, might be maintaining multiple accounts on practically every network, and trying to keep your personalities in check, lest you make the mistake of getting the two mixed up.

Now how many of us have experienced that same scenario? While it’s an amazing opportunity, you must be careful of what and how you are portrayed because you will inevitably be a representative of your company and client. If one is aiming to truly keep their professional and personal lives separate, here is what he suggests…

Put Your Work Life In One Browser, and You In Another

Make A Second Login, Preferences for TweetDeck

TweetDeck, in my opinion, is still the best way to track groups and saved searches in Twitter. I set up TweetDeck so if I am logged in as me, the application has the standard black look and feel. But when I am logged in with the company ID, TweetDeck is in the company colors of blue and orange. Yes, the combination is somewhat garish, but it serves as a reminder to me that I’m logged in for work, so I won’t screw up.

Logged Into TweetDeck as the Company

Logged Into TweetDeck as Me

Create a Second Disqus Account for Commenting

When commenting on blogs around the Web, as yourself, or for the company, it makes sense to use best practices and identify who you are. But you don’t necessarily want to track your work comments to your personal ID. I recommend getting a second Disqus account that ties back to your work e-mail address, and have that registered in the “work” browser. When I make comments on sites as work, it says my first and last name, and then, in parentheses, the company name.

Always Work Methodically When Acting on Behalf of the Company

Tweeting or commenting or blogging or bookmarking as a brand is more risky than when you do it on your own. As with all things on the Web, you should consider how they could be interpreted downstream. But when you are doing something on behalf of a corporate entity that represents products, people, history and finance, you should take an extra breath before acting, and pay extra attention to every word, character or nuance.

Be Replaceable

If you do your job well, it should be easy for you to pass off the reins of the social media strategy at your company to somebody else with very little impact. If you make the company’s social media presence all about you, it will follow you where you go next, and could negatively damage the company you are leaving, and distract from the company where you are going. See that you can work on behalf of the company without it being all about you. Try to offer personality without it necessarily being your distinct personality.

Whether or not you necessarily agree with these tactics, it’s wise to at least be conscious of this scenario and strive that your personal and professional images – if they were to intermix-  complement each other. Is it possible to even attempt to keep these two silos separate or is that something that’ll work against us in the long run? Have we just accepted that as we further immerse in social and digital media, we’ll have one online representative that fulfills multiple expectations?

What are tactics you have used? Any horror or success stories?

I’m currently reading the book “Outliers,” by Malcom Gladwell (writer of Blink and The Tipping Point). In this book, Gladwell discusses the idea and concept behind “success” as he notes that the idea behind is is alot different than most people would believe. Sure it takes hard work and stamina, but as Gladwell notes, a majority of it is opportunity and timing. Now it’s a difficult concept to swallow as you probably interpret your own like and think, “Well, crap am I on the road to success or am I pre-maturely screwed?” You’ll be THRILLED to know that if you’re a Gen-Y blogger, social media enthusiast and has thrives on intellect and curiosity, then we’re in a good spot. As Gladwell points to historic cases such as Bill Gates and The Beatles, I think a major lesson I’ve learned is that although things happen for a reason and timing is everything, It is also our responsibility to take advantage of opportunities, whether or not they seem to be reflected on our original sought after path. We can’t take the sit-back approach in life, but be pro-active in opportunities and when the timing is right.

To further the case, I found an awesome video, “Did you know?” that points to amazing facts found worldwide. In  the end, it perfectly illustrates the social media and internet boom that is currently happening. If only Gladwell had seen this video before writing this book, because he would have noted, “See! I told you so!” As the video shows, Gen-Y is living at the right time. I won’t lie and say this recession hasn’t been terrible, because it has. But it has also allowed for innovation and new opportunities. Through the hardships and troubles, its our responsibility to take advantage of these situations and capitalize on them.

Thoughts?