last minute meeting frenzy

Meetings can be stressful enough, but what if it was LAST MINUTE?! I’ve never personally had this happen to me, but I can only imagine. For this topic, I looked to my fellow PR tweeple. Yes, that’s slang for twitter people!

I gave each of them this scenario: “You have been told about a last-minute meeting, how do you prepare & what do you bring?”

@kayla_hollatz: Well, I like to bring many post it notes so I can jot down quick notes!

@BeckuhBeck: To prepare, I would look over any notes or work that is relevant to what we’ll be covering in the meeting. If I had time, I’d try to do a quick chat with anyone else involved. I would bring with me a notepad = pens or my laptop, so I can jot down important information.

@OliviaAdamsPR: I would first find out the purpose of the meeting and know the basics. I’d want to obtain the agenda, know the location, and find out who needs to attend. I’d also create a checklist to help organize my thoughts for the meeting. Checklists can help ensure all of the bases are covered and reduces panic. Finally, I’d make sure to breathe and keep a positive attitude. As long as you have composure and poise, any last minute meeting can run smoothly!

I think they pretty much summed it up for me! Whether it be a last minute project or meeting, keep calm, brainstorm and go prepared with lots of post-it notes & pens. Special thanks to my PR dolls for helping me out with this post. Folks, go ahead & click their name to follow them on Twitter. You won’t regret it!

dear stress, let’s break up.

Handling stress can be one of the hardest things to manage as a PR professional. Life is moving much too fast and it seems as though we can never get fully caught up! Between working full-time, being a full-time student, being a girlfriend, sister, and daughter, I am stressed beyond belief.

I am sure that many of you are familiar with this feeling. There is no true remedy for dealing with stress, but here are a few things that I do to soothe the soul:

1. Google “motivational quotes” — this may sound odd, but nothing gets me feeling better like a good quote
2. Make a to-do list — seeing what needs to be done in front of you is a great way to prioritize and manage your time
3. Let’s break up — it is imperative that you take a break in between running errands and juggling tasks. This could be catching up on your fave gossip magazine, going for a run, or even concocting your favorite cocktail. Bottoms up!
4. Count your blessings — enough said on this one.
5. BREATHE! — just because life throws you a curve ball, doesn’t mean you should let it knock the breath out of you. You’ll make it through!

… and remember, this stress is just temporary. Nothing is thrown at you that you can’t handle!