Touch Points

A couple weeks back, Gail was speaking to our class about what is known as "touch points." A particularly inspirational lecture, touch points are a term inspired by Gail's mother who passed away a year earlier. In a nutshell, a touch point is a way that one human connects with another. I believe that touch points happen in two different ways: physically and emotionally. In fact, after the lecture I spent some time thinking about the touch points I had made in my life as well as those who had touched me. Below are some of the most important instances in my life where I have experienced a "touch point."

When I was 15, I got my first job at a retirement home called Plantation Estates. Plantation Estates was the place that employed 15-year olds and seemed like the right decision for me at that point in my life. Little did I know that I would meet some of the most influential people in my life. In specific, there was this woman named Elizabeth Pressley. She was a beautiful 99-year old woman who had been an educator for 50 years of her life. We immediately took to each other. She always kept a record of my work schedule and would not dine until I was in the building. On my end, I always gave her the best treatment. Although I never found out her health issues, it was evident that she was dying. I ended up leaving Plantation Estates at age 17 a year before I came to Appalachian State. For that whole year, Mrs. Pressley kept in touch with me through written cards/letters. In fact, until freshman year of college, Mrs. Pressley sent me birthday cards with $20.00 checks enclosed. The letters/cards eventually stopped and I have not heard from her for over 3 years. I can only suspect that she has passed on. If I could have one more conversation with Mrs. Pressley, I would want to tell her how important she was to me. How her conversations, her interest in me and overall love made really changed my life. I will never forget Mrs. Pressley and I wait for the day where we will be reunited.

I would like to think that there have been times in my life where I have been the person who has "touched" somebody. Instead of singing my own praises, I would like to talk about a decision I have struggled with for years. Freshman year of college, I was given the opportunity to volunteer with the Western Youth Network. WYN is essentially a big brother/little brother program that helps troubled children in the area. I loved the program and really believe that I was a good volunteer. In March of 2006, I decided that I wanted to sponsor a young 7-year old boy named Dillan as his big brother. Dillan had been waiting 2 years for a big brother mainly because WYN struggles to find men willing to volunteer as big brothers. Dillan and I immediately took to each other and I was could tell he really looked up to me. As the year wrapped up, I realized that I would not be staying in Boone for the summer. This devastated me mainly because I knew WYN would suspend my rights as his big brother (since I would not be in Boone for three months). I will never forget the day that I told Dillan I would not be his big brother anymore. He cried for an hour and begged me not to leave him. Just like his father had, I was yet another man in his life that was leaving him. Although I made the decision that I had to, I still think about the difference I could have made in that boys life. I guess in the end, he was yet another person that has deeply touched me.

The two instances above are a few of the many times in my life where I have been touched/touched somebody. Each day I have noticed the touch points that I make and I now see its enormous value. Hopefully I will have many years to come with touch points to make. I hope you have enjoyed my set of blogs but I had to save the best for last!

Seven Pounds

Last night, I watched a movie that really struck some heart strings. First, I want to say that I am definitely not a "movie crier," but I love to watch a movie with a good plot and some good drama. Seven Pounds, one of Will Smith's latest movies, is a story about a man who makes a difference in 7 people’s lives after his own personal life changing event.

Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent who begins the film by saying: "It took God seven days to create the world, and it only took me seven seconds to shatter mine." He is referring to the car accident that he caused that killed his wife and six others. Upon killing seven people, Thomas decides it is his responsibility to help seven people down on their luck. One is Emily Posa, a woman with a congenital heart defect who Thomas eventually falls in love with. Then we have a young boy who needs bone marrow, a blind man, a hockey coach who needs a liver, a social worker in need of a lung and a Mexican family in need of a new life. In the end, Thomas commits suicide so that his heart can go to Posa, his eyes can go to the blind man, the Mexican family gets his beach house, the hockey coach gets his liver and the social worker gets his lung. With his death, Thomas saves seven individuals whereas he killed seven in a car accident he caused.

I cannot begin to understand the grief that Smith's character feels. The car accident he causes kills his wife and six strangers yet he turns his grief into something positive. To me, it is uplifting that he changes the life of seven people that needed help. In fact, it almost goes back to the blog on touch points, Will Smith is touching the lives of seven people and it is all in the memory of the seven lives that he took.

My hope would be that perfect strangers could care to help each other whether or not a fatal car crash is involved. I also feel that face to face communication has changed and is getting worse as each year goes on. With the influence of the internet, we do not need to worry about using spoken communication to get what we need and this to me is sad. Although at the end of the movie, Will Smith's character kills himself so that his heart can be donated to the woman he loves, it shows us how much he truly cared about helping people in need. I think everybody should rent this movie and give it a shot. It was a very inspirational movie!

The Age of Online Technology

The Age of Online Technology

Being almost halfway through the year 2009, we can only anticipate that with so many technologic advancements, our society will soon be completely dependent on the internet. Many could argue that its websites and “open information,” truly dictate many people’s actions. In specific, over the decades we have seen how public relations have changed. Anywhere from hand delivered telegrams, snail mail or even press releases at one point were effective ways of communicating.
Currently, Americans are seeing the online side of public relations. Using the internet to communicate to large groups of people comes with its positives and negatives. First, the internet can be useful when trying to communicate your key message (s). For example, companies are able to cater their website to what they believe people want to see. Still, with the internet’s massiveness, it is near impossible to communicate ones key messages to just one target audience. In other words, anyone with access to the internet can see whatever they want.
A good way to understand the current status of public relations in America with regards to technological advances is by looking at what happened in 2008. Wired.com ranked the top 10 technology advances of 2008 and they are listed below:

10. Flexible Displays

9. Edible Chips

8. Speedo LZR

7. Flash Memory

6. GPS

5. The Memristor

4. Video-Capable SLR’s

3. USB 3.0

2. The Android

1. Apple’s App Store

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2008/12/YE8_techbreaks?currentPage=

Although many of these do not directly relate to the point I am trying to make, I want focus on numbers five, three and one. The memristor is a technological breakthrough that could “change how we compute.” This discovery makes it possible for computer systems to remember what is stored in its memory even after it has been turned off. Essentially this seems as if all computers will begin to know everything thus making information even easier to access.
Next, we have the USB 3.0. The USB 3.0 will be 10 times faster and has been eight years in the making. This will help us store and share more information.
Finally, the number one technology advance of 2008 is the Apple’s App store. This is interesting because with the newly released iphone, 2008 seemed to be the year of Apple. Its access to the internet and its applications really has dictated the way public relations and its practices are delivered and interpreted. We no longer have to open a newspaper or turn on the news to get the information that we need. Although it is unfortunate that we don’t depend on the things that really “shaped” communication and public relations it is important that, as a society, we adapt to change. In 2009, this means that we must accept and understand online public relations.

Underdogs

One of the first times I can remember using the Internet was back during the 1990's when AOL dial up service was "the thing" to have. Although we had fun surfing the web or chatting with friends, I can honestly say that I had no grasp of how enormous the web would eventually become. In specific, the website YouTube has become a popular phenomenon. With almost 100 million videos added each day, the website serves as a media outlet in some instances. In fact, just last week a video was added that is rumored to have had 100 million views. Entitled: Susan Boyle - Singer - Britain's Got Talent 2009, the video follows the audition of 47-year old, Susan Boyle on the popular television show Britain's Got Talent. Boyle, a middle-aged, overweight and just "plain" looking woman wows the judges and crowd with her singing talent during her rendition of I dreamed a dream, Les Miserables. Before her song, the audience and judges seemed to express their skepticism over Boyle. Unfortunately, this is more than likely based on her unpolished appearance and awkwardness. In fact, judging one based on their appearance is something that still exists even amongst the Internet.
Susan Boyle was born in Blackburn, West Lothian. She was briefly deprived of oxygen during her birth, causing mild brain damage leading to her diagnosis of having learning disabilities. Regardless, she grew up in a middle-class home and enjoyed singing for her church parish. Her mother, who in 2007 died at age 91, always urged Boyle to enter Britain's Got Talent. Until now, Boyle refused on the basis that she would be judged on her appearance.
This never-been-kissed, unemployed 47-year old, with a 10-year old cat named Pebbles is now becoming one of the most watched women on YouTube. Articles about her have appeared in newspapers all over the world and televisions have aired her story. More importantly, Simon Cowell (a judge on Britain's Got Talent) has reportedly set up a record contract with Boyle on his Syco Music company label. In the end, I think it is fair to say that Susan Boyle not only stunned everyone with her voice but has also shown us that even the "underdogs" can have big talents.


please follow the link below to watch Susan Boyles' audition on Britain's Got Talent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Public Speaking

Being able to speak in front of a group of people, regardless of size, is a priceless skill to have. For one that works in Public Relations, it’s almost imperative to have some public speaking skills. In fact, communication with the masses, an important aspect of PR, can be achieved through effective public speaking.
Unfortunately, public speaking is not an ability that comes naturally for many people. Thankfully, with several weeks of formal training, one can truly learn the ropes. There are several public speaking education tips/recommendations to follow:

1) Know your stuff- when speaking in front of a group of people, pick material that you want to talk about. This will help you stay interested and will prevent you from forgetting your speech.

2) Practice- your speech isn't going to all of a sudden appear the day of your presentation. You need to be well versed on your topic so you sound like you know what you are talking about.

3) Know who you are speaking to- if you go into a speech prepared to speak to a completely different group of people; you are more likely to choke. Understanding your audience will help you get your message (s) out.

4) Relax- although you might be nervous, don’t show it on the outside. People will pick up on your nervousness so use the correct body gestures and eye contact.

5) Have fun- You might have the worst, most boring speech topic but if you act interested then your speech will sound way better. If you are having fun giving your speech, then your audience is more than likely to be enjoying what you are saying.

These five tips above are very important in finding success with public speaking. If you are able to master public speaking then that is another important skill important in effective Public Relations!

Public Relations Abroad

During the spring semester of 2008, I was fortunate enough to study abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For nearly five months, I was completely immersed in a culture of people and customs I knew nothing about. March 4th, 2008, marked the beginning of my semester and start of formal classes. My first class was titled: Relaciones Publicas 2 or Public Relations 2. This upper level PR communication course would soon prove to be my outlet to a further understanding of Argentina PR.
Being a once a week, 3-hour course, mass amounts of reading each week were inevitable. Anywhere from 50 to 100 pages of (Spanish) text and articles really opened my eyes to Public Relations in this country. We began by studying the methods and techniques of Edward Bernays as well as other Public Relations experts. Things like communication to the masses, internal/external communication, communication in organizations were all topics discussed. Although theory is a very important aspect to Public Relations, my favorite part of the class came during the last hour of class when our professor allowed us open discussion.
Before continuing, it is important to understand that I was the sole international student in this night class with only four other Argentine students and a professor. This meant that I had to be attentive and quick on my feet. All semester long, my Spanish language skills would be challenged.
Like stated earlier, I really loved when we were given free time to discuss whatever we wanted. More than often all the topics related to public relations or some aspect of communication. For example, Argentine students often discussed politics and their countries current economic status. They complained about how Cristina Kirchner, Argentina's current president, always promised things but didn't act upon them. They also felt that Kirchner was sending the country untruthful messages with regards to the economy, job market, and spending budgets. They also spoke of other ways they felt Buenos Aires businesses and organizations did not exhibit effective Public Relations. This was interesting to me because I realized that in the United States were similar problems. In fact, almost every class, the students would ask for the "Yankee’s" (Spanish slang for an American), point of view. We would compare and contrast different aspects of American and Argentine Public Relations through various examples.
When I left Argentina in July of 2008, I really felt that my Relaciones Publicas 2 class prepared me for classes to come in the United States. Not only did it set a baseboard of theory and common knowledge, it encouraged me to think outside of the box. Most important, I was able to learn about the Argentine PR. I will always be thankful for my experience abroad and although class was tough, I learned a lot about Public Relations.

POTTERY POTTERY POTTERY!!

ATTENTION POTTERY LOVERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just recently, the Catawba Indian Tribe, out of York County in Upper South Carolina was granted $1,000,000 from the United States Government to start their pottery company: Catawba Pottery Works. Along with the grant came 50-acres of land, which was awarded in an out-of-court settlement from an old lawsuit.
"We are so excited to finally be able to open the pottery business that has been a mere dream for years. Every single one of us have been hard at work to get the ball rolling and its all finally coming together! Not only will this company help with needed financial support, but we hope to teach the community about our heritage as well as learn about others through interaction. We are just ecstatic!,” said Dyami “Squealing Frog” Hargo, mother of 6.

Construction will start as soon as the licenses and other plans have been completed. Most hope to see CPW up and running by 14 months.

Jim Redwing, an attorney for Native American rights has been appointed CEO of the company and is excited about his new job. Redwing, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as Harvard graduate, has spent hundreds of hours fighting for Native Americans as an attorney and, during the Reagan administration, served as the U.S. Commissioner for Indian Affairs. With his impressive resume and knowledge on business administration, most have faith he will do great. In fact, the Catawba Indian’s are aiming in three years for an eventual $10,000,000 annual sales in three years. To reach this, the company’s leadership team must stay focused. Likewise, three years will be spent building the company through things like advertisements and fundraisers.

Besides financial gain, there are several other positive things that this company will do. As of now, the Catawba Indian’s and the citizens of York County do not have great relations. Bad feelings have arisen between the two for various reasons. It is time to end that! By including the county in every aspect of this company, the Catawbas hope to gain a voice in the community they live. Being involved in local government, special events, or whatever else would be ideal for the Catawbas. Another important aspect to the company deals with diversity. By sharing their pottery, the Catawba Indians spread their heritage and culture. This educates those who don’t know the Catawba Indians on their diverse backgrounds.

Launching this company is not going to be easy and the Catawbas understand that. Making money takes time and will be hard work. If done right, this company could be huge; it just takes help from everyone! So get excited and be on the lookout in the next few years for the grand opening of the Catawba Pottery Works company! Don’t forget, everyone loves pottery!!!!!!!!!

For more information please visit our website at: www.potteryisfun.com

Any questions can be directed towards: Gail Ratchford

1911 Cuatro Lane

Rock Hill, SC 29730

****Or you can reach Gail on her cell at: 803.674.0992 or by email at gail.ratchford@CPW.com

****If you are interested in donating to the Cherokee Indians (or to one of their endorsed charities) feel free to at: www.potteryisfun.com/donations

Thanks again and see you soon!