If it isn’t on Instagram, it isn’t real.

A few weeks ago I joined “Club iPhone,” or “Team iPhone” if we want to go for the Twilight reference. And I love it! Alas, I am facing an interesting dilemma. Before, I occasionally used my iPad to Instagram photos, but now I have my phone with me all the time. This has caused me to be ALL about Instagram. I hadn’t realized how fun it was to take pictures of food to post online. Granted, I also post pictures of other things, but I always want to post pictures of food and drinks. You can add borders, filters and be an all around hipster with your posting and use an editing app no one has ever heard of.

 

There are also the sister apps of Instagram. These can make fancy frames and collages. I’m probably a bit behind in talking about this trend, but I still think it is pretty awesome. I’m working on figuring it out, but some of my posts are works in progress. And, for all the cool cats and hipster kids that don’t use Instagram or haven’t joined Planet Smartphone, here is the Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram

 

Speaking of Wikipedia, I donated to them a few weeks ago! While I don’t normally donate to online fundraising campaigns without having a more personally vested interest, I felt a $3 contribution was fine because I use Wikipedia like a lifeline and I think the staff does a fabulous job with a small amount of credit. However, I still refuse to cite them as an academic source in a paper. Eh, we can’t win all the battles.

 

Back to Instagram. This blog has some great tips for taking the best Instagram photos: http://www.businessinsider.com/get-better-at-instagram-2013-6?op=1

 

There is a lot of potential with this app. I haven’t really explored the video yet, and part of me doesn’t want to let go of Vine, but I think the other part of me is curious. In all honesty, I enjoy that this application makes taking photos fun again. It makes me want to take pictures and share them. I can add cute photos in a few seconds and find them later when I need them. I also love how it updates on Facebook and Twitter, because that saves me the time of copying the link and sharing it later.  For those of you who haven’t joined the club yet, I recommend learning Instagram. I think it is going to become like Facebook and stick around for awhile.

 

Finally, as a self-respecting and aspiring PR professional, I strongly advise using Instagram for FUN, but not SERIOUS, PR.  (Why yes, I mentioned PR in this blog post.) This is a venue for joking and food pictures, not attempts to make yourself look good. (See this article for some “DON’TS http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2013/08/01/u-s-assad-s-instagram-despicable.html)

 

So, if you want to have some fun with your photography, I recommend Instagram. 🙂 If you want to see cool photos, follow my photos because I think I’m SUPER clever when I post them. I also promise to calm down on the photos of food.

 

Have a lovely weekend. Don’t hate me for my shameless self promotion!

-Megs

I’m baaaack!

First, I fully own the fact that I’ve been sketchy about my blogging recently. That is no one’s fault buy my own. I want to blame it on a busy schedule and long “To Do List,” but I see no point.

 

I wish I could just pretend I am not super embarrassed about this, but I am. So, I figure I will admit it. And I realized the other day that I still want to keep my blog updated. So, here I am writing a post and hopefully making myself write more.

 

A few weeks ago, I went to a conference and presented about program advertising and keeping social media accounts fresh. During this presentation, I gave the audience a variety of ways to coordinate advertisements for a promotional campaign. I also mentioned basic ways to keep your online accounts useful and ways to gather followers. After my presentation, it occurred to me that I didn’t follow a piece of advice I gave my audience. My advice was “keep your accounts updated because no one looks at a Twitter account with 2 tweets.”

 

Do I follow my own advice when it comes to blogging? Apparently not. So, I obviously and too wise for my own good! 😉 How is it that I can tell a group of strangers something that I don’t even practice? Something is wrong here. And I figure I don’t want to come off as a liar. I’m going to make an honest woman of myself and update my blog regularly! I am back from my hiatus and I am hoping to cover a variety of topics to give some flair to my blog. I feel like this is my cute little puppy and I’m telling her I will be back to play more often.

 

I don’t know for sure what topics I will cover. I think it is going to be a hodgepodge of things that I enjoy mixed with things that relate to my professional and personal goals. As for this post, I think I have exhausted my apologies and am going to move onto making amends. I will do so with a hilarious photo I stole from George Takei.

 

 

Have a fabulous day cyber space! Stay classy and please forgive me. Expect more posts soon 😉

Love,

Megs

My Love of Podcasts

I’m back!

Sorry for the delay. This  year caught up with me. I have had such amazing experiences and things to try this year/semester and I have only begun to process them.

This semester I began writing for the Daily Kent Stater as a requirement of my Print Beat Reporting class. This has been an amazing experience and I am glad to be having it. I participated in the Bateman Case Study Competition and joined the National Residence Hall Honorary, Black Squirrel Chapter’s executive board. It has been a great year!

Which leads me to my point of this post. You may be thinking, what has Megan been doing when she has not been posting on her blog? Well, I have been listening to PODCASTS! 🙂

My parents also gave me an iPad Mini as a birthday gift 🙂 So, I was noodling around there and discovered a podcasts application. This podcast application has been amazing! I’ve gotten to listen to NPR, which I do not always get the chance to, whenever I would like. I also have found that I really love other podcasts with educational components.

Ironically, when telling someone about a recent Planet Money podcast, one of my best friends told me that was his favorite podcasts too! I guess I am not alone! We actually spent about 20 minutes talking about our favorite podcasts and sharing the love.

Since that conversation, I have decided that I will share my love of podcasts, which have been an amazing way to spend time this semester.

 

Here are my recommendations 🙂 (You can find them on the Podcast app on itunes or search them online)

• How Stuff Works
• NPR’s Planet Money
• Freakanomics Radio
• This American Life
• Ted Radio Hour
• On the Media

This is also a great set of podcasts to listen to! http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-05-14/tech/31696513_1_podcast-spotify-quick-commutes

 

It can be addictive! And, don’t even get me started on audio books!

 

Have a lovely week! Enjoy the weather 🙂

-Megs

Feature Story

In my Newswriting Class we were asked to submit a Feature Story. I reserve all rights to this story and it is only being used for educational purposes. I think it a great piece and I worked hard on it!

Have a beautiful day 🙂

-Megs

Here is my story:

Megan Corder

Newswriting

Feature Story

She sat happily with her short red hair, freckled skin and blue eyes. Her infectious smile caught the attention of everyone in the room. As she sat and played with her “Alice in Wonderland” Cheshire cat, one thing was apparent: she never stops smiling.

Maybe it was the missing front tooth and the pink slippers that were enticing, or maybe it could be that she was still smiling after being diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Carla Mehl, 7, of Kent was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of five. She would not let her cancer take away from her 8th birthday.

Helen Corbett, a member of Carla’s church who volunteers at Akron Children’s Hospital, where Carla is treated, said Carla did not want to spend her birthday in the hospital.

“Carla spent her last birthday in the hospital,” Corbett said. “And she was determined not to turn 8-years-old lying in a hospital bed.”

Corbett was watching television with Carla when they saw a commercial advertising birthday celebrations at Walt Disney World.

“We watched that commercial, and her eyes lit up,” Corbett said. “And I knew a trip to Disney World would be the perfect gift.”

Corbett and The Kent City of Life Church wanted to help Carla celebrate her birthday at Disney World. The congregation and community raised $7,000 to send Carla and her extended family to Disney. Kent Travel, a local agency, donated $3,000 to cover airfare.  Disney World will cover the cost of admissions.

Pastor John Brown said that the congregation united to support Carla and her family.

“The church, and we have more than 200 families, decided to do a bake sale, a car wash and a community raffle” Brown said. “The events were held over a six-week period.”

Patricia Donahue, a church member, helped coordinate the trip with Disney officials.

“I emailed the woman who supervised my internship last summer and told her Carla’s story,” Donahue said. “She responded immediately, and I put her in touch with Helen and Elizabeth.”

Carla is looking forward to her trip to Disney World.

“I wanted to see Cinderella’s Castle,” Carla said. “And then ride all the roller coasters. I love roller coasters.”

Carla’s parents, Richard and Elizabeth Mehl, look forward to the family trip to Disney World.

“It will be good for all the children to experience this,” Elizabeth Mehl said. “We’ve never been to Disney World.”

According to Sarah Bennett, assistant director for marketing and public relations at Walt Disney World, the park has some surprises planned for Carla and her family.

“We at Walt Disney World are happy to help Carla and her family celebrate Carla’s 8 birthday on Tuesday,” Bennett said. “We’ve set up a tea with Cinderella and some of her friends in the Castle. And we’ve got some surprises for Carla, too.”

“She is a very special little girl,” Elizabeth Mehl said. “Very upbeat.”

Carla will soon be enjoying Disney World with her family, and one thing is certain about her trip: She will keep smiling.

Multimedia Suggestions:

1. A video interview with Carla at her home.
2. B-roll of the church fundraisers to send Carla and her family to Disney World.
3. Pictures of Carla and her family.
4. Pictures of the church congregation and Carla.

Post-Story Multimedia Suggestions:

1. Video of Carla and her family at the park.
2. Pictures of Carla with Cinderella at the park.
3. Pictures of Carla at her birthday celebration.

Social Media Tips!

Hola!

Hope everyone is enjoying the change in the weather and keeping warm! Recently, I have developed a renewed sense of determination to be active in social media. I love it, but sometimes I am not as dedicated as I could be. However, I have been reading some blogs and looking at sites with tips for developing a Social Media footprint and brand. From my research on these topics and my own beliefs, I have developed a list of tips.

• Actively use social media. No really. If you update a blog once no one will read it. (I know I have been guilty to not being around lately, but life is BUSY! With my new inspiration I hope to update my blog more often.)
• Recognize others who are social media ninjas! If someone has a fantastic idea, steal it! Copying is a compliment. Good ideas can be developed and those who had them should get some recognition for the ideas!
• Have fun. Creeping on Twitter and Facebook for new ideas is exciting. Look at new websites like Path. See what Pandora and Pinterset are up to. The beauty of social media is its versatility  Why would you sit here and wait for an opportunity that is at your fingertips?
• Ask around. See what others have noticed and are talking about. Or read the trends online. If you notice a trend, see why. Check out what others are saying.
• Take a break. Separate yourself from the medium and see if it is still an unique idea five minutes later.
• Create a theme among your social media accounts. I like to use the name “Megs Corder.” I am trying to distinguish myself in a world of constant updates! It may not go noticed now, but I have my own identity and ideas I can cater to. Start with small changes to enhance your presence and then work on it! I have never turned in a paper or developed an idea that I didn’t edit. You have to develop and edit your presence.
• Be vigilant. I mean it! If you want to try something, do not wait for instruction. Just do it!
• Be happy! 🙂 I have found that a positive outlook and attitude help me learn more. I am not looking at a website and letting myself be upset about someone’s wonderful ideas that I wish I had. Instead, I look at it as a positive opportunity for change.

I hope that these tips help! 🙂 Please comment if you have any thoughts or additions!

Here are some links with more tips!

http://blog.kissmetrics.com/social-media-tips-2012/

http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/09/social-media-tips-small-business.html

http://www.socialmediatips.com/

Have a lovely day!

-Megs

What are you afraid of?

Think about it.

What scares you? What keeps you awake at night?

What is the last thing you ever want to have happen?

Be honest.

I’m afraid to fail.

It scares me. I will stress myself out because I do not want to disappoint myself. I do not want to disappoint my family. I do not want to work very hard on something only to have my expectations be crushed. And it is a challenge. A challenge I am working on resolving. But it is a reality. I am so afraid that I will not meet the expectations and standards I hold myself to.

I think that the first step in overcoming fear is admitting it exists. It exists in many forms. It is very difficult to understand and to comprehend. But it is still fear.

It doesn’t matter what your specific fear is; it matters how you handle it. It could be spiders, tigers or failure. But if you see a spider and it walks across your foot and you DON’T panic, that is a victory! Baby steps! 🙂 If you still are not sure what your fear or fears are, then think about it for awhile. Take some time to understand what helps you have a happy life and what doesn’t.

Fears are not just black cats and bugs, fears are concepts, ideas and interactions. There are fears of items and spaces, and fears of confrontation and authority.

I do not know what your fear is, but I do know that you can work towards understanding and overcoming fear. Apprehension may not be fear, but it is another thing holding you back from accomplishing your goals and dreams. It is okay to say hello to someone you don’t know. Be friendly, be fun and life life! Fear or no fear, there is always tomorrow.

 

Love, Laugh, Life and Engage!

-Megs

How do YOU balance it ALL?

I don’t claim to know it all. No one does. But I do claim to have a good understanding on how my own organizational skills and brain works.

My tips are as follows:

• Write things down. Really. I mean it.
• Keep a “To Do” List and maintain it.
• Keep a planner.
• Keep a Google Calendar (Yes, I am suggesting two different methods. Because you should do BOTH and have TWICE the amount of records.)
• Recognize that is it okay not to go to everything. But just make sure you are fulfilling your commitments.
• Keep your commitments to the best of your ability. When you can’t, communicate with the appropriate parties.
• It is okay to say no.
• It is okay to ask for help.
• Plan out what you want to accomplish, long and short term goals. Write it down or keep it in your thoughts. Every action should reflect your goals. Or at least reflect honest interests and ideas.
• Take time for yourself. Take an hour. Try to fit it into your schedule every day.
• Have a clear understanding of what is expected of you. That way you can plan accordingly and meet the expectations in a non-stressful way.
• Smile. It makes things easier.
• Take a few minutes to breathe. You will thank yourself later.
• It will all be okay! It will always be okay!

I hope these tips have helped you 🙂 Please comment if you have any questions.

My “Friend” Stress

I get stressed; everyone gets stressed. The point of this post is to let you know that you have to make stress your friend. Talk it out. Figure out why you are stressed. Then create a plan to “de-stress.”

I know I do not always practice what I preach. I get stressed and cry. I get angry. I see no alternative and feel emotionally and physically overwhelmed. But then I begin to suck it up. I see ways to solve the problem instead of feeling like there is no answer. I take a deep breath and I keep on moving. It isn’t easy. It isn’t simple. But it works.

I always bite off more than I can chew. I always think I will be fine with a new situation. Usually, I am. But there are the rare occasions that I am not fine and then I need to figure out my next step. Sometimes that means backing out gracefully and admitting that I can’t handle a situation. I try to move forward, not back.

I hope that this helps you. I truly feel that how we handle ourselves during times of stress and change shows our souls. It gives us life. It gives us character. I think that from a PR perspective, one must handle stress. They can cry and be angry, but then they have to move forward. They may not like the people in a project, but can they get the job done? The boss may be crazy, but if they complete the task does it really matter? Someone may be unprofessional, but do you act that way? Think of what works for you. Think of what helps you. Think of what makes you feel productive and content. Then, go forth. This basic formula may come off as silly, but try it anyway. Do you like A or B better? Does C make you angry? Now you know. Go forth.

I do not pretend to have the answers. Yet I know how one conducts themselves in stressful situations gives insight into their character. They must understand what they want out of what they are working on. They must keep going forward. They must figure out what they like or do not like. Then they must find ways to push the stress, anger, anxiety and emotions away and just be.

I say all of these things, but am still their student. A student trying to pass along her growing knowledge of stress management. I am still learning and I hope this helps you learn too.

Have a great summer!

Keep smiling!

-Megs

 

Here is a website with some stress management tips. Just remember, if you break apart the problem the answer is more clear.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

Thrift-ing Like a Boss

I love Thrift Stores. I love them more than I should. I love the hunt and the challenge. I love walking in and looking at every item to see what I can find.

I don’t see why other people don’t like them as much. Sure, there are things people shouldn’t buy. There are things that people shouldn’t donate, but there is so much more to check out.

Yesterday, I went to a store buy my house and I bought a dinosaur land-line phone, yes you heard me, a DINOSAUR PHONE! It is glorious. I love it. It was about $8. How can anyone beat that deal? Sometimes I think that people are afraid of things they have never tried and I say just do it! If you don’t feel comfortable at one kind of thrift store then go to a second hand store like Plato’s Closet. There are so many inexpensive options.

I say that unless it is for a very special occasion or you need an outfit tailored, go thrift-ing. You save time, money, energy and you may end up with glorious things like a dinosaur phone. 🙂

Let loose your inner hipster. Be an individual with a chic closet that wasn’t expensive. Save the environment and go find your new favorite thrift store!

Stay Sassy Shoppers! 😉

-Megs

Here is a site that has great thrift-ing tips. Also, don’t be afraid to check out flea markets and yard sales.

http://www.painfullyhip.com/2009/01/top-secret-thrifting-tips-you-may-or-may-not-already-know-plus-one-im-sure-you-dont/

Where the Wild Things Are, or now, were

“Please don’t go. We’ll eat you up. We love you so.”
― Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are

If you haven’t heard, Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, died today.

Here is an article with more information.

http://books.usatoday.com/bookbuzz/post/2012-05-08/fans-remember-maurice-sendak/689673/1

I have always loved books. Particularly children’s books. My mom is a librarian and I read more than I should. Sometimes I will not go to bed for hours because I haven’t finished a “good” chapter of a book. I remember reading Where the Wild Things Are, when I was a kid. I remember each page and each line. I remember wanting to be Max and have fierce adventures where I didn’t sleep and pranced around in my wolf costume.

I remember going to the movie with the highest hopes, only to be let down. I liked the movie, but it wasn’t the same as the book. I feel like a lot of things are not the same. As children, we enter the world with an idealistic point of view. We lose that as adults. But stories do not. Stories keep us young and engaged. Children’s book authors, like Maurice Sendak, knew that. Max has the freedom and individuality that I know I crave. He had a support network and a sense of being. I can’t say that I have that all the time. However, I am working towards it.

When it comes down to it, we need to remember who we are. Who we want to be. Who we thought about being when we were learning to read. It may never be easy, or simple. But we have to have the same courage and gusto as Max, even when our mother sends us to bed for being naughty. We have to be our own fierce selves and occasionally admit that we miss things. Because that is how we grow.

Have a lovely week. Go sit outside and read a book!

-Megs