The #21DayPRActionGuide challenge comes to a close this week, and it’s been a true joy working with you. Here’s my closing video. The key question to ask yourself now, is: “What’s sustainable?” This question not only applies to your PR plan, but also to your personal life. What’s working? What’s not working?
I’m not only ending the #21DayPRActionGuide challenge; America gets back to work this week as well. While the pandemic is still claiming lives, there are many states eager to get back to work. The press is gearing up to cover what is working and not working about these choices. What do you think? You’d be surprised. These ideas might be something your local press wants to hear about. Write it down, shape it into media materials you’ve learned to create over the past 21 days, and get pitching!!! #YouGotThis ?
Press will always ask, “What’s working? What’s not working?” Then they report on that. It’s a great topic to contemplate every day. In fact, as you journal, reflect and plan, have sustainability and the key question “What’s working?” guide you. I do!
Here’s an example from my own life. For me, #WalkingLive is working for my daily fitness. I love my social media community. For some odd reason, 1100 people have joined my YouTube channel, which to me is simply a public vlog about my health journey. I ramble and often have bad lighting. In fact, my business partner, Drew Gerber, questioned me in 2011 for starting it. I was wearing a #BiggestLoser outfit on my treadmill and cried about my “big girl” genetic makeup. We discussed whether or not it was professional to do. To be honest, I was unsure myself — but I created it anyway. It’s a record of my life and I often look back at old videos just as one would look back at old photos. These videos hit a cord with people. While I might discount it and often my friends and family laugh at my videos I post there, it resonates with people. They subscribe, comment, and tell me in private that I’m making a difference for them. My inspiring others inspires me. So, I’ll keep it. It just goes to show you that you don’t have to have perfect editing, prepared scripts, or even a long, time-intensive preparation to be successful today online. You just have to have an authentic voice. ? Keep beating the drum of your dreams.
What’s your authentic voice?
The bottom line is, YouTube.com/michelletennant inspires me to keep my fitness goals in place. So what structures do you have in place that keep calling you into action? What’s the drum you keep beating? What dreams do you want to become a reality? List those and you’ll see if you have something you’ll stick with — something that’s sustainable not just for this month, but for a lifetime.
I’d love to hear from you about the types of sustainable structures you’re creating with your PR plans. ✋
You can always check back at this blog, where I’ll continue to dissect breaking and seasonal news stories from my viewpoint. However, since you’ve been on this 21-day journey with me, I want to walk my talk and leave you with a new call to action: write about a new definition of PR today, tonight, this week, or this month. Whenever you get it done, it will be perfect. Just get it done. PR doesn’t only stand for PUBLIC RELATIONS it also stands for PERSONAL RECORD.
Every year, I emcee the Frostbite 10K in Fletcher, NC. It’s a lot of fun to spend my volunteer time serving thousands of people pursuing walking and running “personal records.” This past February, I met an 84-year-old woman who was doing the one-mile fun run right before the 10K. She was by herself. No one was there to support her. She came up to me at my emcee microphone and introduced herself and asked proudly where she was to report for the one-mile warm-up. To that point, I had related to the fun run as an event for young children. This woman was so proud to be in her golden years and still able to walk a mile. She told me many of her friends had either died or were unable to walk. To her, this was her personal record. I reminded her to ring the PR bell, located at the finish line and to tell me when she had finished. That interaction forever changed me. No one else has to be impressed by your personal record — no one but you. It’s created by you, for you. Period. So what will you create now? ?
Like this woman, I want you to “ring” your PR (public relations) PR (personal record) bell by writing to me. When you create what you want to accomplish, go out and get that goal and then write to me you’ve done so. You might not have anyone else on the planet. I’m here. Tell me — tell anyone — what you’re out to accomplish. Even if it’s starting a YouTube channel you believe no one else will pay attention to. Just do it. You might be surprised a decade later, like I am. That in fact, 1100 people care about your journey. 1100 people just might “subscribe” to you, too, and keep you going when the going gets tough.
