My New PR Theory-For Personal and Business

It’s a well-known fact that a common advertising tactic is to make you feel like you need a product in to be good enough or to be a better person. MY theory is this: What if you made someone fell like they already are on top of the world?

I can’t take all the credit for this idea. I recently read How to Win Friends and Influence People  by Andrew Carnegie. It’s a pretty famous book that I’m sure you have heard of at least once. In there, Carnegie repeats a quote (gained from an interview with Charles Schwab) throughout the book, and when something is repeated often then it means you should listen up. The quote goes, “Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.” I can personally guarantee that this will improve all aspects of your life if applied. All sorts of fun surprises will start coming up.

So does it work? As you know my last post was about the business Liveacre. I received an email (from the founder herself! SQUWEEEEEEEE!) sharing very sincere appreciation. Did I appreciate this act of kindness? Darn tootin’ I did! I’ve been floating on top of clouds ever  since! Does Liveacre have a new loyal follower? You betcha!  Is this new loyal customer going t spread the good word? Pshchya! (That means yes.)

Making the world a better place requires the world. The world starts with your neighbor.

So does this work on a personal level? Do I have an example? Better believe it. I am involved with my schools student government. In the past I have devoted a lot if time and effort into it. This semester, not so much. I am a Fine Arts committee member. One of many. So I am not as needed as I was last year. We have a very talented and able group. There have been many times when I have thought about bowing out. Something keeps me there though. Every now and then, I get a personalized message from the committee chair. This not only makes me super happy, but I always want to help out and do more then I was before.

I have been on both sides of being “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.” It makes life a whole lot better. For more about it read the book or try it on your own. Experiment!

It’s October! You know what that means!

It’s October! The only month that I will voluntarily wear pink. I’m not really the kind of person who dresses up for anything. I’ll dress for an occasion, yes. But I will not wear green and red for Christmas, I don’t like dressing up for Halloween, I will not wear pink or red for Valentines Day/black for Singles’ Awareness Day, and I do not put in an effort to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. However, this is a special cause. One very close to me.

My Mom and Dad: Photo by the talented Katie Higbee

My Mom’s mom (Grandma Irma) came to Long Island during WWII when she was 16. She left her home in Prussia as a child with only the things she could fit into her pack. (See Mom, I was listening all those years ago.) She married and had 4 kids (3 boys, 1 girl. My Grandpa joined her the first week of this month.) She was a lover of art. She sang and played the guitar very well and worked as a ceramicist. She was also a skilled painter. She played sports and valued education very much. All this I know from my mom because cancer took her life. It all started as Breast Cancer and spread to the rest of her body. Things are a lot different in this day and age. Back then, it was still known as the “C” word. Girls. Ladies. It’s never too early or too late. I have written countless reports on this subject. If a young healthy athletic woman can get it, so can you. You’re at as much a risk as I am.

On a lighter note! Ladies… this is for you. Pay attention.

If that doesn’t catch your attention then I don’t know what will. Like most marketers, the American Cancer Society knows you and just how to target you. They have hit you from the serious tear-jerking side for a while and now they’re coming at you with this. This commercial (I guess that’s what it is) was brilliantly designed for woman of all ages. In my mind, it’s everything a commercial should be! It should function to inform and entertain and it did indeed. Hopefully we won’t need anymore reminders in the future, but if that isn’t the case that I can’t wait to see what the ACS comes up with next.

TLC