Lisa Cruz

Kindles, social media, hand-written notes, mom's lessons and love

"You should be in public relations." My mom always told me this while I was growing up. The funny thing about her saying that was she, nor I, had any idea what public relations was about. But, because she saw me easily make friends and noted my initiative, she thought it sounded like a perfect fit. One of my first lessons that mama is always right.

Throughout the years my mom has certainly taught me a lot. As a teenager, she would give me life advice and I always shrugged it off because what did she know. Only to figure out later that she was right. At this stage in the game as I stare 40 in the face, I've learned to listen. Here are a few things my mom has taught me over the years.

A love of reading: My mom always had my dad running out to get the newspaper. Always. And she always had a stack of books next to her bed. Not just a few books, a tower of books. And it wasn't uncommon for her to read more than three books at a time. Today, she and I enjoy a shared account on our Kindles and continuously download books and give our recommendations to each other.

Always write a thank-you note: While I may be a staunch advocate of social media, I'm also a firm believer in the power of the hand-written note. Mom would say to me, "If they took the time to buy you a gift, you can at least take the time to write them a thank you." In today's business world, handwritten notes are few and far between but those who frequently write them understand how beautiful they are.

Dress one level up: When in doubt, dress one level up. Mom always made sure I put my best foot forward when it came to clothes. For interviews, parties, church, meetings, everything, I had to always look my best. There is no second-best dressing.

Commitment through the good times and the bad: So the story goes, when my mom and dad were faced with bankruptcy during the 80s, lawyers advised them to divorce so they could salvage some of their assets. This wasn't an option for my mom... or my dad. Today, she continues in her commitment to my dad who has spent the last nine years in a nursing home. Almost every day she visits with him and he lights up as the most beautiful woman in the world walks into his room ... how I imagine it was the first time he laid eyes on her.

And last but not least, love: The greatest gift of all she has demonstrated in so many ways over the years. And believe me, I am not the easiest daughter to love. But she does. No matter all of my flaws and idiosyncrasies, my mom loves me. Unabashedly and wholeheartedly. I can share with her my fears, tears, frustrations and more but I know that no matter what, she loves me. 

Thank you mom.

From Diabetes to the Boardroom

Way back when I wrote a blog post about the important role communications play in making sure my 10-year old son Manny is safe no matter where he is--because of his diagnosis of juvenile diabetes this past February. I thought it was time for an update to share some of the important lessons I have learned since then, which have actually impacted my professional life.

For the past 6 months his current intake of insulin was via shots. This meant that each day in addition to his frequent blood sugar checks (6-10 times/day) he also received around 6 to 8 insulin shots per day. After his diagnosis these shots were given the traditional way with a lot of syringes and vials.

After that he graduated to insulin pens. The pens are definitely easier to use but at the end of the day they were still shots. And we were still administering a lot of them as he continues to grow as little boys do.

The past few months Manny decided to take the next step and move to the insulin pump. After weeks of agonizing which pump was the coolest ... he made his decision. Overall the pump is certainly much better and an easier way to deliver the insulin.  Manny is continuously connected to a palm-sized pump  he carries which delivers insulin through the catheter. With each meal his current blood sugar syncs with the pump and then he manually punches in the amount of carbs he ate ...the pump then delivers. You can imagine what a relief this is given the amount of food Manny eats, and boy does that kid eat. No more shots.

However, every three days we have to use a quite elaborate system to insert the catheter. Think of a stapler held against the skin that pokes in about 6 mm. For all of us this process has been a learning curve. You have to grab enough of his "fat" which is hardly existent and then use the inserter. Every three days we re-do this process which can be extremely nerve-wracking. And yes, we've had a few mishaps along the way when all of us end up in tears.

So what have I learned so far that helps me in my day-to-day business life at Red Shoes PR? Here it is:

Confidence - I never thought I would be able to give my own child shots, much less insert a catheter. With this new level of confidence, anything is possible when it comes to my business.

Perspective - With all the things that can go wrong in my day-to-day at the office, it still pales in comparison to the daily battle he fights.

Attitude - I have noticed considerably that my attitude directly impacts his attitude. If my hands shake when inserting the catheter, he gets nervous. I've noticed the same impact when I am in the office: my attitude can have a direct impact on my team.

Appreciation - For the simple things in life like watching Manny run down the basketball court with energy. At the office, sometimes it's those unplanned meetings which include a lot of laughter. Music to my ears.

These are my gifts from Manny. I hope you can find use for them, too.

Lessons learned

Every day I make mistakes. But, I also try to figure out what I have learned from making those mistakes. Because if I don't-- then shame on me.

Here are a few lessons I've learned in the past few weeks/months/year:

1. I have been burned so many times by this ... you read an e-mail, react too quickly and post a response in turn, without understanding the complete context of the issue at hand. I have renewed my vow to ditch the email response and go directly to the source by contacting them via phone, in-person, etc. An e-mail response might seem quicker in the short-term but what usually happens is you end up taking time to draft a response, subsequently it's mis-interpreted and then you spend more time trying to "fix" what has now become an even larger issue.

2. Compassion is key. Compassion or understanding is certainly a close relative to being a communicator. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. When you are in a meeting, hear a comment and have an immediate visceral reaction to what the other person said, stop and ask yourself, "Why?" Think about the other person's perspective, their expertise and why they said what they did. This simple pause allows you to re-evaluate their comments and gives you time to think about how you should frame your comments.

3. Empowerment is everything. And, it can also be one of the scariest things to do as a leader. I have one of the best teams assembled in a small business today but at times it's still difficult for me to take a back seat. Fortunately, due to my hectic schedule, it forces me to do just that-- let go. There is no greater reward than allowing the team to go forth, spread their wings and fly.

My bottom line? I'm going to make every mistake worth its while.

Lesson No. 1: "Listen" to your gut instinct

At Red Shoes PR we are quickly approaching our one-year anniversary and what a year it has been. Since we opened our doors the first Monday in June of 2008, it's been a whirlwind. And I mean a whirlwind. Because I am trying to do a bit more reflecting these days to counterbalance my hyperspeed mode of operation and to make sure I don't repeat mistakes, I thought I would do a few blog posts this month about what I've learned in the past year as a new, start-up business owner.

With that in mind, I'm going to talk about listening to what your gut is telling you. I don't know how many times I've ignored that nagging feeling in my stomach only to regret it later. If only I had listened to it earlier, think how much time I would save? I think for the most part that many of us experience the same thing but are we listening to it and acting on it accordingly???

One example of this really sticks out in my mind. About two months after we opened our doors I took a "new business" call on the phone. To make a long story short, this person asked to meet with us and gave me a brief overview of their company. I called the business back to confirm the meeting as well as researched them online.

On the day and time of the appointment, the person came into our office and met with us in our conference room, with the door closed. After about 10 minutes in the room, my gut was telling me something wasn't right. As a matter of fact, I actually felt like there wasn't enough air in the room. After about 45 minutes, the person left. For the first time ever, I made it a point to look out the window to see what type of car the person was driving while we also did a quick background check online at Family Watchdog. Turns out the person was a convicted sex offender of multiple accounts. And the business he was representing? Well, not so much added up on that.

What I've been trying to do more of lately is make sure that even if I think someone won't' agree with my "gut" feeling, I do speak my mind and give voice to those feelings. Sometimes out of those conversations comes even greater discussion and that's always a good thing. As for the example I used above? We certainly used this opportunity to put some stringent policies and processes in place!

Personal? Professional? Perfessional?

As my network expands as our business grows, more often I am faced with Facebook friend requests that are un-chartered territory for me. One recent request was from a person we interviewed. Another friend request didn't have a photo and gave a vague description for her bio.

My first instinct was to ignore both. I wasn't comfortable being "friends" with someone who we had interviewed. And I certainly was not comfortable being "friends" with someone who I didn't know from Adam. Of course I threw it out for discussion to my colleagues in the office. They were surprised that I was hesitating about the job candidate. We had a healthy debate about why I should "friend" him and how I present myself online. As my business partner pointed out, "You are who you are, online or offline and that's especially true for you."

Well that was good to hear and put my mind to ease as I hit accept and he is now in my circle of friends. As for the other ... while I was figuring out what to do, I mistakenly hit delete before I had reached my final decision. Or maybe it wasn't a mistake?

Here's a Q&A in The New York Times I found to be interesting on this topic.

Wearing more than red shoes

We had an interesting conversation yesterday at lunch. My colleagues were bemoaning the fact that they will be turning 26 soon. Oh no, not 26! The conversation was focused on birthdays because today, Friday the 13th, I am now 38.

My business partner, Jess Dennis, quickly backtracked on behalf of the group and said she would rather be 38 years old than somewhere between the ages of 26 and early 30s. Now, I'm not entirely convinced she wasn't trying to cover her tracks (after all, she is very smart) on the eve of my birthday but ... this might just be one of the best times of my life so far.

I'm certainly the most confident I've ever been. And, being in public relations, confidence means a lot. I have to be because every time I turn around I'm offering my two cents worth. And the confidence comes from having years of experience under my belt. Is it bad to say that I feel like I've been around the block a few times?

I'm often asked if I wear my red shoes even if I have on colors that don't match. Orange, pink, green... it doesn't matter what color clothes I am wearing with the red shoes. What I'm wearing, more than the color of shoes, is confidence. I am comfortable with who I am, imperfections included.

I've also grown a thicker skin. Things that bothered me before are now taken in stride. I shrug my shoulders and have this image in my mind of each problem rolling off my back like a raindrop. The raindrops quickly roll off and I keep moving on. When I look back to when I started in PR as a young 'un and especially in the past year, this has been one of the greatest growth areas for me as a woman who owns a business. Somehow, when you are confronted with things like, oh let's say childbirth, a father's illness, or a son diagnosed with a lifelong disease, it's easier to put things in perspective.

It's also amazing how much more risk embracing I am. You'd think because I am an entrepreneur who launched a business during one of the worst economic crisis that I would be holed up under my desk in the fetal position. But I am not. Nor will I be. I owe it to myself to live by embracing change and taking chances.

The art of listening

I won't bore you with the details or the nitty-gritty but let's just say it was one tough week. I listened as people cried and/or poured their hearts out to me about a number of things that seem to have recently come to the surface.

I suspect the stress of the holidays and the crappy economy adds to people's stress. But more than that-- these were people who needed to be listened to with full attention. Many may find it surprising that I do listen and listen well considering that I'm also quite enthusiastic about my verbal stream of consciousness, some of which can be witnessed here, in person and on Twitter.

But all this listening has really got me thinking about the role I play in public relations--with my clients, colleagues, media - the whole caboodle. As much as I counsel, advise,spout off - it's the listening part of a relationship, the part that really shows you care about them as a person -- this is at the heart of communications.

When was the last time you took a moment or two and really listened to your clients' concerns or needs? And here's the clincher - that you listened to them without thinking what your next response might be or what you should "sell" them? Have you really listened to what the reporter is asking of you? Did you really hear what your colleague was telling you? Are you looking in their eyes when they speak to you? Or are you texting on your phone?

As much as we all like to be heard, remember that communications is a two-way street, not a one-way. So of course I encourage your comments on this post-and I will listen.

Push clients toward social media? I don't think so.

I had a meeting this past week with a possible client and was completely blown away by their interest in moving forward with integration of social media efforts and traditional.To say I was tickled pink minimizes how excited I was at the prospect of engaging with a company that is getting it!

But it also brings to mind some of the companies out there who are hesitant to move forward in the world of social media. I've learned a few things over the years in working with clients that I think apply to this type of situation. As a PR practioner, it's my job to guide and not push anyone or any company into doing something they aren't comfortable in doing. As many of us agree, it's about the pull not the push.

Here is what I do to engage clients in consideration of executing new ideas including social media:

1) Face time, face time! We know and can certainly appreciate the value of personal connections. This is how we build trust within our client's organization--through plain and simple face time (Twitter, email and phone are not enough).

2) Manage expectations. Talk to your clients about what can possibly happen in any given situation- when a story runs, how the public may perceive company's current message, image and more.

3) Information sharing. Periodically share with your client timely and relevant online postings, stories or firsthand case studies, pointing out the highlights and results.

4) Demonstrate expertise and experience. This part takes time, be patient. Don't go into an organization and ruffle feathers with your new ideas before having a solid foundation of the organization's personality or they of your's.

5) Listen. Listen to the client's past experiences, good and bad. There is a lot to learn from the past to figure out what's the best way to move forward. In a world full of chatter, listening is the key to successful relationships and campaigns.

Despite the headlines, there is good news

Another day and probably about a gazillion more depressing headlines.  I've had quite a few discussions with colleagues, friends, family and media about all of the downer headlines and stories we are exposed to on a daily, or more like minute-by-minute basis. As I blurted out to my co-workers yesterday, "Can't we all just have a time out?" (As a mom of three boys under the age of 9, this is our preferred method of cooling off before you know what breaks loose.)

And I don't mean a time out just for our particular business --but for everyone, across the nation. And why stop there, how about a global time out?

We need a couple of days to collect ourselves, figure out our business strategy moving forward, give the stock market a rest and have a reprieve from the perpetual headlines of doom and gloom. The news is flying at us so fast about yet another retailer going bust, automakers hitting the skids and the dizzying pace of layoffs that we all have a tendency to get caught up in the frenzy.

While we may not get a two day time out, how about this? Despite all of the optimism sucking headlines, I know that there are some businesses out there doing quite well. Share your story!!! We need some counterbalanced headlines--Stat! Has your business won an award lately? One of your customer reps done an outstanding job? Do you have an employee who is helping others by donating their time?

There are some simple things we can do to spread the good news. Send a photo with a caption to your local newspaper. Hop on Twitter and post it. Share your good news with friends on Facebook or colleagues on LinkedIn. Blog about it. Post it on your Web site. Today, more than ever, you have a voice.

We all play a role in what those headlines say, speak up.

So, what do you do?

Might seem rudimentary but I get this question all the time. "So, what do you do exactly?" is how the conversation usually begins. After sizing up the person asking the question, taking into consideration how much time we have and how much I think they want to hear, I often start with the most basic answer, one I know they can identify with, "You know when you see a story in the newspaper about company XYZ? That was us, pitching a compelling story to a reporter who is intrigued enough to write about it."

I know that is a simple answer but I also recognize that it is one that resonates with people. As public relations professional we know that the answer is so much more. But I am somewhat hesitant to overwhelm people with something along the lines of, "We serve as a client's brand advocate 24/7, we take the lead on communicating our client's brand with their target audience, handle crisis communications, protect the brand through words and actions, develop key messages, media train, develop content, manage content, read and read some more, research, get up at 4 a.m. for an early morning TV crew, keep our eyes on emerging trends, research new methods of communicating and  work in tandem with a client's business plan to help them reach their goals."

Whew. And I am just getting started. Any questions?