July 2014 archive

Wednesday’s Word

We all face obstacles in life. Just don't let them stop you from crossing the finish line.

We all face obstacles in life. But we can’t let them stop us from crossing the finish line.

By Chanda Temple

No matter how much you’ve promised yourself that you will have a good day, there’s always someone determined that you won’t. They dig in until they find your weak spot to make you fall.

Or there’s a plan you hatched with hopes of it being successful, only to see it fail.

When this happens, some give in to the pressure and crumble. Others stay to stick it out and fight.

If you are determined to face down defeat, there are so many ways to do it. During a televised sermon earlier this year, I heard some encouraging ways from Houston pastor Joel Osteen. His words may inspire you to continue the journey to find your greater.

Remember this: Your greater is out there, you just have to be encouraged to go get it.

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Motivation Monday: Eight motivating messages from Joel Osteen

Joel Osteen of Joel Osteen Ministries Image from Joel Osteen Ministries via Flickr/Creative Commons

Joel Osteen of Joel Osteen Ministries
Image from Joel Osteen Ministries via Flickr/Creative Commons

By Chanda Temple

Words can be powerful motivators.

When properly strung together, they speak to our soul and feed our spirit.

One person with a knack for doing that is Houston pastor Joel Osteen. His messages come with a 1-2 punch, planting little seeds on how to become a better person. Once you hear his words, it’s left up to you on what you do next. Will you continue to wilt where you are or will you grow and thrive?

On April 6, 2014, I was out of town and caught one of his sermons on television. Forever the journalist, I quickly began scribbling down his words. They were powerful and, well, motivating.

Here are a few of the highlights from that sermon:

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14 ways to get reporters to notice your pr pitches

By Chanda Temple

Do you know the editors, producers and reporters at your media outlets? You should.

Do you know the editors, producers and reporters at your media outlets? You should.

On a recent Tuesday night inside Birmingham’s Trim Tab Brewing Co., the beer was flowing and so were tips on how to get the media to notice your pitches from pr professionals.

Those doling out the info were Erin Shaw Street, deputy editor for Southern Living magazine; Rachel Lindley, news director for WBHM FM; David Magee, editor of Birmingham Magazine; and Walker Sorrell, associate publisher of Business Alabama. They were Trim Tab to participate in a panel discussion presented by the Alabama Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and the Public Relations Council of Alabama, two organizations focused on giving pr professionals networking opportunities and tools to improve their craft.  (Today’s post is Part 2 of the PRSA/PRCA panel discussion. To see Part 1, go here.)

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Motivation Monday: Do you work your job or does it work you?

By Chanda Temple

Marcia and Marla Pruitte are motivational speakers, helping folks get their IT together. (Photo: Special)

Identical twins Marcia Pruitte, left, and Marla Pruitte are motivational speakers, helping folks get their IT (intimate truth) together. (Photo: Special)

In 2010, Marcia Pruitte thought she was working her dream job.

She had opened a natural hair salon in Jackson, Tenn., where things were good for business. But soon, she realized she wasn’t being fulfilled. She wasn’t a licensed cosmetologist, she just owned the salon. So if stylists didn’t show up to service clients, she didn’t make money. She didn’t like someone else having that type of control. To her, that wasn’t freedom.

Meanwhile, her identical twin sister, Marla Pruitte, was having a similar feeling about her cupcake business. Also in Jackson, Marla worked hard to make her bakery a success. But if customers didn’t come in, she could potentially have a bad week. Her store became more of a job than a dream. She felt trapped.

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How Elvis Presley can pump up your pr pitch

By Chanda Temple

An editor with a love for Elvis Presley was impressed by one pitch that highlighted the singer's hometown and more. Image by Play-R via Flickr/Creative Commons.

An editor with a love for Elvis Presley was impressed by one pitch that highlighted the singer’s hometown and more.
Image by Play-R via Flickr/Creative Commons.

Test time: You’ve emailed a national magazine’s deputy editor several times to invite her to profile your small Southern town and it’s connection to Elvis Presley. Although the editor has never responded, you don’t give up. The next time, you take a new approach.

Do you:

A) Pitch how Tupelo, Miss., the birthplace of Elvis, is an emerging, energetic Southern city with a lot of history and appeal

B) Provide a list of locals, with contact info, for the editor to use as a resource

C) Ask the editor to be a judge in an Elvis look-a-like contest

D) All of the above

For the woman pitching to Erin Shaw Street, Southern Living magazine’s deputy editor responsible for managing the publication’s travel and culture content, all three approaches worked. Why? It had a lot to do with timing.

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Mastering the art of a good handshake

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What does your handshake say about you? Image by Jet via Flickr/CreativeCommons.

By Chanda Temple 

Earlier this year, I met a man running for public offie. I don’t remember his name nor the office he wanted. What I do remember is his handshake. It was clammy and sweaty.

After shaking hands, I couldn’t wait to wipe my hand. It was left kinda wet.

As I walked away, I wondered if the man knew what his handshake said about him. He may have been the best man for the job, but all I could focus on was that handshake.

Though it may seem small, a handshake is a big thing in politics and business.

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Motivation Monday: Why it’s important to follow your heart in business

By Chanda Temple

Trust yourself.

Trust yourself.

Traci Ann Moore’s parents had picked what they thought would be the perfect career for their daughter.

She’d attend college, study accounting and work as a CPA. Case closed.

But during Traci Ann’s junior year at the University of Montevallo, she had a change of heart. She wanted to study interior design after taking it as an elective.

Her mother wasn’t having it.

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When faking it is a good thing

By Chanda Temple

Image by Alrunia. Provided by Flickr/Creative Commons.

A trip to get my first pair of fake eyelashes reminded me to appreciate the small things in life:. Image by Alrunia via Flickr/Creative Commons.

When it’s your birthday, you feel like celebrating.

There’s cake, dinner with friends and presents.

But that wasn’t the case for Danyale Pickett, whose love of celebrating birthdays  disappeared in 2009, much like the smoke from blown birthday candles.

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