Should You Go To Grad School as a PR Pro?

This week is the second part of our New Professionals series. As someone who was once a new professional myself, I struggled to find answers to these pressing questions. I want to ensure that you don’t have to spin your wheels like I did! While I don’t have all of the answers -- or even ones that will resonate with you -- I do hope that something will spark interest, action, or understanding for you along the way. This week, we’re delving into the deep waters of grad school and if it’s for you -- or if you should keep that $20K or so in your pocket.

How To Gain Valuable PR Experience As A New Professional

If you’re a newly minted graduate or are thisclose to graduating, I fully empathize with you! It’s hard to balance the workload, expectations, and fears of the unknown. It can be a windy road. Here is an answer to one of young professionals’ most pressing questions with the hope that it can alleviate at least some of the inner turmoil: How do I get experience when I’m first starting my career? This is the first in a series of (at least) three questions. Think of this as the Dear Abby of PR questions and answers!

Bringing Light to the Unconventional Side of Mental Health

Hourglass Media’s Integrated Communications Assistant Isabella Mershon believes that too often, mental illnesses are romanticized. She wanted to share her and her peer’s stories — unfiltered. Please note: This blog post contains information and insight about mental health disorders and experiences that could be triggering for some. Please be advised.

Five Ways To Tell Your Clients' Stories

Hourglass Media constantly evolves, from what we offer to healthier, authentic, beautiful ways to communicate with our target audiences. We offer public relations, writing, resources, and other things. With more than one billion words to our name, we’re dedicated to showcasing the narratives of organizations and individuals in myriad formats.

Mental Health Moments: What We Learned During Our Mental Health Week

During the week of May 24-May 28, Hourglass Media observed its inaugural Mental Health Week. This week’s intention was to take a much-needed hiatus from client work and everyday work life #behindthehourglass. While we love what we do, we wanted to practice what we preach and make our mental health a priority during this week. Both of us wanted to give our takes on the week and what we learned about ourselves -- and our mental health -- during our Mental Health Week.

Using Behavioral Communications

If you’re a PR practitioner, small business owner, or just a human trying to convey a thought in any situation, using behavioral communication will create more comprehension and understanding. All of us have communicated a message and then witnessed it fall flat, offend someone, or be misunderstood. Here are three ways you can use behavioral communication in your work and personal conversations and messages.

Mental Health Moments: Five Ways To Focus on Mental Health This May

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. As anyone who knows even a small glimmer about our work knows, mental health is one of our main passions and causes. In addition to introducing mental-health habits in the workplace, we also want to give you some tools to use both personally and professionally. Here are five ways you can bring your mental health to the forefront this month.

Mental Health Moments: The Art of Self Love

One of the most challenging lessons I have learned is how important it is to love and value oneself. I have experienced times in my life where I was my biggest bully. I didn’t love who I was and my actions reinforced this internal struggle. I did not take care of my body, my mind, and my overall well-being.

Basics That Will Drive the Success of Your Project Management

It’s the beginning of a new quarter, and if you’re anything like me, you sit at your desk and wonder, “Where did Quarter 1 go?!” Each of us is busy trying to further our clients’ goals and objectives, grow our companies or careers in general, and attempting to achieve our own versions of work/life balance.

All in all, it can get relatively exhausting when you you’re grasping at straws with project management. This month, we’re focused on resources that will help you better plan for your goals at hand.

Mental Health Moments: Pandemic Takeaways

Over a year ago, our lives collectively changed when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the world as we knew it. Since then, mental health issues have skyrocketed. Individuals may have new diagnoses or fall into the same issues they have known about and lived with for a while. No matter the onset, mental health has been at the forefront of many casual conversations to clinical studies.

MY CONTRIBUTION TO IWD'S #CHOOSETOCHALLENGE

On March 8, the world celebrated International Women’s Day. For myself, it was a chance to reflect on and appreciate the work and accomplishments of so many women. To think that approximately 100 years ago, women were first granted the right to vote; and this year, the first woman was sworn in as Vice President of the United States. Although, women everywhere have tirelessly fought and accomplished more than people thought possible, the battle is not yet over.

Happy 150th Birthday, Huntington!

Huntington is where I spent my formative years and learned about life, love, and everything in between. To celebrate Huntington’s 150th Birthday, this is a master list of my experiences in Huntington and what it means to my narrative. Huntington, you’ve been so good to me. I am forever grateful to you. Happy Birthday, Jewel City. You shine brighter every day. ❤️

Mental Health Moments: The Exploitation Of Mental Health Through Clickbait Strategies

Like most people who have Netflix and love a good true-crime story, I watched “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at The Cecil Hotel.” I’m going to go ahead and spare you if you haven’t seen it already: just sit this one out. With all of my commentary aside, there is one thing that really stuck with me after watching this series. Mental health is still very misunderstood and exploited. When you don’t have control of your own narrative, it can be misconstrued to the masses.

Introducing New Intern Isabella

On January 11, Hourglass Media welcomed new Intern Isabella Mershon. Isabella Mershon is a junior studying communication at Ohio University which makes her Hourglass Media’s first intern from OU! This week, we are introducing the newest member of our team #behindthehourglass! Stay tuned- because Isabella will be helping write many of our blog posts throughout the spring 2021 semester!

Benefits of Being An Independent Practitioner

I have been an independent practitioner for almost six years, and I never want to go back to a traditional office environment if I can help it! For the sake of this blog post, and because I am a public relations practitioner at heart and by trade, I will focus on communications-based independent practitioners. What are some benefits of being an independent public relations practitioner?

Mental Health Moments: Being A Mom and CEO -- You CAN Do Both

I am able to toggle back and forth between feeding my son and then hopping on a Webex meeting. Recently, I appeared live on one of our local news stations. When I returned home, he puked all over the front of my red dress. Not the most glamorous moment, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. No one could prepare for the challenge of being a mom AND Hourglass Media CEO. I aim to bring you along my mental health journey, so welcome to my Mom/CEO life. See what works for me as I embark on completely new territory.

How To Prepare For A Successful Year Ahead

Business, Public RelationsKaylin R. StatenJanuary 21, 2021kaylin, kaylin staten, kaylin r adkins, kaylin r staten, kaylin r staten apr, hourglass omnimedia, hourglass media, behind the hourglass, #behindthehourglass, maison de hourglass, public relations, planning, small business, entrepreneur, mental health

Mental Health Moments: Mental Health Habits I Plan to Take With Me in 2021

I learned so much about myself in 2020, and I am still unpacking that internal wisdom as I craft my internal annual report’s year-in-review letter and writing in my journal. One thing is certain, though: I will never be the same person I was when the new year began. So much has shaped me individually, professionally, and collectively with everyone else on Earth. I already shared five lessons I learned in 2020 in a previous blog post. Here are a few elements of 2020 that I plan to carry with me in 2021.

Five Lessons I Learned in 2020

Not to stress pandemic-induced cliché words and phrases, but most of us have been forced to pivot since March 2020. We have experienced lockdowns during a pandemic, social injustice conversations, the ups and downs of an election season, and more. I think I echo everyone’s sentiment when I say this: bring on 2021!

Ways To Express Thankfulness With Your Brand

As another year is coming to a close, I’m sure most of us are ruminating about what we are thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day. While 2020 hasn’t panned out like most of us have hoped in myriad ways, you can still look for silver linings through all of the curveballs this year has thrown at us. Here is how you can add thankfulness to your brand’s personality and modus operandi.