As we are currently experiencing a significant (insert “long-overdue”) office build-out, it’s a bit nuttier these days at Matter in Newburyport than usual.  We’re expanding our space here at the Tannery to accommodate our growth and acquiring an additional 2,500 square feet.  And, simultaneous to our expansion, we are reworking 2,000 square feet of existing space so it better serves our needs.

In addition, as if the build-out isn’t enough office environment change to manage, two weeks ago we welcomed Mandy Mladenoff, a wonderful and experienced PR professional to our team. Mandy, who joins us from SHIFT Communications, is the new general manager of this office. (I’ll be blogging specifically about her soon, as I can already see that she’s going to make a serious and positive impact on our business!) Mandy arrived prior to my office being built in our new space, but I decided to surrender my current spot to her immediately so she would be most comfortable. She’s the new boss here in Newburyport, so I thought she should have the boss’s seat.

To that end, I’ve been a bit of a nomad for the past two weeks. I have roamed from one open desk to another while trying to keep things moving and, as I should have expected, that experience has been both enjoyable and challenging.

Without reservation, the part of the gypsy-like role that I’ve most enjoyed has been sitting (even closer than I usually do) to the smartest, savviest, hardest working gang of PR people that can be found anywhere.  In typical times my office door is wide open and I’m proud to say that many from our staff come to see me daily. We talk about clients, the agency, the world around us and often, complete nonsense, and I enjoy all of it. However, those conversations tend to be brief and it’s much different when you are sharing an office for a day…or three.

I spent three days last week at Mendo’s desk as he spent that time at a client event. My office mate, temporarily loaned to me by Mendo, was Melissa, and she was tremendous company and had me laughing all week long.  (In fact, we gabbed so much that we both ended up having longer than usual work days to catch-up on things we didn’t get done earlier!) Far beyond her quality of chat, it was excellent to see how Melissa worked with her colleagues and managed her to-do list. In addition, it was awesome to see how she counseled her clients and creatively pitched her client’s story. It was outstanding, really, and Melissa knows how much I enjoyed it because I was looking for the same seat earlier this week when I needed to find a temporary home.

It’s also a significant change of gears when you swap your window seat for an open doorway on the agency’s main drag. There is a lot to see – and you see it all. I saw bodies hustling by from one meeting or call to another, and I witnessed a countless number of ad hoc client-related conversations. I overheard congratulatory encouragement and harmless but obligatory jest between staff. (You need a good sense of humor to work here at Matter – it’s been a key to our success.)  In addition, I witnessed a seemingly countless number of coffee runs made by colleagues, and fortunately for these folks our office is well-situated among a number of coffee shops for just these situations.

When you roam office to office like I’ve been roaming, you need to have a great deal of focus. (See the earlier paragraph: I didn’t focus like I should when sharing an office with Melissa.) And, you need similar laser-like focus when you work amid stacks of boxes and in earshot of walls being built. I commend the group here in Newburyport for maintaining their outstanding results during a nuttier time than usual. We have new clients, new and dynamite people, and we are focused on our path ahead. And while I’m looking forward to having my new office completed, I’m even more excited at the opportunity to work so closely with the best team in the business here at Matter.

If you follow Matter on Facebook, then you already know that our much beloved office manager, Ellen, recently left our company – after six years! – to pursue another professional opportunity. (Noteworthy is the fact that only Ellen could arrange a summer on the beach followed by a return to higher education!) While missing Ellen’s fun and engaging personality, we’re also missing her in-office functions.

A paper jam in the agency’s most important output device reminded me recently of how important it is to have everything in the office working smoothly in support of our work. In addition, a paper jam is one of those situations when it’s important to roll up your sleeves and solve a problem, rather than hoping someone else will do it.

Anyone who regularly works in an office knows that a serious paper jam is a funny thing, as your options for solving that issue are usually limited at best. You open every door, lift every lever, stare intently into the guts of the machine to see what you may be missing and do everything you know how to do yourself, or you call printer service guy to fix it for you. And, let’s be honest, the latter isn’t really an option unless you live in a world that tolerates downtime.  Our office simply doesn’t handle downtime, so immediately after recognizing the problem – two of our guys literally had their sleeves rolled up, gave the machine a pretty thorough inspection and fixed the thing.  It didn’t take long – Matt and Tim are smart guys – and a “minor” office crisis was averted.

Fixing the printer is the barely visible tip of the iceberg when it comes to solving problems here at Matter. Clients engage in a relationship with our agency because we have a proven track record of successfully executing challenging programs.

We are hired to overcome obstacles, and consistently we do exactly that. Need to crack a high-profile outlet? We likely have a relationship that can be leveraged for your benefit.  Having a hard time getting your message across? We are experts in crafting content and bringing key messages to market. Is your PR generating business? That’s what we do – no matter how challenging your situation may seem.  In high tech and consumer public relations, I’d stack Matter up against anyone.

Knock on wood; I’m pleased to report that the printer is still functioning properly. And while I’ve typed this post, our team worked closely with another fortunate client to diagnose a challenging communications or business situation, find a way to clear that jam and keep the PR machine humming along.

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Do you love PR?  Do you love to eat?  Maybe Matter Communications is the place for you.  Sometimes we wonder if we work in the best bistro in town or the best PR shop.  Maybe it’s both!

One of our staff (Stacey Allaire) was featured in the local newspaper for her cooking prowess and the rest of us at Matter get the benefit of her passion!  And there are plenty of others who give Stacey a run for her money.

We’ve had cupcake and chili competitions (check out the pictures on our Facebook page), but lest you think we’re just about eating, our PR chops are pretty impressive too.  Clients sing our praises and we (humbly) accept the accolades.  Our business has been honored as one of the Boston Business Journal’s Best Places to Work and with a Pacesetter award for continuing our strong growth during the recent challenging economy.  Industry awards for exceptional client work line our walls; but we never let it go to our heads.  We constantly strive to be better.  Every team accounts for their efforts by sharing the results of their work internally to foster a working spirit that is collaborative and competitive. The best client results are recognized and rewarded each month in our Result Matter campaign. This friendly competition encourages high levels of activity, but also teaches our entire staff by example.

Matter is the kind of place where star employees shine brightly throughout the company.  Our work in high tech and consumer public relations is second to none, but the secret to our success is our people.  If you want a PR job in Boston, this is the place you want to be.  Our founder, Scott Signore, has said of Matter, “Our people are our difference,” and he means it.  We have a culture that focuses on results and the passion of our employees makes it work. We work and play with equal measures of enthusiasm as our Summer Friday program and company get-togethers prove.  If you love public relations and want to be around fun, creative people just like you, check us out.

If you’re looking at public relations jobs and think you have what it takes, let us know.  We’d love to hear from you!  Get in touch by sending your resume to [email protected]

A few weeks ago, I stood in the hallway outside room 4A during career day at my children’s school. Standing there, breathing in that elementary school air that makes you feel like you’re ten years old again, I watched Carl’s dad passing around bubbling test tubes of something – wearing a white lab coat and goggles, and explaining a scientific theory that had enchanted the children.

Standing there waiting, my phone was dinging with emails (review asap!), ringing with meeting invitations (all day tomorrow!), and my mind was slightly distracted by the ever-present to-do list for clients and for Matter ticking through the back of my mind – things I’d need to do later tonight, because I left early for career day.

Suddenly, instead of being jazzed up about what a great career PR is (Telling a great story! Facebook/Twitter/Social Media! Working with smart people all day!), I was thinking about how much less cool it seemed than the demonstration of liquid alchemy currently underway in 4A. Fast-paced, stressful, demanding, with deadlines and crises that are oblivious to normal working hours, travel, all the demands of a client-service business, PR doesn’t always compare well to the easy-to-sell world of science (curing disease!), or medicine (saving lives!), or teaching (molding minds!).

Every time I have an informational interview, or am invited to talk with a group about a career in PR, I start by saying (because this matters to all of us who care about job security) it’s a career that remains in high demand. More importantly, though, I always say that there has not been one day in my career that I haven’t learned something new. The older I get, the more I realize how crucial that is to long-term job – and life – satisfaction. Not only do I love the daily challenge of learning, but I am happy to say that I’m a more interesting person because of my career – the people I’ve met, the products I’ve learned about, the programs I’ve led, the challenges and trials, the good and the bad – and I wouldn’t trade that for a lifetime of bubbling test tubes.

Uncovering and telling the story of a company in a way that captivates an audience, influences behaviors, and ultimately drives business value for the company’s stakeholders is a high that is both inexplicable and elementary. Who among us can’t relate to that great feeling of telling a new story to someone who gets something out of it?

So, with renewed enthusiasm I stepped over the boxes and beakers while Carl’s dad cleaned up his messy little experiment, and I started my talk to the eager faces of 25 ten year olds, by asking them: “How many of you like to learn something before most people know about it, and find fun ways to tell your friends about it?” All 25 hands went up. “Well, then,” said I, “You could have a future in public relations.”

As PR professionals, we spend a great deal of time and effort to promote our clients.  In the end, our goal is to make sure that message is on point and being delivered to the right people.  From time to time though, it’s fun to take a step back and recognize one of our own for their personal PR.

Matter account executive Stacey Allaire was featured today in the Newburyport News for her Betty Crocker-esque baking and cooking skills.  In a bit of foreshadowing, Stacey was awarded the “Top Cupcake” prize in the Matter February Potluck event and I can personally testify that those were award-winning cupcakes.  In today’s paper, Stacey has featured two special recipes for Farmers’ Market Lasagna and Apple Cinnamon Muffins, be sure to pick up a copy if you are looking to try them out at home.

We are all happy for Stacey and this article was a great way to establish a little personal PR.  The article ties together her passion for the pantry outside the office.  Independent of our time in the office together, we all have additional hobbies and interests, mine would probably have to be rooting for the Merrimack College hockey team.  Still, it’s great to see one of our own rewarded for some great and above all, tasty work.

This week has been filled with some pretty great events.  Although we lost an hour of sleep, gaining a little extra daylight is the reminder we need that spring is right around the corner. On Thursday, many of us celebrated our first St. Patrick’s Day with the Matter team in Newburyport. And, although my record-breaking Friars still can’t make it to the tournament, we’re all excited for the start of this year’s March Madness.

I may not be the biggest sports fan, but the ability to have breaking news, stats and scores at your fingertips is pretty amazing. Many recent posts on MatterChatter have also addressed how the internet, mobile devices and social media have easily connected our world to the news. With instant access to apps to track your bracket, sites to read stats, stream live feeds and even check out President Obama’s picks there is more analysis than some can handle.

Does anyone miss watching full games or running to pick up a newspaper to check scores in the morning? I think it is great when an underdog beats the odds, but I’m wondering, in this information overload, has any excitement and anticipation been lost?

This week Matter announced the strengthening of our management team via new hiring and promotions. Congratulations to:

-        Kristin Amico, account manager.

-        Zachary Heath, account manager.

-        Anne Lines, account director.

-        Samantha Racki, account manager.

-        Greg Wind, account manager.

-        Tobi Young, account director.

We’re proud to work alongside these skilled PR practitioners. But they’re more than just PR pros. Each of them is a little, um, colorful, too. See if you can guess who’s who.

1-     At age 10, this person took apart a radio to find where all the instrument sounds and voices were coming from.

2-     This person has a puggle – a mix of a beagle and a pug – named “Lemon” after Liz Lemon, the character on 30 Rock.

3-     This person once shared a Capitol Hill elevator with Strom Thurmond, the U.S. Senator from South Carolina.

4-     This person lives in a 19^th-century house in the city where the U.S. Coast Guard was born.

5-     This person once drove across country writing about food and later started a cupcake truck.

6-     This person’s cats “Benson” and “Stabler” are named after characters in the TV show Law & Order SVU.

Think you can match the numbers with the names? The answers are in the Comment section below.

As a PR professional, there are never enough hours in the day.  A lot of times you are working on multiple projects in the same day and looking for ways to speed up menial tasks: cutting and pasting, reformatting text or the ever popular: creating hyperlinks.

As a millennial, I grew up using a computer from the time I entered middle school, so the ability to use applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint are nothing new.  However, knowing how to utilize and maximize the applications to your advantage when you need to save time can be critical.  I have always tried to pass on the helpful tips and tricks I have learned to colleagues and friends so that our collective efforts are all being done in less time.

On that note, here are a few shortcuts that are my personal time-saving favorites:

Keyboard Shortcuts:

•    To create a hyperlink in Microsoft Office, highlight your text and use Ctrl + K, this is especially helpful for coverage reports and wrap-ups.

•    It’s a great shortcut to use when selecting big chunks of text, or long hyperlinks, but Ctrl + A is Select All.

•    Why click the tiny buttons above your Office Ribbon Bar when Ctrl + Z is Undo, Ctrl + Y is Redo, Ctrl + F is Find and Ctrl + S is Save?

•    You probably know that you can double click on an icon to select it on your desktop, but did you know that you can triple click within Office applications to select entire paragraphs?

•    Ever have problems with documents or emails that come to you in ALL CAPS LOCK?  Not to worry, select away and Shift + F3 can covert that text for you!

•    If you want to print a spreadsheet in Excel, isn’t it a pain to have a one page list print onto 5 sheets of paper?  Save a tree and use Page Break Preview: click on View in your Ribbon Bar and select Page Break Preview in the left hand corner, which should produce a series of blue borderlines that you can click and drag across the page as you see fit.  (If you want to change back to the normal view, click “Normal” which is two buttons to your left…)

These are just a few examples of the helpful hints that I have learned from colleagues over the years.

What helpful shortcuts help you to save time at work?

US News just announced “The 50 Best Careers of 2011.” Guess who made the list?

Yup, it’s true. PR pros are right up there with urban planners, meteorologists, athletic trainers, veterinarians, financial advisors, gaming managers and curators. In fact, US News writer Meg Handley’s PR specialist-specific report said the “employment of public-relations specialists is expected to increase by more than 66,000 jobs, or 24 percent, between 2008 and 2018, according to the Labor Department.”

This report comes at an interesting time, as I was just chatting with one of our junior team members who has been with Matter for about three months, and we were discussing how challenging this industry can be. This is her first “real” gig out of college, and she’s been immersed in some serious on-the-job training since day one. Not only has she had to learn the intricacies of our firm – and some extremely technical clients that we represent – but she’s also trying to grasp the PR industry and all the social media that now comes with it. She’s doing an excellent job – and I was commending her for her perseverance.

I started to see the PR industry through her eyes – and I found myself doling out any advice I could think of. Today, my biggest piece of advice to this particular PR newcomer was “Ask questions.” “Ask why we’re doing this, what purpose it serves, how you can do it more efficiently and if you are on the right track.”

As part of Handley’s report on PR pros, Gary McCormick, 2010 chair and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America, offered his advice: “… It comes down to networking … It’s really the cornerstone for what we do for clients and companies all the time.”

What’s your advice to all the new PR pros who will be coming on the scene in the next eight years?

I’ve had my share of mentors over the years and although each were unique in their own way, they all fell into one of three categories: Casual, Formal and Indirect.

Casual mentors are direct. They shoot from the hip, act as a friend and confidant and show interest in you as a person.

Formal mentors are direct in a different way. You have guided conversations with them, respect their acumen and internalize their advice.

Indirect mentors are those who you study from afar. You observe and respect the way they act, how they conduct themselves and the way they treat others.

PR is a soft science. Sure, the numbers are hard, but the data often leads to different interpretations and you can’t learn how to build a relationship from a textbook.  That is why in this industry, experience is worth its weight in gold. As a PR practitioner, I find myself lucky to be surrounded by the three types of individuals described above on a daily basis.  In their own way, each of them aids my personal and professional development by not only sharing their years of experience, but by offering me genuine, personal advice.

So, who are your mentors? Chances are they don’t even know the weight they carry. You don’t have to tell them – just be thankful for them.