Tis the Season: My “PR Pissed I Missed” List

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Trina

So we’ve done Holiday Gift Lists, End-of-Year To Do Lists, but I’d like to share an honest, reflective list of my own… My “PR Pissed I Missed” List. 

The wide world of PR extends pure inspiration with a simple invitation. Our events span the industry sector, and continuously revive our most prized possessions- ideas, exchange and impact.  

So when my inbox is not posing as a branding battlefield, it acts as a friendly concierge of local and national happenings I must experience. But how does one experience it all? Well smarty pants, if I knew that… I wouldn’t have this new, running list of regrets. #womp

Check out what I am still “PR Pissed” about…

  • Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)- Educator Academy Seminar, “Consultant to Classroom; Practitioner to Professor: How to Teach PR“ – In my best ‘student excuses’ voice, “So, technically, this was NOT my fault.” LOL Seriously, its true. After I registered for this annual seminar, it was unfortunately cancelled. I was looking forward to switching roles (from teacher to student), especially when the seminar leaders were bonafide academic and professional PR heavy-weights. Fortunately, that is not how this story ends. PRSA offers the seminar again this Spring, and I am pumped! Clearly, my AINYC students will be the ultimate benefactors, but there’s no doubt I will be the head of my class! 
  • Influencer Conference NYC 2011- What can I say? I am STILL shamefully shaking my head on this one. By the time I stopped procrastinating (lets call it a spade!!), their online registration for every coveted seminar was closed. I caught some of it via Vokle video-conferencing, but it surely was not as satisfying. What an incubator of entrepreneurial genius! Kudos to @youngglobal, @SJBrules, @isarias and the whole @influencercon team for organizing this ‘internationally interactive’ series (yes folks! London and Berlin were also connected). Standing ovays to special guest @stevesstoute and all of the other awesome presenters. And last but certainly not least… BIG shouts to all of the early birds who got one FAT worm!!! Lesson learned.
  • Blogging While Brown Conference 2011- I was really looking forward to this! Mixing the business of blogging with the pleasure of Los Angeles left me ‘California Dreaming’. The Program Track was SPOT ON and super specialized. Having just started a tumblr blog for my other life (of holistic wellness), I was thirsty for professional insight and fellowship. Needless to say, a sudden trip home to Indiana, drastically shifted (more like bull-dozed) my professional development budget. But with 2012′s location in Philly, I am in great $hape. Count me in, Brown Bloggers! See you in June!
  • Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) Fall Sample Sale- One word… DEVASTATION. What female PR professional do YOU know who can afford to miss this miraculous moment?? Exactly. I’m still counseling about it. *grabs tissue*
So there you have it. My “PR Pissed I Missed” List. What’s on yours??? 

 
 
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‘Pretty Smart’ to Support this DUMBO Retailer

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Trina

On each of the “Cool New York Talk and Tours” I lead (via FIT), there are a handful of standout retailers who make my Favorites list. Dumbelle may very well be at the top of this list. Nestled along the now bustling block of Front Street in DUMBO, this one-of-a-kind shop for fashionistas, young and old, warms my heart on every single visit. What started as a pop-up concept has grown into a doted destination, “where dreamers and fashion lovers come to create and play.”  

Designer, illustrator and shop owner Elaine Pedlar has remodeled an honest pastime into a novel trend… Couture paper dolls, coloring books, postcards and art. Pure brilliance, or as she cleverly coins… “pretty smart.”

 

Dumbelle has created a Kickstarter campaign in order to keep her retail dream a reality, and needs our help. Only 18 days left! Check out this video and support the precious imagination of soo many Adore-a-belles ; ) 

 

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Occupy Wall Street: A Style Root Perspective

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Trina

As a PR professional, one would think that I am well-informed on current events. And that is very true, to some degree. My digital and print media scans definitely keep me in the loop- top headlines, latest innovations and trends, key players, new haters, my neighborhood, my city, my world- its all within my remote reach. However, when its time to ‘take my position’ on something… I tend to take a few steps back (from the media) before diving in. Case in point: Occupy Wall Street.

Sure I read a few articles and saw a few pictures, but I was still unclear on exactly where I stood. Living/learning about ‘conscious activism’ has really helped me not jump on a bandwagon without: 1) seeing the big picture, and 2) identifying my own bias. I needed to experience Occupy Wall Street as a concerned citizen. So I did.

Once I arrived on the site of Liberty Plaza, I immediately noticed two things- creativity and conversation. So many vivid visuals and colorful conversations. I was even serenaded by the song, “This little light of mine… I’m gonna let it shiiiine!!!” Democracy looked and sounded absolutely beautiful ; )

Another thing I noticed was the pure sense of community- respect, consideration, inclusion and cooperation. From the FREE and HEALTHY communal kitchen, to the area labeled ‘personal items- please don’t touch’, there was such an honor code present.  

I was welcomed by smiles and felt compelled to ask questions, take information and make new acquaintances. It was real. It was right. From a marketing perspective, I didn’t feel that one segment was overlooked. Representing America’s 99% is a pretty HUGE fete, but I gotta say… I think they did it. 

I was pleasantly surprised by how well this demonstration was operating, especially without an acknowledged ‘leader’. Regardless of where one stands on this critical issue, its pretty impossible to not think about how we make our own individual mark in this world. The truth is we are all leaders and if we bring that ‘authentic responsibility’ together, change can and DOES happen. 

Furthermore, I pondered on the idea of labeling ‘change’, or gauging its effectiveness by specific results. I found myself asking, “What exactly do they/I want to see out of this? Is this desired change immediate or gradual (realistically)? How much change is enough change?”

Then it occurred to me… Occupy Wall Street has profoundly impacted my views on our democracy, the civil rights legacy and the nature of capitalism. THIS is the ultimate change- a shift in perception and a desire to participate. And to make it sweeter, all without the use of violence, intimidation or fear. 

I salute Occupy Wall Street and its effect on our society, NYC and at-large (check out the “Occupied States of America”, below). I have started to take my own authentic action and developed a comprehensive field study project for my AINYC Marketing students. I also supported the ‘yogic forces‘ who are gathering on site this afternoon (stay tuned and check out: my other life). I also checked out their main site occupywallst.org (they have others, as well as twitter and tumblr profiles) to learn more about what I can do to support (i.e. ordering some food for them, making a $$ donation, etc.). 

After such an insightful experience, I am clear on my position- be informed, and then become responsible. Are you? Do your part. Occupy Wall Street, or even better, originate your contribution to OUR society. America’s 99% welcomes you.  ;-)
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Style Root talks Brooklyn-based Brilliance on FIT’s “Hot Topics Insider” Blog

Posted on July 14, 2011 by admin

Its always a delight to see and learn more about the awesomeness of my borough. While I am a transplanted New Yorker, Brooklyn has been my home for 10 years, so yes… I feel earnestly justified in representing its creativity and quintessential cool.

Its no wonder that many fashion and lifestyle innovations have ignited on this side of the Bridge, particularly over the last decade. Below are just a few examples of why I am one proud Brooklynite…

Read More: http://blog.fitnyc.edu/hottopicsinsider/2011/07/01/brooklyn-based-brilliance/#comment-2848

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Style Root Sprouts: Fashion, PR and Culture in the Classroom

Posted on April 26, 2011 by admin

2011 has brought an undeniable shift in our society-at-large. Personally and professionally, that shift yanked me out of the office so much, and into the studio and the classroom. As CEO of Style Root Inc. for the past six years, I have learned and lived off of the value of a ‘brand with many angles’. Thus, I welcomed the expansions of my boutique firm… in wellness as a certified yoga instructor, and in education as a college professor.

Cultivating minds in the heart of Tribeca at the Art Institute of New York City has been simply awesome. I am humbled, yet proud to be a Faculty member within its newly-launched (October 2010) Fashion Merchandising and Marketing Program. I have been delighted by the challenge to present fashion, promotion, retail, marketing and media from a Style Root perspective. In learning (from students) just as much as I am teaching, the classroom has served as one big collision of pop culture innovation and fashion industry leadership.

This Spring, Style Root inc. blossoms from a Public Relations firm into a… Public Relations AND Personal Development firm. The refined company concept reflects my growth and commitment to being whole self-employed. Case in Point: this CNN video I will be sharing with my students…

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/18/victims-break-chains-of-slavery/?hpt=C2

I still tickle at how stimulating and refreshing this new phase is (tee hee ; ). Much like in my office, I build a distinct brand in my classroom that is spirited, credible, modern and compelling. Done and done! ; )

Sincerely,

Professor Trina Morris, Yogi and SeedEO

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