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Dinosaurs and Silverbacks

persist — Wed, 06 May 2015 06:55:10 +0000

Regardless of the profession as soon as you get up in years there’s always some member of a younger generation ready to label you a “dinosaur.” Well, I prefer to refer to myself and others of my ilk more as “silverbacks.”

If you are unfamiliar with the term a silverback is a senior male gorilla named for the characteristic “silver hair” on their backs. The silverback is the center of the troop’s (5-30 gorillas) attention, making all the decisions, mediating conflicts, determining the movements of the group, leading the others to feeding sites and taking responsibility for the safety and well-being of the troop.

You see in the animal world, and in the one closest to the human race with DNA highly similar to that of Homo sapiens, age is highly respected. True, there have been some remarkable achievements by millennials but that doesn’t discount the successes of other silverbacks i.e. Warren Buffet still going strong at 84, Carl Icahn at 79, Michael Bloomberg at 73 not to mention some of the world leaders past and present who have flourished deep into their 60’s and beyond.

Dinosaurs are extinct. Silverbacks are only threatened by its most dangerous enemy; humans! We “human” silverbacks will continue to strive and thrive with or without the blessings of others!

Persistence

persist — Wed, 06 May 2015 06:53:29 +0000

Several years ago a member of the media gave me what I consider a great compliment. He/she (I can’t remember exactly who it was) said “I was persistent to the point of not being obnoxious.”

Persistence has always been a mantra in my professional career and recently cemented that position with the launching of Persistence PR.

There’s no question I’ve crossed that line a few times most likely because of a passion I have for a client. However, as a former journalist I’m usually very sensitive to the demands of members of the fourth estate and try not to invade their space.

As this whiteboard opening to this website says, you can have all the skills, experience, etc. but he you don’t have persistence in the world of public relations, you have nothing.

Just be careful not to cross that line!

Pushing the Rock

persist — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 11:40:23 +0000

Despite its status as a significant marketing tool, many people still don’t understand how the public relations process works. For those less informed, I like to use the analogy of pushing a large rock up a hill. Obviously, this is no easy task; a minor stumble and you find yourself back at square one. However, once you get to the top and push it down it goes like wildfire.

Rarely does a public relations effort take off from day one (it has occurred with a significant news announcement or regrettably if a person/company/organization is cited for something that garners bad press). Most often it takes time and quite frankly, if the client isn’t helping pushing the rock, it makes it even harder.

So whether it be with Persistence PR, another firm or even a personal effort, push hard and give it some time. You’ll be pleased with the results.