How Our Clients Are Giving Back During Quarantine By Vicki Holcomb

Some good news for a change….

It’s been hard over the past two months not to ruminate on the constant updates on the state of Covid-19 and the (what seems like) never-ending regulations and bleak news. Especially in the PR world, it’s our job to stay on top of those changes, but the news fatigue is definitely real and certainly taking a toll on all of those that can’t seem to make ourselves look away. Luckily, we have some wonderful partners here at Eleven Eleven that are taking this time to step up and give back in our communities, and we’d like to thank them for helping us keep up the positivity and showing us that we’ll be able to get through these tough times with a little creativity! I’m no John Krasinski (if you know, you know), but here’s some good news to share with you all for a change--

Smalls recently wrapped up their Foster with Smalls program which not only encouraged NYC families to foster and adopt kittens and cats during this time, they also sent those families a month’s work of premium cat food, toys, and litter to make sure money was no object in helping alleviate pressure on NYC shelters. They didn’t stop there, and shortly after launched a partnership with the Humane Society to donate a portion of their proceeds to the organization to help low-income families care for their animals. Thanks to Smalls and other organizations like them, there’s a shortage of foster cats available (a good problem to have!) across the country. As the Eleven Eleven team’s resident cat lady (shoutout to my main man, Louie), this story is certainly a highlight. 

I also have to give a shoutout to our friends at Vegetable and Butcher and South Block for donating healthy options to healthcare workers on the frontlines at local hospitals. Vegetable and Butcher recently donated over 100 meals to GW Hospital, receiving an overwhelmingly positive and heartwarming response from the hospital team. At South Block, founder Amir Mostafavi can’t seem to stop coming up with new ways to support our local community, whether that’s donating juice and ginger shots to various local hospitals, giving away acai kits to nurses, and continuing to donate fresh produce to families in need through their nonprofit, Fruitful Planet (which just opened up its first nonprofit cafe in April!). 

Next to our resident #schoollunchheroes who give back all year round, Brigaid! If you’re familiar with Brigaid and chef Dan Giusti, you know that their team is constantly supporting school students dealing with food insecurity with their professional chef-led programs to redefine school lunches. As you can imagine, Dan and his team have had to make some adjustments over the past few weeks, which includes preparing thousands of scratch-cooked meals to students in their families in New London every week, as well as jumping in to support Encore Community Services by delivering fresh meals to homebound seniors in NYC. 

Speaking of food insecurity, I also want to highlight Alma Cocina Latina’s partnership with the World Central Kitchen to provide 250 (healthy and gourmet) meals a day for those in need in the Baltimore area. All the meals are free, and this program has allowed owner Irena Stein to hire back employees to help the cause. Shoutout to Espita as well, who will be launching their partnership with the WCK starting today (5/11!) to provide over a thousand meals a week for people in need. 

Seven Reasons has also had an impressive peak in employee return, through their ingenious “Employee to Entrepreneur” program that empowers and allows employees to launch their own food concepts from the Seven Reasons kitchen. Seven Reasons advances that staff money, gives them the tech support to sell online, and promotes their brands under the Seven Reasons umbrella. The first pop-up, “Soleado” by Wille Harner, has been a huge success. Since its launch, they've been able to hire back all their kitchen staff and much of their front staff as well. 

And finally, we’re excited that the Save DC Eats auction has officially launched, which includes some unbeatable offerings from our friends at Espita (Offering a four person in-home dinner and mexican cooking class), Ramen by Uzu (gift cards for all kinds of delicious Ramen), Live Oak (four course farm-to-table + cocktail dinner), and our buddies, Michelin star chefs Christopher Morgan and Gerald Addison (A lamb roast for 15 people). There will be absolutely no buyer’s remorse here, and I can’t think of any better options to look forward to after quarantine is lifted. 

The best part? This blog post doesn’t even scratch the surface of the daily acts of giving back that our clients are constantly implementing. Frankly, I can’t keep up, but luckily these are updates that will never cause news fatigue. If you’re still with at this point in the blog, thanks for reading, and I hope this brought your spirits up! 

CRISIS INTERVENTION 101 by Je'Coven Norwood

Is Your Crisis Management Playbook Pandemic Proof?

If your business is one of the 51 percent of organizations that admits to not having a crisis management playbook in place, then now couldn’t be a better time to start planning. Typically, when in a state of panic, companies rely on their PR partners to provide messaging and timely updates for their team, customers and to members of the press. A great PR team-player, however, should already be three steps ahead with a plan in place to help them best navigate a crisis when it poses a threat to a company’s bottom line. You only have to look at the recent Zoom Video Conferencing lawsuit scandal to see how quickly a company’s reputation can be tarnished, sending your number one supporters directly over to your competitors. (Woof!) 

Every crisis is unique and how you respond will depend on the type of situation, but having procedures set in place helps to maintain control, ensure information flow and successfully maintain the reputation of your client.

Here are a few basic steps on how to best prepare your client when handling a crisis:

1. Identify vulnerabilities and the impact a crisis could have on your client– 

Determining the impact a crisis may have on the company will help guide your response and next steps. Certain incidents such as a nationwide pandemic, may be worth monitoring and offering up your organization’s spokespeople as credible sources to provide commentary, while another incident, such as an internal uproar or protest, might make your organization the public focus and put you further into the spotlight. It is important not to insert your organization into a potentially negative situation if it doesn’t impact you directly, and especially if the press has not yet requested a statement.

2. Know the facts, know the sources...then proceed with messaging– 

It is important to assess credible sources of information and base your decisions and messaging solely on facts, not jargon. During a time when “fake news” floods our news feeds more than Spongebob memes on a daily basis, relying on news media as a final source of information can do more harm than good. Generally, sources such as the CDC or National Associations can be helpful when crafting messaging to your audiences. Should you use Twitter as a channel for relaying these messages, interacting by retweeting live updates from said sources is also a great way to keep the public, media and stakeholders informed on an ongoing basis.

3. Establish relevant channels for relaying the message – 

Based on the crisis at hand, it is important to determine how you will communicate with key audiences. Does the situation warrant an immediate response? If so, deciding whether the crisis is best addressed via a newsletter or a press release to issue to the public should be a priority.  Should you address the matter on social media? If so, defining which channels to use earlier on can help prevent minor mistakes like creating a pricey Facebook campaign when your key audience members are scrolling on Twitter. When you do communicate, keeping your constituencies continuously updated by regularly monitoring the situation and providing updates and guidance keeps you at the forefront, and further establishes you as a thought leader in your space.

4. Stay coordinated, steer clear from personal narratives and remain calm – 

Coordinating messaging with all parties who are involved from interns, assistants and all other internal employees to forward-facing spokespeople, is crucial so that the public doesn’t receive mixed signals or conflicting information. This can be difficult in a crisis situation, but it is necessary in order to stay effective. It is important to communicate only the facts as you know them and to steer clear from personal narratives. Empathy, optimism and calm leadership are important in times of crises.

No two crises are the same, but the basic procedures above will help you answer some key questions to guide your actions and decide what is best for your client and help you weather a potential PR storm. Being prepared in advance and following these steps can help prevent a one-time event from becoming a five-day story in the news cycle – think smart!

Taking the Leap! By Olivia Civiletto Erwin

Change can be hard – hard to accept and even harder to leap willingly into. But sometimes, change is exactly what you need to propel yourself into the next phase of life. 

When I first moved to Washington, D.C. – fresh faced, PR degree in hand, and ready to take on a new and exciting city – I found myself initially drawn to the world of technology. Startup culture was hot and seemed like an intriguing place to kickstart my career in the nation’s capital. Though admittedly, it was never my first choice, I thought, why not give it a go and see what happens?

I spent the early portion of my PR career working my way up the ranks at a firm that focused solely on technology, specifically as part of the big data team. I hustled –– I worked hard, stayed late, and tried everything in my power to find passion for what I was spending 40 plus hours focusing on each week. But despite my best efforts, my heart seemed to lie far, far away from the technology space I was creating a name for myself in.

I had dreamt of a much different career path for myself, but felt stuck in the day-to-day routine I had become so used to. And I didn’t like how stagnant I felt – dreading driving to work each morning, feeling so dispassionate about the clients I was supposed to be hyping up to the press. Thus, the need for change swept me up like a tidal wave – and I couldn’t wait for the next best thing to roll around.

I gave my two week’s notice, with no backup plan – easily one of the most terrifying decisions I have ever made, but one that completely changed my life – and during my time between jobs, I learned a lot of incredibly important lessons.

Passion is a key ingredient to success. In my previous role, it felt like no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t foresee that job translating into a career. I had no passion for the clientele, the topics of discussion, or the work I was putting so much time and energy behind. My current position with Eleven Eleven is a complete 180 –– the clients I work with inspire me everyday. The passion I have for what I do instills a hustle and grind in me, and makes me genuinely excited about my job. And knowing that I have a passion for my field makes my future in the profession all the more clear.

Do it –– step outside of your comfort zone. During my stint of soul searching, I took advantage of my lack of a full time job to dabble in things I might not have had the confidence to do previously. I became a certified Xtend Barre instructor – something that a year prior would have scared the living daylights out of me. I also accepted a six month contract position in corporate event planning, a role I had very little knowledge of or experience in. This not only bolstered my resume and introduced me to some wonderful people, it opened me up to a whole new world and potential career path I hadn’t considered in the past.

Following your heart isn’t just the stuff of fairytales. I was raised on Disney movies, where dreaming big and believing anything was possible were critical elements to any good storyline. But when it came to real life, bills had to be paid and following my heart seemed like a luxury I just couldn’t afford. Not true. By making the bold decision to follow my bliss, I not only found a niche that I really feel like I belong in, I have been given the opportunity to make a career out of it, and to be not only challenged, but excited by it every single day.

That being said, the biggest piece of advice I can give to anyone feeling stuck – in their career, or in any other facet of life – is to take the leap. Yes –– it’s scary, and there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding a decision that big. But if you work hard and go with where your passions lie, the future could turn out to be brighter than you ever imagined. 

How to Organize Your Life in a Tactical Way by Michelle Fleagle

Keeping life organized often feels like a juggling act. Just as swiftly as you catch one ball – whether it’s work responsibilities, finances, family commitments, friends, etc. – it can feel like the next one is already flying towards you. It can feel like some balls are bound to hit the ground: failing to prioritize sleep, opting for take-out instead of meal prep during a busy week, or procrastinating with “low-hanging fruit” tasks instead of focusing on things that should take priority. But, I’ve found there are ways to minimize the collateral damage that can come with a busy lifestyle. 

Here are some simple, but effective, things I implement in my day-to-day life to stay organized in both my personal and professional life (and to keep the juggling act going!)...

One word: checklists. I make a list for everything: groceries, to-do’s for the day/week/month, goals, workout regimes, etc. Before my day gets hectic, I turn to my planner and start drafting a list of daily tasks to take care of and goals to achieve. I’ve always been a firm believer in writing things down to get the best results. Writing down your tasks and goals not only forces you to get clear on what exactly it is that you want to accomplish, but doing so plays a part in motivating you to complete the tasks necessary for your success. Jot down any and everything - no matter how big or small the task is, there’s nothing better than the satisfaction that comes with checking something off your list. 

Establish a routine. Creating a daily routine is essential, but getting to implement it is the hard part. Following a schedule will help you build productivity habits over time (less balls hit the ground!). Whether your routine consists of an early workout, to a tough day in the office or you have a “free” day to run errands and tidy the house, structuring your day results in less stress. Keep your mornings productive, stay active during the day, and have an evening ritual. The most important thing to remember: be realistic and remain flexible. 

Set reminders for yourself. Use your phone as a resource. We’re so glued to our screens anyway, let’s start implementing good habits with it. When I started utilizing the “reminders” app, my organization amplified. Now, you have a checklist to map out your tasks for the day, and reminders that will make sure you follow through. 

We’re staying booked, busy, and organized in 2020, so get your decorative planners and gel pens out to write and complete one checklist per day (try not to drop the ball!).