Bringing value to the job

I am so excited that public relations professionals and the entire PR community has joined together today to help 2010 graduates like myself find jobs through HAPPO (Help A PR Pro Out).

I feel so privileged to be a part of the growing public relations field and to have the opportunity to be guided and directed on this new journey of mine into finding my first job. I have received great job advice and so I wanted to share this with you as my public relations colleagues.

"Think of each job as an opportunity"-Mark Merrill, President, Family First

"Do your research"-Mary Jean Land, GCSU MSCM Department Chair

"Cultivate endurance, self-confidence and a sense of curiosity" -Dianne Bernez, SVP Corporate Communications, Equifax

"Broaden your network"-Mary Roberts, Director, GCSU Career Center

"Take personal responsibility in delivering excellence"-Juan Pablo Favero, GCSU Women's Head Soccer Coach

"Listen-pray-follow" - Les Steckel, President/CEO, Fellowship of Christian Athletes

I will leave you with a personal favorite of mine, "Strive not to be a success, but to be of value."-Albert Einstein

Bringing value into the work place should be the first move for any professional looking to be hired. Have a happy HAPPO day!

I scream for Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream

I love ice cream. All those sweet flavors to choose from, deciding which one is always so difficult. Well there is one ice cream company that became just as famous for its approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) as for its many ice cream flavors and products. The company was Ben & Jerry’s founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1977, dedicated to a sustainable corporate concept of linked prosperity. Ben & Jerry’s mission pictured above includes 3 interrelated parts including social, product and economic.

First, Ben & Jerry’s aims to manufacture, sell and distribute top quality products. Second, the company aims to make profits while also "creating career opportunities and financial rewards for our employees." Finally, Ben & Jerry's aspires to operate so as to "actively recognize the central role that business plays in the structure of society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life of a broad community - local, national, and international.”

The underlying mission of Ben & Jerry’s is the determination to seek new and creative ways of addressing all three parts, while holding a deep respect for individuals inside and outside the company and for the communities of which they are a part.
In the article, A Moo-del for Corporate Social Responsibility, the author notes, “ During the course of its incredible journey from small ice cream shop to multimillion-dollar business, Ben & Jerry's created history as the first company to make profits while acting as a non-profit. It also became the first company to employ a double (financial as well as social) bottom line, leading The New York Times to herald its product as "inspiring ice cream."

In addition, Ben & Jerry's is a founding member of Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), an association of some 1400 or so businesses that aims to furnish "members with innovative products and services that help companies be commercially successful in ways that demonstrate respect for ethical values, people, communities and the environment.”

Although there has been no consensus as to one definition of CSR, it has been said to encompass, "a company's commitment to operate in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner, while acknowledging such areas as employee relations, diversity, community development, environment, international relationships, marketplace practices, fiscal responsibility and accountability all help to determine its corporate social responsibility.”

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen once said, “Business has a responsibility to give back to the community.” Cohen’s statement is simple and yet it explains the magnitude of why they do what they do to continue to grow the companies CSR.
Business Ethics has labeled co-founder Cohen, the true force behind Ben & Jerry's being a "values-led" business, "a celebrated entrepreneur and social activist." He deserves much of the credit for Ben & Jerry's reputation for being socially progressive, a reputation built on the company's philanthropy, its treatment of its employees, its environmental practices as well as a host of other activities and policies the company pursues.

In 1985, the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation was created and since then it has been committed to philanthropy and social change work, and to support grassroots progressive social change organizations around the country. The company is probably best known for its unprecedented rate of giving to charitable organizations in the corporate world—a full 7.5% of its pretax profits as compared to only 1% by the average American corporation.

Obviously Ben & Jerry's practices what it preaches, and sometimes even when it hurts their financial bottom line. For instance, in 1995, when a Japanese supplier offered to distribute its ice cream in the Japanese market, where rival Haagen-Dazs was raking in revenues in the hundreds of millions, Ben & Jerry's declined. Why? The Japanese corporation had no history of supporting social goals.

In April 1999 Ben & Jerry's began using paper cartons manufactured with unbleached (chlorine-free) paper. The new container is referred to as the Eco-Pint carton. Ben & Jerry's has also created a PartnerShop Program as a form of social enterprise, a growing movement in which nonprofit organizations leverage the power of business for community benefit.
The company is currently designing a community partnership program that would allow for local youth development organizations to partner with local scoop shops in 2011.

Ben & Jerry’s CSR approaches are always evolving and changing as new innovations and ideas come about. In conclusion, I scream for ice cream, you scream for ice cream, we all scream for ice cream and letting the whole world know that Ben & Jerry’s CSR is the real deal.

Men of Character

Carlton Mitchell
Colt McCoy

While the combination of sheer size and speed of sixth round draft pick receiver Carlton Mitchell will provide the Cleveland Browns with a promising target for third round draft pick quarterback Colt McCoy, there still remains one prominent trait that both players bring to the team that far outweighs the rest. This trait is their consistent character demonstrated both on and off the football field.

In my last blog post, I shared a NY Times article that expressed the proven character of Carlton Mitchell and noted that Carlton and I both attended Gaither high school in Tampa, Fla. and were members of the track team.

In addition, Colt McCoy has also been noted for his proven character, perhaps most notably when he was selected as a 2009 finalist for the John Wooden Citizenship Cup, Athletes For A Better World.

The Wooden Cup is named in honor of John Wooden, one of the most successful coaches in collegiate history. Wooden's legacy as a person of integrity, high moral character, compassion, and civic-mindedness continues to make him one of the most admired coaches in the history of sport.

Recipients of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup are chosen by a committee chaired by Vincent Dooley, former University of Georgia athletic director, and other distinguished individuals involved in athletics across the country.

I myself was honored as a semi-finalist for the 2009 John Wooden Citizenship Cup, Athletes For A Better World. I take pride (personal responsibility in delivering excellence) that I too posses the prominent trait of having consistent character.

To see Carlton and Colt join the NFL with the Cleveland Browns is incredible. I believe that their consistent character will take them a long way not just for their football careers, but also for the rest of their lives. I expect to see them pave the way in building up more men of character in the NFL for years to come.

A Man's Character

"Character is that which reveals moral purpose, exposing the class of things a man chooses and avoids."
— Aristotle

"Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character."
— Albert Einstein

“Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”
— John Wooden

The above examples prove the overall importance of a man's character. Listening and acting upon the words of these men who all possessed a great deal of character themselves is so important. I would say that a man's character plays a defining role in his or her life and ultimately the lives of those who are following him.

Tonight, I read a great article on the sports front page of the NY Times.

The character of the young man, Carlton Mitchell who was featured in the article is inspiring. I knew Carlton in high school, we ran track together, he truly is a gifted athlete, but more importantly a man of character. I was touched to read about how Carlton responded to a trying situation and chose to uphold his morals. Here is an interesting quote from the article, and the motivator for me to write this blog post.

"If Mitchell's physical gifts are the bait, some receiver-starved team may decide to reel him in partly because of his character"

Why is it that the mans character is just part of the equation here?

You see, the article directly below the one that featured Carlton was about Ben Roethlisberger and how he violated the NFL personal conduct policy representing himself, his teammates and everyone associated with the NFL in a poor manner.

I believe that character is the entire equation. Yes, athletic skill is important, but that is already a given for these athletes especially those like Ben. What is missing is the character of these individuals. When did we make it alright for athletes to be considered solely by athletic talent and disregard the overall character of these men. Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, the list continues of athletes who have talent that is undeniable, but who have missed the mark with their personal decisions and overall character.

I believe that if we desire a change in character from these men, we must hold them accountable for their actions and begin to cultivate an environment where the character of a man is more than just part of the equation.

Run For Water

This weekend I am running in the The Dow Live Earth Run For Water that will take place on Sunday April 18 in Atlanta. The distance of the run is 6 km, which is the average distance many women and children travel every day just to secure water to be able to drink. The scarcity of water for many people around the world is a growing problem today.

This run is taking place over the course of 24 hours in countries around the world, featuring concerts and water education activities aimed at igniting a tipping point to help solve this global water crisis.

I am excited to be able to participate in this great event this weekend with my wonderful mother. We both share a passion for making a difference in our community and globally, and what better way than to run together and support this great effort.

$25 gives one classroom full of children clean water for a year – keeping kids healthy and in school.

Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action. I recently blogged about the company ignition-inc. after hearing the founder, Dill Driscoll, speak at my University. I was touched by Dill's message and the overall mission of ignition-inc. to make a positive difference in people's lives. Interestingly enough, ignition-inc. actually works on organizing the global runs for Live Earth.

Women’s Leadership Symposium

GCSU Women's Soccer Team pictured with Keynote Speaker
Pictured from left: Wendell Staton,Cecile Reynaud, Ada Bazin, Germaine McAuley, Awista Ayub, Joeleen Akin, Jennifer Graham and Kara Teresi

Georgia College & State University Department of Athletics and the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity's Women’s Resource Center held the first-ever Women’s Leadership Symposium Monday, March 15 in Magnolia Ballroom. The symposium featured six guest speakers including keynote speaker Awista Ayub, author of However Tall the Mountain, who discussed, “The Role of Sports for Women In Afghanistan.” Here is my personal story about the impact of Awista Ayub’s book. “I came across Awista Ayub on the littlefeet_com twitter page. Our GCSU soccer team partners with Little Feet, a non-profit organization that sends soccer balls to underprivileged children worldwide. Ayub has been a long time supporter of Little Feet sending soccer balls to children in Afghanistan. I clicked on a link that sent me to Ayub’s website, www.awistaayub.com. Instantly, I was captivated by her books cover that read, A Dream, Eight Girls & A Journey Home with an image of an Afghan woman holding a soccer ball above her head. Khaled Hosseni, author of The Kite Runner, gave a quote on the books cover that read, “These young afghan women are pioneers. Their story is one of resilience and courage. This book is a testament to the power of hope and the will to dream in a country where so many dreams have been cut short”. I purchased the book immediately and received it in the mail shortly there after; I read it during our long soccer bus rides and finished the book towards the end of our season. Our team was playing at home for conference game against University North Carolina Pembroke (UNCP) on October 21. It was this particular night when the book came full circle for me. I was standing on our soccer field with my teammates facing towards the Flag as it waved in the wind with the sounds of the national anthem playing behind us. I began to cry. In her book, Awista gives an image of these Afghan girls standing in Ghazi Stadium, where they had once witnessed the Taliban brutally murder many Afghans on this same field. It was right there in that stadium, on that field, where these girls would eventually play soccer and represent their country. I was filled with emotions of how blessed I was to be playing this game of soccer, and living in a country with freedom and liberties. I have never felt more privileged to play the game of soccer than in that moment. We won our game that night, and it sparked a passion within me to e-mail Awista Ayub and share how her book had changed my perspective.” Little did I know, that sending this e-mail would be the beginning of something greater than I had could have ever imagined. Over 60 participants attended the symposium, including 25 high school students. President Dorothy Leland gave a warm welcome and introduction for participants, and spoke of the progress women have made in Georgia College’s history and inspired future leaders to continue in this progress by leading with character and integrity. The symposium ended with Awista Ayub’s keynote address that included a 10-minute ESPN documentary from these courageous young women and their experiences playing soccer in Afghanistan. Below are some participant responses when asked to respond to the question, “What is one thing they will take away from attending this symposium?”

“To be a positive influence in others lives.”

“That I can do something worthwhile.”

“ The desire/goal to form a mentoring program at our school.”

“To get out there and not settle for the least, but to always try and never give up.”

“Appreciation of my personal freedoms.”

“How a small idea can make a huge difference.”

With the valuable impact of this Women’s Leadership Symposium for students, Georgia College hopes to make this a tradition for years to come.