Like most avid sports fans, I have been thinking about the upcoming start of the football season pretty much nonstop these days and, over the past week, I have been participating in football pools, fantasy football drafts and even making a few friendly wagers (if gambling were legal, that is). But, for the first time this year, the dog days of summer haven’t left football as the only sport on my mind.

The difference between this year and the past 20 years for me is that I have developed a new respect for the game of golf. I have always been a casual fan of the sport and rooted as hard as anyone for Phil to win and Tiger to choke, but working with Starting Time over the past few months has really given me a new perspective of the game.

The company recently announced that it is the exclusive distributor of My mini Golf, a 19-piece indoor/outdoor golf putting kit. Although My mini Golf is a great product for people of all ages, the game really appeals to children and parents because it gets the younger generation interested in the game of golf from an early age. Children are able to play the game on surfaces ranging from carpet and turf  to tile and cement, so they can play it pretty much anywhere. I really think My mini Golf is going to help children develop their putting skills at a young age, which will really make them golfing studs by the time they hit their teens!

My mini Golf comes in a variety of fun shapes and sizes, so it’s pretty unlikely that kids will become bored with it after playing it just a few times. Plus, it’s a lot more convenient for both parents and children than loading up the van and going miniature golfing.

Like most people, I get so frustrated out on the course when my putts aren’t going in. In fact, my behavior on the course has been compared to Happy Gilmore by my friends on too many occasions to count.  My mini Golf is not just a kid’s game; it just might help me shave a few strokes off of my score. You can check the company out at http://startingtimegolf.com, http://myminigolf.us and now on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StartingTime and Facebook.

The last week of July I took a vacation and went to Chicago for a week. My trip home included various activities: a bachelorette party, a Stanley Cup grab, Lollapalooza and my mother throwing new books my direction every two seconds (to be fair, it was either do the dishes or read the book.) Some things never change. I began having flashbacks to the eight year-old version of myself trying to barter my way out of reading the Chronicles of Narnia.

So, I started in on Bringing Home The Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World’s Most Coveted Handbag by Michael Tonello.  Most people who know me realize that I am more of a satirical type of person. Chick lit, is not necessarily my thing, ask my best friend Ann- she’s tried to convert me for years, having minimal success.

Suddenly I realized I was on page 50 and loving the book. I’ll spare you the book report, but it goes something like this: man is not happy in his life, man goes on a trip to Spain, man loves Spain, man moves to Spain, man finds soul mate in Spain, man starts a business acquiring and selling Hermes Birkin bags on EBay to a growing client roster, man has a personal life changing experience that leads him to re-evaluate his priorities, this ultimately leads to a game- changing business decision, man makes decision, book ends.  (Hey I can’t spoil it for you; I like Michael Tonello too much.)

As I finished this book on the plane ride back to San Diego, I realized the point Michael Tonello was making; it’s about the journey, knowing when something is right and going for it, and that life and business are never independent of one another. As much as you may try, you cannot separate them.

This story, leads me to where I am today; Bolt Public Relations’ newest office in Dana Point, California, writing this blog. I knew for a very long time that we’d be expanding into the Orange County community. I knew for a very long time that this would mean moving my life from San Diego to Orange County. But, like Michael Tonello, something deep down knew that life and business were never meant to be independent of one another. In fact, at this point in my life, they’ve never been more dependent and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I do what I love, in an industry I love, with people that challenge me to be a better communicator, thinker, writer, orator and the list goes on, daily.

Dana Point, thank you for having us. We are thrilled to be here.

Oh and for Ann, yes I see it now, I think you might be onto something with this chick lit stuff.

A photo of the outside of the building:

Here’s the entryway, or at least a corner of it (it’s quite large):

And the main seating/creative meeting area:

And Jesse’s office… she would like for everyone to note her “french doors”:

And the doors that lead out to the balcony:

And there are a whole bunch of other offices and a kitchen and a breakroom, but we’ll leave those photos to the professional photographer. Stay tuned for more (read: better) photos and news from the Bolt PR team! In the meantime, visit us at http://twitter.com/boltpr, http://facebook.com/BoltPR and at 34052 La Plaza Drive, Suite 204, in Dana Point!

What is Elwyn California? Elwyn prepares adults with disabilities for employment by maximizing potential through personal commitment, collective talent, and innovation. Elwyn supports indviduals with diverse challenges in shaping distinctive, meaningful lives.

The Celebration Event, including prizes for those who bring in the most cans and bottles, will be held Tuesday, September 14, 2010, at BJ’s Restaurant in Huntington Beach, Calif. from 5:00-9:00 pm.

For more information on the fundraiser, please contact Kevin Carlin at (714) 478-6819 or via email at kmcarlin@msn.com. Even better, RSVP for the event on Facebook.

To learn more about Elwyn California, please visit the website.

So why does Twitter have such a bad reputation? The simple answer is that those who do not get behind the tool truly don’t understand its use and power. The other answers lie in the excuses reasons that people have recently told me as to why they do not like Twitter:

• “I don’t care about the delicious bagel you’re eating for breakfast.” Really? You have no interest in hearing about the best place in San Diego to get a bagel? Fair enough. Then skip over those 140 characters and focus on all of the other relevant content that’s accessible to you in real time right this second.
• “I don’t want everyone to know where I am at every second of the day.” Ok, then don’t tweet about where you are every second of the day. Tweet about what you want, when you want.
• “Who actually has time to ‘tweet’ all day?” (Insert sarcastic tone on the word ‘tweet’ – it’s my segue way to the next bullet point anyway). Use applications. Take a look at Hootsuite (my personal favorite) or SocialOomph. Or read one of our recent Bolt PR blogs about social media applications. And by the way, you don’t have to tweet every second of the day to be connected. You just have to be on Twitter and connect. There’s a difference.
• “How can I take something called ‘Twitter’ seriously for my business?” I don’t have an answer for you other than millions of other people (105+ million registered users, in fact) find the name satisfactory enough that they’re engaging online right now… including some of your customers and prospects. It’s the name and it’s not going to change anytime soon, so get on it or get left behind.

And there you have my Friday musings. I’d love to hear your reasons for loving Twitter, or other reasons you’ve heard why some people do not. Just leave your comments below. I look forward to tweeting with you soon!

For 20-something women looking to thrive in a competitive business arena, dressing for success is vital. Without the bank account to fund a “Best Dressed List” wardrobe, young women seek less expensive alternatives. Target provides the answer. 

Target keeps making the “Best Dressed List” by collaborating with top designers such as Zac Posen, Jean Paul Gaultier, and the late Alexander McQueen.  The company, with the brand promise of “Expect More. Pay Less^®,” makes envied couture designs accessible and affordable to women throughout America. Target hits the mark again by adding Nina Garcia, fashion director at Marie Claire and judge on the popular television show Project Runway, as its fashion expert. While the official announcement has yet to be made, Garcia can already be seen on video segments on target.com that show frugal fashionistas how to work Target’s looks.

Target fulfills their promise of “Expect More. Pay Less^®.”  Fashion industry icons help the company broaden their reach by making it more than just another discount superstore. Big fashion names help break the stigma of these superstores where it is assumed that quality is compromised and this season’s trends don’t show up until next year. Rather than just purchasing daily necessities and last year’s accessories, customers can expect high fashion at a fraction of the cost from Target stores. These collaborations help the company reach the scope of fashionistas on a budget and make it cool to rock clothes from the bull’s eye brand. With Nina Garcia now on board, we may even see Heidi Klum talk about Target on Project Runway or in the pages of Marie Claire.

To see more on how Target makes frugal fashionable, visit http://style.target.com/.

We want to hear from you: what other brands do you admire for delivering more, for less?

1.  HootSuite

This application simplifies managing multiple accounts across several social networks.  It syncs with Twitter, Facebook (profiles and pages), LinkedIn, Ping.fm, Foursquare, MySpace, and WordPress.  Hootsuite includes a box for posting updates and easily allows for URL shortening, and file and photo uploads. One of the most useful functions is analytics to track and report link statistics. Today, it rolled out a whole new look and features (as seen in the screenshots below).

Standout features: link statistics, tabbed layout, viewing user info within the dashboard, and it’s totally free

2.  SocialOomph

We began using this program before Hootsuite when it was called TweetLater.  Social Oomph has a basic (free) service and a professional ($29.97/month) upgrade. The basic level only works with Twitter, while the professional option syncs with Facebook (profiles and pages), a variety of blogging platforms, and Ping.fm.

Standout features: scheduling blog updates, view all scheduled updates for all accounts at once, friend/follower management, tweetcockpit

While scheduling and pushing out postings of information is one key element of social media, don’t forget that social networking is two-way dialogue. These tools cannot alleviate the necessary time investment in interacting and engaging with other users.

Do you agree with our top social media management choices? Let us know which ones you find most useful.

The first workshop, “Perfecting the Press Release”, is this Wednesday, June 9, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at our offices in Carlsbad. You’ll learn the anatomy of a press release, topics that are considered newsworthy, and how to create search engine optimized press releases for the Web. Please BYOL (bring your own laptop), as you’ll begin drafting your own press release during the workshop with hands-on coaching from agency experts. The workshop is limited to six attendees and spots will fill quickly, so register now at http://pressreleaseworkshop.eventbrite.com/ or click on button below.

About the Workshops:

Bolt PR is hosting a series of six, hands-on workshops to help you grow your business through PR and social media. Ideal for solo entrepreneurs, business owners, or marketing directors looking to expand their understanding of publicity in the digital age, each workshop is limited to six professionals in order to create a personalized learning environment.  Attendees are encouraged to bring their own laptops.  The cost to attend Publicity Basics for Small Businesses is $89 per workshop, or $450 for a summer pass to attend all six in the series.

June 23

• Publicizing the Press Release: http://pressreleaseworkshop2.eventbrite.com/

July 7

• LinkedIn - Connecting Beyond the Basic Profile: http://linkedinconnectingworkshop.eventbrite.com/

July 21

• Facebook: Get “Liked” and Create Loyal Customers

August 4

• Twitter: Tips, Tricks & Serious Strategy

August 18

• Integration: Save Time & Streamline Publicity Strategies

More information about the workshops to come.  Please contact me (Anne Carr) with any questions at (760) 918-0834 or anne (at) boltpr (dot) com.

What workshops should we add for this Fall? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Please feel free to leave a comment or email us with any questions.

Here is a list of five questions to help determine if PR is a fit for you:

• Are you able to think on your feet?  From media phone calls and press conferences, to brainstorm meetings and client interaction, PR pros must always be prepared with an articulate answer (even if it is “let me find out and get right back to you”).
• Are you a good writer? Yes, PR involves more than speaking. Written communication skills are essential.  Every email, blog, press release, tweet, etc. is expected to be flawless.
• Are you tenacious? To secure top media coverage, you must not be afraid to pick up the phone and quickly communicate your client’s story to someone you have never met and may not even want to speak with you. A good public relations pro usually sees this as a challenge to be met.
• Are you creative and strategic? These go hand-in-hand in PR campaigns.  The ideas are only as good as the execution and results.
• Are you in-the-know?  From social scenes and business openings, to new technology and world news, it is great to have a pulse on happenings and always be looking for exposure opportunities.

This list is in no way considered conclusive, but these are just a few characteristics that most successful PR pros possess.  And if a career is a good fit, then I believe you’ll enjoy what you do so much more. Think you’ve got what it takes and answered yes to the questions above? We are looking for interns, so blow us away by sending your cover letter and resume to resume@boltpr.com.