On October 16th in Oak Park: “PR Secrets From a Media Insider”

Since 2001, associations and companies across the United States have hired Matt Baron of Inside Edge PR to train thousands of journalists, publicists and other professionals to develop immediately applicable, improved story-telling skills.   On Tuesday, Oct. 16th, through an Oak Park – River Forest (OPRF) Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn at Adam Doe State Farm, he […]

Guinness World Record PR: My Latest Chapter

Over the past dozen years, I have provided public relations and media relations support for Guinness World Record attempts in ultra-endurance physical feats (I’m looking at you, George E. Hood), a Mass Dog Wedding (yeah, you read that right), and a record established this year for the Largest Gathering of Organ Transplant Donors. That most recent milestone […]

Tech & Modular Construction Summary Caps 10th Anniversary of ULI Chicago Coverage

“Unlike many other sectors of our economy, construction has remained largely rooted in the 20th century as leaders have resisted technological changes that have transformed the way other industries do business.” That’s the opening line in my summary this week for ULI Chicago’s panel discussion, “Tech and Modular Construction: Disrupting the Traditional Development Process.” The […]

Sharing the Story of StorySlam: A Benefit for Farther Foundation

Honored to be serving as the emcee, and to be providing some media relations support, for StorySlam: A Benefit for Farther Foundation. It’s coming up fast–on Thursday, October 11th, at FitzGerald’s Nightclub. Tickets are $50 and include food and all the entertainment. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.fartherfoundation.org or call 708-497-7240. Founded in 2008, the […]

Petco PR & Communications Team: Will You Help Me Improve Your Donation Pitch?

Soliciting donations is an art form—there’s no single scientifically proven method that’s best in all situations and for all causes. Ideally, you want to hone a message that lies between these two extremes: A) Craft a pitch too subtly, and folks won’t even realize you’re raising money. B) Arrange words that conspire to push too […]

Drop the Mic Aversion: The Simple Case for Simply Using the Microphone

The term “mic drop” is a relatively recent addition to our language. It refers to the dramatic gesture of punctuating the end of your remarks with the action of dropping your microphone—a bold statement that declares “what else is there to say?” While the brashness of that gesture may be a turn-off to some, it […]

Passionate bridge-builder: Kevin Coval, author of “A People’s History of Chicago”

Voicing a fierce yearning for equity, justice and building bridges between those who are divided, Kevin Coval delivered a stirring presentation at the Oak Park Public Library on Wednesday evening. He brought to life a sampling of the 77 pieces (one for each city neighborhood) in his 2017 book of poetry, “A People’s History of […]

Stop Talking About All Your Cool Gizmos!

“The problem with most news releases: they mimic other news releases—which fall far short of furthering organizational goals.” That was my closing remark in an email last week to a senior executive with a company that appears to be kicking butt in business. Alas, it is struggling to communicate its rapid growth–and the reasons behind […]

Celebrating Heroes in our Midst: Truck Drivers

Our minds have infinite imagination. Words effectively and artfully aligned can move us powerfully as we imagine, or picture, a scenario unfolding. That’s how books have “unlimited budgets”—grander than anything Hollywood could muster. In the reader’s eye, action plays out on a boundless platform. Still, there’s nothing quite like actually “seeing it” with our eyes […]

An Uber-Important Lesson on The Impact of Brand Ambassadorship

The car horn was relentless. For at least 30 seconds this morning, someone in downtown Chicago was leaning on theirs to send an urgent message. With ample time between meetings, I stopped walking to see what the fuss was about. A few car lengths past a busy intersection, just north of the Merchandise Mart, an […]