public relations

Okay PR people I’m talking to you.

The big boys just gave the PR Agencies Are Dead talk at SXSW and I wasn’t there. I was home, in my bunny slippers waiting with baited breath for an invitation from you to a swanky party.

Actually I’m not.

I’m probably making beds, washing dogs, playing with kids or at tennis. I’m probably a little less online than you’d expect and infinitely less beholden to you than you’d like. Mostly it’s because I have no clue what Public Relations is. It makes no sense to me.

I loved that Quaker sponsored my inauguration party, I adore Dreamworks giving me a morning with my son that he’ll remember in 50 years, I even appreciate that Johnson and Johnson’s complete ineptitude made me into a blogger that people listen to. So thanks, and yes, I know I shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition.

What happens is this. Publicists and bloggers alike refer to one another as people they “work with”. I’m new to this space. I’ve been a webmaster for 10+ years, but I’ve only had this blog for seven months, it’s new. When you buy me dinner, does that mean I’ve “worked with you”? In my mind we’ve just gotten a little boozy.

In ten years of consulting with small to midsize businesses I’ve told them (mostly women) one thing over and over again.

Either have money boundaries or get out of business.

When I had online retail stores, having money boundaries meant not allowing friends to “shop” in my home. If they wanted something they could buy it online. Why? Because my friendship wasn’t about to dissolve over a pair of $300 shoes or a $25 tee shirt. I never gave discounts to anyone, and when discounting was the only way to stay in business, I got out.

Publishing is my business.

I didn’t really think much about blogging before last November. I knew that I wanted to have a blog with my name on it, and I wanted to be open and honest. I wanted to talk about parenting and bikini waxing, farting and show you my Mom’s pictures. All that changed in November with Motrin, and then in December I was off to Consumer Reports and by January every PR firm in town was emailing, saying “We want to work with you.”

I still don’t know what PR is. I know what marketing is, I know science, I know parenting, I know sustainability and I know what moves people. I also know that work is paid, volunteering is free.

So can someone, just one publicist please tell me how we’ve worked together?

Make up an email address for the comments, stay anonymous, because this is a question I’d like answered.