By Brittni May

We’ve all been there…whether it was a few hours or the night before a deadline, our brain takes the best of us and we suffer from writer’s block. But I have found that motivation blossoms from the smallest ideas. By starting up my computer, opening a word document and typing, I know another door will open because even if my idea stinks, something better will come out of it.

Recently, on Oprah’s Next Chapter, the talented and very creative Lady Gaga revealed there are dark times for her. She hibernates, waiting until the next door opens and when its time, Gaga knows. Instantly all of those crazy ideas come out to play.

Next time you’re stuck starring at a blank screen, here are tips to help you begin:

• Remember why you started in the first place and ask who depends on you and what are their needs
• Jot any ideas down because from there they can turn into something
• Don’t be so hard on yourself and just write; editing comes later

Your brilliance doesn’t have to come from seclusion like Lady Gaga, but be sure to find your willpower and leverage it for creativity.

by Brittni May

A couple years ago I was saying “Twitter what?” and today I’m utterly addicted. Initially, I thought of the social media site as another wannabe Facebook. And I was way too confused…tweet, retweet, follow, reply, @ mentions, hash tags, and not to mention the 140 character limit. All of my hesitation is typical of someone who is not an early adopter.

As time went on, I saw how celebrities, athletes, and companies were jumping on the Twitter wagon. So I joined. I first followed big names like Ryan Seacrest and Oprah Winfrey. I began to understand Twitter’s concepts and the site’s massive sharing power. Before I knew it, I loved it.

Today, Twitter is commonplace: We turn on the TV and instantly see a hash tag to follow the trending topic.  For example, American Idol has #idol located at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. This has not only boosted the reality show’s followers, but also the contestant’s. Idol contender Heejun Han already has over 70,000 followers and the season isn’t even half way through. Even if Han doesn’t win Idol, his Twitter fan base will be a great foundation to launch future music.

As a true Twitter fan, my goal @Hollerink is to reach 1,000 followers during my internship. We promise to be short and sweet, share favorite articles, cool photos, and more. So go ahead…hit that Follow button and retweet and reply! #HollerAtUs

by Brittni May

A college professor once told me, “The world will either love us or hate us, yet they can’t live without us.” It is how we choose to communicate and make others happy that really makes the difference…another #HollerHabit to live by.

This got me to thinking: What if I had a superpower to let me know if the world loved me. I mean wouldn’t that make our life a little easier? I want to make a long and lasting positive impression on others. Whether it is with my internship, job, family, friends or strangers, I want to leave a mark. But as most of you can relate, we want to know what others are really thinking and what impression (if any) we made on them.

So since we don’t have the superpowers to read other people’s thoughts, communication is the key to success. As an intern here, I want to put my own spin on things, so I can leave a lasting impression on Holler Ink and its clients. Tell us what you are really thinking so we can help you succeed and vice versa.

Who knows…maybe you’re thinking that you have the best superpower ever! Go on, tell us your superpower.

There are several strong PR agencies out there. The trick is to find the perfect one for your organization…and one that is not full of hot air. Check out our first byline article in Inc Magazine…hopefully the first of many. http://www.inc.com/saretta-holler-brown/hiring-pr-agency-3-warning-signs.html

Posted by Brittni May

There is no snooze button when it comes to PR; we have to sleep with one ear open. When you’re receiving emails or phone calls at all hours of the day there is always a surprise in this industry. That is what makes the job that much more exciting.

We're Your Biggest Fan!

We are prepared for all client requests and even being flexible at a moment’s notice. And we do it all for the love of our clients.

Here are some of our Holler Habits that keep us focused and loving our clients:

Commitment: We commit to always be fun, focused and fresh with ideas to improve your company’s publicity and marketing in the coolest way possible.

Communication: Always communicate to make sure we’re getting {insert your favorite fun word here} done and working toward your company goals by being clear, interactive and adaptable.

Accountable: Results don’t always happen overnight but we’re here to see they do happen…even if it means grabbing our pom poms and being your biggest cheerleader.

Send us your favorite Holler Habit and be creative!

Posted by Saretta Brown

Recently my husband and I were driving in Los Angeles when I asked him to pull off the freeway suddenly. “Here? In this neighborhood?” he questioned. Without skipping a beat, I directed him to my childhood home, a very humble one-story in a low-socio-economic community. It had been 26 years since I lived there, but the flood of fond memories came rushing back like it was yesterday: playing basketball with my brothers in the driveway; locking myself in my room and singing hours on end; walking through a graffiti-filled tunnel to get to McDonalds; and the list goes on and on.

As I sat in front of the house, I thought about how I went from this impoverished city to where I am today. Of course many things happened in the last 26 years that allowed me to go from that to this. Many of which had to do with my parents. Along with family, I was fortunate enough to have people who took a chance and truly believed in me. It was their certainty that encouraged me to believe in myself.

Since I so greatly benefited from the leadership of others, it’s important that I pay it forward and do the same. Part of that includes mentoring other PR and marketing professionals. We are fortunate to have now have Brittni May working with us at Holler Ink. You’ll be hearing lots from her on our Twitter and Facebook fan pages as well as our blog. Join us in helping Brittni in her journey from new college grad to PR professional!

More than ever, companies are obsessed with the popularity contest we have all come to know as Facebook. It’s  dodge ball for grownups and everyone wants to be liked.  While most of my clients articulate that they want more fans, they are not always clear as to why.

Sometimes we just want to be popular, but it’s important that we know what the popularity will buy us. So the big question is: Does the company with the most fans win?

Not always. As a starting point, companies should ask the following:

1. What is the goal of the Facebook page?
2. What are we doing to engage fans?
3. What action do we want fans to take?

Facebook is one of many social media tools companies can use. Regardless of your goals and industry, social media is here to stay and should be embraced.

‘Like’ Holler Ink at http://www.facebook.com/HollerInk.

There is power in numbers. Especially when those numbers are people who support, encourage and inspire you. In the past, I’ve benefited from having a “buddy” to work out with or to brainstorm ideas.  It’s a great way to hold yourself and your friends accountable.

More recently, my husband and I began traveling with two other couples. Before each trip, we commit our goals in writing to the other five team members. Should we achieve our goals at the start of our next trip, we get to be “Queen” or “King” for the day. The goals vary from weight loss to writing weekly blogs to calling family members on a regular basis.

When I first heard about this concept, I thought, “I just can’t wait to be queen!” Sadly I didn’t make my goal on our first trip together. Thank goodness because it gave me an opportunity to see what type of things the kings (yes, kings since the ladies did not pull our weight literally and figuratively) requested. I now know that my list of demands would probably not make for a fun vacation.

With only a week and a half to go, I’m tracking and expect to be Queen. Feel free to send suggestions on what I should have my servants…ooops I mean friends…do for me.

Many of us have goals. The key to achieving those goals is to write them down and partner with those who encourage us to do our very best. And if all else fails, bribe yourself with being the queen or king for the day.

I love meaningful quotes. Whether you believe in hell or not, this one by Madeline Albright especially resonates – “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”

I’m embarrassed to say that there was a time when I didn’t see the value in helping others, especially women. Years ago, I had a big shift and realized that helping others succeed doesn’t make me any less of a person. In fact it makes me and those around me stronger.

Perhaps it’s because I didn’t always help women that I am now able to better recognize when women are trying to manipulate and sabotage other women. This weekend I attended an event – with men and women – in a positive setting designed to build others up. One person in particular didn’t seem to be a fan of mine. And that’s okay. What made me lose my cool was when she set a family member of mine up to fail. Not cool. I instantly took satisfaction in 3 things: 1)I am no longer like that; 2) Everyone in the room recognized what was going on; and 3) There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.

When I was young, I dreamed of being a Broadway star. Yes, Broadway. Being a pop star and singing in front of the masses never enticed me. Instead I wanted to be the adult version of Annie singing in theaters with lots of character in NYC. As I got older, I realized I didn’t possess the same talent that these singers did. The truth is, I would have (and still would) do this for free…that’s how much I adore the arts. Instead I played it safe and went to work for a large financial firm in its PR and Marketing Department.

So this month when I had the privilege of hearing advice from two amazing people: Lin Manuel Miranda, a brilliant writer, actor and lyricist; and Jane Wurwand, the founder of Dermalogica, I was particularly drawn in by their messages.

In an interview at Bring It On Day, Lin Manuel said that he would still be in this business even if he didn’t get paid. He loves it that much! Jane had a similar story and encouraged attendees to love their craft enough to work for free for three years, the same number of years she went without pay when starting her company.

Do you have this same commitment? What work would you do for free?

It’s probably no surprise that someone who thought she was destined for greatness in music wasn’t overjoyed in the field of finances. The marketing and PR side was awesome though! It took me awhile, but I finally found a way to incorporate the things I love into one business – PR and Marketing for companies and people that I’m passionate about. I may not be on Broadway, but one of my clients – Situation Interactive – rocks out see-it-to-believe-it moments, including Broadway shows.