First off, a big “thank-you” to my friend Jenna Bennett a Senior Associate of Carmichael Lynch and Spong for introducing me to Hyedi Cribben Nelson.

The idea of going back to school for a masters degree has been lurking on my mind since I can remember, but I met with Hyedi for others reasons, but this was a question that came up during our conversation:
Is going to school for another two years worth it just to put myself in possibly five times more debt?

The answer we both concluded with? No. Why?

I started RachelRyanPR with the idea of having a cool title as “president,” “CEO,” and “founder.” I was 25 years old at the time when I bought the domain. My Web site looked really bad and if you went to it, you left knowing nothing more about me than you did within the first minute of looking at it. In fact, you probably were really confused and didn’t understand what the point of the site was or what I was doing.

It’s been more than two years since I bought it and in those two years, I’ve learned about my willingness to apply myself to a project where I just wanted a cool title that meant absolutely nothing because it had done just that for me: nothing. Why? Because I wasn’t willing to commit to it.

Part of the problem was I was lost. Literally lost. I didn’t know what the actual purpose was, and after brainstorming for hours on end, what I wanted to build took a seat on the back burner as I was burning out. I wasn’t in it 100 percent. I gave up entirely on RachelRyanPR, so I made a commitment to myself to go to every Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hour I could starting May 2011. I committed to going for nine or 10 months in a row before I had to back off a bit. That helped me a little bit to the point where I was offered my first consulting job by mid-summer through a connection I made through that. I had fun and learned.

In the meantime since buying the domain, I’ve grown mentally and professionally where I work and I’ve come a long way. What does that mean? I’ve been promoted twice in less than a three-year period and I now have my official first “big girl” title. I’ve learned about commitment and how to apply myself to really dig in and get the job done. No, really digging in and doing the “dirt-under-your-nails-work” to get the job done. The kind of job where you go home and work is still on the brain, but you still crack open an ice-cold beer and do your damnedest to pat yourself on the back and try to take a minute to reflect on life, not work.

But, RachelRyanPR v. Grad school. What about it? I am putting myself in a really interesting position and doing things backwards yet again (I’m really good at this). By this I mean I’m not building my media contact list by working at a firm or corporate office for five years or so and then going off and doing what I love doing. I’m building my contacts starting now, doing what I love doing. The road “less traveled.” Or, maybe it’s traveled more than I know. Point is, I’m learning, but I’m not going to write 70-page papers, though the idea of that sounds extremely… intriguing. :P

Here’s what I’m doing:
- I’m working full-time.
- I am “connected” with the media, but through Facebook and I’ve been getting to know them, virtually. It’s been fun and I will continue to engage.
- I’m building a community I founded, ISMG (Interactive South of the River Meet and Greet), person by person and RRPR connection by connection.
- ISMG costs me nothing but my time, but I’m learning about the marketing world and how to make it worth someone else’s times and money.
- RRRP is where I get to the tell the stories of people who come to me and ask “what can you do for me?”

For me, RRPR and ISMG are worth more and mean more to me than a master’s degree does on my resume. I read an article posted by Paul DeBettignies (FYI: he always writes fantastic posts on his Web site) and it was a survey done by Robert Half Finance and Accounting, that shows the percentages of companies willing to pay for a portion of their employees furthering their education. The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and more than 1,400 CFO’s were interviewed with companies that had more than 20 employees. The numbers have dropped since 2006. In other words, if you really want the education and/or the required certification you need to keep your job, be prepared to pay for it yourself.

I plan on paying for my “education,” but taking a different route. I’m still building relationships, but I’m asking the right questions and thinking a lot. Quite a bit in fact to the point where I’m reaching out, making appointments with said persons, being smart and doing my best to not waste time.

So, right now, this is why I’m saying “no” to further education and in my eyes, it makes perfect sense. Oh, and my wallet doesn’t have to run and hide.

Posted on May 19, 2012 by rachelryanpr | Leave a comment

If you’re looking for a job in health care, check out UnitedHealth Group’s Facebook page. They put a few job postings and other types of announcements regarding the company like we do on the Interactive South of the River Meet and Greet Facebook page.

They also have a YouTube channel, but I wouldn’t recommend spending too much time there as this process is about connecting with the right people and sharing your background and what you’re looking for in a career move.

Now, the big stuff. How do you talk to a recruiter in a specific area you’re interested for a job?

Click on this link to get to the actual page.

Click here to search for jobs at UnitedHealth Group today!

Happy job searching!

Posted on May 14, 2012 by rachelryanpr | Leave a comment

Hi!


(I take silly pictures every so often. Clearly I have no idea what that pose in the lower right frame is about. I’ve decided that the lower left frame is a horrible dance move sure to attract the right guy. ;) I had move fast and pick a random pose. :) )

According to the world, I’m a 27-year-old somebody working full-time in the fitness and teaching world who is building a small community one person at a time called Interactive South of the River Meet and Greet. I successfully graduated from college and enjoy video production, storytelling, blogging, networking and I know I’m doing all of these things to the best of my ability. I, however, am (still) struggling to find my voice. The beginning of my career is still sitting in “idle” mode, but I hate to use that negative of a word to describe my current situation as that’s not the right word. People are listening, they’re just busy and unless I reach out to them, nothing is going to happen for me on my end. So, that’s what I’m doing. Reaching out, asking questions and doing my best to make myself useful.

According to the mass media, I’m just another person with nothing “interesting” to talk about.

And that right there is the most frustrating part. Why? I want to be heard. I want something that will strengthen my resume and make me feel a little bit better about what I’m doing.

I ran into a lady at work yesterday and she works at Best Buy headquarters. She makes sure that your online delivery process is smooth, but her degree is in Mass Communications, focusing on the public relations side. We talked briefly, I got to thinking and then I woke up today with this book staring me straight in the face:

I’m looking for a PR stunt of my own, for my own self-worth, not for the media. Why? Good luck to me with a cherry on top if I take that route. Plus, it will be shorter than 15-seconds of fame. Not only that, but what is that time worth to anyone if I take that route? NOTHING.

Moving forward, again. That’s the part that’s just…frustrating. Whatever that counts for, I’ll take it.

Posted on May 13, 2012 by rachelryanpr | Leave a comment

“All I that I aim for. What I was made for. With every heart beat. All of my blood bleeds. Lookin inside me. Lookin for You. Lookin for You. Lookin for You. Lookin for You. I am Restless, lookin for You. I am Restless.”

I was introduced to you guys back in 2005 after I heard your song “Dare You To Move.”

I bought your album “The Beautiful Letdown” that year and that album became my soundtrack to learning about how to become a better person through perspective and learning how to deal with life when you-know-what hits the fan.

Words can’t really explain why I’ve chosen your band from the hundreds of other out there to influence my actions and my heart like you have. According to you, Jon, “Music is what I do. Christ is why I do it.” Is it because I’ve trusted the lyrics you, Tim, Jerome, Chad and Drew have written that have encouraged me to dig deeper into my beliefs? Good question. I haven’t a clue.

Here’s an interview of you, Jon, that I like:

We met back in October of 2009 really randomly. Your tour bus is behind us, but this was at the “Music Builds” concert Third Day and The Robert Randolph Band performed at in Minneapolis outside the Target Center:

That was my 24th birthday and I happen to love that song you wrote “Twenty Four.” If I remember correctly, you wrote that song about your wife, Emily and how you were trying to impress her by riding a homemade skateboard, which turned into you having to get a cast on your arm? I’m not sure. You were dating her at the time and you ended up not impressing her, but obviously she fell in love with you.

You guys it simple. Switchfoot keeps it simple. You still try to keep it simple. I like that. No, I appreciate that.

One day, there will no longer be a Switchfoot and I’m not sure how I feel about that. All good things must come to an end and in the end, all that we have left are the memories.

At the end of the day, you guys have helped me learn how to breathe. No pun intended.

I have always appreciated what you guys do. Always.

Love, Rachel

Posted on April 29, 2012 by rachelryanpr | Leave a comment

Lee, my stepdad and I decided this evening we were going to go out for drinks and a good food tonight. We were both hungry and I had had a long day. Saturday’s are long days for me and I’ve come to accept that that’s how my Saturday’s are, for now.

I got home from my 12-hour day, got dressed up and my stepdad and I hopped in the car. We decided on Applebee’s in Lakeville right off of 185th and just East of I-35. Ribs and drinks sounded amazing.

We were seated in a big, comfy booth. Our server Christopher approached us.

The server started off the entire experience incorrectly by listing off the happy hour specials so fast that it all became one big slurred word. I would have understood Linus from Snoopy better than him. He also forgot to not only make eye contact with us, but make sure his body language was facing us. He was “half in, half out,” almost as if he was in a hurry to catch up to his next table. This was confirmed while we were waiting for our food. He had not only one chance to redeem himself, but a few different opportunities to turn the evening around, but he failed every single time. The manager of the restaurant is to blame for this and I wasn’t impressed when I explained to him my frustration with this evening. More on that at the end of this piece.

I ordered a perfect martini and it came with unlimited chips and salsa with guacamole on the side (extra), so I thoroughly enjoyed the martini, though it cost a mere $8, but I made sure to finish the drink entirely. Lee ordered his usual vodka sour. My drink was damn good.

Christopher came back and Lee and I ordered two full racks of ribs, a mere $16.99 a plate. It’s been five minutes since our order was placed. I’m enjoying my drink, Lee enjoying his and we’re snacking away on the chips. Our server comes back, and says “bad news,” telling us that they only have one rack of ribs available and then jokingly added that he told the cook to cook those for the lady because the lady should get what she wants and Lee will take whatever he wants. The way he worded it offended both of us, probably me more than Lee. There comes a time and place for lightening up the conversation with the customer and his was clearly beyond rusty. He also made it sound as if the cooks knew to continue to proceed with the ribs. Lee downgraded to the riblets and Christopher rang those in.

Ten minutes rolls by. Lee has his riblets in front of him and his vodka sour is getting low. He orders a margarita and then shortly after a glass of water. The water never came and instead of waiting, I went to the bar and asked nicely for a glass of water. Sometime between when Lee got his riblets and I went to the bar, Christopher comes back and says “I really apologize, but they never started cooking the ribs.” Excuse me? He called it “miscommunication.” I was nice, gave the benefit of the doubt and rolled with it, however, the “unlimited” chips are gone and I’m very hungry. The server knows this. He offers to bring out more chips or a side of breadsticks. I asked Lee what his preference was and we ended up going with more chips. Those never came. All I could hear at this point was “cheap service,” and “carbs.” Seriously.

And this point, the host who was seating people passed Christopher in our section and he requested that she not seat anyone else in his section as he was trying to catch up with his tables. I’d say that was a big understatement. He came up to the table shortly thereafter and I asked very nicely how long the ribs would be and Christopher seemed nervous and not confident in his answer when he said, “I’d say seven to 10 minutes.” I gave him a look of “are you absolutely sure?” I might have even asked because at this point, I didn’t even trust that answer.

Chips are still not at our table, Lee’s food is getting cold and he’s “enjoyed” two french fries and has barely touch his margarita that wasn’t made very well. Lee vocalized to the server that he was “losing points” at this point. I’m glad he did. Christopher mentioned they were cooking the ribs as fast as they could. This is not the kind of language you want to hear when you’re paying big bucks for a plate of food on Saturday night and whoever was running the show clearly wasn’t thinking ahead of time, at all.

My ribs finally make their debut, Lee received twice the amount of riblets that were on his plate previously and we’re finally able to enjoy the evening. Well, maybe.

Lee’s water is getting low, but it’s been about 15-20 minutes since we’ve been enjoying our food. We’re having a great conversation as well. Christopher notices his glass of mysterious liquid is getting low and asks, “do you want a refill of whatever is in that glass?” Wrong way to ask the question and never even apologized for not bringing him the glass of water, but at this point I don’t even care. That glass of water was the least of either of our annoyances.

Near the end of our meal, Lee asks if we can speak to the manager and Christopher was not confident in his answer at all, “um, yeah, I’ll go grab him, but he’s in back cooking as we’re really backed up here tonight, but one of us will talk…yeah.” Wait, so, is that a yes or is that a no? Lee approaches a server at the bar and she’s busy ringing something up and I’m still enjoying, or trying to, my perfect martini. I’m mentally preparing my speech as I did not want to come off rude. I wanted answers and my voice heard. An apology would have been the icing on the cake. Generally, I’m not a fan of the icing, literally. Tonight would be no exception.

The manager finally makes his way to our table. I thought Lee was going to give him a piece of his mind, but he didn’t. He said two sentences at most. I however, had a few things to say. I first off told him that this was the worst experience I’ve ever had at this Applebee’s, ever and I was shocked. Truly, it was the worst and I wasn’t impressed. The second thing I asked was if he had missing staff that evening. He admitted he was short staffed. By how many? I didn’t ask. I explained to him that I didn’t appreciate the witty playfulness of the server and I wasn’t impressed with the service at all. I told him that I get it when it comes to these situations, you get backed up and I understand, but I wasn’t too thrilled. The manager then goes onto say something that I wish I could forget because he went from professional to immature in one sentence, “Man, if we could switch spots right about now, I’d take it.”

No. I didn’t want to hear that. I haven’t even mentioned that I just worked a 12-hour day and what the work I did entailed. Why? It wasn’t relevant. Not even close.

Situation, action and result. DO SOMETHING. DON’T MAKE EXCUSES.

That’s all I heard tonight was excuse after excuse after excuse and we didn’t get a discount on anything. The server said it was “not going to happen on [items] because those are top of the line.” Wronger answer. Where there’s a will to make something right, you make it work. That’s why it’s called customer service. You don’t stop until you make it right. Those are the situations that people are going to remember their experience by.

The manager handed us an apology note worth $5. Our bill was $53. He didn’t ask what our names were, he made excuses. What he should have done was shut down said sections of the restaurant, he should have been on the floor (not in back cooking), and put back up where back up was needed. Thankfully, I sat there and finished off my drink and then we finally got up and started to leave, but before we could walk away from the booth, the manager handed us another note and said, “for a better experience” and then darted back into the kitchen. It was another apology note worth $15. That’s more like it. Almost half of our meal between the two notes.

To top this whole experience, a friend of mine has a friend who used to work Applebee’s and apparently they microwave the pasta and wings to keep the food hot. Not relevant to what we ate, but that gives me an idea as to how they prep their food. I knew there was a reason I stayed away from pasta items at restaurants.

When the customer(s) has to spoon-feed the customer service lessons, something is just not right. When you panic, when you’re not in control, you’re going to crash and burn. Your team will crash and burn. That happened tonight.

It takes a lot to test my patience. Tonight, my patience was kept in tact, but my annoyance went through the roof, domino style. There’s a reason I don’t work in restaurant management. Tonight is exactly why I have no interest in working in the industry, however, I bet I could have delegated responsibilities and roles better tonight than that manager did.

What has been your worst restaurant experience?

Posted on April 29, 2012 by rachelryanpr | Leave a comment

Brian Hong of Legacy Solutions Network and Elko New Market Chamber of Commerce is an attendee of Interactive South of the River Meet and Greet and works with businesses in the Twin Cities to strengthen their marketing resources.

He created two marketing videos, one for Crystal Lake Golf Course -a 160-acre property you can see here and the city of Apple Valley you can see here, showing the many amenities and services they offer the public.

To get a quote from Hong for your communications and marketing efforts, look no further than Hong’s Legacy Solutions Network. Their work is 100 percent customized and they get quotes from three different network member and then offer you the lowest, but most qualified vendor for job.

Hong volunteers his time with Windmill Animal Rescue and through ISMG he reached out to WCCO and made it on the evening news on two different occasions. The non-profit is still in need of funds. He also volunteers his time with Habitat for Humanity. In his spare time, he enjoys a great golf game at Crystal Lake Golf Course, hiking and working on his backyard.

Posted on April 24, 2012 by rachelryanpr | Leave a comment

Whether you are your own boss, or you are the manager of a team, I thought of something while I was at work tonight. I wasn’t planning on writing a blog about this, but I have to. I have to get these words out, even if it’s nearing midnight. And midnight is two hours past my bedtime.

You should be able to step away from work and not have to worry about your phone ringing every time you leave the office with your team asking you questions. You should be confident in your team to the point where you know they can run the show when you step out. Same thing if you are your own boss. How? Let me tell you. It sounds something like this TED talk:

The people who you are working with should understand:
A) What you’re doing
B) How you’re doing it and…
C) Why you’re doing it

There won’t be any confusion. There’s a “problem,” there’s a “solution,” and then you “execute,” to solve. Insert your own words into the quotations. YOU make money by doing what YOU do your best at. YOU set the rates. YOU set the tone because YOU are passionate about what product your client is producing. YOU want to learn.

Let me back up.

Micromanagement SUCKS. I really dislike being micromanaged. Why? Most likely because I am extremely sensitive when it comes to feedback and I think about every little thing I’m doing. I think about every one else’s feelings, what their needs are, etc. I used to not be like this, but I’ve grown over the past 2 1/2 years at my job. How am I presenting myself? Did I get feedback as best as I could? Did I fully commit the best I could?

As a manager, when you know you have to fire someone, it point blank, sucks. I really want people to succeed, but there comes a point where something just feels wrong and have you document it so you can do something about it. The best part is when you know you can help the person turn around, and then you become part of the solution. That’s when you grow as a manager and that is when you start to wonder…what else could I be doing? Think about it this way: the immature side of you wanted that person gone and you didn’t care to give them another minute of your time unless you were forced to. But, you grew up somewhere between when you got a good nights rest and woke up with a sense of self-worth and then your own gut telling to put your big girl panties on to make that person the best they could be at their job and it happened. It didn’t happen over night, but you gave them a chance and now, you enjoy working with them. If you can do that…what else are you capable of?

On being your own “boss”:

If you have a idea, which turns into a “dream,” you should invest, ask the right questions (you’ll figure out what those are on your journey) and give it your absolute best. People will notice. I don’t care what anyone else’s opinion is. I don’t care what the statistics are. I don’t care what your best friend thinks. If it’s engrained in your heart, do the following:

Get your a** out of bed.

Get up.

Make.

It.

Happen.

P.S. If you have to invest in the process, cough it up. You won’t regret a single penny you spend. I don’t care how broke you claim you are. Believe me.

P.S.S. One day, I’ll be telling a story about all of this, using this song as the background music:

I love this movie and it makes sense in my head why I’m adding it into this post:

Posted on April 18, 2012 by rachelryanpr | Leave a comment

May is right around the corner and it will mark my third year of being a college graduate.

There are opportunities previous to graduating that, if I could, I’d go back and grab a hold of. But I didn’t take advantage and I can’t change that. The clock can’t be re-wound.

I know a few people who are in grad school because they wanted to continue their education and luckily, the company they work for is picking up most of the bill because it’s relevant to their job.

What should I know about grad school? I have no idea how much it costs and quite frankly, I know it’s very expensive.

If you’d be willing to share your thoughts and experience from grad school, I’d really appreciate the input!

Posted on April 16, 2012 by rachelryanpr | Leave a comment

For those of you wondering what the point is of ISMG and why I’m dedicating time to building this community:

ISMG has two doors people can “walk” through to join the community as we grow: our Facebook and Twitter pages. There’s no paint on the walls (a Web site), there’s no music playing in the background, but I’ve made videos for my YouTube channel, RachelRyanMedia (here, here, here and here) and this is why we’re different.

With ISMG, I’m following through with it, week in and week out. I make the videos because I want this community to be as interactive as possible. I like making the videos because I enjoy being on camera, and producing a fun clip. Also, not having a script makes it free flowing.

Why you should come out and mingle? The places I pick have delicious food and if you “LIKE” a Facebook status update where I mention your name being thrown into a hat (but you have to like the Facebook page first and then the update for your name to get put in the hat), you could possibly win a free beverage on ISMG.

This group will make a difference through different activities (ways to make a really positive impact) that can touch the lives of others.

For example, myself and Christine Hickey are volunteering our time next Friday, April 20 at Feed My Starving Children. I watched the video below and here’s the biggest message I took away from it.

(This starts at 5:40)
“We are:
A tool for community outreach
A team builder for all types of groups
A virtual missions trip for those who can’t travel
A tangible way to impact the world
A support to Christian missions in 67 countries
While providing food to children
Around the world.”

We have also partnered with Windmill Animal Rescue and we’ve raised more than $14,000 to help keep the doors open and continue to give the animals a home.

A picture of the building located in New Market, Minn.,:

ISMG is continuing to raise funds for them in 2012.

I’m not sure what ISMG is going to look/be/feel like in six months from now. I know we will have more videos up by then, we’ll continue to take pictures and we’ll be as personably interactive as possible. I want this community to make a difference and instead of meeting just once a month, I want other things to be involved in as a group. Help out where you want to and where you can, even if that means posting a job opportunity on the Facebook page.

I’m learning to be the light, through ISMG. Let’s do this! :)

Posted on April 12, 2012 by rachelryanpr | Leave a comment

I’m excited to have found an opportunity to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children in Eagan, Minn., and it was really simple to sign up.

ISMG has picked another meeting location for the month of May! Time and day will be announced really soon! We look forward to seeing you at the next one if you can make it! :)

Posted on April 10, 2012 by rachelryanpr | Leave a comment