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The Power of Being Infamous

Power of Being Infamous

Defined, being “infamous” is not a good thing at first glance. Being infamous means that you have an extremely bad reputation, making it a goal for many people to not be infamous.

Well, I don’t like to think that way. More to the point, I choose not to make my goals dependent on words described by vague words like “bad” or “good.”

There is power in being infamous, because there is power in perception. There is power in extremes. When someone boldly categorizes you in an extreme, there is overt power in that.

Power that gives you control (or at least the opportunity to control).

Of course, you don’t want a bad reputation for certain things. JetBlue doesn’t want to be infamous for stranding its customers on the tarmac, Tylenol definitely doesn’t want to be infamous for poisoning its customers with cyanide, and you don’t want to be infamous for basically being bad at what you want to be good at.

The power of perception, even supposedly negative perception, allows you to do several things:

  • Have a widespread conversation
  • Initiate the conversation
  • Control the conversation

This falls back on the notion that we can almost always use something bad for good. Even better, using your biggest weakness as your biggest strength as Sun Tzu would say.

I’m not speaking to striving for becoming “infamous” or some kind of antagonistic troll. What I am challenging you to do is to rethink perception when reacting to the onset of an infamous persona being thrust upon you. More plainly, when we are obsessed with trying to avoid becoming “infamous,” we may miss an opportunity while still becoming infamous in the end.

Take a note from some famous brands that have used their biggest weaknesses and turned them into opportunities:

  • Avis – “We Try Harder” campaign is famous for positioning Avis being “second best” as a good thing.
  • Barnes and Noble – The “Nook” was Barnes and Noble’s way of controlling the conversation surrounding the rise of e-books.
  • AT&T – “It Can Wait” campaign showed this phone brand’s response to cell phones being infamous for “texting while driving” fatalities that are on the rise.

Like what you read? Connect with me further via twitter @JonNegroni. I’ll follow back if you seem like a real person. You can also subscribe to this blog by clicking the “follow” button in the top-left corner.

Don’t forget to check out THE JON REPORT every day, updated at 8am for a list of today’s main headlines as selected by my editorial team (me) 

How to Get Better at Thinking on Your Feet

Thinking On Your Feet

In the world of public relations and online community building, your weapon of choice is strategy. You take time to think through your given strategy by setting out clear objectives, goals, and tactics. Time is your friend, and most of us in this profession revel in staying up late to perfect a campaign we’re about to present.

Unfortunately for me and others like me, I’m very decisive. When I like an idea or course of action, I tend to decide on it quickly without thoroughly examining alternative options or the consequences of that idea.

Sure, this comes in handy when I’m on a date and the girl can’t decide what movie we should see, but when you’re too decisive on formulating a campaign for a client or your supervisor, trouble can ensue. That is, when you take a narrow-minded approach to creating your lifeline, expect the boat to sink.

This is because even the “best” idea in the world to you can be shot down in the quickest moment. We can try to defend our decision and approach all we want, but all it takes is that one, seemingly insignificant variable to make your strategy completely dismissive. When that variable is thrown at you by the people you are trying to win over, you’re going to have to take a different, albeit scary approach.

You’re going to have to think on your feet.

In a lot of cases, this is your one chance. No time for do-overs. No time for re-convening. The spotlight is on you, and you’re going to have to deliver. Weirdly, I love these sink-or-swim moments.

To be honest, I’ve always had a knack for this. I was the student in school who made up speeches on the spot. When running for student body president of my high school, I took my pre-approved script, crumpled it up onstage and proceeded without any idea of what I should say (and I won).

This isn’t something I’ve always just known how to do, to be honest. It’s something I learned and practiced. Being put on the spot on tends to get your mind moving at double its speed, and when you’re used to it, you can actually have a fair time assembling what you need to say smoothly and coherently. Eventually, you get to the point where it’s actually a thrill.

One of the secrets to this being good at presenting in general. Specifically, you need to be able to sell an idea. Prove that you think it is the greatest idea in the world (by showing it in your confidence), present the evidence and reasoning behind why you think it is the greatest idea in the world, and get people excited about it.

That’s not to say, however, that you’re just pulling information out of thin air. Good listening skills and the ability to read an audience also plays a huge part in assembling an off-the-cuff response or presentation.

A year ago, I was at the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) National Assembly as a delegate for Liberty University. We had regular seminars covering various ethos in the profession, and I attended one that provided insights on ethics.

For this seminar, we were divided up into groups of 10-15 students each and were given the opportunity to prepare an ethical response on a fabricated crisis assigned to us.

Nonsense ensued. My group was in chaos and disagreement over how to address the problem at hand. Three of the students were bickering incessantly, and the rest of the group seemed to have give up on sharing their opinion.

Sitting on the sidelines, I had been taking notes on what everyone was saying and listened very carefully to everything discussed. Before we knew it, our time was up and we hadn’t even decided on who was going to present our response on behalf of the group.

When called upon, I volunteered and gave one of the most frightening speeches I’ve ever given. I’m in a room full of the country’s best PR students, as well industry professionals and opinion leaders. And I had nothing concrete prepared, just a list of points.

Of course, no one in the group even knew who I was and were probably embarrassed for me, but I went ahead anyway. Then something fantastic happened.

Glancing at my notes, I presented the issue by summarizing the opinions and thoughts shared by our group. I didn’t leave anyone out. Using this information, I came up with a solution on the spot that seemed to satisfy everyone.

Apparently the planets aligned because our response was the best in the seminar, and our group was highly praised. I made a lot of friends (and got a lot of business cards) from the group that day, and some of the older professionals in the room congratulated me personally.

The point isn’t that I’m something special. Honestly, I was pretty lucky, and I relied pretty heavily on the hard work of my group.

Really, my point here is that you need to be resourceful when thinking on your feet. Don’t be too proud to call upon the help of others, as long as you give them their due credit. While this isn’t something you can necessarily learn overnight, it is at least a very accessible option for over-decisive troublemakers like myself.

Like what you read? Connect with me further via twitter @JonNegroni. I’ll follow back if you seem like a real person. You can also subscribe to this blog by clicking the “follow” button in the top-left corner.

Don’t forget to check out THE JON REPORT every day, updated at 8am for a list of today’s main headlines as selected by my editorial team (me) 

Why Our Generation is Depressed

Why Our Generation is Depressed

There are three main things that affect our emotions:

Environment is a big one, since our moods directly correspond with where we are at and our basic sensory concepts.

Events obviously have a lot to do with our mental states, as they typically reflect how we react and interact with the circumstances of our lives.

Well, I want to talk about people. How do people fit into what we’re feeling either positively or (gasp) negatively?

Depression is the topic at hand here, and I believe the onset of negative emotions in relation to people is typically chalked up to very basic suspects. Things like failed relationships and a troubled family life are usually discussed.

I want to go deeper, though! I want to address something I think a lot of new professionals like me go through once college is over and the next chapter of life takes hold. I don’t think I need to underscore how intense of a transition that can be, after all, so just bear with me.

I was a bit of an extracurricular nerd back when I was a sophomore in college. I remember being in a psychology lecture held late at night for no extra credit. It was just a special speaker talking about developmental psychology, and I’ll never forget her key anecdote that addressed the first time she went through depression.

The basic story is that a shift in her environment, moving away after college with her husband, caused her to experience a gradual rise in depression without her even realizing it. It was almost a year before she even recognized she was depressed.

Now, this example involves environment (in this case, a new one), an event (moving), and people (losing close relationships). These factors and more led to her becoming, well unhappy with her life. She talked about how she couldn’t even describe what was bothering her, but it negatively affected many aspects of her life. She couldn’t sleep well, eat right, or even find work rewarding.

I say all this because I’ve noticed to a degree that this is very common, not only because it has in fact happened to me, but also because I see it in the lives of friends I know all over the country. Obviously, the severity is varied, but this problem seems to resonate with a lot of postgrad millennials (I would love to do a study on this by the way).

We can analyze all day about why millennials are going through this. Some great theories have to do with how collective mentality is far more prominent within our demographic compared to more individualistic generations before us. That would explain why social pressures and expectations may impact us more than they probably should.

Of course, my boss would say it’s because the concept of actually working and facing tangible problems is something our generation wasn’t prepared well enough for. Few can argue with me that millennials are lazy. While we may have fantastic, creative minds, a lot of us have more trouble actually executing the work.

I certainly don’t have any concrete answers, but I do have my own experiences to call on, and I am quickly becoming more aware of what societal mood changer affects me the most. People.

One of my mentors left me with this notion many years ago: “Show me who your friends are, and I’ll either tell you who you are are or who you are going to be.” 

I’ll never admit it to him, but I’ve shaped almost every friendship according to this credence ever since he first said this to me. And it rings true. The people we surround ourselves with have a lot more to do with our emotions and mental states than we sometimes realize.

This has definitely been a beneficial concept to live by in the sense that I’ve surrounded myself with good people with fantastic ambitions and morals, but my emotional state has also been greatly impacted by these people over this past year since becoming a new professional.

 

I’m not saying my friends make me depressed or anything like that (not all of them at least), but I have found incredible data relating to my most productive, positive phases in life.

Surprisingly, the best times I’ve had this past year where I was the most driven, focused, and mentally healthy were times when I was investing my emotional energy into close relationships, especially family.

Of course, my most lethargic and scattered phases have been times when my life has basically been an episode of Dawson’s Creek. 

Without getting too personal here, I’ll conclude what seems to work for me when wrestling with these problems. If you’re not sharing your life with people and allowing others to affect your mental being positively, then you’re only letting yourself take in the negative.

It’s not the deepest statement in the world, but let’s hope that at least got you thinking.

Like what you read? Connect with me further via twitter @JonNegroni. I’ll follow back if you seem like a real person. You can also subscribe to this blog by clicking the “follow” button in the top-left corner.

Don’t forget to check out THE JON REPORT every day, updated at 8am for a list of today’s main headlines as selected by my editorial team (me) 

Control Your Doubt

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One year ago, I thought I had my entire life mapped out ahead of me. I had just landed my first professional job, more than a month before graduation. I had conquered my last semester of college with high marks. Life was good, and it only seemed downhill from there.

There are two types of people reading this. The people who have experienced this and those who haven’t. Those who have know firsthand just how foolish I was to believe that life was finished with me.

Take my advice. Don’t get comfortable in where you are at and where you think life is taking you, because you are in for a surprise.

Don’t get me wrong, confidence is a beautiful tool that hopefully many of you will use to get what you want and need. But doubt is so much more satisfying to control. The day you are able to master the ability to use doubt as an asset rather than fear is a day I look forward to as well.

This is because doubt pushes us forward. It negates lethargy and prevents needless failure. When we doubt ourselves, it i
s because we are aware of what is better than us.

So beware.

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The Key To Everything That’s Great Right Now

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It’s pretty simple really. Everything good we’ve been getting our hands on lately boils down to one concept, whether we’re talking about the social media boom, the advent of streaming television, or even the gaming revolution.

The key to the evolution of entertainment and connectivity?

User-generated content. Self-publishing. The impact of the individual.

This concept of the individual being empowered by the marketplace is the reason we have authors publishing their e-books without major publishers tampering with their work. Two guys can get together with some engineers and create something like “Words With Friends.” I can watch an incredibly entertaining show like House of Cards on Netflix with no commercials.

When content creators like you or me have the power to set the rules, the best work comes out. It’s the reason why us iPhone users are obsessed with iFunny. It’s the reason why I find myself obsessed with discovering new music with Spotify. It’s even why something as ludicrous as Snapchat is becoming an obsession for many people (like myself.)

Put simply, user-generated content is the key to a good experience. Luckily, groups of resourceful people across the globe are exploiting this beautifully.

Like what you read? Connect with me further via twitter @JonNegroni. I’ll follow back if you seem like a real person. You can also subscribe to this blog by clicking the “follow” button in the top-left corner.

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5 Things You Must Do After College

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Being a post-grad is one of the most exciting, yet trying, periods of time you will face as your education finally reaches its climax. I’m writing this in February, then, as a way to hopefully help get people thinking about this now, rather than later.

This is the time to prove yourself. Really, your 20’s are all about proving yourself. This is it! Your first step into the so-called real world you’ve heard so much about.

It’s only been 1 year since I began my post-grad journey, so I’ve compiled a list of things that will hopefully benefit you once you’ve finally finished your undergrad.

Keep in mind that some of these tips are more or less applicable depending on what you actually studied in school, with communications being my experience for writing this.

1. Learn How to Budget

Yes, you may already know how this works and have been doing a fine job through school. This tip isn’t for you. This is for the post-grads who didn’t work much during school and had their parents handle their finances.

It’s time to get it together. Learn how to do your taxes. Learn how to save money. Watch your parents do it. Figure out what you need to make and how much you can spend before you make other big decisions, like where you’re going to live and what kind of job you’re going to apply for.

It amazes me when people don’t know how much money they want to negotiate for a salary. How do you even have grounds for what salary is “necessary” when you have no idea how much money it will take for you to survive? Think about this now so you can be ready.

2. Plan for your Student Loans

Most of us have plenty of loans to pay for once we’re done with school, and this is something you absolutely cannot go into unplanned. You don’t have much time after school ends before the bills start coming in, so plan ahead. Find out how much you’re going to have to pay and apply for different payment plans if you need to early, so you don’t end up paying way more than you can afford.

3. Stay Busy

In other words, do part-time work. This may mean putting other things on hold, such as relationships and social activities. Why? This is a time of rough transition, and you need to be prepared for anything. As a new professional, you are the most susceptible employee to unexpected layoffs and pay-cuts.

Be prepared. Part-time work, especially related to your profession, helps supplement income and develop even more skills that you will need as your career advances. I highly recommend online tutoring. It’s flexible, pays pretty well, and is a great way to keep your mind active when you’re tempted to zone out on the weekend.

4. Avoid Commitments

I say this with a heavy heart, especially since many people I know get married and have kids shortly after college. That’s fine for them, but I don’t recommend it. This is mostly because you have no idea where your profession is going to take you, and making lifelong commitments with someone who may not align with your career creates intense problems.

Plus, most people just aren’t ready for that level of commitment during this time of transition. I highly recommend that you take a year or more to get settled into your new lifestyle and worry about family life later, when you are more ready for it. You will avoid a lot of problems if you do.

5. Develop a TON of Experience

This is especially important for those of you going for grad school. Education is a great asset to your resume, but don’t rely on it too much. Other people just as educated as you are applying for that same job down the road, only they probably have experience along with their education.

If you wait too long to develop experience through internships or part-time work related to your career, that makes your resume extremely unattractive to employers. This obviously doesn’t apply to every field of study, but it is mostly relevant for people in communications.

The bottom-line is: don’t get lazy or complacent. Once you’re done with school, plan for your future and be prepared for anything. Don’t pigeonhole yourself into one thing, because you might get stuck with it for the rest of your life. Experiment. Have fun. Get your life off to a great start. Prove yourself.

Like what you read? Connect with me further via twitter @JonNegroni. I’ll follow back if you seem like a real person. You can also subscribe to this blog by clicking the “follow” button in the top-left corner.

Don’t forget to check out THE JON REPORT every day, updated at 8am for a list of today’s main headlines as selected by my editorial team (me) 

Top 12 Mat Kearney Songs

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Even if you’ve never heard of Mat Kearney, this is a great list to get you started. Kearney has been my favorite singer/songwriter since 2005, so making this list was absolutely painful.

I’ve been following his music religiously since his first album, Bullet, and  I currently own every song he’s written (with the exception of some EP songs he wrote that aren’t available online plus some variants of songs such as live versions and iTunes sessions.)

That said, I’ve put together a comprehensive list that looks back to the beginning of his work in an effort to show you which tracks best represent my favorite solo artist. Enjoy!

12. Lifeline- City of Black and White

City of Black and White

One of Kearney’s biggest strengths is his lyrics, and the words he sings for “Lifeline,” definitely set it apart in an album full of melodic pieces. City of Black and White was Kearney’s first album to use no rap or spoken word (a style he used with acoustic that made him famous), so the pressure was on here. “Lifeline” is a great example of his ability to craft beautiful songs and evolve past what first made him great.

The world is too big to never ask why. The answers don’t fall straight out of the sky.

 

11. Never Be Ready- City of Black and White

City of Black and WhiteKearney is brilliant at writing about relationships. With “Never Be Ready,” he writes about his real experiences with his wife Annie (who has her own song named for her in the album) and the raw emotion of the lyrics matches the song’s melody perfectly.

Love isn’t borrowed, we aren’t promised tomorrow. We’ll never be ready if we keep waiting.

 

10. Ships in the Night- Young Love

Young LoveCurrently one of Kearney’s big hits, “Ships in the Night” is impressing everyone with its eclectic style of hip hop and acoustic. Kearney’s acoustic/spoken word has really evolved since he left it behind back in 2007, and Ships really delivers just by its message alone. The song addresses the challenges couples face late in their relationships as the initial spark of love fades. It’s a hopeful, yet somber song about a subject not many other artists bother to explore.

Feels like we’re learning this out on our own. Trying to find a way down the road we don’t know.

 

9. Closer to Love- City of Black and White

City of Black and WhiteThis is a beautiful song that is widely misunderstood. On the surface, it seems like a love story between two people, but if you actually listen to the song, it is more of a reflection of Kearney’s relationship with God. The song is about people turning to God only when they need help, as Kearney recounts a tragedy that apparently shook him. The hopeful message is that even though bad things happen, Kearney feels that God is using it make him closer and more dependent on the love of God.

I guess we’re all one phone call from our knees. We’re gonna get there soon.

 

8. Renaissance- Bullet 

BulletThis is from Kearney’s first album, though it was repackaged in Nothing Left to Lose. The song features two ballads about two different people who hit rock bottom. The first is in a car accident that takes his family away from him. The second person gets dumped by his girlfriend and slips into depression. In-between verses, Kearney stresses how God offers something “real” to people who experience tragic situations. This is one of Kearney’s most layered songs and features one of his more powerful and uplifting choruses.

I can be the wall when you fall down. Find me on the rocks when you break down.

 

7. Fire and Rain- City of Black and White

City of Black and White“Fire and Rain” channels a very unique message: the distance between friends over time. Throughout the song, Kearney talks about a sort of prodigal friend (or love) that he often wonders about. The themes of friendship and how people move on are beautifully portrayed here, and the lyrics really tug at something I’m sure most of us have been through.

Do you ever think about me? Do you ever call my name? Ask me now. I’ll give you the reasons.

 

6. Everyone I Know- City of Black and White 

City of Black and WhiteThis is actually a bonus track that isn’t as well-known, unfortunately. Kearney gets a little more philosophical in this song, talking about how his experiences have shaped his view in the world. Specifically, he talks about how love is something we’re all looking for, and this is something that everyone shares. I mainly love this song for its acoustic, which is probably the best melody in the album.

Because everyone that I know, every place that I go, every story that I’m told, it’s love that we’re looking for. 

 

5. Nothing Left to Lose- Nothing Left to Lose

Nothing Left to LoseThis is the song that propelled Kearney to mainstream music. It is a song that, in its core, appeals to a wide audience with its coming of age feel. Like most of his songs, Kearney sings about his own experience of moving from Oregon to California and how liberated he felt. Nothing Left to Lose (the album) is actually a compilation of the first songs he ever wrote, making them some of his more emotional and heartfelt songs.

Come on, and we’ll sing, like we were free. Push the pedal down, watch the world around fly by us.

 

4.  Lifetime- West in November EP

West in November EPKearney did two EP’s before releasing his first album, Bullet, in 2004. The first was Revive Us EP (2002) and then West in November EP (2003). The tracks here are extremely difficult to find and can’t even be purchased on Amazon or iTunes, which is a testament to how early these came out. Thankfully, YouTube exists and I happen to have a copy of “Lifetime” in my library. This song is about finding purpose in life and making the most out of it. Tough questions about whether or not Kearney’s music will really help anyone in the long run are addressed, and you can tell that this is one of Kearney’s more introspective songs. Click here to hear the song on YouTube.

Well here’s another stone in the walls of this lifetime, of this lifetime. I built them tall but they gonna fall when the day’s gone by, when my children cry.

 

3. Count on Me- Young Love

Young LoveThis is actually my most-played song on iTunes…though I am objective enough to only put it at number 3. Yes, this is my favorite track from his most recent album, Young Love, and for good reason. The song is unlike anything you’ve probably ever heard and presents a message so upbeat, positive and entertaining, it will surely make you smile.

Emails and coffee in the evening. Effort ya brother you’ll believe it. Gee, I don’t know your secret! Each “I love you” singing:

 

2. Undeniable- Bullet

BulletThough it’s more famous for being on the Nothing Left to Lose album, the song first debuted on Bullet as one of its surprise hits. The song basically sums up everything there is to love about Mat Kearney. It has the story-telling lyrics, the spiritual redemption, and the eclectic style of spoken word and unrestrained acoustic that has impacted so many people. This is the song that really started it all.

It’s undeniable how brilliant you are. In an unreliable world, you shine like a star. It’s unforgettable now that we’ve come this far. It’s unmistakable that you’re undeniable.

 

1. All I Need- Nothing Left to Lose

Nothing Left to LoseIf only you could have seen my face after the first time I heard this song. It’s in a league on its own. Kearney has not yet written a song that comes as close to being as powerful as “All I Need,” a ballad about two of his friends who suffered from Hurricane Katrina in 2006. The song boasts a set of lyrics and piano that rival that of “Fix You” by Coldplay. If this song doesn’t make you tear up, then you are rock solid.

We’re grabbing at the fray for something that won’t drown. 

 

Of course, there are a TON of other fantastic Mat Kearney songs, making this list feel criminal, even to me. So, I guess I have to include some honorable mentions:

  • In the Middle- Bullet
  • Bullet- Bullet
  • Girl America- Bullet
  • Breathe in Breathe Out- Nothing Left to Lose
  • Can’t Break Her Fall- Nothing Left to Lose
  • Where We Gonna Go From Here- Nothing Left to Lose
  • Crashing Down- Nothing Left to Lose
  • All I Have- City of Black and White
  • Rochester- Young Love
  • She Got the Honey- Young Love
  • Hey Mama- Young Love
  • Runaway- Young Love

Disagree on anything? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

Like what you read? Connect with me further via twitter @JonNegroni. I’ll follow back if you seem like a real person. You can also subscribe to this blog by clicking the “follow” button in the top-left corner.

Don’t forget to check out THE JON REPORT every day, updated at 8am for a list of today’s main headlines as selected by my editorial team (me)