Find Your Inspiration: Best 2017 Commencement Speeches
It’s that time of year again when the weather warms and the tassels are turned to the left side. As college seniors graduate from private and public institutions across the country, news organizations flood us with headlines of commencement speeches with the “best advice” or “words of wisdom.” Twelve years ago, as Kellee Johnson started The Ballast Group, one commencement speaker’s words stood out. Delivered by Steve Jobs at Stanford University’s 2005 commencement address they were: “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.” Those words inspired The Ballast Group team in 2005 and continue today. To help...
Read MoreHow Entrepreneurship Fuels Job Growth
“Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.” For those of you who know The Ballast Group or our founder, Kellee Johnson, it is likely that you have seen or heard these words — especially around college graduation time. This quote, from Steve Jobs’s 2005 Stanford University commencement address, is the inspiration behind Kellee Johnson’s entrepreneurial spirit and the force behind her drive to continue finding best storytelling practices for The Ballast Group everyday. In 2005, Kellee founded The Ballast Group after working for Tropicana, Abbott Labs and several medical technology start-up companies....
Read More12 Leads in 12 Minutes: Now What? Never Assume Your Client Defines PR the Same Way You Do
Every public relations professional and many CEOs know the power of earned media. A lead in a major metropolitan newspaper or an interview on a network station that gets syndicated — this type of exposure can lead to millions of impressions that increase a business’s revenue and reputation. While PR contributes to sales goals, sometimes different levels of leaders can misinterpret the role and responsibility of the PR function. Typically business leaders dictate the strategy for building the internal structure necessary for managing an influx in prospects and leads due to great PR...
Read MoreBuilt to Last: Why Honesty and Transparency Matter between Public Relations Professionals and Journalists
Behind every great story is a journalist. And behind every great journalist is a public relations professional offering ideas and sources for those stories. With increasing access to stories breaking around the globe, journalists no longer have time to develop a story the way they used to. When a PR professional does his or her job well, journalists are brought good stories to consider. Once these stories are told, PR professionals and journalists are launched into relationships built on mutual trust. According to The Ballast Group founder, Kellee Johnson, these symbiotic relationships are...
Read MoreDefine Success before a PR Engagement Begins
A question that I like to ask CEOs or sponsors at the beginning of any new project is: “How will you define success at the end of this project? If your definition was a news headline, what would it say?” A former Baxter executive founded a medical education start-up company that taught physicians how to practice a simulated procedure instead of practicing on a real patient. He answered my question with a commanding: “I want to be on the cover of Fortune magazine as the most feared man in medicine.” Alrighty I thought — a very articulate and focused leader. He continued, “If hospital...
Read MoreAmplyifying earned media: why the story is only the start
Earned media results always starts by asking “why.” Why is this story relevant? Why does your audience care? Once this is clear the chance of your story getting published greatly increases. The story is only the start. Earned media is the most credible of the four types of media – paid, earned, shared or owned- also known as P.E.S.O. Earned media begins by convincing editors, writers, producers and bloggers that your story has merit. You can’t buy earned media. According to Amplify, LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions Report, “Earned media is the holy grail of marketing. Chipping away...
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