A couple months ago Marla nonchalantly mentioned that she was considering getting a puppy. We all secretly started placing bets on when and if that would ever happen. Janelle’s dog Luciano visits now and then and while Marla loves the little guy, it’s still hard to picture. Sure enough, months after that comment was made, there is still no puppy at Bella. But in the spirit of introducing the idea of it gradually, I went out during lunch today and brought back the least threatening starter pet she could think of. Pitch is Bella’s Betta fish. He is midnight blue and likes to swim around his bowl decorated with pink marbles. Already Sue and Marla have already declared him dead since to say he “swims” is exaggerating a bit. Pitch mostly likes to chill in one spot but every once and awhile he does stretch his fins. The pet store gave us a 48 hour guarantee which means with the weekend coming up, if Pitch is still kicking on Monday then he’s probably in the clear. We’ll keep you posted. Bets on Pitch’s chances can be emailed to m.thompson@bellapr.com.
~Mary
note: let it be known Marla has already stopped by his bowl twice to ask him what he was up to and Sue expressed the desire to feed him tomorrow. Janelle, I think a puppy could be on the horizon.

BellaPRNYC.com

(the coolest new place to read about bellapr)

If you’ve enjoyed reading about the ins and outs of what goes on here at Bella PR then you’ll definitely want to subscribe to our new blog.  Same deal, different address (I’m still suspicious as to why I was kicked off the main site, scaring away new business perhaps?)

So for CORPORATE (boring) info, www.bellapr.com is still your go-to.

For the FUN, EXCITING blog, www.bellaprnyc.com is the place for you!!!

Just kidding about our website being boring.  It is actually quite informative.  And pretty too.  But still not as fun as BellaPRNYC.com.  Just sayin’.

There are a lot of interesting studies being conducted regarding marriage rates in America for some reason. 50% or so of people think that it is an “obsolete” institution. I was watching some morning show the other day (and because it was a morning show and thus took place in the morning I couldn’t tell you what channel and that being said whether I in fact  dreamed the whole thing) but anyway, this particular program was saying how people now regard the concept of family as more important than ever but how our definitions of family are changing. For example, 86% of people view a single parent and child as a family, 80% consider an unmarried couple living together to be a family, and a surprisingly low 64% view a gay couple with children to be a family (wow I guess I have a talent for numbers when I’m asleep!)

Anyway, I go back and forth on how I feel about marriage. I live with my boyfriend of 5 years and our golden retriever and the way I see it, if something isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I haven’t seen too many successful marriages, maybe it is because of my generation (the news loveessss to point out this fact) but I just don’t feel the need to run down the aisle any time soon. Well I didn’t that was.

This all changed yesterday morning.  It was a normal morning and I picked up amNY from the amNY girl. I think it is kind of fate because ever since I started rereading Atlas Shrugged and discovered Texas Hold em on my blackberry, I haven’t really been picking up amNY. But I did that morning. There was an insert from Fashion Front Row.  And it was in this insert that I saw the dress that changed my mind about marriage. Emilio Pucci, I raise my glass to you.

I always said if I got married I’d make sure to have a badass dress and a great photographer. The rest of all the hoopla that goes into weddings gives me anxiety. Anyway, I saw this amazing Pucci dress and quickly realized that it could only be worn to a wedding.  And it would kind of have to be your own wedding. So in fact, I told Ben he better put a ring on it so I could buy my dress before it sold out. And that the wedding would have to be in September because that is the only time of year that the deep purple/blue color would make sense.

His belongings may or may not be in our apartment when I return tonight.

No the dress is not currently available, yes I did have our intern call and inquire about it, and I think she might have pre ordered it for me. It all happened so fast.

This post is really just an ode to a gorgeous dress and I guess a commentary on what made one of the 50% of Americans who thought marriage was an obsolete institution rethink her premises.  And also an opportunity to ask for any input on accessorizing options.

- MT

Right now I am in the process of interviewing interns for upcoming Spring and Summer internships. We have had some really great candidates come through. Each and every interviewee has a specific reason for wanting to get engaged in PR, most are communication majors, and all take the industry very seriously despite the light-hearted nature of beauty and fashion.

We moved offices a couple years ago and while we were packing up Marla called out, “Mary, I found your resume from when I interviewed you!” She handed it to me and the only thing written on it was, “Wore pink dress, looked cute, really liked.” I laughed and asked Marla whether my 3.8 from NYU played any part.  She said it was instinct and that a person’s grades weren’t always determining factors. I was slightly miffed and definitely was not about to let my parents know that $50,000 a year had nothing on a great, hot pink DVF dress.

But now that I find myself in Marla’s position, I couldn’t agree with her more. As someone who takes her job seriously, it makes me upset that PR has a bad reputation of being comprised mainly of silly girls who think that their love of talking on the phone and putting on makeup are marketable skills that make them qualified to be the face and voice behind somebody’s business. So when I am interviewing someone, in addition to being academically qualified, I look for a person who possesses drive, a willingness to get their hands dirty, and most importantly, a sense of pride and integrity regarding their work.

Integrity is a tricky thing to measure. You either have it or you don’t. Sure, most everyone has taken Media Ethics and the Law at some point, but who are the ones that walk away from it with a renewed sense of commitment to do the right thing? And to take a stand when they see something being done that is wrong? I was reading a magazine recently and saw an old client featured. It’s always nice to see a client, past or present, succeed so I was psyched and started to read the write up. The wording was very. very. familiar. I am a writer so I remember most everything I have ever written and I could tell without a doubt that my press release was close at hand when this write up was being done. This would have been no issue at all except for the fact that we hadn’t represented this particular client in years when they moved to a different firm.

You can draw your own conclusions about what happened, but suffice it to say, you won’t last long in PR if you’re not creative or if you’re afraid of taking something old and making it fresh and new. It’s a smaller industry than you’d think and recycled work finds its way back to its original creator.

The quick and easy way is usually not the right way and when I meet someone at the door who understand this principle, an impressive GPA becomes secondary in landing the position.  Although a killer pink dress never hurt as extra security.

-MT

Well it just seems a little staged to me. I mean, of all the female celebrities who have supposedly been innocently strolling along their merry way before being accosted, not a single one of them was carrying around a tampon? And is it a coincidence that their makeup is always brand spanking new?And really, who carries around sample sizes of their entire skin care regime while they’re out shopping?

So rather than mouthing off about our society’s obsession with so-called “reality” BS, I decided to show what is inside a REAL purse. As soon as I got this idea, my first instinct was to really quickly clean out my bag before I officially made up my mind (because if I had only UNOFFICIALLY contemplated the idea it wouldn’t be cheating.) But I swear, I didn’t. And let me preface this by saying I was very very nervous about what would come out of the depths of my bag. Because I am a bag lady. And I have no shame admitting it. Fact is, I may not have foot petals in my purse but if you get a blister, I probably have a 2 year old band aid somewhere. I kind of pride myself of being prepared for most of what life can throw at you and I am a strong believer of having 3 days worth of survival supplies because after all I do ride the F train.

Anyway, here it goes.

In Her Bag: Mary  Thompson Reveals All

This is how everything landed…

Okay now let’s get specific. FULL DISCLOSURE: In this second picture, items have been rearranged for better visibility. This layout was NOT done by a professional.

SO let’s break it down (from right to left):

- 1 Gray Kate Spade Purse

-1 Green Kate Spade Wallet (if anyone knows of a great zipper wallet let me know, I’m in the market)

- “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand

- Murano glass compact mirror

- Packet of tissues from Jet Blue

- Sample of perfume (no idea what kind)

- TWO sets of house keys (oops sorry Ben… Boyfriend is definitely locked out.)

- 1 Regular tampon (see!!)

- Almost finished pack of black cherry throat lozenges

- 2 packs of gum (Trident White and Orbit.) I didn’t know I had gum at all… That was a nice surprise

- 4 pens

- Checkbook

- Card case

- Misc cards from Goldy + Mac (my fave place to shop in Brooklyn, Julietta from the Spa on 8th Ave, and Krista who does the best coloring at Red Market)

-21 cents in change

- Falsies… The best mascara ever.

- 5 lip products (HWood chapstick yum, Just Bitten, Girlactik, more HWood in Plum and Ruby)

- Sunglasses case containing one pair of ray band aviators

- mini brush with mirror

- 6 sided nail file

- 3 post its with memos about things that I am really hoping got done

- 1 button that was really itching my shoulder one day so I ripped it off but kept it just in case the whole shirt fell apart

- a WHOLE bunch of receipts (yes i understand this is like having trash in your purse but at least I don’t throw them out on the side of the street.)

- 2 paper clips

- 1 toothpick

- 3 bank statements (okay these I probably should be more careful in throwing away.)

SO that is what is in THIS girl’s bag. It feels kind of liberating. I hope the other girls feel the same way because everyone’s bag at Bella will be revealed in due time when they least expect it. Sleep with one eye open ladies!

- Mary

Today I am writing about the many obstacles and perils a good publicist in honor of our beautiful Janelle who broke her leg when a van ran over it as she was running (in fabulous shoes) from an event a client was holding at Bendel’s back to the office before heading out and doing it again. An ambulance ride to the hospital (and I suspect some pain killers) later, Janelle seems to be doing as well as can be expected.

And as she would certainly attest, PR is not a cushiony job. On the contrary, it takes a certain type of person to succeed as a publicist. You have to be scrappy. You need to know when to speak up and when to bite your tongue even when there is OH so much you want to say. You need to put your own personal opinions aside and put yourself in the mindset of a myriad of different personalities and figure out what would appeal to you if you were a tween, a pregnant woman, a gay man, a housewife, a single girl in her 20′s (okay that one we have covered.) You  need to be willing to run from one end of the city to the other in rain, sleet, hail, snow, and unbearable heat while toting around 30 gift bags and making last minute schedule changes on your blackberry (and for the record this is NOT how Janelle got hurt- the fault lies wholly on the van.)

Sure, trying lots of beauty products is fun until you decide applying self tanner in the middle of the night is a good idea because you can’t sleep and your boyfriend makes fun of you for looking like Lindsey Lohan for a week. Or until you’re asked to put on 50 different shades and kiss the wall a million times as a social experiment in the name of office decor. Chapped lips doesn’t even cover it.

And as for being constantly tuned to the media? Wait until you accidentally reveal too much- as in the fact that you know Snooki’s birthday, favorite color, and where she passed out the night before. Coming back from that is hard if not impossible.

It took me a year to convince my parents that my job was actually real and that yes I was really getting paid. Every job has its ups and downs, its highs and lows, and Janelle can tell you that in PR when you fall, well you just gotta get up again (albeit sometimes with the aid of crutches.)

XOXOXOXOXO we love you J! Feel better!!!

MT

Great Work, Janelle!!!  Beautiful Shot, XEN-TAN!!

http://singlestartups.com/tag/bella-public-relations/

Great Job, Mary!