The Meesh PR Update Special Edition 01
Insights from a fun two weeks of fascinating panels and events.
Welcome to this special edition of The Meesh PR Update! If you follow me on social media, you might have seen that I’ve been a bit busy the past two weeks. Just a tad bit. My schedule was full of various panels and events (with a workout and coworking friend date thrown in here and there), and while it was amazing and full of great lessons, insights and people… I would not recommend stretching yourself that thin unless you have a scheduled day or two after to relax, especially if you’re an introvert like me. Having a day to decompress is so underrated, and I’m honestly very excited to be antisocial for a day.
And since I learned so much from the 21 panels I attended in the last two weeks, I figured I’d share some of the most common themes/insights/topics that popped up in conversation. It’s surprising – even though most of the panels were hosted by different companies and focused on various issues, they all mentioned similar key points.
But first, a quick recap.
I had the privilege of attending six amazing events in the last two weeks:
(Full disclosure: I actually attended 11 events last week, but I’m only talking about six in this issue. And yes, that’s why I’m tired right now. Introvert me is taking over.)
SPANventures hosted a fantastic networking session & panel for women founders and funders about building resilient businesses in the modern economy.
Nasdaq held its second annual Purpose Forum and convened thought leaders, change makers and innovators to discuss how to make a better tomorrow through building purpose-driven companies.
The Female Quotient popped up with their Equality Lounge at Advertising Week, hosting several panels over three days on advancing gender equality in the workplace, specifically focusing on leadership and advertising/marketing topics.
Shanti House and Women in Healthtech hosted a Wellness Morning for Female Founders, which included a panel about mental and physical wellness as a female entrepreneur.
Gaingels Week gathered members and friends from the Gaingels community, hosting panels on various topics and celebrating the Gaingels 100!
Fierce Foundry also hosted a fantastic networking happy hour for female founders, investors and supporters.
I met so many incredible and intelligent founders, operators and people and learned so much about so many topics. But there were definitely a few themes that kept popping up, no matter what the panel was about – and are 100% things to keep in mind when building companies and brands.
AI isn’t going anywhere.
AI was something that popped up in every conversation – even if the panel had (seemingly) nothing to do with AI or tech. But the underlying lesson: AI isn’t going anywhere, and you need to board the train or it’ll leave you in the dust (like Blockbuster or Borders). Whether that means you start using AI as a productivity tool, finding ways to integrate AI into your product, or using AI to supplement the creative process – you need to start using it. The cons of not using AI outweigh the pros – and communities need to understand leverage what is going on in the world in order to democratize AI and make it accessible to everybody.
Authenticity is key.
I feel like the word “authentic” has been thrown around a lot lately – but it’s because people underestimate how important it is. Most people can smell bullshit from a mile away – and they won’t trust you, your brand or your company if you’re just presenting a false persona 24/7. If you decide to market to/target a new audience, be authentic in wanting to connect with that community. Plus, with everybody chronically online, people can dig up any dirt from the past or uncover truths in a matter of a few key strokes. Being authentic allows your stakeholders to trust you, and therefore want to support you – whether that means buying your products, investing in your company or wanting to work for your brand.
Be authentic when networking and connecting with others – while connecting with a million people seems great, a full rolodex is worth nothing if people don’t remember you. So when you’re networking (or making friends, since not everybody loves the word networking), find ways to make genuine connections with people. Whether that means bonding over hobbies, life experiences, work trauma or being genuinely curious and interested in what other people are saying – be authentic in your interactions with other people. And keep in touch!
Also, if you’re going to talk the talk, then walk the walk – a great tidbit of advice for all parts of life.
Know your why.
AKA know your purpose. There are so many entrepreneurs and new businesses nowadays. And once money gets rolling and competition is top of mind, people forget why they started their companies. They start adding unnecessarily (and most importantly, unwanted) features and products to compete with similar brands – and before they know it, their brand’s core customers have disengaged because they’ve strayed so far from their original course. So just always remember your why – why are you starting this company, why are you adding these features, why are you doing ABC, etc. Just why – remember your why, and stick with that.
Engage your community.
I’ve written in previous newsletters how important community is in regards to building brands – but really, engage with your community. As in your stakeholders too. Employees are part of your community as well – and are just as important as your customers. Interact with comments and DMs on social media. You’ll get the best insights from the people already interacting with your brand – whether if they’re working for the brand, using your product, or interested in your company. Don’t always target the people who don’t even seem interested – connect with your built-in audience, your community, the people most likely to support you and your brand. And be accessible – if you are targeting an unlikely demographic, is your product actually accessible to them? Understand and respect their culture if you want to engage with various audiences and communities.
And personally, surround yourself with a supportive community. And yes, sometimes you do need a “Negative Nancy” in your corner, but one with the best intentions. Someone who will ask the hard questions and isn’t just a supportive cheerleader. (Think someone who will ask how are you planning on funding/do you have a viable business plan versus someone who will just say oh, that’s impossible, you shouldn’t even try. AKA don’t be surrounded by only yes men.) But have a supportive community – people who will cheer you on, experts willing to share their experiences, people wanting to invest, and anybody else wanting to support in any way they can.
Always be open.
Be open when networking – don’t go into situations choosing to only meet with certain people because you never know what opportunities may come your way or even who you’ll meet. Go into networking events wanting to meet people and make friends. (Find ways to truly connect, and stay in touch!) Be open when it comes to ideas – sometimes the most unexpected ones will be the most successful ones. (And also, don’t think you’re the smartest person in the room, you never want to be the smartest person in the room.) Be open and flexible in strategies – being agile is great, and sometimes there’s a better way to get to your goal. Be open in conversations – actively listen and don’t always interject with stories to try and relate, ask questions instead. And remember to be open to learning!
Build a board of mentors.
Apparently, everybody is always looking for a mentor, but people forget mentorships aren’t always “formal.” Anybody can be a mentor – and they don’t need to know they’re your mentor. Have people you trust to ask for advice, or ask questions – and remember to give back, because nobody likes a taker. Have different mentors for different aspects in life – one for salary negotiating/knowing your worth, one for navigating office politics, one for venting/future career choices, younger mentors to teach about newer trends/tactics etc. Try to find mentors from different walks of life as well as similar ones, as we can learn a lot from different perspectives. (For example, one of my mentors is an older white guy, and he’s constantly berating me about how I underprice myself, to always ask for more and not be so scared, and how the worst thing people can say is no, and it’s a great mental reminder to do what’s best for me.)
But also, find sponsors/advocates – people who are willing to open doors and introduce you to people. And if they don’t want to, ask why. Is there anything you can improve upon or do to boost their confidence in introducing them to someone? And if they still don’t want to, then maybe they’re not meant to be your advocates or sponsors, and maybe shouldn’t be in your trusted inner circle.
And the biggest lesson I learned last week?
Your Reality is a Controlled Hallucination. What you feel the world to be isn’t how it actually is.
Thanks Aidyn & NX10.ME for this beautiful lesson.
AKA – you can reframe your thoughts, and should if the negativity is eroding your mindset. Reframe narratives in a positive light, and find ways to relate to your problems and push past them. Do the work on yourself so you can do your work. Also, therapy is great, and everybody needs and deserves it.
Hope you all enjoyed this special edition! The regular edition is still coming out on Wednesday, with all the usual fun news, commentary and events, so look forward to that. ✌🏼 (And subscribe if you haven’t already!)
Let’s connect if you want to explore how we can work together to achieve your public relations goals.