Monthly Archives: July 2009
A Tribute to 3 Friends
Michael, John, Doug
Rarely do I go the personal route here. If you’re looking for social media tips or strategy, you may want to skip but I wanted to take today to honor my older brother and his two friends.
Doug (my brother), Michael Dahlquist and John Glick were all close friends, local musicians and coworkers at Shure Inc. here in Chicago. Four years ago, on July 14, 2005, all three were killed as their car was hit from behind at a stop light. The individual responsible for the act was traveling at 90+ miles per hour, attempting suicide. She’s walked free since last October.
Words can’t begin to express how much we all cherished Doug, Michael and John. Together, they touched thousands of lives.
It’s funny to think back about my brother’s involvement on the Web. He was never a techy or big fan of the Web. But a community builder? Absolutely. In any situation, people seemed to gravitate to Doug. Were he alive today, I have a feeling he would have evolved into a social media superstar. I can’t help but hop over and look at his journal entries (seriously worth the laughs and one of the best representations of Doug) when reminding myself about the importance of owning a creative voice and keeping a light outlook on life. I also have a feeling that based on these two videos below, there would have been quite the YouTube channel in the mix between the guys.
As Doug, Michael and John touched the lives of others from across the country, it’s the social Web that allows us to quickly connect with one another, recall fond memories and memorialize their lives. The humor, compassion and amazing talent of all three men will always be remembered.
In the words of Doug’s college roommate and close friend Joe Gray, don’t forget to always “hug your friends.”
RIP fellas,
-Scott
People You Should Know – Roland Cailles
Yes, it has in fact been way too long since I’ve featured someone as part of my “People You Should Know” series. I typically use a Q&A format for these posts but this one will be a little different. I’d like to introduce you to Roland Cailles, a former intern at our firm.
We pride ourselves on the quality of interns we bring in the door at CG&A. Internships are no walk in the park as we immerse our interns in account work and challenge them to learn as much as possible about the industry from day one. As such, it’s not uncommon for some of our interns to turn their position into a permanent gig.
Roland Cailles
Roland tracked me down on LinkedIn about six months ago after graduating from Columbia College. Rather than straight up asking for a job, he smartly did his homework, took note of my interests and started a conversation about social media. Following a few email exchanges, I had Roland come in for an informational interview. Timing happened to work out where we were in need of a new intern and Roland was on top of the list. It’s true, being proactive in building relationships pays off in the end.
Throughout his six months at CG&A, I had the pleasure of being Roland’s mentor. Roland stood out for a number of reasons but here are some qualities that caught my attention that also serve as good reminders for other recent college grads looking to land that first agency internship.
Be Proactive
As a project manager, it’s easy to get bogged down in handling multiple accounts on a daily basis. On top of weekly team meetings, Roland consistently kept me updated with weekly status reports and regularly checked in to take on additional work and ask questions. Priceless.
Work Hard, Then Work Harder
I knew that when I assigned projects to Roland that they would not just be completed but thought through and revised. It’s always impressive to see an intern putting in a little OT on a Friday afternoon when he or she knows there is a looming Monday deadline. That’s a rare quality and certainly one that gets noticed very quickly. In addition, PR is unfortunately not a M-F, 9-5 gig. Showing that you’re willing to work a couple weekends for events, video/photo shoots or other projects is key.
Maintain a Quest for Knowledge
Anyone involved with social media marketing knows that it’s a full-time job just to stay on top of the latest trends. Without asking, Roland would frequently ask to participate in free Webinars, call my attention to key blog posts, white papers and other relevant research and trends he knew would be of interest to me.
Be Creative
Nothing makes a project manager happier than rolling into a scheduled brainstorm and seeing team members with printouts in hand and notes already jotted down. PR/Marketing firms thrive on creativity and it can certainly be a brain strain when you’re working to do this across multiple accounts. Having team members launch a brainstorm with fresh perspective and ideas is golden.
Get Social Savvy
All agencies are seeing a new crop of knowledge roll in the door as more and more intern candidates are recognizing the need to possess social media and Web 2.0 skills. Bringing in a social savvy marketer like Roland that gets the social Web is a huge addition to any account team.
Learn Client Relations
Often the hardest part of PR for an intern to fully digest. When you’re not on the front lines every day communicating with the client, you miss little nuances. Roland was quick to pick up on this side of the business.
I anticipate big things in the years ahead wherever the future takes Mr. Cailles. Thanks for your hard work Roland and be sure to check out Roland’s post recapping his internship experience.
-Scott
