The juxtaposition between the sweltering outdoors and the meat locker that is my local movie theater seems to inhibit my neurons from doing their thang sometimes. Wasn’t I just sweating? Why has hypothermia now set in? Why is the popcorn dancing on screen when it’s about to meet its untimely demise?  In short, it’s difficult to think clearly when the lights dim in summertime, which is most likely why those mindless big blockbusters typically do so well as our nation’s birthday rolls around. (Will Smith, you’re still my king of summer.) So imagine my surprise when I saw “Inception” over the weekend, a movie that demanded far more from me than I would have anticipated at my midnight viewing. This was not a canned movie with canned explosions and canned dialogue and Megan Fox’s cans; it was an epic experience that had me whispering philosophical musings play-by-play to myself and my unlucky viewing partner.

In case you haven’t seen it, the title of the movie derives from the notion that Leo and company must implant, or incept, an idea within their target’s mind.  Being the PR working nerd that I am, I thought about how this plot made my identical twin, Leo, and I even more indistinguishable beyond our flawless, angular jawlines. The PR industry recognizes that merely telling people what to think, what to buy or what to wear won’t work (unless you have the Old Spice man doing swan dives (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLTIowBF0kE) for you). No, our job is to break down the essence of a product or brand into its purest form, and to present that essence to the public so that they can come to their own decisions. We just do the quiet guiding on the sidelines. So thank you, Christopher Nolan, for taking 10 years to describe to the discerning public what it is the world of PR does. We think you’re cool, too.

I’ve been out of college for a couple of years now. But, my thirst for knowledge has not been quenched. I’m always on the lookout for the opportunity to learn more. After all, being a member of the Emerging Media team means that I will always be challenged with changes in technology and the way we communicate with others. So lately I’ve made it a mission to set aside personal time to devote to learning more about the public relations industry. Here are a few resources that I have tapped in to lately:

Media Bistro – This site offers great courses taught by media professionals. If you sign up for the Avant Guild program, you will receive discounts on all of your classes. Programs range from PR to social media to copywriting to magazine writing. The content taught by the professionals is very informative. And there are weekly chat sessions scheduled with the instructor so you can ask any questions you may have about the topic. In addition to online classes, there are workshops held in a variety of cities including Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago. It’s also a fun way to network with other professionals in your field of interest.

Boulder Digital Arts – I am fortunate enough to live in a city that offers a program that teaches digital workshops in the evening. A major requirement of the industry is to have digital media skills. Many journalism schools are just now realizing that they need to add digital media to their curriculum.  The workshops at Boulder Digital Arts have made impossible software programs like InDesign, Dreamweaver and Final Cut Pro seem like a breeze. After spending endless hours trying to figure out these programs on my own, I discovered BDA and took a chance by attending a class. Within three hours, I had a comprehensive overview of how to use the program to suit my professional needs. Workshops like this are a huge time saver.

Books – While I haven’t upgraded to a Kindle yet, I do have a growing collection of PR books to inspire me. I frequent Amazon on a regular basis to see their inventory of PR, social media and marketing books and textbooks. Even if the book was published in 1992, I find some lessons in the books are timeless for our industry.  Plus, it also gives me hope that some day I can find time to actually write a book while keeping up with a busy public relations career.

Web Tutorials – Never underestimate the power of the Internet. With sites like eHow and YouTube, you can watch a video on how to do just about anything. Need to learn how to get over the fear of public speaking? No problem. There’s a tutorial for that. And I have been able to find a ton of digital tricks through watching videos that walk me step by step in to completing a task. The Do-It-Yourself movement has really taken off online thanks to these tutorials. And, the best part is that these videos are submitted each day so there’s always something new to learn.

Get out there and learn something new. Then come back and tell us about it!

It’s official. We have moved our NY office to a new and improved location. We are feeling refreshed and excited to work in this space. Thanks to all who made the transition much easier for us!

Our new address is 264 W 40th, Suite 802, New York, NY 10018

We think you should celebrate with us. So, turn up “Empire State of Mind,” by Jay-Z/Alicia Keys on your iPod and later watch some old episodes of Friends, Sex and The City, SNL and Seinfeld to remember all of the wonderful memories you’ve had or want to some day have in the beautiful city that is New York. We’re so thankful to work in one of the most amazing cities in the world!