The New Big 3 Isn’t What You Think

My, how things change. Being a Detroit PR guru, I’ve included the phrase “The Big Three” in a news release or two in my career. No more. I was just invited to a conference on today’s Big Three: Twitter, Pinterest and facebook.  

Want a presence on social media?  The assumption of this conference is that Facebook and Twitter are the compulsory sites for communicators who want to actively convey information about their products or services and connect with their audience.  Rounding out the “Big 3” is Pinterest, which continues to make great strides with registered “pinners” who post or “pin” things they find appealing, connecting people through shared tastes or interests.   I guess at this point I would have not ignored LinkedIn, as it shares a similar principle as the other social networks but the new “Big 3” zero in on consumer brands and LinkedIn’s focus is more on a business-to-business audience.  

Okay, so Chrysler, General Motors and Ford Motor Company are not only not the Big Three, the big three are not even cars – or manufactured products. Because the Internet is global, I think it’s still safe to refer to our former Big Three as the Domestic Big Three, but it does make me a bit nostalgic for the days when The Big Three stood for something I could touch, feel and purchase (or lease), as well as a place that either directly or indirectly employed the majority of my hometown. Oh well, here’s to high hopes for the New Big Three. (It certainly plays a big role in my employment!)

Harvard Business School Club of Michigan - Training Leaders to Help Make a Difference in Our Great State

Harvard Business School Club of Michigan Announces 2012 Recipients of its Annual Strategic Perspectives for Non-Profit Management Scholarship

Executive Summer Education Program at Harvard will Provide Rigorous Training for Michigan’s Top Non-Profit Leaders

Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications: 248.651.7536;barbara@eafocus.com

Bloomfield Hills, MICH ---June 25, 2012 --- The Harvard Business School Club of Michigan, comprised of Michigan-based members who are graduates of Harvard Business School, has named four Michigan non-profit leaders as the 2012 recipients of its 14^th annual Strategic Perspectives for Non-Profit Management (SPNM) Scholarship. They are Gilda Jacobs, President and CEO of the Michigan League for Human Services; Ryan Hertz, Executive Director of the South Oakland Shelter; Jason Lee, Executive Director of Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP); and Rick Loewenstein, CEO of JARC.

The four scholarship recipients will attend Strategic Perspectives for Non-Profit Management, an intensive six-day course presented each summer at the Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. This year’s session will be held July 15^th to 21^st.  SPNM scholarships are offered through a nomination/application process for candidates who exemplify dedication, commitment and pursuit of excellence within the non-profit sector. Harvard Business School Club of Michigan board chair, Richard Shapack, commends the recipients for this recognition.

“Members of the Harvard Business School Club of Michigan have a passion for helping those in our community and so do Gilda Jacobs, Rick Loewenstein, Ryan Hertz and Jason Lee, as well as the 31 previous local SPNM graduates.  Our Club is proud of these exceptional dedicated individuals and our opportunity to support their efforts with this important training.  The Strategic Perspectives for Non-Profit Management program provides significant opportunities for these outstanding and committed non-profit community leaders to join with their national and international peers and further expand their skills and contributions for the benefit of the thousands of Michigan citizens they collectively serve,” says Shapack.  
Including this year’s class, 35 non-profit leaders from Michigan will have participated in SPNM. The first SPNM scholarship was awarded in 1999 to Cameron Hosner, then CEO of Vista Maria and currently CEO of Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation.  

“The coursework, with case studies assigned before the session began and each night of the course, was very challenging but led to a vibrant, ‘fast-tracked’ learning experience that had immediate practical application for the leadership of our charities.  During the course of the program, the Harvard Business School instructors were not only extraordinary educators and unparalleled experts in their fields, they also served as dynamic facilitators of “Socratic style” group learning as students bounced innovative ideas and case solutions off each other,” recalls Hosner. “Our class was comprised of non-profit directors from around the world, so the international input brought a richly diverse, new perspective to our mission-driven business discussions.”  

In addition to SPNM participation, scholarship recipients meet with Harvard Business School Club of Michigan members on a regular basis to collaborate, be a resource for each other and continue their exposure to various HBS concepts, such as performance measurement and the balanced scorecard. HBSMI members also liaison with SPNM alumni to apply private sector and non-profit management solutions to state agency issues. 2011 SPNM Scholarship recipients were Penny Bailer (City Year Detroit), Kyle Caldwell (Michigan Nonprofit Association), Michael Tyson (Nonprofit Enterprise at Work) and Kari Walker (The Guidance Center). For a complete list of all previous scholarship awardees, visit http://www.hbsmi.org/article.html?aid=109.   

Major funding for SPNM scholarships is provided through proceeds from the Harvard Business School Club of Michigan’s annual Business Leader of the Year dinner event. This year’s honoree is Nancy Schlichting, CEO of Henry Ford Health System. The event will be held on August 22^nd at the Atheneum in Detroit. Sponsorship and ticket inquiries should be directed to Maria Chasins, info@hbsmi.org.  

About the Harvard Business School Club of Michigan (HBSMI)

With a 70+ year history, the Harvard Business School Club of Michigan (HBSMI) is an official member of the Global HBS Club Network and supports the mission of Harvard University's Graduate School of Business Administration to train leaders who will make a difference in the world.  HBSMI offers diverse business and social activities including opportunities to network and collaborate with local and national business and civic leaders. Learn more at www.hbsmi.org.

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Vista Maria

I had the privilege of attending the annual recognition breakfast and public meeting for Vista Maria at the lovely Dearborn Inn last week. Led by CEO Angela Aufdemberge (left in photo), Vista Maria’s mission is “To heal victimized girls and women with best-practice treatment programs designed to meet their unique needs while restoring vulnerable children and families within Michigan.” Every visit to Vista Maria or a Vista Maria event is an inspiration. The love of the staff for their clients is palpable and the support for their efforts by volunteer leaders is impressive and long-lasting. 

Growing up on the west side of Detroit, I was familiar with the intimidating presence of Vista Maria on West Warren in Dearborn Heights, but it wasn’t until I walked inside the fortress that I could really “see” Vista Maria. For that introduction, I have client and friend Patricia Nemeth (right in photo) to thank. Pat, a founding partner of employment law firm Nemeth Burwell, is the Vice Chair of the Vista Maria board and has been volunteering her time with the organization for more than ten years.  Before Angela Aufdemberge, Pat introduced me to Vista Maria’s then CEO, Cameron Hosner, who is now applying his dynamic CEO talents to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation. What a privilege to interact with leaders like Cam, Pat and Angela. They remind us all in their own subtle way that we have a responsibility to contribute our time, talent and financial resources to Southeast Michigan’s non-profit community, which plays such a critical role in meeting our duty as a society. 

Do you have a non-profit organization that you support? If not, why not? If yes, thank you.

In Praise of Collegial Relationships

Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”  

I find this sentiment particularly applicable in today’s business environment.  More than ever, it’s almost impossible to achieve success without some sort of strategic alliance, informal partnership or strong network of colleagues and referral sources. 

I am fortunate to have that type of relationship with Jason Brown, Principal of PublicCity PR.  On the surface, one might consider us competitors; however, our business rapport is much more collegial than that.  I first met Jason around 2008 when he was a new solo PR entrepreneur and our respective clients asked us to collaborate on a project. Since then, the beauty of our association is not only the ability to share information and bounce ideas off one another, but also refer potential clients and media sources and opportunities.  Never underestimate the power of collaboration.

I recently witnessed firsthand the evolution of Jason’s company from a one-person operation to a growing PR phenom when celebrating the milestone of his new Southfield office digs. I’m always up for a celebration and isn’t that one of the best parts of collaboration…celebrating the triumphs?  

Congratulations and much continued business success, Jason!  

Meeting Michigan's Own David Tarver

One of the most rewarding experiences I have working in the field of public relations is the opportunity to meet and connect with a number of distinguished individuals who claim Michigan as their home. It never ceases to amaze me the wealth of knowledge I gain from my encounters as they eagerly share a passion for their disciplines. You can’t help but be inspired by their work. W. David Tarver is one of those professionals. David is a very successful businessman/entrepreneur and now, author. He recently wrote the book Proving Ground, which traces his story about how an ambitious African American from Flint and the University of Michigan left his job at Bell Telephone Laboratories, created a company in his basement with two African American colleagues and sold it less than 12 years later for $30 million. These days, David’s goal is to inspire others, but also to give some very practical advice on how to achieve dreams. Proving Ground not only reveals David’s compelling story, but teaches the myriad lessons he learned along the way. Do you find yourself in need of a bit of inspiration? Proving Ground will hit bookstores and online starting July 2 in paperback and e-book formats. Special hardcover editions are available now from his website. For more information on Proving Ground and David Tarver’s story, please visit www.provinggroundbook.com.

Pure Michigan PR

Renewed discussions on finding funds to resurrect our great state's Pure Michigan tourism campaign remind me of two reasons I believe so strongly in the power of PR (and advertising) to reposition Michigan.

On July 2, my husband and I sat on the back porch of the Mackinac Public Library in white Adirondack chairs taking in the spectacular Island water views. Striking up a conversation with the woman next to me (also lucky enough to be spending a sunny, 80+ degree day in such a breathtaking setting), she mentioned she was visiting Michigan - and staying at the Grand Hotel - as a result of seeing the Pure Michigan ads in her home state of Pennsylvania. Plus, she was there with husband, children and grandchildren in tow. That's a lot of potential fudge purchases! Not to mention more than a few nickels that were spent at the Grand Hotel and other Island hot spots.

After our stop at the library, we headed to lunch at the Iroquois Hotel. Yes folks, the address might say Mackinac Island but the feel is pure California and Maine rolled into one. With craggy rocks, a marina and endless blue on the waterfront menu, we had to pinch ourselves that we were really in Michigan - Pure Michigan. Following one of the most delightful al fresco lunches ever (yep, it even beats Santa Monica's famed Shutters on the Beach) we headed back to the main street where a couple on bikes asked if the Hotel was open for lunch. We assured them it was and that they were in for a wonderful experience. Turns out,they were from Florida and were spending a week in Northern Michigan. I neglected to ask them about the Pure Michigan ad, but they did mention they had no ties to our state whatsoever, they just selected Michigan for something new. They gushed about their vacation and how pleased they were with their decision.

We had a Pure Michigan summer, with visits to Saugatuck, Holland, Indian River (and a harrowing, i mean memorable, canoeing trip on the Sturgeon River) and even our local metro park. I've certainly done my part to spread the message about the leisure activities Michigan has to offer vacationers. Something tells me our Pennsylvania and Florida visitors will do the same. Still, following the adage that PR leads and advertising follows, we need to back up our word of mouth campaigns with some Pure Michigan dollars.

Press Conference Palooza

The secret to a successful press conference is to make sure it coincides with a planned visit by the Governor. Yes, Michigan Governor Granholm was in Auburn Hills today - and so were the majority of local media outlets. The event was threefold: the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new world headquarters of US Farathane, the rebirth of the 200+ acre Oakland Technology Park where US Farathane will soon be located, and the reminder to corporations near and far that Auburn Hills, the global business address - is open for business.

General Development purchased the land from Chrysler in early 2010 following the Chrysler bankruptcy. The land has been unavailable for development since 1995, but no longer. It's a new day in Auburn Hills. Using Auburn Hills fast track development approach, along with incentives at the state and local level, US Farathane broke ground in March on a project that first appeared before the Auburn Hills City Council in late January 2010.

As the 60+ attendees happily sweltered in today's 85 degree sun, the earth moved in Auburn Hills - with the assistance of about 10 earth movers. That's right folks, construction equipment was operational ( and not working on roads). Next up? Cranes in Auburn Hills. I'll alert the media.