Dear Members,

   

Wow, it's 2012 and according to the Mayan Calendar (or at least some supposedly smart people) doomsday is lurking just around the corner. Are you ready, how are you preparing? Are you counseling your leadership on how they can take advantage of impending doom? Will you begin investing in Spam and other types of canned food that will survive practically anything?

 

Or, are you looking for this year to be one of the best years in your career? If the world is truly going to end on December 21, 2012 that's what I might do. Each year (except leap year, this year) we get 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,765 hours, 52,948 minutes and 3,156,926 seconds for work, sleep, food and of course leisure. How do you plan on spending this time? Many of us saw major "work life" changes in 2011 and maybe, just beginning to settle into a new career still others not so much change. In any event, have you mapped out your goals for 2012? Are they attainable, and what are you going to do to make them happen?

 

Winston Churchill once said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts." And, T.S. Elliot wrote, "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." How far will you go this year, are you going to build upon previous success? Over Christmas I read Steve Jobs biography and was fascinated at his marketing and PR abilities. Jobs once said:

 

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

 

As we walk into 2012 shake the dust of 2011 off your clothing. Open your eyes and listen to your inner voice for 2012 is a white canvas ready for you to paint your heart out. Learn from your past failures but quickly bury them and demand success in your life. Make this the greatest year of your life. And, when 2013 comes around (and I believe it will despite the Mayan's).....Do it again!

 

Each day I visit PR Daily, I find it a very useful site in learning the latest in PR and PR tactics. Today I ran across a very funny video, Stuff PR People Say. After watching please answer this question...Do you follow me on Twitter/DannyKushmer?

 

Your chapter is very excited to have Oscar J. Horton speak with us on January 18th at the Lakeland Yacht and County Club. Oscar is a dynamic business leader and entrepreneur who will speak about building one of the most successful medium and heavy truck dealerships in the United States (he owns Sun State International in Haines City).  His great public relations and marketing skills are used to motivate his sales team and other employees and to grow his business which has ranked as the Number One Minority Owned Business in the Tampa Bay area for the fourth straight year by the Tampa Bay Business Journal ($100 million in annual sales). Make plans to join us!

 

For more information on your chapter visit the website at www.fprapolk.org and if you haven't already, "Like" your chapter on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DickPopePolkCountyFPRA and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FPRAPolk. Oh, and join the discussion at your chapter's Linked In page.

 

Sincerely,

 

Danny Kushmer

 

 

 

The Dick Pope/Polk County Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association will present Sip Sip Hooray, an FPRA PRowl, on Thursday, February 16 at the Lake Morton Bed and Breakfast. Complimentary cheese, crackers and fruit will be served starting at 6 p.m. The event is free, but please bring a bottle of your favorite wine to share. The Lake Morton Bed and Breakfast is located at 817 South Boulevard in Lakeland. Parking is available across the street in front of Saint Joseph's Academy. RSVP to Daniel Jimenez or Danny Kushmer.