On May 16th we host Randi Shade for our monthly luncheon. She’s an extraordinary woman who has worked with Texas Governors Ann Richards and George W. Bush, serving as the founding executive director of the Texas Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. She’s served on a variety of committees and boards, helping organizations all over Austin including the Association of Women in Technology-Austin, Austin Clean Energy Initiative, Austin Entrepreneurs Foundation, Central Texas Better Business Bureau, Foundation for Women’s Resources Committee of the Board, Greater Austin Chamber of  Commerce, Leadership Austin, OneStar Foundation, Sigma Delta Tau Sorority’s Texas Education Foundation, TexChange, Texas Hillel Foundation, UT Commission on 125, and the Volunteer Center (now Hands on Central Texas.) As you can see, she knows the value of good communication! Join us on on Wednesday to hear her view on modern communication.

AWC Austin: What do you consider to be your greatest career achievement?
RS: Hard to say for sure, but I am extremely proud of having launched AmeriCorps for Texas. I was the youngest person in the country to have the job I had at that time, and my leadership resulted in Texas being awarded more money for AmeriCorps programs than any state in the nation. That experience led me to each and every career achievement I’ve had since then, so I have to put it at the top of my list.

AWC Austin: Why is communication today an important part of any professional woman’s career?
RS: Communication is an important part of any career, and as far as I know, it always has been.

AWC Austin: Where do you think Austin will be in the next five to ten years? or Where/How do you see our city developing over the next five to ten years?
RS: Austin has always been a community that inspires new ideas and treasures the offbeat and the weird. Austin will continue to attract original thinkers and entrepreneurs, and be one of the most desirable places for people to live. People who lived in Austin before the 1980s will continue to lament growth and change and be nostalgic for the Austin they remember. The mythology of those bygone days and the trade-offs that come with growth and change are a huge part of what has created the Austin we have today. I expect that trend to continue. Growing pains will happen, and so will change — good and bad. It is part of being a vibrant place.

AWC Austin: What do you enjoy most about living in Austin?
RS: Ever since my first visit to Austin as a 10 year-old, I sensed an energy here that was right for me. Austin inspires my interest in learning new things, and it has been a great place to pursue entrepreneurial ventures and community involvement opportunities. Austin is laid-back yet success-oriented. It is beautiful and messy at the same time. I was once asked what inspires my style and I said — Austin — because Austin is part Hoffbrau and part Flemmings, and that’s me. I love that I have been able to have the life I have in Austin, and I am not sure I could have ever created the life I have if I had chosen to live some place else.

There’s still time to sign up for this months luncheon, so be sure to secure your spot today and we hope to see you this week!

As a business owner, telling your story is a critical part of growing your business. How can you make the best use of video to engage your clients and prospects, boost website traffic and improve conversions? Rubén Cantú, an award-winning filmmaker and founder of CORE Media Enterprises., will share tips on making video part of your marketing arsenal at the May 9th Freelance Austin program. You’ll learn:

• how to design your own videos to connect and engage with your audience
• what to shoot and how to shoot it
• the best equipment to use
• where to promote your video to market your company effectively

Rubén Cantú is a new media entrepreneur. From hosting his first radio show at the age of 14 to winning national awards for college television, Ruben has demonstrated a strong passion for media. Utilizing his entrepreneurship background and strong desire to create thought-provoking and empowering films, Ruben created his own production company, CORE Media Enterprises.

The company brings socially aware and underexposed issues to the forefront and draws from Ruben’s ten years of experience directing live television and producing large-scale media events.

We invite you to bring your lunch and join us and our partners Freelance Austin this Wednesday for our May program. This event is free for If you’re an AWC members and those who are registered with Freelance Austin.  All others: you may visit a FA meeting the first time free of charge. The annual supporter fee is only $35 for a year’s worth of programs.

Event Details:
12:15- Networking
12:30- 1:30 Programming
Ronald McDonald House
1315 Barbara Jordan Boulevard
Austin, TX  78723

Now that you’ve attended our signature Banner Brunch, you’ve gotten a taste of the outstanding networking opportunities and programs AWC Austin offers. If you didn’t get a chance to come, we hope that you can join us in the future for an upcoming event.

AWC Austin membership confers many other excellent benefits, including automatic membership to Freelance Austin, with access to its networking opportunities and monthly programs. AWC Austin members also derive a wealth of personal and professional benefits from their membership. Each year we host a professional development workshop in the Fall, plus multiple opportunities to connect with communicators throughout the year at our monthly luncheons.

As if this weren’t enough, if you join AWC Austin between April 30 and May 15, the application fee is waived! This saves you 60 dollars off a new membership. All you have to do is email VP of Membership Recruitment Lisa Elmore at newmembers@awcaustin.org for your application. We hope to see you at an event soon!

Take advantage of this opportunity to join Austin’s elite of female communicators today!

Photo uploaded to Flickr Creative Commons.

By: Sheri Parr

The Association for Women in Communications – Austin Chapter will award Allison Wong the Jo Caldwell Meyer Scholarship at the 39^th Annual Banner Brunch on Saturday, April, 28 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Austin. The Jo Caldwell Meyer Scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in academics and extracurricular activities as they pursue careers in the field of communication.

Wong is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. She was awarded the scholarship for her nearly perfect academic record and extraordinary commitment to community service.

Wong, who currently works as an academic coach at UT’s Sanger Learning Center, took time earlier this month to share her goals and aspirations.

AWCAustin: What is the Communication Sciences Disorders program (CSD)?
AW: CSD is a program designed for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, or deaf educators. Some of the courses in CSD include language and the brain, anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanisms, and assessment and treatment of speech-language disorders in children. In addition to learning theory we also develop clinical skills. I’ve taken several classes involving clinical labs at UT and observations at the UT Speech and Hearing Clinic.

AWCAustin: Does communications play a role in your job as a peer academic coach?
AW: Yes, communication skills are crucial in my role as a peer academic coach. I meet with students one-on-one once per week for an entire semester. I help them develop study strategies for their classes, which are fundamental skills they will take with them. I ask questions to develop a rapport and, drawing upon the knowledge of their learning style, I develop a framework that is relevant and applicable to each student. I have to be able to adapt my communication style to the individual.

AWCAustin: Your community involvement on campus won you the Silver Spurs Student of the Year Scholarship Award in 2011. What motives you?
AW: I am motivated to volunteer in the community because it is in my nature to care about others. I always learn something new about people through volunteer work. It enriches my life.

AWCAustin: How do you achieve balance between school and your personal life?
AW: I try to make time to do something I enjoy every day. I enjoy cooking, keeping a blog, and writing. Writing has always been a passion of mine. I’m also a member of the Texas Zephyrs. We have events almost every weekend so this gives me an opportunity to spend time with my friends.

AWCAustin: What are your plans for the future?
AW: I am graduating this year. I will enroll in the Masters program in speech and language pathology at UT.

Please join us in congratulating Allison and other 2012 recipients of the Jo Caldwell Meyer Scholarship at Banner Brunch on Saturday, April 28, from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. This year, $9,000 in scholarships will be awarded to local area college students. For more information and to register, visit www.BannerBrunch.com. 

We’re honored to host Deb Bauer, Dell’s director of strategic giving and community engagement, as our keynote speaker for this year’s Banner Brunch on April 28. (By the way, have you bought your ticket yet?)  Deb will share some of the ways storytelling has fueled Dell’s giving efforts, especially the Dell Social Innovation Challenge (DSIC).
We sat down with Deb recently and asked her to tell us a bit more about DSIC in her own words. She’s included a few bonus stories along with ways YOU can get involved in the Challenge.

Powering the Possible for Global Entrepreneurship
By Deb Bauer

I’m looking forward to joining AWC Austin members and friends at April 28’s Banner Brunch, as we celebrate the recipients of your scholarships and awards, as well as the power of storytelling.

I know how rewarding it is to see your efforts culminate in an event like this. As the leader of Dell’s global giving efforts, I have the opportunity to see the many ways our team members, our technology, and our funding help bring the dreams of others to life.  We support non-profits in countries around the world, working to bring technology access and learning to students, to support young social entrepreneurs, to accelerate cancer treatment for children, and to provide relief in times of disaster. Having the opportunity to meet our partners doing this work and hearing their stories is the best part of my job, and a true gift.

So for me, June is my favorite month. In June, the finalists for the Dell Social Innovation Challenge will arrive in Austin for a weekend of learning and for the final challenge and awards event.  Dell, in partnership with The University of Texas at Austin, sponsors the Dell Social Innovation Challenge, an ongoing competition that rewards aspiring social entrepreneurs for developing ideas that address environmental and societal problems. In June, we will meet high potential students from around the world who pitch their ideas with hopes of taking home a portion of the $150,000 in cash prizes and Dell technology that will help bring their dreams to fruition.

Last year, we met Malo Traders, two brothers who work to ensure that rice farmers in Mali are not malnourished by fortifying rice with minerals and vitamins and creating a brand of Malian rice that adheres to international export quality standards.  We met Daniel Paffenholz, a London School of Economics student who is also the founder of TakaTaka Solutions, which provides affordable and responsible waste management services to Nairobi residents by recycling and composting up to 85 percent of collected waste. And we met two students from India working to provide hygienic sanitary napkins to women in slums across Delhi, while also providing them with a sustained means of livelihood and better standard of living.

It is truly inspirational to meet university students with innovative ideas for tackling some of today’s most pressing social issues — students who are moved to act and make their ideas a reality.  I think back to my college days, and I can’t imagine going to school and starting an entrepreneurial venture – but there are thousands of students who are doing it today.  This year’s competition has more than 1,500 entries from 90 countries.  Amazing!

In 2011, Dell committed $5M over 5 years to enhance the program, moving it to a year-round, web-based community with resources and support for students at every level.  Whether they merely have a dream or they’ve already built a business plan and are looking to raise funds for a pilot, our aim is to be there to help.   Dell employees engage as judges and mentors – more than 500 have helped this year.  And a new web platform invites literally anyone in the world to participate.  You can read about projects, offer comments and support, vote for People’s Choice Award winners, and sign-up as a mentor at http://www.dellchallenge.org/

Getting their stories told well and often is a big key to the students’ future success.  So if you are looking for some inspiration and an opportunity to share your knowledge, please join us!

by Rosemary Hook

AWC’s Careers Over Coffee north group never worries if there will be a lull in our career discussion.  If anything, we have too many topics to discuss in our hour and a half breakfast exchange.

At our recent coffee gathering on Friday, April 6^th at Mimi’s Café in the Arbor Walk, the discussion began with Facebook and LinkedIn but quickly turned to Pinterest — the “content sharing service that provides a platform for members to pin images, videos and other objects to a pinboard.”   The keyword here is “member” because unlike the other social media platforms, you have to be invited to participate by Pinterest or be invited by someone who is already a member on Pinterest.

Since this was a career forum, our conversation naturally led to how one might, in addition to branding themselves via other social media tools, use Pinterest to find a job.   According to a Forbes article in 2012, Pinterest is an ideal platform for designer types because they can use applications like InDesign to showcase their creative works while also observing pin etiquette to credit sources or report objectionable content.   The Pinterest community-at-large seems intent on keeping the site’s core purpose, to pin interests in a virtual world, its main function.

What if your interests are interwoven with your expertise as it is for AWC member and Career Over Coffee regular, Kay Bell?  Kay doesn’t sell her writing services on Pinterest, instead, she uses the site as the pin board it was meant to be from sharing photos of her Baltimore Orioles collage to poking fun at made up Golf Boys.   Kay brands herself using Pinterest and shares tax tips in the process—real or proposed, e.g. goofball tax breaks for the made-up Golf Boys or following Hillary Clinton’s fake tax tweets to Oprah.

Whichever social media platform(s) you use, all of them ultimately point to your overall brand.  Each platform, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or any of the many other sites, have their own quasi-etiquette rules.   Know what those rules are, use the tool as intended, and build a career brand for yourself in the process.

Join an AWC Careers Over Coffee forum in south Austin any fourth Thursday of the month or in north Austin any first Friday of the month.   Oh, and we have our own forum etiquette:  have coffee, have fun, and talk careers.

Photo uploaded to Flickr Creative Commons.

By: Danielle Urban

At the AWC Austin Banner Brunch on April 28, Evan Smith, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune, will be honored with the Outstanding Austin Communicator award. This award recognizes Austin-area communicators who have made their marks with their bodies of work, with an emphasis on achievement, community service and promotion of the field of communications.

From nearly 18 years at Texas Monthly, where he led the magazine to 16 National Magazine Award nominations, to co-founding The Texas Tribune, which has become one of the most highly-regarded Texas news publications in less than three years, Smith has unquestionably put his stamp on Texas media. As founding co-chair of the Texas Film Hall of Fame and a member of multiple Austin-area boards and non-profit organizations, Smith’s commitment to the Austin community is equally as extensive. He is also host of “Overheard with Evan Smith”, which airs on PBS stations nationally.

Last week, Smith sat down with AWC Austin to share best practices, his dedication to making Texas a better place and why now is the best time ever to be in the communications industry.

AWC: You’ve spent most of your career supporting institutions that are about Texas. Why Texas?
ES: Well, I got to Texas because I believed in Texas Monthly as an institution and a magazine. It’s one I read even though I had never lived in Texas before; when I got here it was a magazine I knew very well. In fact, I came to work for Texas Monthly because I admired it so much, the kind of work that it did.

Sam Houston wasn’t born here. You know, the fact is you go back in the history of this state and there are a lot of people who left other places to make their lives here. And I’ve certainly found Texas to be extremely welcoming – both my wife and I are not from here but we’ve lived in Texas longer than we’ve lived any place else – and we don’t want to leave. We’ve loved living in Austin and we’ve loved living in Texas. Our kids are native Texans, our friends are here, our lives are here. And so, supporting the idea of Texas through supporting Texas institutions feels entirely natural because even if you’re not from Texas technically, you can be of Texas. And I’m proud to say I am of Texas.

AWC: Within three years you’ve developed a partnership with The New York Times and are set to break even in revenue by 2013. A vision in founding The Texas Tribune was to “build the next great public media brand in the United States.”  What does that vision look like?
ES: Well, you know public media is really a way of saying that we’re not obligated to shareholders, we’re not obligated to investors – we’re obligated to the people who we serve: the public. In our case, we’re obligated to Texas. We have no bias except for Texas and we have no obligation to anyone but to Texans. The people who support us philanthropically – individuals and corporations and foundations – do so because they know that the distillation of our mission is smarter Texans equal a better Texas. We’re trying to educate more people about the things that matter in this state: public education and higher education, immigration, energy, healthcare, criminal justice, transportation – topics that matter to every single Texan. But the number of places that give them the good information – reliable, fact-based, non-partisan information – that they need to make good choices at election times and at all times, to be more productive citizens – that number of sources has declined. The number of people devoted to telling the stories of those big subjects to people like us have declined.

And so, I think the point here is to serve the public to give them the information they need to be more thoughtful, productive and engaged citizens. The efforts that we’ve undertaken over these two and half years to build The Texas Tribune have really just been in that direction. We’ve had very little mission creep. We know what we’re here to do and not here to do. So we don’t feel the need to cover things that don’t fall into that public interest bucket. There are still many-a-places in the world to go to get high school and college sports, traffic and “I’m on your street” and all that kind of stuff – what we do are the things we think just matter to everybody.  And that fulfills, we think, our public service obligation, our public interest obligation. And it certainly, I think, buttresses our claim to be serving the public and not anybody else. And so, as we build this public media brand, it is always with an eye on the end user – who are we serving? Who are we benefitting? How are we making Texas a better place?

AWC: What’s the importance of bringing face-to-face conversations back to journalism?
ES: This is a huge part of what we do. Before there was video and audio, before there was blogging and tweeting and Facebooking and all that, people got in a room and talked to each other, as quaint as that seems. Real time was the original platform. And there was a time in this state when there was a public conversation that took place on a regular basis about the priorities of our community and about the priorities of Texas. The hard work of democracy is when you get people in a room who disagree, then work out their differences and solve a big problem or deal with big challenges for the benefit of everybody. That’s how it used to be.

It’s unfortunately not really that way anymore. Not as often as it needs to be. And so our point in putting public conversation at the forefront of what we do, through all the events we do around Texas, is you get people in a room who don’t necessarily agree, but you talk in a very serious way about the challenges we face and the opportunity to solve those problems – and it’s amazing what happens. It’s exactly what it was supposed to be. People start talking and they find that they’ve got more in common than they think. Problems get solved, and we go forward.

AWC: What’s your advice for communicators in Austin wanting to make a difference in their industry?
ES: I think it’s important that everybody these days appreciate that technology has revolutionized the communications business and there’s no going back. And so anybody who thinks, “Well you know, I’m only going to do this one thing. I’m only going to be a writer. I’m not going to get myself comfortable with audio or video. I’m not going to use social media to help promote the work I do or myself. I’m not going to build my individual brand through those things. I’m not going to learn how in the most rudimentary way to edit video or edit audio and post those kinds of things online. I’m not going to try to use the tools that are available to any communicator today. I’m going to stick to the way I was trained. I’m going to do this one way.” You can’t do that anymore.

Every journalist, every communicator today is like a Swiss army knife. You’ve got to have a toothpick and a nail file and a screwdriver and a pair of scissors. You’ve got to be available to any institution you’re going to work for or work with. You’ve got to be able to show them that you’ve got all these tools like a Swiss army knife. These days, as communicators, we’ve all got to be much more versatile, much more agile about the work that we do. And if we’re not, then we’re kidding ourselves. You’ve got to look forward, always point forward. And in this business, that requires that you be as comfortable with, as conversant in everything that is new and different about our business, and keep up.

AWC: What is the future of the communications industry?
ES: A lot of people think this is a pessimistic time for people in the communications business. Especially for kids coming out of college – that it’s a terrible time to go to school to learn this trade, or this profession, and to go into magazines, or newspapers or some other form of communication.

I have the exact opposite point of view – I’ve never been more optimistic about the future of our business. It’s because the barriers to entry have been obliterated. Anybody coming out of school on day one with a computer and an idea can be as important as The New York Times. There is no longer this hierarchy that you have to ascend through; there are no longer these mountains you have to scale to have an impact in this business. Everything has been leveled. It has been the democratization of communications – because of the barriers to entry being removed, the availability of technology, the lowering of costs. Anybody can do this. I have never been more optimistic. News entrepreneurs, communications entrepreneurs have a very bright future and anyone who tells you otherwise just doesn’t matter.

Please join AWC Austin in celebrating Evan and other Banner Brunch award winners on Saturday, April 28, from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. For more information and to register, visit www.BannerBrunch.com.

By Rachel Denton

It’s almost that time again – to grab your business cards and mingle with a group of smart, influential women at the Association for Women in Communications Austin Chapter Connect Over Cocktails! AWC is excited to co-host this FREE event with the Young Women’s Alliance (YWA) on Tuesday, April 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Annie’s Café and Bar at 319 Congress Avenue. A mixture of appetizers will be provided and drink specials will be available. Free street parking starts at 6:00, and various parking garages are nearby for your convenience.

February’s Connect Over Cocktails with the American Marketing Association (AMA) Austin Chapter at Casa Chapala was a great success with over 60 people in attendance – the greatest attendance in Connect Over Cocktails history! New friendships and business relationships were made and the buzz of great conversation filled the room.

As always, Connect Over Cocktails is open to members as well as non-members, allowing all to come together to create quality connections. For those of you that are not yet AWC members, Connect Over Cocktails is a great way to meet some of the members and decide if AWC is a good fit for you. Plus, there is no fee to attend these events.

Did you recently join AWC? If so, welcome!! We hope to see you at the event to meet your fellow members and get to know the fantastic women in the organization in addition to the wonderful ladies of YWA.

This event is designed for you; please come out and take advantage of this awesome networking opportunity! If you have any questions about these events, please contact us at careers@awcaustin.org.

I look forward to seeing you all at Annie’s! Cheers to what promises to be another great night of networking!

Photo uploaded to Flickr Creative Commons.

By Lauren Holbrook

On Saturday, April 28, the Austin chapter of the Association for Women in Communications will award Torrie Hardcastle with the Jo Caldwell Meyer Scholarship at the annual Banner Brunch.

Traditionally, this scholarship is given to a student who demonstrates excellence in academics and extracurricular activities as they strive to launch a career in the communications field.

Hardcastle, a student at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), discovered her passion for journalism and has since been involved in UT’s Orange Magazine, where she serves as editor-in-chief. Beyond her many university-related activities and classwork, Hardcastle has also interned with organizations such as ESPN Radio and Austin Monthly magazine.

Recently, she shared more about her academic background and professional goals, as well as what this scholarship will mean for her future.

AWC: Tell me about your background: Where did you grow up and why did you choose to attend the University of Texas at Austin?
TH: I grew up in Alabama, but I’ve also lived in Seattle, Houston, and Cocoa Beach, Florida. I chose The University of Texas because it seemed like the perfect fit. It was close to home (but not too close!), had a large and diverse student population, a beautiful campus, awesome football and one of the best journalism programs in the country.

AWC: What are you studying and how did you choose this field?
TH: I am pursuing a double major in magazine journalism and radio-television-film. I’ve always loved film, so that was an obvious choice for me. I wanted to become a film critic, so I added journalism as a second major. Then I fell in love with the magazine industry, so that’s where I’m heading!

AWC: What types of activities have helped you to strengthen your experience in in this field?
TH: I have been fortunate enough to serve as the editor-in-chief of UT’s Orange Magazine, and I founded the new Orange Weekly newsletter and launched the Orange Online website. I also serve as president of the Magazine Club and have worked with campus radio KVRX in addition to all of my professional internships with KUT News, ESPN Radio, Hollywood West Production, ABC and Austin Monthly magazine.

AWC: Where do you see yourself in three years?
TH: I’m moving to New York in June, so I’m excited to pursue my professional career in the magazine industry in the Big Apple!

AWC: How will this scholarship help you to reach your professional goals?
TH: This scholarship will play a vital role in financing my last semester on campus at UT, as well as my relocation to New York City as I take on a summer internship and strengthen my skill set in the print industry. It’s so wonderful to be the recipient of a scholarship from such a great organization, and I truly appreciate the recognition and generosity I’ve been shown.

AWC: Do you have any advice for other students interested in pursuing journalism?
TH: I would say most importantly, intern, intern, intern! There’s no better way to gain experience and figure out what you love (and don’t love) about specific industries or positions. It helps you hone in on what you truly enjoy doing, which is an amazing thing to discover!

Please join us in congratulating Torrie and other 2012 recipients of the Jo Caldwell Meyer Scholarship at Banner Brunch on Saturday, April 28, from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. This year, $9,000 in scholarships will be awarded to local area college students. For more information and to register, visit www.BannerBrunch.com. 

Each month AWC Austin highlights a member making a difference in the communications industry in Austin, Texas. You may know Susan Moore as owner of West End Marketing & Communications.  She is a “Jane of all trades” with talents from writing to marketing to media buying, but to top it off, you’ll soon know her as the new AWC Board President-Elect.

AWC AUSTIN:  How did you initially get started with AWC Austin?
SM:  My first job right out of college was with a small PR firm in 1992. I worked for two women who were active in the AWC Austin chapter and the woman I was replacing at the company just so happened to be the AWC President.  When you’re employer encourages you to join something like that fresh out of college, the decision is not too difficult.  After joining, I realized I wanted to get more involved and since then, I’ve served several times on the board and various committees.  

AWC AUSTIN:  You’ve got a great history with AWC Austin.  Tell me your favorite thing about the group and what keeps you coming back.
SM:  What’s so amazing about the group – other than the strong friendships I’ve made – is that as my career has evolved, the group has always offered me something of true value.  Even though I’m no longer new to this field, AWC has always provided a way to stay connected and supported.  It’s such an all-encompassing group.  We truly support each other and understand what everyone is going through because we’ve been along those same paths and share similar experiences.

A perfect example of this happened when I was serving on the board back in 1996. I was among a total of four board members expecting their first child in the fall.  Margaret Harrist and I were serving together and didn’t know each other well at the time, but we were the last two due.  We realized our lives were about to change tremendously and we’ve been close ever since.  I’m sharing a table at Banner Brunch with a group of long-term AWC friends and Margaret was the first person I called to make sure she would be there.

AWC AUSTIN:  Congratulations on your new board position!  What goals do you have for the coming year and what one thing do you want people to come away with? 
SM:  We serve members in many different stages of development, from the person with less than five years of experience to more than 20, and their needs vary.  I think AWC has done a great job addressing this with so many programs to join and opportunities to connect, and I definitely want to keep refining our ability to address these various needs.  

Another focus for the next year revolves around the fact that there are so many programs competing for members’ attention; from Social Media Club of Austin, PRSA, PR over Coffee, Social Media Breakfast Austin, Freelance Austin, Jellies, etc. and a lot of that interaction happens online.  I think we need to hone our niche in this space and really identify our value.  It’s an interesting balance; you don’t want to repeat programming but it’s also good to reinforce or build upon what others are offering.  And as Austin is becoming a bigger community, it becomes harder to find a place for yourself within it.  You often end up getting a taste of just a small sample of the city’s professional offerings and networks, so those larger connections become more meaningful. 

AWC AUSTIN:  How would you best describe your company, West End Marketing & Communications? 
SM:  It’s a collaborative ad agency; it’s full-service because I join forces with other firms and freelancers.  Personally, I’m a writer, media buyer and marketing consultant but to be full-service, I have to pull in other talents.  Staying on top of all of these realms is a bit daunting, especially in the digital world.  I struggle a bit because I enjoy the size I am now and being able to work one-on-one with clients, but I’m finding I can’t do it all. 

I like being able to work with other companies because they bring high-level expertise and insight to the table.  It creates a unique and powerful finished product because the people I collaborate with offer a different view point and we’re able to envision and create things we couldn’t on our own.

AWC AUSTIN:  What about Austin helps cultivate partnerships with other firms?
SM:  Because of the recession and the layoffs a few years back, Austin has experienced an influx of small, boutique creative firms with a definite collaborative tone.  I’ve been feeling this because I’ve been tremendously busy. I have my own clients, but I also get drawn into projects with other ad agencies and PR firms because many lack an in-house media buyer. 

This idea plays back to what we were talking about earlier; AWC provides ways to make connections and support each other without a sense of competition.  We’re great at sharing ideas and finding opportunities to work together.  Freelance Austin is another valuable resource for this.  People leave meetings with new business connections and often a project or two.

AWC AUSTIN:  Describe the Texas Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) and Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) certifications and how those have aided your company’s recognition?
SM:  I partner with the PR firm Hahn, Texas, and after several projects, I realized it would be beneficial if I was both HUB and WBE certified.  As they do a lot of work for government entities, Hahn, Texas will seek firms that have these certifications.  Once I was certified, this allowed us to partner on new projects and solidified my relationship with their firm.  For instance, when the Texas State University System sent out an RFP with a HUB preference, it was very helpful to have that certification in place. That account is keeping me very busy right now.

Another benefit is that I am on this list of HUB and WBE certified businesses so I am put into contact with organizations that are looking for just that.  Sometimes the jobs are too large for me to take on, but that’s where the collaborative nature of Austin comes into play; I can partner with other companies and take on these projects.  It helps establish connections you wouldn’t otherwise get and allows you to bid on pieces of projects, which suits my company.

AWC AUSTIN:  What is your favorite way to jump into a project? 
SM:  I like coming in early on when you can help shape the strategy; that’s when you need the direct contact.  Otherwise you may have a client who has specific needs in mind, but you miss out on asking questions and digging deeper into their broader goals.  The strategy development is not only fun but more productive.  Messaging and positioning are more successful and value is more apparent in the outcome.

AWC AUSTIN:  I know you love writing and you excel at it.  How do you hone your skills and keep them fresh on a routine basis?
SM:  There are so many types of writing but I find blogging to be very fulfilling – I love pouring over it.  Writing a blog is very satisfying because I get to make all of the edits, speak in my own voice and be creative! 

Susan Moore’s Resource Run-down:

Texas Tribune  
Ezra Klein’s WonkBlog 
Salon Magazine  
Mashable Social Media  
MediaPost  
Adweek  
Branding Strategy Insider 
Inc. Magazine