The Early Bird Gets It

The elements of the PR Boot Camp that I presented to the early birds at the 5th annual PRISM workshop at the College of Southern Maryland's Leonardtown Campus included an unexpected early-morning experience that demonstrates the lesson that the basic principles of PR need to be second-nature to you:

Be approachable.

Be prepared.

Be resourceful.

Be curious.

It’s not about you.

Take Risks…

"It was exactly seven weeks ago this time of day that I was enjoying this exact beach scene in Cocoa Beach for an extended weekend away with my husband. It was hot and humid ~ a typical Florida morning and I had just finished my surfside walk and was looking out at the waves recalling a few summers earlier when our family had rode the waves in on this beach. It had been the best time and I was missing their sharing the surf with me. Unfortunately Hurricane Bill was just off the horizon and the beach patrol was cautioning swimmers to buddy up in the surf and beware of the riptides. This morning, a cooling dip of the toes would be insufficient and how I was wishing for a swim.

Just about then a woman approached me asking if I was going to be there for a bit as she wanted to swim in the ocean but hesitated to do so without someone around … or would I like to join her? I hesitated for just a second and accepted the invitation. As we walked to the ocean’s edge we introduced ourselves and she asked if I was here to see the launch. (The Endeavor’s night launch had been delayed the past three evenings and was re-scheduled for that night.)

I answered "no," but that as my husband worked with NASA we hoped to catch it from the beach that evening. She responded, "I work for NASA, too. Where does your husband work?" I explained and asked where she worked. At Johnson Space Center, she responded; "I’m an astronaut."

Amazing. With 112 active astronauts based out of Johnson Space Center, I had the fortune to connect with this one, Cady Coleman. The following 20 minutes of enjoying the waves were packed with information and discovering multiple connections.

She shared that she was at Kennedy as a back-up for this mission, but served as chief of robotics overseeing astronaut robotics training and the integration of crew interfaces into news robotics systems. She was currently assigned to the Expedition 26 crew and scheduled to fly to the International Space Station late next year and land in the spring of 2011. As we returned to the beach, my mind was racing as fast as my heart from the swimming and I began with what from now on I will call a sand speech (rather than PR's elevator speech).

Sharing information about our region's efforts to provide a homegrown workforce, I talked about our efforts to attract more students into STEM fields, working as partners in our region – public schools, higher ed, Navy, and businesses – to build a pipeline, and hosting VEX and FIRST robotics tournaments as well as Youth in Technology and Women + Math summits for kids to connect directly with professionals in the fields. I told her how exciting it would be to request an astronaut such as herself to talk with our kids about what they do.

She was happy to provide me contacts, but who would have business cards on a beach? That’s where a little preparation worked in my favor. I pulled out my pen and a postcard I had in my beach bag and after ripping it in half, we exchanged contact info, and off she went for her morning meeting at Kennedy.

I followed up with an e-mail when I returned to the hotel room later that afternoon and before I could finish thumbing my message into the blackberry, I received an e-mail from her with contact information for an individual out of DC who could be a resource on my return as well as subsequent information on how to request an astronaut.

The experience with Cady has all the elements of PR101 and was a reminder that the basics of PR need to be second-nature:

Be approachable. You might just meet an astronaut.

Be curious. Ask enough questions and you'll find connections.

Be prepared. You'll have a sand speech -- or two or three.

Be resourceful. Build a network and be generous about sharing information.

Remember, it’s not about you, but rather the other people you can help along the way. Cady clearly and generously demonstrated this principle.

And lastly, be willing to take risks on an early-morning, seaside walk.