Public Relations Princess

Top Ten Tips For Controlling Expenses (and Claire's Awesome Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe)

Claire Celsi — 2009-11-05T14:14:40-06:00

Did you know that Forbes has a new section of its Web site completely dedicated to women? Yeah, pretty cool. I am enough of a feminist to think that this seems unnecessary, however, after reading through it and joining the Facebook group, I've decided that its a good thing. Forbes Woman is looking for female bloggers to participate in a discussion about how you handle your personal finances. That's where the inspiration for this post came from.

After losing my full time job in April, I re-evaluated my finances to determine where I could save money. But the truth is, three years before that I had already taken decisive steps to turn my financial ship around.

Here are my Top Ten tips for aligning your financial life for greater stability and peace of mind:

Get out of credit card debt. Three years ago, I had two credit cards that were basically maxed out. A couple of times I had paid late by a day, and since credit card companies are basically vultures that would just as soon peck your eyes out of your head than help you, I consulted with a local consumer credit counseling service. They helped me renegotiate my debt and lower my interest rate. I just finished my program, which took about 32 months to complete.
Save as much as you can in your company 401k, or contribute the max to an IRA every year. I subscribe to the Suze Orman rule of "paying yourself" before you pay other bills.
DO NOT TOUCH YOUR RETIREMENT MONEY. I made the mistake of loaning myself money from my 401k to pay for a car for my daughter. When I lost my job, that loan needed to be payed back before the end of the year so that I did not suffer tax consequences.
Save a six-month cushion (emergency fund) in a savings account in case you lose your job. It will take real discipline to do this. I suggest using an online service like SmartyPig.
Refinance your mortgage. Rates are at historic lows. Try to use a local bank or credit union so your business stays local. Big banks are busy right now due to all the mortgages being processed for the real estate tax credit.
Stretch your grocery budget by using coupons and not going to the store as often. When supplies run low and you would normally go to the store, try going a few more days and preparing meals with what you have left. Go to discount grocery stores to stock up on staples once every three months. Utilize a pantry space to store extra non-perishables. Mine is just a wire baker's rack that I bought at Costco.
Switch brands of personal care products. Try replacing half of your personal care products with less expensive items.
Lengthen times between personal grooming services such as hair cuts, manicures, pedicures and waxing. If you normally go once a month, go every 6 weeks instead. Use home-based touch up products if you need to. Don't forget Fido. Dogs can wait another two weeks for grooming too.
Skip the $5.00 latte. Make coffee at home and buy a nice travel mug.
Eat at home and make extra to freeze. A gigantic pot of chicken noodle soup (recipe below) costs about $23 dollars to make and can make more than 25 individual servings. Bring your lunch and carry a couple granola bars and a bottle of water where ever you go, so you're not tempted to buy expensive convenience store items.

Claire's Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 32 oz. cartons of Swanson chicken stock
5 lb. bone-in chicken thighs (skin on for flavor)
4 large baking potatoes (Yukon Gold is not a good choice for this recipe)
8 large carrots
2 large white or yellow onions
4 large celery stalks
2 12 oz bags of frozen Reemes egg noodles
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chicken stock base (yellow paste-like stuff in a small jar)

In a large soup pot (extra big) or two smaller pots, place chicken thighs in pot and cover with water until submerged at least three inches under the surface. Add some salt and pepper. Bring liquid to a very gentle boil and then simmer for 40 minutes. Be sure the liquid does not violently boil. I use chicken thighs because they're cheaper and more flavorful. Breasts can be substituted, but make sure the chicken has bones. Bones are what cause the soup to be full-bodied and have the right texture.

After cooking the chicken, remove from the liquid and place flat on a baking sheet to cool. Add the stock to the soup pots and bring to a gentle boil. While the chicken is cooling, chop the vegetables in this order, and add to the pot once prepared. Onions (medium dice), carrots (I cut into coins or on a diagonal into slices about 1/4 inch think), potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes (or whatever you consider bite-sized), celery. Add salt and pepper to taste and the bay leaves. Add the chicken stock base and give it a good stir. Taste the broth again and make sure it has good flavor. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. If it's too salty, add water. You can also add water to add more broth to the soup at any time.

Pull the chicken off the bones. Discard all the bones, skin and fat. Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add back to the pot. Break up the Reemes egg noodles into smaller pieces and add them into the pot while frozen or semi-frozen. Bring the pot(s) back to a simmer, and then add the peas and carrots. By this time, your pot should be very full. Sample the vegetables and noodles to make sure they're almost done. Simmer for another 10 minutes before serving.

Allow the soup to cool significantly, and then ladle into serving-size plastic freezer containers or even freezer bags. Try to remove most of the air before freezing. Place a piece of masking tape on each container and write the date. To thaw, defrost in the microwave or place into a warm water bath and then heat to boiling. Enjoy!

Technology Association of Iowa's Leann Jacobson My Guest on Public Relations Princess

Claire Celsi — 2009-11-03T22:32:34-06:00

Leann Jacobson is a rare find in Iowa: A woman in the technology field. But not just any woman. She's the leader of Iowa's largest technology professional group, the Technology Association of Iowa.

Wednesday November 4 on my Public Relations Princess Internet Radio show, Leann will be my special guest. We'll be talking about the Technology Association, its member benefits and exciting things that are happening in the organization.

Leann and I go way back to the DMAM Rotary Club (man that was a long time ago) and I can't wait to catch up with her and find out more about this great organization.

Leann Jacobson brings over 25 years of business and entrepreneurial experience, including 18 years at AT&T, to her role as president of the Technology Association of Iowa. Her tenure at AT&T included leadership positions in sales, marketing and government affairs – where she retired as regional vice president in 2002. She then founded Capitol Gains, a multi-client public policy firm, and served as its president and chief lobbyist. The firm successfully represented a broad portfolio of clients focused on business, economic development, arts and culture and child welfare.

In May, 2005 she assumed the role of president of TAI.

Ms. Jacobson graduated with highest honors from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management. She is an Executive Committee Member of the Council of Regional Information Technology Associations, has served on numerous non-profit boards, and is the founding director of Iowa Women in Public Policy.

The show is from 4-5 p.m. CST on November 4. Just go to MacsWorldLive.com and tune in!

Iowa IS Social Media

Claire Celsi — 2009-10-30T11:26:52-05:00

Leave it to our friends at Ad Maverick to say it best. Iowa has a ton of social media game! Lessing Flynn is locked in a competition with a few other ad agency blogs for the title of best social media agency among 45 competitors on Michael Gass' Web site. One of the competitors suggests that Iowa has no social media. Far from it, my friends! And they also make the ridiculous assertion that since North Carolina is closer to New York City, they're more relevant. Talk about an identity crisis. Iowa is just fine with being Iowa, thank you very much. Check out the video and see if you agree that Iowa truly has a great diversity of companies and individuals using social media. Be sure to vote for Ad Mavericks in the poll. It's the only Iowa agency represented.

Getting Buy-in From the C-Suite on Social Media

Claire Celsi — 2009-10-29T10:15:00-05:00

Tuesday I was privileged to be invited by my friend Andrew Clark to be a part of a social media panel. The audience of more than 80 people was highly engaged in the topic. Here's Andrew's follow-up post and video montage of some of the Twitter comments we received.

One question popped up after some audience members had already snuck back to work.Delicately put, it was basically this: How do I get my boss and board of directors to pay attention to social media and allow me to implement a social media plan?

I've been thinking more about this question and have some pointers on getting the C-Suite to pay attention to social media. For purposes of this article, I'm defining the "C-Suite" as CEO, CFO, CIO, etc. and also vice presidents, directors, board members and other members of senior management.

Here are my Top Ten ways to get the C-Suite more engaged with social media as a marketing and public relations tool:

Introduce social media in a "non-techie," non-threatening way. This might include sending links and screen shots of comments on Twitter or blogs that involve the company. Be sure to provide context in your message so they will know what they're looking at.
Talk individually with execs or board members before you put it on the agenda at board meetings. Know who the supporters and detractors are ahead of time. Have answers for some of the detractors' stumbling blocks before you bring it up.
Keep your passion for social media to a low flame. If you go into a meeting with demands and failure predictions, you will get shut down quickly.
Offer to do a "Lunch and Learn" presentation for your leadership team. Keep it focused on results and not too technical.
Point out successful social media programs in a "case study" format, showing that social media is measurable and generates results.
Showcase how other companies in the same industry are already using social media. Chances are someone is already using it well, which may spur a call to action or a competitive response.
Start listening to the brand in social media as part of your normal duties. You should never need permission to do this. Report any good things you're hearing, and alert your boss if there is a crisis brewing somewhere.
Get a third-party expert to present to your board. Sometimes you will not be seen as an expert in your own organization (and that's too bad, but don't let it trip you up).
Ask your current agency or public relations professional to bring it up as part of a strategic planning session or brainstorm.
Anyone who's spent time around executives knows that "allowing" them to take credit for concepts and ideas is a way for things to get implemented quicker. Play the game and you'll eventually get credit for the ideas.

Here's a link to the Des Moines Register's coverage of the event, which includes excellent tips from my fellow presenters: Andrew Clark, Doug Mitchell and Ben Stone.

Des Moines Catholic Worker and the Homeless - Can You Help?

Claire Celsi — 2009-10-28T14:02:15-05:00

Dorothy Day is someone most people don't know about. She's neither a saint (yet) nor a Nobel Peace Prize winner. She was a feminist before that was a common term, she was a tireless advocate for the poor, and she was a radical socialist.

Dorothy Day was a flawed human being who used her life to provide comfort, food and shelter to those who walked the line between proper society and the edge. She used her writing skills her whole life to communicate her thoughts.

Dorothy Day was the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement in the United States. There is a Catholic Worker here in Des Moines. People who live at the "Worker" are known as "workers." And that's what they do. They carry on Dorothy Day's vision of living in peace, promoting social justice and providing hospitality to those who are in need. This is a stunningly simple concept, yet most of these goals are elusive in our very complex society.

Tracy Robson from the Catholic Worker House in Des Moines is my guest today on Public Relations Princess. Listen in from 4-5 on macsworldlive.com and find out what you can do to help Des Moines' most vulnerable population.

How You Can Help the Homeless in Des Moines

Claire Celsi — 2009-10-26T19:06:46-05:00

The Des Moines Catholic Worker House, located just North of downtown Des Moines, is in need of quite a few things to help its homeless and underserved population. The unusually cold and rainy fall whether have depleted its supplies of blankets, socks, hats and gloves, candles and personal hygiene items.

I invite everyone in the Des Moines social media community to participate and respond to this urgent need in their own way. Here are my suggestions for the most needed items, according to the staff of the Worker:

Blankets
Socks/hats/gloves
Hoodies/Sweatshirts
Tylenol/Ibuprofen
Disposable razors
Feminine hygiene items
Coffee/Creamer/sugar packets/artificial sweetener packets
Soap
Candles
Deodorant/shampoo/conditioner/toothbrushes/toothpaste

I'll have a date soon that we can prepare and serve a meal for the Worker, but until then donated items will be a big help. The donations can be dropped off at my house anytime (just leave stuff on the front porch) and I will deliver it to the shelter. Please call me if you cannot drop stuff off and need it to be picked up.

The Catholic Worker serves all people regardless of religious affiliation. The selfless people who volunteer there often give up months or years of their lives in service to the poor.

Thanks,

Claire

Chocolate Storybook and Des Moines' Best Coupons

Claire Celsi — 2009-10-21T12:19:51-05:00

Are you a supporter of locally owned businesses? Then this week's Public Relations Princess show is one that you shouldn't miss.

Every city has "entertainment books." But did you know that those are most likely produced by out of state and that's where the profits go, too?

Steve Shearer, the co-owner of Chocolate Storybook (a great locally-owned operation!) had a great idea...to create his own "entertainment-type" coupon book. There's several differences, though. One, it's a local effort and therefore the profits stay local. Only locally owned businesses are allowed in the book...no chains.

Steve and his wife Meg and their great staff at Chocolate Storybook worked very hard this summer to pull together the first book, which is now available for purchase. Steve will be on my show today on Macsworldlive.com at 4:00 to tell me where he got the idea for the book and about all the great businesses represented. Tune in!

Bed Bath and Beyond's Wedding Registry Sooo Much Better Than Target's "Club Wedd"

Claire Celsi — 2009-10-19T21:47:02-05:00

In case the FTC is reading this post, I am not being paid to write this. :~)

I admit I drank the Target Koolaid. Since deciding to boycott Wal-mart more than five years ago because of their labor practices, workplace discrimination and pricing strategy, Target seemed like a palatable alternative. Since then, several of my readers have pointed out that Target has been accused of some of the same things as Wal-Mart. So my eyes have been opened.

This post is simply about the superiority of service and product selection of another of Target's competitors in the home goods arena.

For some reason, I have been slow to recognize Bed Bath and Beyond as a category leader. The only reason I even ventured there in the first place was to buy gifts for friends who had registered for weddings there. This weekend, I chose a couple of things from my cousin Melisa's registry. I was impressed by the vast selection and attentive service I received.

As I left the customer service counter with Melisa's registry in hand, I was approached twice by observant sales people who must have noticed that I was searching for gift. I was pointed to the proper section, even though the clearly marked sections would have led me there soon enough. Found what I needed quickly and went to the check out. Checked out even quicker because there were actually enough checkers on duty to help a Saturday crowd. Conversely, Target rarely has extra sales people on hand to actually help customers in the aisles.

The checker asked if I needed a gift wrap for my items. I did, and lo and behold, they were ready to go in less than five minutes. The "wrap" was a nice purple and white box with a purple ribbon. I'm into minimal packaging waste and recyclable boxes, so that was cool with me. Target does not offer a gift wrapping service, which assures them that I will have to leave the store with at least another $5.00 in wrapping paper and tissue.

I've written quite a lot about Target's nasty return policy. Now that I've found my friends at Bed, Bath and Beyond, I see no reason to ever go there again for a wedding gift. If someone is not registered there, I'll just buy a card and give them money.

What Goldman Sachs Can Learn From Bill Gates and the World Food Prize

Claire Celsi — 2009-10-16T11:04:06-05:00

Yesterday, Bill Gates was here in Des Moines to give the keynote address at the World Food Prize. It's a very prestigious prize, given annually to the person who meets these criteria:

The World Food Prize is awarded for a specific, exceptionally significant, individual achievement at any point along the full range of the food production and distribution chain.

This exceptionally significant achievement must be shown to have resulted in a demonstrable increase in the quantity, quality or availability of, or access to, food for a substantial number of people.

This year's honoree is Dr. Ebisa Gejeta, of Ethiopia, whose sorghum hybrids resistant to drought and the devastating Striga weed have dramatically increased the production and availability of one of the world’s five principal grains and enhanced the food supply of hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa.

Bill and Melinda Gates, through their foundation, have committed to helping end world hunger and poverty and improve the lives of billions of people. They've donated millions to many causes that support the foundation's mission. The World Food Prize qualifies for Gates' time and money because it recognizes and rewards altruistic behavior and it "Thinks Big."

Compare that noble mission to the unofficial slogan of Goldman Sachs: "Greedy, but long-term greedy." The phrase, coined by Goldman Sachs director Gus Levy, is a conspicuous symbol of the excesses of Wall Street. Goldman has become the poster child for the bonus culture that got us into trouble earlier this year.

Goldman is mulling over giving $100 million dollars to its own charitable foundation. Here's where Goldman's leaders could borrow from Gates' playbook. Instead of handing out little dinky awards to its favorite charities, Goldman should set its sights on one protracted problem on Earth and use its considerable resources to solving it.

Here are some problems that still need solving. Goldman, take your pick:

Educational achievement gaps between rich and poor children
Lack of math and science achievement in the U.S.
Financial literacy in the curriculum of U.S. high schools
Violence in the inner cities of our largest cities
Opportunity to attend college for all who want to go
Chronic homelessness
Affordable daycare
Easing dependence on foreign oil
Affordable parking in Manhattan (kidding)
And of course...WORLD PEACE

Microblink co-founder and Highlight Midwest organizer Rob Jensen My Guest on Public Relations Princess Today

Claire Celsi — 2009-10-14T13:38:35-05:00

Next week, technology and social media aficionados from all over the Midwest will descend on Des Moines for the second annual Highlight Midwest. I've invited Rob Jensen to be my guest today to talk about it. Rob is the co-founder of Microblink and an organizer of Highlight Midwest.

Highlight Midwest is an annual gathering of some of the best and brightest minds in the world of technology and entrepreneurship in Omaha, Kansas City and Des Moines and these cities take turns hosting every year. I only became aware of Highlight Midwest last year, just by seeing the tweets of people who were attending.

So tune in today at www.macsworldlive.com at 4:00 and Rob and I will be talking about the event, which is being held this year on October 23 at the Des Moines Social Club. There's also a pre-event called "Movement Bash" which will be held at Impromptu Studio the night before, October 22nd at 7:00 p.m. My company, The Public Relations Project is one of many sponsors of that event.