When I started Sidney Maxwell Public Relations back in 2003, I had no idea that it would become what it is today. I didn’t know what to expect being a business owner, let alone making my mark as a stand-alone practitioner in a crowded field of professionals. Fortunately, I have exceeded expectations on both sides of the table, and I can say without any hesitation that I have been successful in my endeavors.

Yet, I have always longed for more. I have always wanted to expand the scope of the businesses, executives and brands I represent. And I have strived to gain more insight into practice areas and industries outside of my current portfolio.

Starting today, I have joined DKC Public Relations, Marketing & Government Affairs (DKC) to formalize its presence here in Chicago. You may be familiar with DKC—its client roster reads like a who’s who of brands and companies from a diverse range of industries and business sectors. It takes a lot of chutzpah for an agency to call itself inventive and eclectic, but that is one of the very reasons why I know this organization is a great place. As one of the nation’s top independently owned agencies, its blend of creativity, strategy and media knowledge is rivaled by few—and I am honored to now be among its ranks.

After nearly nine years of business, I owe a lot of people “thank yous” for my success.  Among them:

• Clients past and present.  I want to thank Orla Castanien, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, Darrell Jursa, Julie Colbrese and Michael Kahn for believing in a system of public relations that defied convention, and formed the foundation for a successful public relations practice. Your companies got SMPR off the ground, and I never looked back; SMPR worked with more than 70 companies on projects and campaigns over the years.

• Thanks to Amy Francis, Megan Meier Lane, Chuck Casto, Molly Lynch, Mindy Weinstein, Whitney Oppenhuizen, Laura Muma, Michelle Hellyar and Michelle Damico—a wonderful group of consultants who chose to work at SMPR as part of their professional careers. It has been an honor to call all of you colleagues throughout this incredible journey.

• I want to thank the DKC team for giving me this opportunity, with a special thank you aimed at Dave Donovan, who (if you know me from my days in Detroit) used to work with me at Marx Layne & Company. If it weren’t for Dave, I would not have been introduced to my new colleagues at DKC.

Last, but certainly not least, a special thank you is needed for Amy, Ella, Max & Lexi Shmarak. My wife has been the epitome of supportive while still flourishing in her job and managing our household. She and the kids have put up with the ebbs and flows of SMPR better than I could have imagined. I am truly blessed to have them in my life.

If I didn’t mention you, it’s only because I don’t want to put you to sleep like one of those long Oscar speeches.  Know that I have enjoyed every person with whom I have met, and I have taken something away from each of you.

Let’s stay in touch, shall we?

Many thanks–

Michael Shmarak

michael_shmarak@dkcnews.com

312.340.6990

It’s been a while since the SMartPR blog came out of the woodwork.  Thankfully, we have been busy campers around here.

But the recent news involving Penn State University and its athletic department got us thinking about companies that don’t admit fault when things happen.  How can organizations withstand being guilty for so long?

Sometimes, we can chalk up these mistakes to one’s honor code or how one was raised.  In the Pacific Rim, it is common for companies to not apologize because it is dishonorable.  They would rather hold in the guilt and blame and deal with internally.  But ask the executives and Board members at Olympus how much that guilt has eaten them up inside.  If you haven’t seen the news about Olympus, the company hid at least two decades of losses even though a whistle-blower came forward and thought the company was doing suspicious activity…

…which brings me back to the coaches and athletic department in Not So Happy Valley.  There is a clear disconnect between companies and officials who are MORALLY guilty and those who are LEGALLY guilty.  Thankfully, we saw a Pennsylvania legal official make the same reference in Michael Rosenberg’s CNNSI.com.  Either she is a loyal follower of SMPR (a guy can wish, right?), or she understands the realization that there is a big difference between guilt in a court and guilt of one’s actions.

To be clear, no one should condone what the coaches and personnel did to boys and young men; as a father, it pains me to read stories like what happened at Penn State.  We can say “they should get what is coming to them,” but the damage should already be done.  Guilt is a powerful thing–even if it doesn’t show its face in a court of law right away.

As some of you know, I was asked to become a featured blogger for “Investor Uprising,” PR NEWSWIRE’s online community geared toward the financial and investment world.  In this edition of “The Spin”–I didn’t invent the title name–I thought it might be interesting to discuss portfolio relevance–that is, what makes an investment relevant for one’s portfolio.  Sears is a household name, but does it grab your attention if you’re an investor, and what can be done to make it more relevant to the investment community?  It’s time to dream a little dream…. “How Relevant is Your Portfolio?”

Michael here, checking in with another contribution I’ve made to PR NEWSWIRE’s Investor Uprising. Today I’m tackling the topic of ethical investments. It’s a tough line to walk in today’s world, with less than ideal examples of investments; BP, Toyota and Enron popping up every day of the week. Here I share my basic yet thorough tips on how to keep your investments inline with your personal and professional code of ethics. Five easy questions to ask yourself to make sure you’re investing ethically…”Five Exercises To Work Ethics Into Your Investments”

I’m back today with more communication insights for companies looking to attract investors. I admit this post may be a bit hair-brained and I very well could be spending too much time with my computer. But I’ve got to say this theory I’ve developed is pretty intriguing.  I don’t want to give it all away but what if Groupon, “grouponed” (yeah, it’s a verb now) itself? – Will Groupon Make A Deal With It’s Own Stock?

Recently I’ve started writing for Investor Uprising, PR NEWSWIRE’s online community for focusing on all things investing and finance. “The Spin” (I didn’t choose the name) covers all things communications in relation to investments. I’ll be tackling everything from ethical investments to how those so-called “celebrities” can teach us a lesson or two about our brands.
In this post I do just that, more specifically addressing how Charlie Sheen can actually teach companies a thing or two about attracting investors. No really, he might be the biggest celebrity train-wreck of the past year but he actually did get a couple things right when marketing himself. Without letting the cat any further out of the bag here’s The Spin… “What Charlie Sheen Can Teach Corporate America“

I thought y’all might be interested in the following article/blog I wrote for PR NEWSWIRE’s “Investor Uprising” community.

Is it possible for Groupon to issue a deal-of-the-day for its own stock when its IPO comes around? 

Here’s my thought; what do you think?

It pays to read this section of the Wall Street Journal; you never know who you can meet!

As part of my new business strategy, I strive to make relationships with the VC and private equity communities.  While it makes a lot of business sense, we also have a lot in common and have always contended that (one day) a PR shop should go into business with a VC group to not just go after businesses that are worth investing in, but to seek out ways to merchandise the efforts of these investments.

So when I saw the following article in AD AGE this morning about Madison Avenue forming a relationship with VC partners, I got shivers down my spine.  There is hope that my vision could come true.

Investment banks look for return on assets that strengthen financial statements.  PR firms can help leverage assets–both tangible and intangible.  At SMPR, we strive to hit on any innovation buttons we can, for these are the very buttons that trigger asset development.

Anyone who knows me in the PR world has heard my explanation of PR and how it mirrors economics–clients have a supply of information, and it is our job to match the demand of the marketplace with what our clients are supplying.  Our currency is content.  In the VC and PR worlds, content is king.

If any PR folks are doing something like what this article is describing, I would be curious to learn about your feedback.

Recently, I posted an article on SMPR’s Facebook page about how the DETROIT NEWS (my hometown newspaper) seemingly threw its ethical codes out the window (not to mention selling its soul) and changed an article to soothe an advertiser’s wallet and ego.  Combined with the latest Groupon fiasco and its ad blunder (I wrote about this issue on A Sorry State), maybe it’s time to skin the cat differently.

So I thought it would be cool to share something that is cool about ethics, specifically talking about how our friends in the advertising industry are making efforts to bring more of an ethical position into their operations.

Check out the following article from ADVERTISING AGE on the industry’s attempt to get more ethical.  These are really good ideas; what do y’all think?

One of the great passions I have about this business is teaching junior people about the rigors of public relations, and (in turn) what people in my field have taught me.  I was talking with a friend who operates a great agency in Dallas; we were talking about what each of us has learned about running a business, as well as what we would have done differently if given the opportunity.

Speaking to the latter point, I would not have changed a single thing and have done anything differently. Running a business, you quickly learn how to take the good with the bad. If you cannot take lumps in this business, then you shouldn’t be in it. To be sure, I have built a much tougher and stronger skin than when I first embarked on my journey now almost eight years ago. I have seen people come and go; clients start with a bang but spend funds miserably and fail. I have seen the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. I have made incredible friends and have formed several meaningful relationships.

 
Still, I have learned a lot—more than any of my college studies could have prepared me for. Here are some thoughts.

 
Understand the power of “no.” It’s easy for business owners to take on things because the money is appealing or the allure of having a “name client” associated with you would add to your reputation. Saying ‘no’ is empowering, for it allows you to focus on what you truly want to do. “No” keeps your eyes on the prize of ultimate satisfaction.

 
The customer/client should not always be right. Logic tells me when presented with an array of options, I want to make as informed of a decision as possible; life is not one way or the highway. I also rely on my past experiences about what journalists want; I would expect both my peers and fellow colleagues would follow the same path.  As an agency, we are hired to bring an objective voice to our clients’ tables. Maybe it’s because I have more gray hairs than when I first started the business, but I take my role as a counselor more seriously than ever. I have learned to cement my position by proving it with smart research and positioning and not just do what a client thinks is the most ideal course of action. I would never go back to a client and tell him/her “I told you so…” but I would go back to what I know has worked for others–and could work for them if given the opportunity.

 
Hiring a business coach is a wise investment. It’s one thing to preach objectivity to your clients, but it is hard to obtain objectivity running an agency—especially when it is your agency. I have learned how to distinguish things between the SMPR brand and that of Michael Shmarak; I used to take things personally when something went wrong. But as many people have come to tell me, it’s just business. We need to remember that business should stay where it belongs. To that end…

 
…tell your spouse and kids that you love them as often as possible. I set up SMPR to represent beliefs I have that agencies need to be treated like families, that if a family member’s name is on the door, then the belief set should represent the person/people who you are honoring. I have tried to bring “family” into everything I do, inclusive of making sure that my team enjoys their lives outside of work. Understandably, my team means the world to me, and I try to communicate the value they bring as often as possible. But I would be nothing without my wife and three kids. Hugs from children are the best elixir for soothing a bad day at the office. Clients come and go; my wife and kids are always with me. It is up to me to make sure they know that.

 
Client love is the ultimate measurement tool. If a client merely likes its PR counsel, then the agency is not doing enough to foster the relationship. I know about my clients’ kids, their families, what they do outside of the office, et.al., to show that we (as people) are deeper than what a letter of agreement tells us we should be. Striving for client love does as much for what makes good clients awesome clients as any deliverable you can provide.

 
Know the right time to reinvent your business. When I started SMPR in 2003, social media was just beginning to hit the mainstream. There were several agencies that got on the bandwagon early, going as so far as to say they do it—and do it well.  Me?  I would rather wait and let other people make mistakes so I can learn from them.  In turn, I can then take this education and shape it in a way that best fits who I am as a professional, as well as what my team knows it does well. Claiming to be all things to all people deteriorates one’s focus. We should all strive to own something and be really good at it first. Do we do social media work? Of course, but we specialize in helping companies build their infrastructure so they are ready for what social media has to offer.

Above all else, I have been blessed to learn that my team’s work has impacted lives. We take it for granted that PR can help influence other people’s decision making processes. When you’re leading the charge for those decisions, there is an immense source of pride and accomplishment. There are so many examples of how we have enacted change I could go on all day.

Moving forward, I want to learn how to learn better.  I want to get smarter about more tricks of the trade.  I want to build deeper relationships and find work that drives satisfaction for all of us.

It starts today.