Learning from Rejection & Failure

My attitude towards rejection & failure.

I am scared to fail. I still struggle with the idea of failure, but I'm getting better. Want to know something ridiculous about me which illustrates how stubborn and scared I am about failure?

Left, my cousin Amberlee, Right, me.
Due to my intense fear of learning to ride a bike,  my parents purchased me this motorized vehicle. As a child, I feared falling off of a bicycle and decided to walk everywhere instead because I knew I succeeded in walking, but feared I would fail if I tried something different.

When I was little, I never learned how to ride a bike because I was too scared of failure and falling. I thought, why take the risk if I could just walk? I don't need a bike. My parents tried to get me interested in learning to ride a bike. I remember one Christmas, my parents gave me a pink bike as my main present. Selfishly, I remember the confusion I felt knowing that my parents had gotten me a nice bike that I didn't have the courage and would never have the courage to learn how to ride.

Whether or not we want to admit it, we all have some slight fear or rejection and failure. Those who are not afraid of rejection and failure have either become numb to it, or have experienced enough failure to know that they can handle it.

I have been rejected a lot throughout my life, by friends, family members, employers, and just people in general. I have struggled with the fear of rejection for most of my life. Often, I have dreams of being betrayed, lied to, rejected, or taken advantage of. However, through all of my rejections, it has lead to the person who I am today, me.

What you need to remember.

These five thoughts do not necessarily apply to everyone, however I think there is something that can be learned from each of them. 

1. Failure is defined by you. It is important to evaluate your personal definition of failure. If you redefine failure, you will achieve a higher level of self understanding.

2. Rejection is not a choice. You are not and cannot be held responsible for someone else's thoughts. You do not choose to be rejected. You cannot make choices for others. People are going to think what they want to think, and will do what they want to do.

3. Don't throw your pearls before the swine. I love this quote, this also ties into number two. Don't waste your efforts trying to be someone you're not to win the affection of others. The best thing you can do is to take time "throwing your pearls," where someone values them. Surround yourself with people who value you and understand your worth. 

4. The more you fail, the more you will succeed. Think back to number one, what do you define as failure? You also need to consider that each time you fail, you are one step closer to success, because if you fail that means you're trying. You have to make an effort before you can reap the rewards.

5. Be practical with your expectations set for yourself. Set goals that are attainable for yourself. Impractical goal setting leads to failure and unrealistic expectations. Take it slow, one step at a time. Keep it simple. It's good to have a dream, however every dream needs groundwork to make it a reality.

The impact from a changed perspective. Which mindset do you have? 

This section quoted from Robert Sternberg.

Simon Cowell is a great example. He
would be considered to have a fixed
mindset. 

Fixed Mindset. "In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort. They’re wrong." 

"People with a fixed mindset believe that their traits are just givens. They have a certain amount of brains and talent and nothing can change that. If they have a lot, they’re all set, but if they don’t... So people in this mindset worry about their traits and how adequate they are. They have something to prove to themselves and others."

This is a photo of me when I was a toddler,
According to the study, we are all born with
a growth mindset and as we grow, society
changes our mindset to a fixed mindset.

Growth Mindset. "In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities."

"People with a growth mindset, on the other hand, see their qualities as things that can be developed through their dedication and effort. Sure they’re happy if they’re brainy or talented, but that’s just the starting point. They understand that no one has ever accomplished great things—not Mozart, Darwin, or Michael Jordan—without years of passionate practice and learning."

One minute video comparing fixed and growth mindsets.

Which way will you choose to think?

• When someone breaks up with you, will you think that there is something wrong with you or that there is something to be learned. 
• When you fail a test, will you think I'm not smart and of no value, or that you will learn from your mistakes and celebrate your small successes.
• When you are not selected for a job, will you think that you are of no good and no one wants you or will you think that you learned from the application process and there is something better out there for you.
• When a friend betrays you, will you think that you can never forgive them and that they hurt you, or will you think about the all that you've learned from your friendship and treat your next friendship differently or change how you select friends.

If the choice is yours, choose today.

Don't let your rejections and failures rule your life and your happiness. Let your rejections and failures shape your character, continue to move forward with a smile, and most importantly remember that you are not alone. If you reach out to others you will come to a realization that rejection and failure is part of the human experience of life. Find ways to enjoy your journey.




Emily Nicoline is a Junior Public Relations Utah Valley University. She is 22 years old and has lived in Wichita, KS, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and currently resides in Provo, Utah. Emily has been working in the communications industry since she was 17 and has proven capable to do whatever it takes to continue to learn, grow, and experience new opportunities. Her blog is not perfect, it's human. If you would like her portfolio or have further questions, please email her at Emilynicolne@gmail.com

Email Marketing: The SPAM Act, Terms, & Growing Your Email List

Can-SPAM Act of 2003: Turning permission based marketing into law. 

1. Unsubscribed Compliance: When you scroll down to the bottom of the email, it is required by federal law to have an option for unsubscribing. There has to be a visible and operable unsubscribe mechanism embedded in the email. If someone requests to unsubscribed it has to be honored within ten days.
Here is information for the punishments business and individuals receive that violate this, click here. 

2. Content Compliance: You must have accurate from lines, relevant subject lines, physical address of the publisher of advertiser present, and a label present if adult content is in the email.

3. Sending Behavior Compliance: A message cannot be sent through an open relay, meaning the email has to be tracked digitally. The message cannot be sent to a harvested email address, meaning you can't email people who's emails are posted publicly on the internet. The legal way to get addresses is buying lists. Lots of people have harvested  on accident without meaning to. Read more about it, here.

What do you think is the most important aspect with email marketing?

The important of email marketing is to constantly be cultivating and growing your email list.

List Churn: This means every time you send an email, your list will shrink. On average, list churn is 30% per year. 

List Fatigue: When you send a customer an email but they don't interact with it. "Fatigue is fatigued, it means that people get tired of emails but come around. Think of when you get tired of a song you like on Pandora."

Ways to Grow Your Email List

• Reigster at purchase
• Online events
• Website registration
• Paid search
• Offline events
• Co-registration
• Blog registration
• Facebook registration
• Social media sharing buttons 

Five Takeaways I've Learned From Writing My First Case Studies

The following information are five things I took away from my first PR case studies class. I have learned a lot from it and this post barely scratches the surface on all I could say about it. 

Pages 1-10 of my first case study.

1.) Research is important and typically difficult. 

Luckily, this case is the Starbucks Case Study which is well known. In another class I'm currently writing a case study as well and it is driving me up the wall. Researching feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. I hope that when I work for a company that they will hire someone to do the research, I enjoy it--it's just time consuming until I learn how to utilize my resources. The more I do it, the better I'll get at it.

2.) Key Public's are easy to identify and difficult to define.

When developing a case it is rather easy to identify which public's will be crucial to accomplish the goal. However, when trying to analyze the demographic and psycho-graphics including the five elements of each public it is hard to find written facts in comparison to making assumptions about each public. 

3.) Think backwards to assure each section in the study fits together like a puzzle. 

When I made it to the end of my case to write the communication confirmation, I was a bit baffled because glancing through my case, I realized I did a lot of it wrong. I was frustrated, I felt as if I had worked on a math problem for hours on end and just discovered I got the wrong answer. Next time I write a case, I think it would be easier if I draft out communication confirmation first before I continue onto action planning.

Pages 11-20 of my first case study.

4.) I am addicted to highly interactive communication strategies.

Who would have thought I would be addicted to highly interactive communication strategies? I don't know if it's because I'm a younger generation, but anything else besides highly interactive communication strategies appeared boring to me. I think this will be important to remember when I write my next case study that it's important to have a wide array of communication strategies. 

5.) It is EASY to accidentally mix up goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics. 

When writing my action planning, I really got caught off guard when I would write it out, then look over and compare this section to examples in my book. As I was looking over the definitions and seeing if they matched up to what I wrote, I came to the realization that writing a case study is like learning to speak a new language and that it is important to take my time working through it and to try my hardest to avoid simple mistakes. 

Pages 21-30 of my first case study.

Pages 31-32 of my first case study.

Overview: My Blog Posts, Prior, During & After the 2013 PRSSA National Conference

Below is a list with hyperlinks of all of my writings about the trip I took to Philadelphia for the 2013 PRSSA National Conference. As a requirement for the class I took as part of my grant to go on the trip, we were supposed to blog prior, during, and after the trip.

Prior to the Trip:

1. How Government Public Relations Converted Me to PR

2. Four Things I Learned About Government PR

3. Your Voice is Your Medicine: Introduction to the Non-Profit Women's Organization I want to launch with my PR degree.

3. Your Voice is Your Medicine - Pt 1

4. Your Voice is Your Medicine - Pt 2

5. Your Voice is Your Medicine - Pt 3

6. Your Voice is Your Medicine - Pt 4

7. Your Voice is Your Medicine - Pt 5a

8. Your Voice is Your Medicine - Pt 5b

9. Your Voice is Your Medicine - Pt 6

10. Your Voice is Your Medicine - Share Your Story

During the Trip:

Day 1, October 25th: How the Outstanding Chapter of the Year Prepares for the PRSSA National Conference 

Day 2, October 26th: PRSSANC Survivor: How to Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast

Day 3, October 27th: PRSSANC News Recap - Day 2

Day 4, October 28th: A Detailed Look From Warner Bros & TV Guide at Entertainment PR

Day 5, October 29th: Recap of PRSSA Entertainment PR Industry Session

Day 6, October 30th: Recap Video of PRSSA National Conference Trip

Post Trip:

1. Attendees of 2013 PRSSANC From UVU PRSSA

2. Digital Marketing: Three Pillars of Internet Marketing

3. Post Conference: Our Chapter's Responsibilities After We Return Home

4. Networking & Personal Seo: Getting the Job You Want Now

Networking & Personal Seo: Getting the Job You Want Now

This is an overview of a ten minute presentation I had to give post conference to multiple Communication classes at Utah Valley University.

The major takeaway I learned from my trip to Philadelphia for the 2013 PRSSA National Conference is the importance of Networking and Personal Seo. A lot of students get in the mindset of, "when I get to this point in my life, then I will do this." I want students to understand, you don't have to wait to be to a certain point in your life, get out and go for it! It's very easy to think that you can't make it anywhere within your career until you graduate, but the exciting thing is you can start making these steps now, starting today!

T.U.S. is the three principles that I applied while I was at the conference. Talk, Utilize, and Stand Out. These principles are very important, especially to us communication students. Each of these steps take effort, but if you start working toward it, I know you can do it!

It is so crucial to reach out and talk to others, you have to be creative in ways that you do this. For example, lots of students at the conference would flock speakers directly after their presentations, however when students do this, they easily blend into the crowd and do not make an impression in those that they talk to. 

When talking to business professionals to try your best not to have an agenda! Sometimes when we talk to others and have a set agenda of what we want to accomplish from the conversation, we forget to really learn about the person we are talking to and to be genuine with them. Another example, there was a session about Entertainment PR, afterward Tammy Golihew of Senior Vice President of Warner Brothers was so drowned out by students with "self centered conversations." I.E. What's in it FOR ME, what can you do FOR ME, what do you suggest FOR ME. IT IS CRUCIAL to be genuine in your conversation and to do as much as you can to ask questions and to genuinely get to know the other person. 

Also, find ways to really seek out people and meet them. Here are some example of things that I did during the conference to seek out others:

1. Do your homework. Try to do your research on the person before talking to someone, that's a good way to stand out and it will give you a good idea of what to talk with them about.

2. Go to high traffic area to find them. During the conference, I got permission to go to our parent chapter PRSA to try to track down someone from Ketchum. However, my goals changed very quickly. Instead, I tried to make friends with everyone I met or came across within the area. I also sat by the registration booth and listened to people spell out their names as they came in. Upon them doing this, I would look up their Linkedin, read about them, give them a few minutes and approach them during a good time and introduce myself. In doing this I was able to meet a lot of people, including the HR director from Ketchum. I was also able to meet people who were higher ups in the PRSA Foundation, Burrellesluce, Businesswire, PR News, well known authors and reputable people within the PR industry, and more. 

3. I went to the bar. As weird as this sounds, I made some great contacts from the PR industry by talking to them in a comfortable setting within the bar. We drank (I had virgin drinks, we signed contracts with our school saying we wouldn't drink) and I just talked to others and learned about their careers and their lives. I actually made some well known friends in the industry. One of them sorted through my business cards and talked to me about each of the people I had met and recommended to me who would really help me. I also had multiple professionals give me their direct line and told me they had respect for me as a student reaching out to them and trying to get to know them better and offered to help me out with jobs or advice whenever I needed it.

4. Find out of the box ways to meet people. One of the best things you can do is just reach out to industries and people that you are interested in getting to know better and let them know your sincere desire to connect and learn from them. Most people have respect for this and will schedule meeting with you or take the time to talk to you. Start reaching out to people that you are interested in TODAY!

Utilizing social media is so important yet it is something that is commonly overlooked. Try to work on having using one of the three above more consistently and then slowly build and add each social media platform.

1. Linkedin. The beauty of Linkedin is that it's the "new" resume. Linkedin is starting to become more credible then a paper resume. If you do not have a Linkedin, make one right now, then set aside time each day to add revisions to it. Thing that you should do with your Linkedin is add samples of your work experience and to get recommendations from those that you meet or from peers or colleagues that you work with. There is lots I could say about this medium, but check it out and get started! It might seem overwhelming but it is so worth it. Tailor your profile to who you are and your work/educational experiences. I know you can do it, you just have to try! I guarantee you will get out what you put into it. I didn't start working on my Linkedin until the past several months and I am very pleased with where it is today.
2. Twitter. With Twitter find a way to brand yourself. For example, the three things I tweet about are: 1) genuine conversations of trying to get to know followers or reach out to others. 2) Inspirational quotes, live tweeting school classes/meetings, and information from my textbooks. 3) Interesting news stories pertinent to my industry. It's important to have a brand for yourself so people know what to expect for your tweets. To build followers, follow people in similar demographics who have tweeted within the last 24 hours, you can follow up to about 100 people per day. You will have a good return rate of followback and can slowly build up your Twitter following.
3. Blogger/Wordpress/Personal Webpage. A blog is a great way to expound and go into detail of your thoughts, accomplishments and work experiences. You can then sync your blog posts to your Twitter and Linkedin accounts. 

This may seem overwhelming but I know you can do it, it's important to be on social media platforms setting a reputation for yourself, especially in the communication industry.

I cannot stress how important it is to stand out! Be you, don't try to be someone else. And especially don't try to win over people by not being yourself. If individuals or companies don't like you for you, check them off of your list and move on. Don't throw your money into the gutter by pursuing people who aren't receptive to yourself. It's very easy to get discouraged with trying to stand out, but as long as you try to be yourself you can't go wrong. This is an example of the business card I used for the conference. They were completely different from other business cards, but I thought it synced very well to my personality. We are all different, remember something that is good or beneficial for me, may not be beneficial for you. We are all unique, you need to utilize your differences, they make up who you are, when you stand out--people remember you.

I then played a video recap of our trip for the class. Click here to see the video. 

After the trip, my tips for students would be to follow the ABC's. Apply, Believe, Cultivate!

Apply for opportunities, even if you don't get the opportunity--you will have the experience of applying, getting rejected and you'll get better. You will also learn to appreciate the times you are successful with applying for opportunities. As of late, I've had fairly good luck with this concept.

For applying for the grant provided by UVU to go to the PRSSA National Conference, I was a journalism student and was not very involved in the PR department whatsoever at the university. I was surprised and dumbfounded upon being selected. Being selected for the trip ultimately lead and guided me down a path that I never would of pursued otherwise! After being selected for the trip, I was also offered an opportunity of a lifetime to join a small class where we work on teams to accomplish serious tasks and challenges. Upon these two things happening, it ultimately lead to me changing my major to public relations and my overall career path. 

Try to keep an open mind when applying for opportunities. I applied for the opportunity to be a live blogger for the PRSSA National Conference and I was selected out of a high value of applicants to live blog the session with Entertainment PR and Warner Bros. (You can read what I wrote, here) I honestly, did not think I would be picked, but when you apply for things, people might notice the gold within you that you may not see yourself.

I really like this picture. This is from the movie, Monsters University. In the movie, the lead character Mike Wazowski takes the heat and belittlement from other people that he will never be the a professional scarer because he is not scary. However, during the entire movie, it shows Mike working his tail off to study and accomplish his dreams. One of my favorite quotes I was told from a valued Journalism professor of mine, Scott Carrier. "The best type of revenge is good work."It's not good to be vengeful but it is good to believe in yourself. Believing in yourself is not something that happen overnight, and it is hard sometimes to stay up beat in a depressing world where people are prone to judging and hurting one another. 

You have to remember, the great thing about the Communication industry, whether or not you are a PR student is that it is all about relationships. Being genuine and being good to people. There's not merit in being mean to each other, or throwing your peers under the bus. Do you best to build yourself and others up, this in return will help raise in your confidence and in return aid to you believing in yourself. Remember, with this industry, you get out what you put into it.

Lastly, cultivate your future! If there's one thing I want you to takeaway from this entire presentation is a reminder that you are more than capable and you can start paving a path for yourself today. Stop waiting, get out there and chase your dreams. When you work hard and try to do your best, people will see that and will do their best to help you.

If you have any questions about this presentation or would like permission to use it, please contact me at emilynicoline@gmail.com

Post Conference: Our Chapter's Responsibilities After We Return Home

If you did not read the post about all of the preparations we have to make prior to the conference, click here.

UVU PRSSA in Times Square, New York City after the 2013 PRSSA National Conference in Philadelphia.

Since the UVU PRSSA Chapter attends the PRSSA National Conference on a grant, they have particular requirements they must accomplish prior, during, and post trip to receive a grade and school credit for the trip.

Thank You Cards

We send thank you cards to almost everyone you can think of! We send them to the conference committee and PRSSA headquarters, and most importantly we send thank you letters to those from the school who believe in us and contribute and support the grant money that we received. We thank them for their efforts and explain to them how we benefitted from the conference. We also are recommended to send personal thank you cards to others as we feel necessary. I've spent a lot of money on postage! I've sent out all of our required thank you cards, (funny that it's required because it feels right to thank people for such efforts). I'm still in the works of writing thank you's to people who I personally met and networked with.

Presentation of What We Learned

After the conference we share the love! Each conference attendee is required to attend two communications classes and give a ten minute presentation about what they learned and took away from the conference. (Click here to see my presentation) This is a great idea, because not only are we able to share the excitement of the conference, but students are able to benefit from the conference although they were not able to attend, this also helps increase interest in the Public Relations Program at Utah Valley University.

Video & Written Essay

We are required to put together a a 3-5 minute video about our experience at the conference. (You can see my video by clicking here) We each are required to write a report summarizing how the communication field experience of attending the conference has helped us do the following:

1) Connect classroom discussion to real-world application

2) Identify career possibilities available in various communication fields

3) Demonstrate improved strategic skills in research, relationship development, application of knowledge and creative problem solving.

I'm currently working on this paper, but I will link it to my blog and this post once it is finished.

Attendees of 2013 PRSSANC From UVU PRSSA

Connect with Us!

Here is a list of the students from UVU PRSSA that attended the 2013 PRSSA National Conference. I've listed their contact information, click on the links to be directed to their Linkedin pages, Twitter, etc. They are amazing students and love to connect with others!

Heather Clegg 

Linkedin | Twitter

Katelyn Gallagher

Linkedin | Twitter

 

McKenzie Haggard 

Linkedin | Twitter

Ashley Jewell 

Linkedin | Twitter

Janessa McNeill 

Linkedin | Twitter

Valerie Mendoza 

Twitter

Priscilla Silva 

Linkedin | Twitter

Emily Nicoline (me)

Linkedin | Twitter

Faith Tusieseina 

Brief Bio of Faith

Sydney Tycksen

Linkedin | Twitter

Henry Cevera

Linkedin | Twitter

Zach Dearing 

Linkedin | Twitter

Bryan Dowdy 

Linkedin | Twitter

Hamlet Gordillo 

Linkedin | Twitter

Steven Jenkins 

Linkedin | Twitter

Andrew Lord 

Linkedin | Twitter

Reagan Nickl

Linkedin | Twitter

Eric Serdar

Twitter

 

Digital Marketing: Three Pillars of Internet Marketing

These are notes taken during my Digital Marketing Class with Professor Huff at Utah Valley University.

The Three Pillars of Internet Marketing: Traffic, Conversion, AOV (Average Order Value)

All of these business models rely on traffic, the more traffic, the better. 

Mathematical equation to value price of visitors via internet/e-commerce: 

1,000 visitors * 1% CR * $50 AOV = $500

What's the value of a 20% increase?

1,200 visitors * 1.0% CR * $50 AOV = $600

Another Example

1,200 visitors * 1.2% CR * $50 AOV = $720

"There are three levels we can pull here, visitors, conversion rate, and average order value. We need to optimize all three levels, it will equal a much larger pay off."

Question 1: Are You Maximizing Traffic?

Look at the sources of your web-trafficking  Is it search engines, referring sites (like backlinks), and direct traffic. When using google analytics, they will color code things differently and will color the largest traffic source in blue. 

Is it better to have more traffic to your webpage through search engines or direct traffic? 

Search Engines: Good SEO's look for over 60% of your traffic coming from search. This shows that the business is growing. 

Direct Traffic: If most traffic is coming from direct, it means that your search is suffering. You want to try to get your search number for web traffic to 60%. 

Question 2: Do You Convert?

Question 3: What's a Visitor Worth?

Case Studies: White Canyon Software

Background: This software erases information completely from computers, it can also retrieve information that has been deleted from computers. It's a secure software and writes over memory information 6-8 times, making it hard to retrieve. 

"Please help us increase our sales" -White Canyon Software

1. What Data Do You Need?

-Target Market

-Current Sales

Current Company Info: Traffic is 7,000 visitors p/mo, 0% on Pay Per Click, 5% SEO

2.5% Conversion, $40.60 AOV, 99 WipeDrives @ $40 for every WipeDrivePRO @ $100

Which lever do you pull? Traffic, conversion, or AOV? 

They have a good conversion rate, so the only two levers we could utilize is Traffic and AOV. 

You can increase AOV by changing prices, promoting WipeDrivePRO, or by driving pay per click to AOV WipeDrivePro for a landing page. 

How Internet Marketing Firm Approached the Case

Goal 1: Increase Traffic/Visitors

$1,500 PPC Campaign: 10,000 new visitors

10,000 visitors *2.5 CR * $40.60 AOV = $10,150 More p/mo

Goal 2: Increase AOV 

Comparison Chart: Why upgrade to PRO?

Ratio from 99:1 to 65:35

Revenue = 17,000 visitors *2.5 CR *$61 AOV = $25,925 p/mo

Email

SPAM: The Terminology Spam, Comes from the Monty Python Skit about Spam. 

One of the users of the system of the ARPANET sent a message to multiple people at one time in the 1970's. "Sorry about the Spam," people started using the term, calling mass emails as SPAM. 

Misconceptions of Email Marketing: 

Is it E-mail, e-mail, email, or Email? It originally started as E-mail. The E stands for electronic. As E-mail became more common in the our language, it evolved to e-mail. As of a couple years ago, the AP Styleguide said that e-mail needs to be changed to email due to the extra effort of writing the hyphen. When referring to email, out of the four different writings email is best.