Be Bold & Do You

Deanna McKinley: (Proper Noun) - one of the most talented & young Accredited Public Relations (APR) females in the public relations field today. A combination of Eddie Murphy’s humor and Beyoncé Knowles confidence with a splash of sass and savoir-faire. Related Adjectives: Talented, Experienced, Efficient, Intelligent, Creative, Trustworthy & Respectable. See Also: Frito-Lay, Public Relations.

This past Wednesday, Deanna McKinley enlightened my Dallas Communication Leaders class with information and stories about her experience in the Public Relations field. Her strait forward and down-to-earth presentation revealed a side of PR “that your Public Relations teacher never told you,” as she so eloquently put it. Ms. McKinley is currently a Public Relations expert at the Frito-Lay Company here in Dallas, TX. She is approaching her 5-year anniversary with Frito-Lay and let me tell you, she knows her stuff.

Among many other topics, Ms. McKinley addressed the essentials for being successful in Public Relations. There was a common theme she touched on that has really resonated with me. While in college at Florida A&M, she was originally an English major because she wanted to be a teacher. During her internship as a student teacher, she concluded that teaching was not the direction for her. This decision lead her to a Public Relation major; she credits her silly-side and the Nutty Professor for this decision.

“Being Silly- The best decision I have ever made in my Life”

Amidst the laughter of my fellow classmates, I realized she was onto something. Ms. McKinley’s larger-than-life personality was evident that she made the right decision to be in Public Relations. “Be bold and do you,” she told us. It is important to do what is best for you because you can’t fail when you are “doing you” and doing what you love.

I really admire Ms. McKinley’s passion for her profession. Ms. McKinley is a Frito-Lay advocate like no other. “We’ve had so much fun- I have no regrets,” and Frito-Lay is lucky to have her on their team. If I learned anything from Ms. McKinley, it was to not lose sight of who you are… keep life fun and be smart about it- do what is best for you. No matter how tough life get’s, keep your head held high and know there is a light at the end of the tunnel- Life is too short to not laugh and have fun.

How to immediately get on Deanna’s good side:

Give her Salt & Vinegar chips

Set her up with Matt Lauer

Give her MAC lip glass

Acknowledge her APR

** Look for her at the Prince Concert in NYC in February!

The Bug Must Grow Up!

I’d like to tell you about a little girl known to most as “the Bug”. Let me just say, the Bug was not your average towheaded youngster; she had more energy and sass than anyone you would ever know. The Bug saw the world as her oyster and the glass was always half-full. She lived with a thumbs-up mentality and having cold feet was never an option. She was a social butterfly, and yes, the Bug was quite the talker. She could talk to anyone about almost anything. School was never really her thing- she saw it as a means to pass the time while she waited to grow up.

Growing up, the Bug went from wanting to be a Disney princess, to a nurse, to a teacher- Don’t most young girls want to at some point? In middle school, she wanted to be a fashion designer or a retail buyer like her mom (a “professional shopper” as her dad would joke).

When it came time to look at colleges, she was faced to address what she wanted to do when she grew up. Grow up? Already? It’s already time to grow up? She had never really found her niche in this thing called school, but she did know a few things. 1) She wanted to do something that made her happy, 2) something that made others happy, 3) and she wanted to make a difference.

It was her spring 2010 semester at SMU when she finally discovered what she wanted to do with her life. She was taking Corporate Communication and Public Affairs (CCPA) classes, one focusing on research, the other on strategic communication. These classes actually excited her and lead her to be passionate about school for the first time ever. Before this, she was just going to school because she had to and now she was going to school because she wanted to. She enjoyed them so much, they didn’t seem like classes- to her, they were the first steps in starting the rest of her life. These classes required constructive and strategic communication, planning, research and creativity- this was more her style.

There was one particular assignment that required her to contact a communications-related expert in the Dallas area and conduct an interview to learn about their profession. The Bug set up an interview with Sandy Marple, the Vice President for Special Events at Neiman Marcus. Among other information about Special Events, Mrs. Marple told her that: it requires enthusiasm, patience, creativity and excitement- Check! It should be fun and you should feel good about it- Check! To make friends and get along with everyone- Check! You have to be able to communicate well with all types of people- Check!

After meeting with Mrs. Marple, the Bug had an epiphany.  She knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life, there was no doubt in her mind; the Bug wanted to be a Special Events Coordinator. She had discovered a career that embodied everything she has ever wanted in a profession and more.

So, if you haven’t figured it out by now, I am the Bug- Katie Bug that is! Since my meeting with Mrs. Marple, I have continued with my CCPA classes and grown more enthusiastic and driven to be a Special Events Coordinator. Mrs. Marple and my CCPA teachers have helped me to find my passion and now, it is my turn to act upon it. As a Special Events Coordinator, I will be able to utilize the experience and knowledge I have gained in my CCPA classes. My communications knowledge will be the foundation in transforming ideas into reality.  I want to bring visions to life and transform a something into an everything. Making others happy will make me happy and if I am able to do this, then I know I will make a difference!