Bryon Riesch

Bryon Riesch is an exceptional man.  Most people that would go through the pain and traumatic events he has would not have such a positive outlook on life.  When Bryon spoke to our tactics 2 class he started out his presentation saying, "I woke up this morning, I didn't know how I was going to carry on," he then held a dramatic pause and finished with, "what people must think, a man going bald before 40."  This statement shows the type of man that Bryon Riesch is.  He is an optimist.  Bryon had everything going for him.  He was tall, athletic, had  to many friends to count, people could make a case to be envious of the man.  Then it all changed one night.  Bryon was a freshman at Marquette University and he was at a party.  From his sports background Bryon received quite a competitive nature about himself.  There was a slip and slide and Bryon could not resist a challenge.  He took his approach and took a dive.  From that moment on Bryon's life would change drastically forever.  He injured his cervical spine and became paralyzed fromt the waist down.  Bryon was in the hospital for months and felt like giving up.  His parents were there every step of the way, his dad is the one that he credits reborn his life.  His father asked Bryon if he still could make a difference.  From that day forward, Bryon decided to show that competitive nature he possess and make a difference.

Bryon eventually recovered from his injury and was released from the hospital.  He then had to overcome his biggest obstacle yet, going back to school.  People he thought were his friends suddenly didn't call Bryon or ask him to hang out, simply because he was now in a wheel chair.  Bryon is disable there is no getting around that, but that did not dull his mind or work ethic.  He went on in the presentation to state that he created the Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation to assist others that were and are experiencing the same difficulties on a daily basis that he does himself.

I had no idea what to expect when Bryon first walked in the room.  His first impression was a very calm, quite man who was in a wheel chair.  There is nothing around the fact that he is.  As the presentation went on however, I feel like I really connected and created a bond with Bryon.  His sense of humor was phenomenal and extremely entertaining.  He provided insights on the physically handicapped populations that surround each of us on a daily basis.  I was always raised to never treat someone who was different than me, no matter how they are different, any different than someone who is similar to me.  Bryon only reassured this moral.  He explained that paraplegics can pretty much accomplish anything they put their mind to.  There are ways to adapt and overcome their disability and they can go on to lead normal lives.  His story is nothing short of 100% inspiring.  Please take the time to explore the Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation website.  It will be worth your time!

If you connect with Bryon on linkedin, make sure that you also join the linkedin group.  It will provide motivation for you to go out and make a difference on a daily basis!

Managing Social Media in HealthCare

I'm always opened to new ideas and concepts that come into my life on a daily basis.  Something that has been quite active in my life for the past two years is Public Relations.  With that being said, my true love is the health field, thus why I want to become a full-time firefighter.  This being said, when I discovered that Trish Skram was presenting her livelihood to our Tactics 2 class, I was thoroughly excited. 

Skram is an alum of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she graduated with a double major in Marketing and Speech Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations.  Skram's journey into the health field promotion industry was not a line of work she foreseen herself working in.  As she said in class however, everything happens for a reason and she's glad her journey led her to wear she is today.  In college Skram started dabbling in the blogging arena.  She has come a long way since her first post and this is evident through her own blogging website Trish Skram.  Today, Skram works for Mercy Health Systems in Janesville, WI as the social media manager.  She also is a beat writer for the Janesville Gazette, as well as obtaining the occasional freelance assignment.  In a nut shell, Trish Skram is the definition of a hard worker. 

I especially enjoyed Skram's presentation for the simple fact that she does Public Relations work in the health field.  Following her on twitter @trishskram.  Specifically I hope to make a connection with her to better my career resume.  We discussed the possibility of a communications intern position with the Janesville fire department.  She gave great advice and I would recommend and young enthusiastic person who is seeking a way to beat their competition to contact Skram.  Email her at trishskram@gmail.com

Updated Thoughts

Today in Tactics 2 our class had the privilege of listening to guest speaker Amy Paul.  Paul is a recent UW-Whitewater graduate who now works in Milwaukee for Milwaukee City Executives Office.  Some of her chief responsibilities include: social media management, writing press releases and media advisories, monitoring media coverage, and update information that is put on the counties website.  Paul also plans major events that are sponsored through the county.  Events of this magnitude include the 10th anniversary remembrance event for Sept. 11th and the tree lighting ceremony around Christmas time.  Paul gave a lot of great advice about PR throughout her presentation, however the piece of advice that stuck the most was from the question I asked.  As I have previously state I am going to be a firefighter post graduation, so I do not plan to use any of the PR skills acquired in college post graduation.  I asked Paul if she had any advice for transitioning from the college life to the real world.  Paul's advice consisted of preparing yourself for the real world by being busy your last year of college.  Live a "professional" lifestyle instead of sleeping until noon, like you are able to do in college.  I thoroughly enjoyed her presentation and would recommend any PR student at Whitewater to outreach to her.

Since my original post earlier this week, I have had the opportunity to read what other classmates of mine felt about Amy Paul.  I am confident in saying that most of us took the same core values out of her presentation.  The drive and determination that Paul discussed throughout is a quality that inspired most of us.  Her work for the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11th was bone chilling.  I would again strongly recommend any PR student who wants firm, concrete examples of success and a strong work ethic to contact with Amy Paul!

Do so by following her on Twitter or send her an email at amypaul.webs.com 

Even look at her work with the admirals for some inspiration!

Amy Paul Guest Speaker

Today in Tactics 2 our class had the privilege of listening to guest speaker Amy Paul.  Paul is a recent UW-Whitewater graduate who now works in Milwaukee for Milwaukee City Executives Office.  Some of her chief responsibilities include: social media management, writing press releases and media advisories, monitoring media coverage, and update information that is put on the counties website.  Paul also plans major events that are sponsored through the county.  Events of this magnitude include the 10th anniversary remembrance event for Sept. 11th and the tree lighting ceremony around Christmas time.  Paul gave a lot of great advice about PR throughout her presentation, however the piece of advice that stuck the most was from the question I asked.  As I have previously state I am going to be a firefighter post graduation, so I do not plan to use any of the PR skills acquired in college post graduation.  I asked Paul if she had any advice for transitioning from the college life to the real world.  Paul's advice consisted of preparing yourself for the real world by being busy your last year of college.  Live a "professional" lifestyle instead of sleeping until noon, like you are able to do in college.  I thoroughly enjoyed her presentation and would recommend any PR student at Whitewater to outreach to her.

The Last First Day of School

After reflecting on the first week of classes of my senior year in college, I'm torn on what to make of it.  Going to an institution of higher learning was always a goal of mine and I accomplished that goal.  However, it never crossed my mind that I would actually feel remorse on my last first day of school.  My mom actually wanted me to send her a picture on my cell phone, so she could see me on this special day.

I guess it is a fact of life that all must good things come to an end.  This is especially true with my college career.  I have met so many friends that I will be close with for the rest of my life.  I will make the greatest number of memories that I can this year, because they will last me a life time!

Initiating the conversation

The interesting aspect of PR to me is the how communication is initiated.  Being a PR professional can range in tasks that dip into the marketing waters of corporate america or that deal with a small town community park system.  Communication is evident in an task in PR, the difference is how each form of communication starts.  I will discuss briefly on three videos of interviewed alumni from UW-Whitewater who are now in the "real world."

Lynnette Hulgan discusses her job duties and much of what relates back to PR and event planning.  I think it's interesting to see how communication plays a crucial role in the success of her business endeavors.  Sending out the various communication tools that PR professionals use is the first form of communication.  To understand the passion she has for PR watch the full video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax1agT4OOHc

Jenna Darling explains how social media is becoming the new trend for PR professionals.  The basic principles of communication still apply but with social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, the masses feel the message is personally directed toward them.  To gain some insight on the new trends watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yh2JwEuvn8

Brian Kohlmann is the definition of hard work paying off in the form of great success.  The intensity of his passion was recognized by a company in Lake Tahoe, California.  They presented him with a great honor of being a keynote speaker.  Communication was initiated through the client first this time, however Kohlmann communicated the proper skill set for the companies success.  To be inspired click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU6z0LJ9Qzg

Twitter 2

An emerging trend in today's society is social media. Along with this there are various different platforms upon which different social media has risen. Twitter is one such social media trend that has really impacted my life. I believe that Twitter is an effective marketing tool that allows important information readily available to the masses. Sportscenter for instance, posts on Twitter with breaking news stories. @SportsCenter A person that does not have the privilege of being in front of a television when these stories break can be kept up to speed with current events.
Twitter also allows an effective new form of communication. It allows for friends to update each other with the activities that go on throughout their day. The difference is that Twitter only offers 140 characters to get your message across. http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1902604,00.htmlTime is such a crucial element in today's business world. I mean that the quicker a job can be done, the better. That means more business opportunities. This is exactly what Twitter implies.
Celebrity athletes have often been seen as untouchable to the general masses. This stereotype is true, however I feel that it is wrong. Athletes are normal, everyday people just like the rest of America. Twitter allows just this. I follow Larry Fitzgerald on Twitter. @LarryFitzgeraldTwitter allows for me to see that Larry is more than just a football player. He wishes to be a better father, son and student of God. Twitter is an effective marketing tool and I feel that the three links I have shared will get you to agree with me!

The Real Deal

Two nights ago, February 22, I attended the BMA lightening round interview event hosted in Milwaukee. To be honest I wasn't in the best of moods on the way to the event. I didn't want to go because I had numerous other things that I could have been doing. But I went anyway and the car ride over put me in a good mood. Lee, Kati, Emily and I had good conversation and had a lot of fun. I'm familiar with Milwaukee but still decided to use a GPS in order to save time. This totally bit us in the ass because the GPS did not account for construction. We had to back track to the event and made it just in time. After checking in and being briefed on the evening ahead, I started with getting my resume reviewed. I thoroughly enjoyed this portion of the night because I received a lot of great input. Two professionals looked at my resume and they both said that my experience and involvement is second to none! I was very excited about this! Next was the speed interviews. A common theme throughout was that I was very outgoing and extremely confident/comfortable during the interview. One women used my answer to a question as a response for the rest of the students for the rest of the night. The social media presentation was informative but inspiring as well. It makes me feel really good about my efforts on social media so far. The pizza and brownies were the topping on a great evening. It was really refreshing to see a lot of people I know at Whitewater that are PR majors. It was also great to meet new faces! Y'all know who you are. :)

My life

For those of you out there who I have not had the opportunity to cross paths with, first let me introduce myself. My name is Trent Gerber and I attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. I am a junior Public Relations major Safety Minor with an emphasis in fire prevention. The aspiration of my life is to become a full-time firefighter and to help save the cherished gift of life. Some may ask why I would want to be a firefighter and, rightfully so may, why I am attending a four year university in order to do such. It's a simple answer to both questions. First I will address why I aspire to be a firefighter. My dad has been a volunteer for my hometown fire department for almost 32 years now. I grew up being down at the station for numerous things, whether it be a call or a truck check or simply to wash his gear. I was ALWAYS down at the fire station. Coming out of high school I knew I wanted to attend a four year university, so I put firefighting on the after burner. After doing some research I realized it was still possible to gear my degree toward firefighting, so that is where I am today. I want to become a full-time firefighter to save people. I always have gotten a rush when my dad’s pager would go off and a response was read over it. The adrenaline is second to none! I have played sports on the biggest of stages, performed a solo in front of thousands of people and have even jumped out of a plane at 14,200 feet above the earth! Knowing that any call I could be the reason that someone lives or that their house doesn’t burn down, well to me that’s the greatest type of success in the world! Please do me the honor of following me!

Myself and PR

For those of you out there who I have not had the opportunity to cross paths with, first let me introduce myself.  My name is Trent Gerber and I attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.  I am a junior Public Relations major Safety Minor with and emphasis in fire prevention.  The aspiration of my life is to become a full-time firefighter and to help save the cherished gift of life.  Some may ask why I would want to be a firefighter and ,rightfully so may, why I am attending a four year university in order to do such.  It's a simple answer to both questions.  First I will address why I aspire to be a firefighter.  My dad has been a volunteer for my hometown fire department for almost 32 years now.  I grew up being down at the station for numerous things, whether it be a call or a truck check or simply to wash his gear.  I was ALWAYS down at the fire station.  Coming out of high school I knew I wanted to attend a four year university, so I put firefighting on the after burner.  After doing some research I realized it was still possible to gear my degree toward firefighting, so that is where I am today.  Please do me the honor of following me!