Part 3  (5 through 1)

5.  Working for the Cavs PR Department in 2002-03, and being able to work with broadcasting legend Joe Tait.  He couldn’t have been any nicer to me on road trips, and went out of his way to take me to breakfast before shoot arounds.  I love the way he called the game and hearing his stories and point of view on life in the NBA was priceless.

Part 2  (10 through 6)

10.  Working a NASCAR race at Phoenix International Raceway.  Although it was more than a little bit exhausting to wake up at 4 a.m. for early morning live shots  and accommodate various television requests at the track, this was an amazing experience I never thought I’d be a part of.  Seeing a NASCAR race from a fan’s perspective was a unique experience it itself, but the behind-the-scenes viewpoint was even more interesting as I helped coordinate truck tours, driver appearances and media interviews w/ JJ Yeley, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  plus guest appearances with John McCain & Larry Fitzgerald.  The irony was, we drove everyone around the track in a golf cart.

9. Working various red carpet events at NBA All-Star Games.  In a slightly different role from my normal locker room/team-specific media relations role, I helped on the entertainment side of things at NBA All-Star Games in Las Vegas, New Orleans, Phoenix and Dallas, greeting the celebrities as they arrived and monitoring the media interviews along the red carpet.  Some of my favorites to come through the VIP entrance were Cameron Diaz, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Adam Levine and Prince.

8.  Working as a Pac-10 PR Assistant at the 2000 Rose Bowl and having my family attend the game as well as the Tournament of Roses Parade and various festivities.  It was very early on in my career and it left a big impression on me to be in the press box, on the field and interviewing players like Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne after the game.

7.  Creating a press event for WNBA coaches, general managers and executives at the 2005 Women’s Final Four in Indianapolis to capitalize on the gathering of women’s basketball media.  The event served as a precursor to the WNBA taking its annual college draft to the site of the Women’s Final Four.  Later on,  I continued working these draft events as one of the league’s PR officials, and played a role in helping to manage Candace Parker’s whirlwind and much-hyped entry into the WNBA.

6.  Working for the Charlotte Sting and Charlotte Bobcats – beginning in 2003 – in an “expansion” atmosphere where everything had to be done from scratch due to the changing ownership of the franchise.  It was a combination of countless hours, an extremely limited staff, unrealistic expectations and added responsibilities, but very fun and rewarding to see the teamwork and hard work pay off.  It was a great experience with a lot of great people despite so many frustrations.

For the past 2 ½ months, I have been teaching a sports marketing class once a week at Lake High School.  I wasn’t sure what to expect in teaching a bunch of high school sophomores, but it turned out to be a very positive experience for everyone involved.  I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone and found something else I really enjoy doing.

The program, initiated and arranged by Junior Achievement, had not yet been taught with a focus on sports marketing here in Stark County.  And I had never taught in a formal classroom setting before…just small groups or coaching environments.  But by going in with an open mind, the ability to be flexible and a helpful teacher in Suzanne Goebelt, things got off to a good start.  I was able to relate my career and real-world experiences as the weeks progressed, and I think the students appreciated the examples and scenarios I presented. 

It was my job to prepare a lesson plan each week to instruct the class about compiling a business plan for a unique product or service.   Each group had to assign a CEO, COO and VP of Marketing and play those roles.  We discussed all the components of an effective business plan, putting special emphasis on the marketing functions.  In the end, four groups “invented” a new product and prepared an overview presentation of their plan and how they would promote the product.  All the groups really got into it and became very creative when it came to designing a logo and print ad. 

One of the best parts was observing the small group discussions (some of which turned to debate), giving helpful hints and even hearing a few of the students comment that they will sign up for more marketing classes as juniors and seniors.  It was fun and enjoyable to lead the class, and although I was warned that this sophomore group might not be very talkative or interactive, I found the group to be interested, innovative and appreciative. 

Ano kayang mangyayari sa akin pagdating ko sa Amerika?

This was one of the many thoughts racing through my head as I rode a Northwest 747 for the first time as a 15-year-old Filipina. I wondered, “What’s waiting for me out there?” Born and raised in the Philippine Islands, I left the comforts of my homeland because I yearned to experience the America portrayed in the movies I watched while growing up. I came as an exchange student, but after a year passed by, I went back to my home country not realizing I was meant to return to Ohio and establish my life. 

Here I am in 2011, working for an ad agency that I’ve been with for almost 7 years. I had to recount a couple times, but yes, that’s correct – it’s almost been 7 years! I’m utterly amazed. Time does seem to fly as you get older but looking back, “growing up” in a culture different from your own was not and still is not a walk in the park. I’ve adapted quite well but as we all know, learning is an on-going process especially when it comes to American slang and how things operate. Here are a few things I’ve come to discover while living and working here in the States (that’s our Tagalog slang word for this country): 

How are you doing? does not really ask what the question asks. I used to find this so bizarre (and I still do) because people who ‘asked’ me this question never stopped long enough to find out how I was doing. They usually just keep walking! I finally concluded it’s more of a greeting than a sincere inquiry of your current well-being. So why not just greet me with a Hi or a Hello?

We should get together sometime! does not mean you should wait for their phone call. When I was an exchange student, I wished to build many friendships. So every time an acquaintance would say that, I would get excited and wait for them to call but to no avail. Eventually, I realized the initiative could come from me as well or… I needed to read between the lines. The person could’ve just been trying to be polite and didn’t know how else to end the conversation.

First name basis with your boss is acceptable (and at times, preferable). This one took me a long time to get used to. In the Philippines, anyone older than you needs to be acknowledged with a title or a designation before their name as a sign of respect. No exceptions. In the American culture, however, it’s situational even in corporate America nowadays. It seems like a title is used mostly for people who are significantly older than you or… if someone is a doctor.

Yes means yes? In the Asian culture, it’s very common to respond or acknowledge a conversation by saying ‘yes’ – but it doesn’t necessarily mean, “Yes, I accept” or “Yes, that’s correct.” It usually means, “Yes, I acknowledge that you’re speaking.” This is a common occurrence between my husband and me that often results to frustration due to miscommunication.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Filipinos are often mahiyain or very shy and bashful. At the beginning of my student exchange, I often got lost going from one class to the other and was too afraid to ask for directions. After all, who asks where their next class is? Especially in the business world, I’ve learned that asking questions – the right questions – helps me be proactive and work efficiently.

This is, by far, everyone’s all-time favorite. After my student exchange, I returned home only to come back to U.S. in 2000 to attend Kent State University. I met a guy and we went out on a few dates, but he was in and out of the picture. We finally had “the talk” and he said, “I want to keep my options open.” I didn’t understand what that meant (again, I was too afraid to ask questions) but when I never saw him again, I eventually understood.

As I said earlier, learning the American culture is an ongoing process. Every time I hear phrases or idiomatic expressions that are foreign to me, I’m no longer afraid to ask what it means. If anything, it gives me an opportunity to chuckle at the English language. For instance, I heard “dead ringer” used in a sentence yesterday. Boy, I’d like to find out where that originated because that does not translate exact replica to me!

Actually, I did … just before I undertook my first professional logo design project.  My idea was to make something snappy and beautiful in about one hour.  My boss had a different idea.  He thought a logo should capture the personality of the client and the attention of casual viewers.  He also felt it should be memorable, simple, direct and express how a company is different from its’ competitors.  I could quickly see that there was more to this than I had learned in school.   Thankfully I learned a process that I still use until this very day.  A recent branding project we undertook for Rea & Associates brought the lessons back to mind.

Develop a “Design Brief”:  A concise document based on interviews with the client to make sure everyone is on the same page. 

Research:  There’s a lot of intuition involved in the process, but it sure helps to have some facts … that lead to insights … that lead to good, well-grounded design intuitions.

Reference:  No design springs up from an empty pond.  I always spend a good deal of time looking at logo designs that have been successful, current styles and trends related to the Design Brief.

Sketching and Conceptualizing: Here’s where you add a dash of creativity to everything you’ve gathered in the Design Brief, research and gathering of reference materials.  In fact, rather than a dash of creativity add a full shot … make it a double.

Reflection: An important part of the creative process is be a judge.  You have to step back, take a break, gather feedback and renew your enthusiasm.  Remember that sometime soon you will have to present this idea and you want to make sure you’ve looked at your design from all angles.

Presentation:  Depending on the situation, you may decide to present only one design or a variety.  One hard lesson I have learned is to never present a logo that you don’t fully believe in.  If there’s one bad one in the group, you can bet your bottom dollar that will be the one chosen.  Happens every time.  There are still logos I’ve designed that make me grimace every time I see them.   And I see them often.

Celebration:  Drink beer.  Eat chocolate.  Sleep in late.  Start on your next project. 

Part 1  (15 through 11)

15.  Working Xavier men’s basketball games when I was student assistant in the sports information office (from 1997-99). The games were at the old Cincinnati Gardens, but the atmosphere and excitement were big-time and most likely set my career path in motion without me truly realizing it.

14.  Volunteering as a PR intern for the 1999 Women’s College Cup…just one year removed from my own playing career…It was fun to help publicize women’s soccer, interview the players and be around the best-of-the-best when North Carolina, Notre Dame, Santa Clara and Penn State competed for the NCAA Championship in front of 14,000 fans in San Jose, CA.

13.  Helping organize a send-off luncheon in San Francisco that featured keynote speaker Robin Roberts to honor the 2008 Women’s Basketball National Team as they left for the Olympic Games in Beijing. The luncheon followed a week of training sessions at Stanford, where I was lucky enough to help USA Basketball’s communications staff manage media interviews and television appearances for players and coaches.

12.  Returning to my hometown after being away for 15 years, getting involved with my high school’s girls basketball team and seeing the team win a league title for the first time since I was in high school. Simply getting to know the impressive student-athletes and seeing them succeed was the best part, and after my many years of working in professional sports, it was refreshing & rewarding to witness teamwork and effort pay off for a memory – though insignificant to most people – that will last those players a lifetime. I enjoyed the experience so much that I continue to stay involved with the team and attempt to learn how to be a coach. (GO BEES!)

11.  Working the 2008 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans. Specifically, participating alongside Yao Ming, American Idol’s Taylor Hicks and other celebrities as a part of “NBA Cares Day” in order to help the re-building process in various New Orleans neighborhoods after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.