Chrissy's Journey to Mastery

Christina is currently launching her own brand CREOLEDARLING, an outlet for self-publishing her work in a variety of mediums, offering her services as a freelance writer, and write/produce/star in her own web series titled Dear Diary. This year,...

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a blues for Nina

                  - Love Jones

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Mastery Journal Assignment

This month went by extremely fast. This course has prepared me for many things, mainly the completion of my capstone thesis paper that I have been working on over the past few months. I appreciate the style of assignments because it’s less overwhelming to break down the thesis in sections rather than to continuously have to rewrite a full paper for each course. The examples provided have been very helpful in showing the structure of what the thesis should look like. Being provided with detailed feedback and suggestions from my instructor has been extremely helpful in guiding me on how to successfully craft my paper for submission.

I truly enjoyed the discussion posts this course because it’s bittersweet that I am at the end of my academic journey and so are my peers whom I started with August of last year. Being able to support one another and offer suggestions and advice on our assignments was beneficial because it’s always nice to have an extra set of eyes to see your view from a different perspective. Our discussion posts were engaging and helpful to tasks that we will conduct in our future careers. The cover letter/pitch/resume assignment provided preparation and instruction on how to make our first point of contact with a company successful. Having the tools on how to create a clean and professional website is important, as well how to increase our SEO by utilizing tags and categories.

Overall, I feel better prepared for my future. I understand that I personally have a lot of room for improvement professionally, and the mistakes that I have made are easily fixable. I love that I am able to keep a lot of the material taught and have even saved my feedback and graded comments to use as a reference in the future. Lastly, I really appreciate instructor Sandra BK for all of her help and support because completing this program wasn’t easy, but knowing I had a knowledgeable and caring team of support behind me allowed me to persevere through the difficult times.

Thank you for the experience, I am truly grateful.

Best,

Christina

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#millennialswhotravel #chrissyPR #CapstoneMS

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Mastery Journal Assignment

This has been a really challenging month for me academically. I am facing so much personal adversity with losing family and changes at my job. It has taken a lot of my time away from school and studying which is really detrimental given I am at the end of my program.  I have chosen to keep going as I know that although I am disappointed in my current standing in the class, I have come a long way and attaining my degree is truly important to me and my kids.

 This month in my Online Media Room course, we focused on creating media pages for our capstone client. One that is reflective of all important company information such as business founding, research findings, metrics and analysis of gaining consumers, FAQ’s, press releases, media images and content, and more. In all, we are showcasing our journey with our capstone and the progression of our goals we originally set out for at the beginning of our master’s program.

 I truly enjoyed the discussion posts the most as it allowed me to converse and review/critique and receive great feedback from my peers. We all started this program together and have seen the growth in our work. We all have a common goal, which is to not only graduate, but to exceed our knowledge of Public Relations and use it to catapult our future in our desired industries.

 I have also taken away a lot of great lessons about inbound marketing, content strategy and marketing, designing effective content, and creating a productive media room for my client. All these lessons will assist me in being successful in my career endeavors. I have a lot of areas to improve in and have spotted them out. I know that presentation is everything in launching a successful business therefore; I am making strides in improving my work.

 I look forward to applying my learned knowledge to my work in the future.

 Best,

 Christina

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Mastery Journal Assignment -Crisis Communications

My favorite assignment in this course was the all of the discussion posts. I enjoyed touching on many different topics concerning company reputation. Out of the four, the one I probably enjoyed the most was week 1 topic. Researching a major brand like the Honest Company that was in hot water and facing to endure a tarnished  reputation was interesting. Then having the opportunity to break down how the company misinformed the public was fun. The listed readings provided were very informative and helped me grasp a better understanding of the assignments. I also loved being able to read my classmates perspectives on different companies or even similar material I chose to discuss. They gave me a lot of great feedback for my own capstone client.  

Out of the entire course topics discussed this month, the most helpful to me in my future PR endeavors will be Crisis Communication Plan. Whether I decide to embark on the entrepreneurship route or work for a corporation, having the knowledge on how to create a crisis communication plan is vital. Being prepared and having the necessary outline to delegate will always ensure I can act quickly and effectively should a crisis arise. I also believe having this information as a public relations professional makes me more of an asset as companies will see me as knowledgeable and PR savvy.

The knowledge I have obtained in this course will help me amongst other professionals within my industry and other industries because I will be able to function in diverse environments and assist with crisis and reputation management. I will be able to consult and advise on proper techniques and solutions to repair reputations, come up with creative strategies to draw the company’s audience back in, and lastly, I have the necessary tools and materials to be prepared in crisis situations.

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Event Marketing & Production Week 4 Assignment Mastery Journal

This course was amazing! I feel more prepared for live events within my professional career. I really enjoyed the assignment on the event proposal and the mock event. Being able to create a layout that correlates with a real life event is so helpful because we have hands on experience researching, scouting, and budgeting the event. And it’s a stress reliever because the pressure of having to actually cover or put on a live event is not present.

With the mock event for the webinar, it was fun being creative and coming up with a solid idea that would generate business to my client. I was able to dig deeper into reasons why consumers would be interested in doing business with my client and what they would truly gain from the experience. My peers gave me some really great feedback and allowed me to view things from a new perspective in which I appreciated.

Lastly, I enjoyed the pacing of the class. It wasn’t as stressful as it normally is for me. Although I was late on some assignments, I still felt less pressure. It is hard trying to retain all of the information and apply it to projects when you still trying to master it but the assignments were paced in a manner in which I could ease into them after reviewing the reading and lessons for the week.

As always, school is challenging and time is always overspent. I really appreciate Ginger because she meets us as students at the level we are at. She offers helpful feedback, constructive criticism when necessary, and makes herself available should we have any issues or concerns. Because she is passionate about being an educator she only wants us to succeed. In all three of the classes I have had the privilege of her being my instructor; I have had a wonderful experience and feel as though I gained the necessary knowledge to be successful in my field.

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Mastery Journal Assignment -  Market and Consumer Research Analysis

This course has truly met my expectations. I learned so much on how to narrow down my target market and the different aspects to analyze. With all information I gathered, I was able to gage a better understanding of my client, how to collect statistical data, and most importantly how narrowing your down your target audience enables you to market more effective. I am excited to implement the social media campaign designed to build my client’s audience. Although we are only focusing on one area for the campaign, I have assisted the client in rebranding her original business and narrowing her target audience by being more specific in the services she is providing, and I wrote her a new ‘About Us’ bio for the website. I revisited my SMART goals and shaped them to be more precise in what my goals are for my capstone and made them more realistic so that they are attainable. In regards to the capstone, it has really sunk in that our completion of the program is near. The thesis outline is truly a lifesaver from a student perspective. It is really informative and makes the process so much easier. The thesis is a little overwhelming because of all of the APA formatting which is writing standard, but is also tedious in catching all mistakes. With all of the valuable videos and lessons, I am able to not just apply this information professionally to my client’s projects, but to my own that I am currently working on. It will allow me to cut down costs on hiring someone to do these same services I am now doing. Lastly, I really enjoyed the discussion posts. It has been refreshing to be surrounded by individuals who are like me and aspire to do what they love. The thoughts, ideas, and research discussed have helped me in analyzing my own work, and have given me a new perspective on how I plan to approach my work.

Thank you for the experience Professor!

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Mastery Journal Assignment - Social Media Metrics

This course has truly taught me a lot of valuable things. I didn’t know anything about KPI’s although I was familiar with some of the process, I never thought prior to being a PR student that it was under the PR umbrella. This course gave me a better understanding of Google Analytics and how to set up a social media dashboard that would give me a scope of the metrics I wanted to solely focus on. I also got the opportunity to look at other businesses and research how they were able to build their social following which gave me ideas to apply to not only the projects I am contracted for, but also my own business. I learned about referrals, and clicks to conversion, and how to create S.M.A.R.T. goals. This knowledge will allow me to take more of an analytical approach to my current project that I will be doing my thesis on, and I will be able to used the applied knowledge to re-launch a book series and gage a whole new type of audience in the process.

 This course has had some challenges. When I initiated the set up for my own website with Google Analytics, and Kissmetrics, I was confused and didn’t have a lot of data to go off of. This taught me the importance of consistency and engaging content, which will convert to more referrals in the future.

 I also gained a better understanding of SEO and how with a good internet marketing strategy I can optimize my results and gain more organic and natural traffic to my website. I look forward to using this information to help build my overall following, to understand who my audience is and their behaviors, and to understand how to better engage with the public to increase my likes, comments, and shares.

 As always, this was a great experience and I look forward to what’s to come in this program.

 Best,

 Christina

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Mastery Journal Assignment

This course met my expectations because I was given an abundance of resources that will not only carry me throughout my master’s program, but through my journey as a PR specialist. I feel that it has really brought home the importance of critical thinking, and social strategy. Both of these skills are important in pubic relations because you have to know how to reach your audience, clientele, and present your service or product. We analyze different social platforms and discussed which one will be the drive of innovation and popular choice of future marketing. I was able to take in other perspectives from my peers and gain more insight in how I should be applying knowledge and tactics to my own personal brand. We were given so many resources to understand how to represent our brands, focusing on messaging that is impactful, to the point, and penetrating to our audience. We explored how to create content, what media functionalities are important for mobile devices when utilizing apps, and how to effectively communicate while bringing public awareness through our campaigns and marketing.

I will definitely apply the knowledge gained from this course personally within my own brand as I am building and soon launching, as well as professionally, through my work with clients. The learning materials in this course can be applied to all genres in business and will be essentials in understanding how to effective use social media to promote and market successfully. Building a strong campaign that will have the ability to resonate with viewers and captivate their interest into investing or at least engaging in your service or product is the foundation for your success and growth for your company. Having a sound idea of what platforms work best for your brand will allow you to effectively create buzz and organically gain public interest that is at the level of your consumers needs, wants, and skill set.

Thank you professor for such a great experience.   

Sincerely,

Christina

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Having some ME time before finishing my homework bring on mommy mode. 🌦🌧#sundayfunday #solo #brainstorming #redhead #creole #chrissyelaynepr #pr #publicrelations #prquotes #poet #writer #branding #socialmedia #instapr #coaching #creative #freelance #contentcreation #goals #aspire #metime #blessed

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The 5 W's and 1 H questions are the bases of all work in PR. These questions define the direction of your projects and help you having a better understanding of your client. #PR #publicrelations #chrissyelaynepr #branding #buzz #noteworthy #brainstorming #instapr #prquotes #WHO #WHAT #WHEN #WHERE #WHY #HOW #marketing #inspire #create #writer #freelance #poet #contentcreatiom #consulting #coaching

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Your path to success has endless possibilities and you take multiple directions to get there. It starts with you. With just faith as small as a mustard seed, huge blessings can be bestowed upon you. Know why you're in business and where you plan on taking it in the future. Plan appropriately, but make sure your actions supersede your planning. Cheers! #pr #publicrelations #chrissyelaynepr #boss #ideas #inspire #instapr #industry #integrity #dreamchaser #dreams #goals #writer #freelance #brainstorming #branding #contentcreation #coaching #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #creative #prquotes #path #faith #motivation

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#NoteToSelf: Your dreams, your goals, your vision is not for everyone else to understand, approve, or buy into. You will come across a lot of non believers, users, and fake business associates along your path. It's apart the industry. Don't let mishaps, setbacks, and misunderstandings deter your path. Keep striving towards your goals and watch your destiny unfold. Success is beautiful when you look back at the sacrifice it took for you to achieve it. Stay encouraged! #pr #prquotes #instapr #branding #brainstorming #chrissyelaynepr #poet #writer #coaching #contentcreation #freelance #entrepreneur #encouraged #evolve #noapologies #integrity #inspire #creative #aspire #dreams #dreamchaser #goals #setbacks #industry #boss

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Let's evolve together. 💕🌎 #pr #prquotes #publicrelations #chrissyelaynepr #ideas #inspire #instapr #motivation #encouraged #entrepreneur #creative #coaching #freelance #writer #poet #boss #millennial #growth #evolve #branding #brainstorming #change #noapologies

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At the end of the day my goal is to live out my dreams, but more importantly show my two little ones to always aspire for more. This world is so big and holds so much opportunity if you take the time to explore it. Never stop reaching for success. No matter how far the road may seem, patience and faith is the key to attaining all things impossible. #dreamchaser #dreams #pr #ideas #inspire #instapr #prquotes #passion #poet #writer #mommy #Creole #entrepreneur #publicrelations #branding #brainstorming #boss #talent #contentcreation #campaign #coaching #millennial #marketing #motivation #selfmade #myworld #encouraged #faith #patience

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In between recording my branding campaign I was able to be productive and deep clean my kitchen and whip up dinner for my love bugs. About to knockout some homework and chill for the rest of the night. Happy Saturday! 😎👧🏽👦🏾💁🏼 #saturday #prquotes #instapr #campaign #cooking #cleaning #pr #chrissyelaynepr #publicrelations #ideas #brainstorming #branding #coaching #whip #filetmignon #stringbeans #sauteedshrimp #sparklingcider #marketing #motivation #creative #aspire #boss #entrepreneur #passion #talent #writer #poet #contentcreation

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I love this quote. Sometimes you can get discouraged on your entrepreneurial journey when things get tough or go awry. But you have to put in perspective the thought of what type of brand you're building. Given this your blood, sweat, and tears, do want something reputable and worthy to withstand the constant competition or do want something makeshift and thrown together that won't make an impact or long lasting imprint in the industry? Take your time with the things that mean the world to you. Don't rush greatness. Allow your company to evolve into a thriving force. And don't forget to do it with integrity always. #chrissyelaynepr #pr #publicrelations #aspire #boss #millennial #entrepreneur #ideas #creative #contentcreation #coaching #branding #brainstorming #motivation #talent #marketing #integrity #instapr #prquotes