Sameria's Mastery Journal

Hello, my name is Sameria! I am a Fayetteville, NC native and I have been in the Public Affairs field for 10 years. I enjoy working for the military. I am having a blast being a mother, wife and career woman. I would describe myself just as the meaning of my name watch tower/ strong tower, I am an observer before I speak and value other's point of view just as much as my own. I am still forming many of my own points of view on different issues happening in this country and I am o.k. with that. You can find me on Facebook @sameriaZ Likes: -Gold Delicious Apples -Peanut Butter -Bacon Dislikes: -Litter -People who breath heavily on phone calls -When people try to fit me in their "box."

[sameriaz-blog]

Online Media Room

I look back on the slide created in my Mastery class my goals were to: Learn what a media room is, create and online media room and strengthen my social media skills. My strategies were: Explore the ins and outs of a media room, develop a webpage for a future personal business and watch a video titled ‘Watch How to Use Social Media in PR.’ I was able to accomplish all of my goals.

I learned many things from this course. I learned that I knew what an online media room was all along.  Matter of fact, I have been updating an online media room for the past three years and didn’t know media room was the official title. For my position, the web page is call a press center. Now I know the difference and various names that an Online Media Room can be called. The specific area that I updated was the new articles that were written by staff and things that were currently happening in the organization. This is another example of me taking this program and filling in the gaps of my career. I know in my heart of hearts that I did the right thing by applying to this school and sticking with the program.

As always, I am able to apply what I learn immediately to my work. The elements that are required to create a media room is what I learned from this course and even though I am not able to change the current site I update, due to organization policies, I will be able to take this with me to my next position and any business ventures. I have accepted a job in Korea and my husband and I have many ideas in creating a business with his business background and my PR back ground. When we come back to the states, we will be ready financially and have the educational background to succeed.

[sameriaz-blog]

Mic drop on this class, I'm out

Below are the goals and strategies that I crafted for my Reputation Management Strategies in the beginning stages of this program.

• Goal: Explore Department of Defense communication plans compared to civilian communication plans

• Strategy: Take material learned from Defense Information School and compare it to the teachings of this course to determine how similar the fields are

• Goal: Build a strong reputation in the PR community

• Strategy: Join various organizations and connect with peers in the field

• Goal: Find the best strategies used in reputation management

• Strategy: Watch Reputation Management Strategies & Tactics - Orange County, CA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyrNUYRTbOU

Now that I feel I am nearing the end of the program, I wonder how time has flown and how eager I am to finish. Every single class has given me tools that I have been able to apply right away. Unlike some, I am already in my field. I was able to gain experience before pursuing this program, and I think that helped me tremendously. How? I had plenty of people I could use to complete my assignments during work and then also use the assignments to publish at work. I have also noticed, any time I have gotten an undesirable grade, it has been because of my health: the flu, sick kids, or a stomach bug. That is something I did not consider as much, but I should have. I can see myself now sharing my transcript with a potential employer and I immediately say, “all the lower grades are because I was sick.” Sure, a likely story; even though they were all A’s. I work for the government and out of 36 military treatment facilities, I was recognized for the Outstanding Digital Media journalism award. I took exactly what I learned and applied it. I know without a doubt, had I not been in this program, I would still wonder what I was doing wrong or right. If I could explain this program for myself, I took it to fill in the gaps. With no mentor, what info was I missing? Why have I not had a true promotion (just step increases) in 8 years? This class and the program as a whole did that for me. If that’s not preparation, I don’t know what is. THANK YOU! I feel so empowered and armored with the right tools to be successful in my field. 

I got a promotion/new job and I will be moving to South Korea in June, my graduation month. So, hopefully, my grades don't  suffer because of my move.

Now, to my three goals. I accomplished all of them successfully.

Three most helpful pieces of information:

1)   Media relations shot sheet/video shooting- this assignment solidified my expertise. I felt so accomplished after completing it. I love video editing, but this was still a challenge.

2)   Research, research, research, is your best friend and the library. The literature was very helpful.

3)   Having a schedule to set aside time for class work was and is key.

Money well spent. I am going to enjoy my new adventures in Korea. If anyone is in the neighborhood, please feel free to stop by. :-)

[sameriaz-blog]

Three more classes to go

Life really throws curve balls at you to see how you react. I began to enjoy this class up to the webinar. Afterward I felt mentally drained. It was as sort of accomplished drained, so I was ok with it. Then came the flu, right at the end of the course. As I write this, I still await all the pressure in my head to go away, but I see the finish line. It is so close, I must move forward.  I came in this course totally fried (mentally) from the last. This was due to a different teaching style and the work load I had acquired from work during that time. I was nervous… a lot. In this class, my work load at work returned back to normal and the teaching style I was used to return, boy was I relieved.

I must say, I was ‘home’ in this class. I have planned a few events for myself, family and work, so it was easy for me to think through all the steps I needed in order to complete assignments. I enjoyed this class. I always apply what I learned directly to my job immediately. An example of that is using social media to promote an event through multiple posts and not just posting an event on a Facebook page.

I think back to the time I got married and started to fit together my first business venture of creating a company for event planning. I just might revisit that idea, now that I have the tools to create it. It has been a dream of mine to run my own business.

I say that I don’t have expectations coming into a new course, but I just want an understanding instructor and a balanced course load. That is exactly what I got in this class. Thank you for that.

[sameriaz-blog]

Media Relations at Full Sail

 When the time came for this class, I must admit, I just knew that I would do well. Little did I know that mother nature and my previous training would get in the way. I also didn’t know that I had expectations coming into this class, but now I know that was not true. Just a few days before class began, my daughter got sick with the flu and just a few days after that, my son developed bronchitis. It hit us hard. With the flu death tolls rising, I tried to keep calm and complete my school work. That presented a challenge.

Expectations. I did notice with this class that some directions that were in the weekly video, were not mentioned in the description within that particular tab. This was an unknown expectation that I didn’t know I had until it reflected in my grades. Lesson learned. Even after making it this far in the PR program, some instructors will switch it up. Don’t blink, you may miss it and suffer the consequences. Stay sharp.

 Another challenge that got in my way was my previous media training. I knew it would be somewhat different. I attended the Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Maryland to complete the Public Affairs Qualification course. In this program, it was very media heavy. I also attended eight years ago, so some things may have changed.

 In this PAQC class we conducted FAQ sessions, spoke on camera, created media packets wrote stories and releases. We did not touch video at all. We did not shoot video. That is the benefit of this class. You get to see it through the reporter’s eyes, which is so valuable. I work in public affairs now and dabble in video. So I can now take these lessons and use them immediately for some video projects to submit to our higher headquarters. This class, was not what I expected, but I definitely learned from it. I will take this experience with me for a lifetime.

[sameriaz-blog]

Bam! Lets take it up a notch.

The course (Marketing and Consumer Research Analysis) was a bit of a jolt for me. Since I have been working in my field for ten years, I was comfortable in each of my classes, until this one. What I mean by that is, my time management and grades were impeccable prior to this class. After I looked at the requirements for this class, I noticed I struggled with keeping up with the pace. I preferably would have liked to start on this class during the Christmas break. But, I see how that could have been an unfair advantage to other students taking this class at different times of the year. I was reminded in this class why I do not like group assignments. I struggled with depending on the nonprofit contact I chose to support. Due to lack of quick feedback and guidance on how I could help improve the organization, I asked for my first extension and had to come to the realization that I may have to repeat a class. I had to be ok with that. I learned that failing is possibly in the cards, but that does not mean you can’t keep moving forward.

My personality is Type A normally, I like to keep things clean and in place. I can shift out of that personality and that is what I had to do during this course. My motherly chores were neglected, and I became fine with that. Getting this Master’s will be worth every piece of clothing on the floor, unmade bed, missed event and free time.

Every piece of information that I have learned in my program, I have been able to apply directly to my current position. I have confidence in knowing I am being taught skills to put me ahead of my peers in the same field. If I had to select one word to describe this course, it would be CHALLENGE. For those taking this course in the future, start as early as you can.

Envision the chef Emerald,” BAM!  We are about to take it up a notch” in this Marketing and Consumer Research Analysis course. Get ready!

 For my next course, I will go over the entire course before I start the first assignment, so that I can make sure I manage my time better.

[sameriaz-blog]

A mom becoming a social media master

I honestly did not have an objective coming into this course, the day of. I read the title of the course and thought, “hmmm, I’m going to learn something from this course.” Boy, was I in for a surprise. Although I remember going through each course and stating my expectations, my life is so busy, I need to look back at my notes to refresh my memory. When I looked back, I found that I didn't know what I was truly “in for” until I got to this destination.

This program drives me closer and closer to complete success. There is no way you can go through any of these courses without dedicating your time to all the steps required, if you want to be successful. I have a “side hustle” job, but from this class forward, I am going to postpone that to concentrate more on my classes. The deeper into this program, the more time I need to allot to it. What stood out to me in this course is costs per click. I am still deciding the value of my leads and CPC, but I am almost there. All that I have learned in this program always makes me feel like I am in the right place at the right time.

I am a social media manager; my biggest driver is Facebook and I learned I use caveman analytics. Luckily, I found out about this while also learning the tools I need to my social media strategy fire!

I am a part of a huge network for social media gurus and preparing for the new year I receive this email about social media strategies, just as I am going through this course. That is no coincidence.   I want to thank the people who decided on the course work and program requirements for this course. It opened my eyes to a new world that I am attracted to. I have no doubt, when I am done with this program, I will have the tools I need to be successful.

[sameriaz-blog]

We’ve come to the end of another course

I have trained myself to go into each experience with a clear mind and open to accept what comes my way. This class was no different. I had very little expectations, often because my life is so full that I don’t have enough time to ponder on what could be. I love the trend that each class has. Assignments due on Wednesdays and Sundays. I miss church mostly, but I think God will forgive me. Each course is clear in requirements and expectations.

I learned so much from this course. I especially liked being able to take the Lynda courses and upload them to my LinkedIn profile.

What really opened my eyes in this course is cultural difference. This opened my mind on countries other than Japan, the UK and the USA.

What I learned most is the cultural differences in how western and eastern people view the world and how restricted Japan really is. This made me think my target audience may change to a more global approach and target a group that I may be able to reach better. The word niche comes to mind. For a successful business, you don’t have to appeal to everyone, just your niche.

I am always able to apply what I learned almost immediately, due to the nature of my job. Personally, and professionally, I understand how I fit in the world and how I can apply it to the way I communicate to people I meet and how I strategize a business plan.

I am going to apply all of this to my next business idea, I’m not sure how I am going to make money, but it is something near and dear to my heart; raising my son in America. I have noticed a culture across the world that looks down on those with more melanin, I am on a quest to know why, how we can navigate through the turmoil and come out with grit and determination to succeed.

[sameriaz-blog]

Dustoff Marketing Solutions, a new marketing business on the scene here to meet the demands of those seeking content creation for their social media sites.

[sameriaz-blog]

End of another Full Sail class!

I honestly enjoyed the entire Legal Aspects of Media class, simply because it gave me more confidence in the PR field. I enjoy learning so much. Each class that I take, I am able to use the information I have learned. It reassures me that I am in the right place at the right time.  If I had to pick an assignment, it would be the one that carried the most weight, the research case study on the defamation cases, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan and Gertz v. Welch, This is the area I had the least experience. I found comfort in learning. I must admit, with my hectic schedule, I was very tired while recoding this assignment, but was still able to pull it off.

Copyright and Trademark will be the most helpful to me. This is another area where I was not familiar with the process or why I should be concerned with it. This has elevated my thinking and forces me to think about how I may be able to use copyrighting for my own benefit, to perhaps write a book. I also learned about the other perspective of FOIA requests. The Public Information Officer and not the Public Affairs Specialist handles these requests, so I am not able to see the process first hand, now I know.

If I were to ever start my own business, I would need more of what I learned in this class, which is very possible in the near future. I could see myself making sure contracts are well thought out to cover myself and advising people of rules and regulations as it relates to social media. Working for the government, I am a little more protected, simply because there are so many things that are regulated and systems in place to make sure we are not defaming someone or using material without permission. I am so excited that once completing this class, I am half way through my PR program and one step closer to graduation and many more blessings.  

[sameriaz-blog]

Writing for Interactive Media

I learned quite an extensive amount of information from this course. This course has encouraged me to increase my writing ability on my own to become an exceptional writer. Lydia has proven to me that they style used is effective. This class specifically reminded me why I am pursuing my masters. Often times when I am seeking help or a mentor, I only come in contact with those that don’t want to take the time to teach. They are trying to find their way to the top without bringing anyone up with them. At best, here at Full Sail I know I am getting people who are here to help and make me a better person. I value that so much. One thing that I didn’t think I would learn is that in order to lean another language, I might want to know mine very well first; inside and out. I am hoping that after I know all the grammar rules like the back of my hand, I will finally be able to put a Spanish sentence together. We shall see.

With my background being public affairs, I have a grasp of story writing and am not afraid to tackle any situation. I do need to learn how to not feed off of adrenaline, aka procrastination. I do like the rush I get when I need to perform on the spot. It is exhilarating. 

I also learned that having a chart to help you along your way really helps in brain storming. Breaking down what needs to be done takes the pressure off. I always knew what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. I will definitely keep these charts to use while I am at work. This will help curb some procrastination.

As always, everything I have learned so far can be applied to my job instantly. I never planned when I wanted to get my masters, but this was the perfect time.

[sameriaz-blog]

Moving right along...

My favorite assignment in this course was the PSA video. I really enjoy editing video and it’s also, something I can time (my workload) pretty well. When I have my time management down, I feel successful. Although I did not get the highest score possible, I see what I need to work on and put more thought into. For that, I am grateful.

There were so many useful topics discussed. The first useful a tool/topic I learned of was in my Mastery class, the Papaly website. Every time there was a link that I could store away on each assignment, I did just that. I encourage everyone to use the Papaly site, so you can go back and reread your most valuable information. I have used this for every course so far. In this course, the most helpful topic to me was strategic planning for social media. This was most clear when reading week 3 lessons assignment in the book Maximizing your social: A one-stop guide to building social media strategy for marketing and business success.  The results from me applying this to my planning at work produced an instant return on investment. How? I received instant buy-in from my leadership. Score!

Where I currently work, we have a binder we submit to our leadership every month that highlights our work and the impact it has. I was able to pin point my goals according to our demographic and the age of the average social media user according to specific social platforms (this is just the start) and share it with my leadership. This opened up a door for those that weren't interested in social media to now respect social media and the impact it can have. It was so gratifying.

I have the advantage to use this information right away. I always wonder if my life’s purpose on the right path. Being in this program and my past work history is a great combination to be successful in this program. This program is the glue that is connecting all of the dots for me. How awesome!

[sameriaz-blog]

If you have time, please take a look at what inspires me; my public relations program. I worked for many hours to gather this awesome information. I hope you find something that inspires you and enhances your skills. Enjoy!

[sameriaz-blog]

Being satisfied with where you are in life

Keep reaching for your goals

     The more I read and watch the videos posted by my peers and the instructor. I bounce back and forth from being satisfied and nurtured by the words from Robert Green, Temple Grandin, Randy Pausch and others, to focusing on the life that I don’t have. Has anyone ever been there? You’ve failed, and it’s going to take some time to recover and the only thing you can do is persevere or quit. Pull yourself up and tap in to that grit, Sameria. What was the fail? That topic I will save for another post.

     Even while reading the article of this week’s assignment, “Personal Branding is a Leadership Requirement, Not a Self-Promotion Campaign,” the ad before the article said something like, “you cannot succeed, if you do not fail” (Llopis, 2013). Being the youngest in my family, I developed a “no fail” attitude. All of my other siblings did enough of that.

     What is the positive in all of this? Changing this way of thinking, is going to require some rewiring in my brain, but will help me succeed professionally in the long run. Those failures will make me remember what missteps I took and learn from making a decision like that again. But can’t I just learn from others mistakes and be perfect? The answer is no. This is an obstacle I must overcome and I encourage you to overcome your obstacle too!   

     One goal that I have gained a passion for, since I have attended Full Sail University, is to have a published article in a scholarly journal. This is where I will leave you until next week. But, before I go, I will give you a few of my favorite links from: paply.com, feedly.com, my attempt at creating a logo, my person LinkedIn page and an inspirational quote. Please feel free to leave your feedback. Enjoy!      

 References:

Llopis, G. (2013, April). Personal Branding Is A Leadership Requirement, Not a     

     Self-Promotion Campaign. In Leadership. Retrieved from     

     https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/04/08/personal-branding-is- 

     a-leadership-requirement-not-a-self-promotion-campaign/#3b0d08bb226f

Chahboun, I. (2017, July 21). In Quotes About Life. Retrieved from  

     http://www.equotesaboutlife.com/more_inspirational_quotes_about_life/

This logo was made with creatr.cc/creatr. This is also my maiden name.

If you decide to connect with me on LinkedIn, please remind me how we met.

Follow my papaly favorites.

My Public Relations Feedly.com RSS feed.

Chahboun, I. (2017, July 21). In Quotes About Life. Retrieved from       

     http://www.equotesaboutlife.com/more_inspirational_quotes_about_life/

[sameriaz-blog]

HI, I'm Sam.

Writing is cathartic for me. I have written in journals since I was 8 years old. Writing is how I cope with life and how I express myself. This Mastery Journal will be just what I need to help me complete the Public Relations Master’s program. It will serve as a time capsule on my journey as a person, a professional and be a place where I can also be expressive. I hope to look back on my blog posts and see how I much I have progressed with my writing and all aspects of the PR program. 

In each assignment so far, I have enjoyed the creative process it takes to produce my assignments, which has never happened in my academic career. This is how I know I am in the right place at the right time. I am so impressed with Full Sail so far, and am glad I was allowed to attend this school.

I hope to learn a new skill set that I can use to enhance my current position as a social media director and a person. I am eager to learn and I will be able to fulfill my burning desire to be my best self. I want to graduate and see where the future takes me from there. I have already realized that Robert Greene, author of the book, titled Mastery, is speaking to my life. From his findings, I learned that serendipity has gotten me this far in my apprenticeship, so let’s see what else life has in store. (Greene, 2012).

Already being inspired by the assignments I have been given, I’d like to find the time to read Randy Pausch’s book titled “The Last Lecture.” I have seen how people have been inspired by his lectures and I can only imagine what intellectual nuggets he has to share.

Because of Pausch’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, it was easy to see how Greene’s description of The Creative Breakthrough correlates with Pausch’s life and how he played the hand he was dealt. (Pausch, 2008) He did this by pouring life lessons into his lectures and his book.

His efforts were not in vain, his legacy lives on; through his work, his children and ultimately, through us, if we choose to accept the challenge.

 References

Greene, R. (2012). Mastery (pp. 176-199). London, England: Viking Penguin.

Pausch, R. (2008). The Last Lecture [Online video]. Retrieved from

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BODHsU3hDo4