The hustle and bustle of the season has arrived. With our office conveniently located between two of Atlanta’s largest malls, it’s impossible to ignore the recent influx of holiday shoppers.
But for me, this Sunday will be filled with a different breed of chaos – I’m hosting a Christmas party for disadvantaged children at the Atlanta Salvation Army – trading swarming shoppers for 100 squirming children.
And it’s more significant this year than ever before. While the recession has no doubt crushed our stock portfolios, loss is put into perspective when you watch a child clutch a $5 gift with the same zeal most kids show while rocking out to their new Guitar Hero.
Many families don’t open these gifts. They sit untouched, sobering reminders that they are the only gifts that year, and they’re being saved for Christmas day.
Rather than getting caught up in holiday madness, make giving a tradition. Pick any project, whether through your office, civic organizations, churches, etc. Offer free PR to nonprofits that need help or serve on their boards. While this year it may be difficult for many to give financially, volunteering or sharing your knowledge costs relatively little.
Follow your interests. At Cookerly, our volunteer work is as varied as our personalities.
Growing up, service was a family affair. Whether it was wielding a hammer at a Habitat House or sorting food at the Atlanta Community Food Bank, it was always the four of us. It became something we did not because we “should,” but something we did because we were getting as much out of it as the people we were helping.
Get in the habit of giving, regardless of your income. The most simple of gifts can mean the world to those in need.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.