When I tell people that I bring my dog to work every day, they usually react saying two things, “Wow – you are so lucky!” Followed by, “What do you do for work?”

Yes, I am extremely blessed to have found a job that I love to do every day as a nonprofit PR rep and I also get to bring my furry sidekick to the office.

Murphy loves his job at Teak Media as much as I do. Eager to take on the day and start creating news that makes a difference, Murphy gently wakes me in the morning to let me know it’s time to get ready for work.

My furry alarm clock

When we arrive at the office, he bounds through the door, bursting with positive energy and stops by each Teakettes’ desk (the six amazing women that I work with) to say, good morning. Then he quickly gets right down to work by checking in with the boss… for a gourmet cookie.

After that his duties are similar to any office dog.

He shreds unwanted office documents … (such as South Boston parking tickets).

 

He changes the water bubbler when it’s empty.

 

He reminds us to relax and not take everything so seriously.

Our office news hound has even been featured in the Boston Herald’s Inside Track, on NESN, AOL.com and Tonic.com for his hard work in the PR industry. Someone has to put dog food on the table.

Gentleman and a scholar.

He has grown tremendously into his role at Teak, maturing into the gentleman I knew he would be. I am grateful to my team for dolling out extra belly rubs and the occasional afternoon walk when I am tied up. Teak is a second home for Murphy and we will celebrate his third birthday today like family, with cake and Frosty Paws ice cream.

Happy Birthday Murphy!

First day at the office - March 27, 2009, 8 weeks old.

Remember how tough it was being a teenager?

High school was a rough place. It didn’t matter who you were or in which clique you belonged, fitting in and being accepted were issues on all levels of the “cool” pyramid. Throw on top of that the stress about SAT scores, college acceptance, making the varsity team, work, home life, dating, hormones, friend drama, prom … yikes! The list goes on and on.

A decade later, with the help of Facebook, Twitter and the expectations portrayed in the media, I wonder if it has gotten harder to be teen. It’s painful to read what seems like story after story about a teen who has taken his life due to bullying. I thought of my amazingly strong gay friends after seeing a YouTube video of a young man announcing to the world the torment he receives for being “out” at school.

It paints a terrifying picture that all teens are either a character out of the movie “Mean Girls” or they are victims.

That is, until you see 1,000 teens and college students fill the House of Blues in Boston to raise awareness and funds for the Samaritans, a suicide prevention organization that serves Boston and beyond. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people.

Last weekend, Make Noise to Save a Life held its third annual event. The fundraiser organized by the Lucchino and DiMasi families gives youth the opportunity to be loud about an often silent issue. The celebration of life was a dance with four-time 2011 Billboard Club artist Joe Bermudez. Joe was at the helm of the party keeping everyone’s spirits and energy up with his remixed tracks.

The goal of Make Noise is to bond teens and young adults together and remind them that suicide is not an issue to remain silent about. The event raised $50,000 for the Samaritans, but more importantly, it helped to spread the message to youth that they are not alone.

I am always floored after meeting Samariteens at the event, teens who go through extensive training and volunteer their time to answer the Samartians’ helplines and online chats from other teens who are having feelings of depression. To think of the impact they are having on someone else’s life just by listening is inspiring. It reminds me to bring more active listening into my life.

It’s always an honor to share the Samariteen’s stories with the media because they are hometown heroes who deserve recognition.

Teens may be easy to stereotype, but everyone in attendance at Make Noise 3 earned their Good Samaritan badge that night. It’s a privilege to represent this amazing event each year.

Today I met a man who two years ago was really down on his luck.

He was in poor health, suffering from a loss, and had to leave his job. He was depressed and overeating. This once healthy college-level athlete weighed 624 pounds.

But Dana Rogers, 37, found the motivation to turn his life around. He went to the Roxbury YMCA without a job or the money to afford a membership; they welcomed him openly.

He didn’t do a trendy diet, pop a pill or seek out surgery. Instead, Rogers spent hours doing cardio and lifting weights. Every day. He improved his eating habits drastically.

It was hard.

But two years later, Rogers is down to 267 pounds. His goal is to get to, and maintain, a weight of 225 pounds.

Photo Courtesy of Boston Herald

Hearing Rogers speak this morning at benefit for the Roxbury YMCA (client) was truly inspiring. The Y gave him a chance. And Rogers took full advantage.

Within his story are lessons we can all learn. A helping hand goes a long way. Hard work truly pays off. Persistence and patience are everything.

Best yet, the effects of Rogers’ commitment are residual. I will be sure to get to the gym tonight after work.

I love New Year’s Eve. Not for the celebration, but for the introspection.  Even more, I love the quiet days between Christmas and the New Year. Half the staff and half our clients are on vacation, leaving me the luxury of time.

It is during this week that I can plan for the company and think about the year ahead. What did I learn in 2011 that has made this company better than it was in 2010 and what are my goals for the company in 2012?

It’s about the people

For a few years at least, I have known that the value of a company is about far more than a P&L report.  Two things make a company tick: its mission and the quality of the people who walk through its office doors each morning and turn the heat down before they leave each night.  This past year, I learned that over and over again.

The women who make up the Teak Media team are incredible. They constantly inspire me and make me proud. I am humbled by their devotion to our clients and commitment to each other and our company.  Each one of them is as driven as I to help nonprofits and socially responsible companies.

A few weeks ago, our Junior Account Executive , Amanda Kelley, shared that she’d refrained from buying a new pair of shoes because when she looked at the price tag, she was reminded of something she’d read on the Room To Read website.  A new bike for a girl in its program would cost less than the shoes.  How could she buy the shoes, she asked herself, when that girl on the website needed a bike? Room to Read is not even a Teak Media client. We’d been eyeing its fabulous website and using it as an example for our clients to emulate.  To say I was impressed by her compassion and ethics would be an understatement.

From the elders on the team (though I am the oldest) I have learned the value of patience, persistence and passion and how to allow some things to unfold at their own pace.  The more recent grads have taught me to appreciate technology-infused ideas, methods and plans for our clients and have helped to shape Teak Media as the PR industry adapts from the credible days of daily print to the immediate buzz of social networks.

The directors of the organizations we represent are my mentors and models. I watch what they do and how they do it. I strive to be as gracious, demanding, ethical and committed to excellence as they. They set high standards and have grand expectations.  We work daily to meet or (on good days) exceed them, and we are grateful for the challenge.

It’s about the mission

Working under Billy Starr, executive director of the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, has shaped who I am as a person and the type of company I lead. He calls for his paid and volunteer staff to work with “professionalism and grace under pressure.” He turns a deaf ear to those who say he expects too much of others. He stands by his convictions. PMCers have the event flowing through their veins. After 32 years of building an organization that is a lifestyle for thousands and benefits hundreds of thousands more, that must be a great feeling.   If the PMC is not proof that the power is in the mission, what is?

This past July, a woman saw a segment about the International OCD Foundation’s conference in San Diego on the news. She drove through the night to get the conference the next day because she so desperately wanted to be there to receive the help she knew would await her.  When New York Times readers learned of the mission of Harold Grinspoon and the PJ Library, they sent checks in support.

What I have learned over the past year and my goals for the year ahead are intertwined. Meaning is found in people and missions.  My goal in 2012 is for Teak Media to help more people by sharing the missions of more deserving organizations. When everyone in Boston’s nonprofit world (and beyond) knows that if they want to share their message and mission, if they want donations and the number of volunteers to grow, they should call on the women of Teak Media to make it happen, then I will have achieved my goal. We take great pride in raising the profile and awareness of our clients.

There is a goldmine of integrity and intelligence here at Teak Media. We can and will drive recognition for more nonprofits and socially responsible companies in 2012. My challenge is to spread the good word about what we do as well as we tout the work and missions of our clients. And by doing that, we’ll help more and more people.

Here’s to health, strength, love and good news in 2012.

Boston

Teak Media Communications, a boutique, values-led public relations firm that promotes socially responsible companies and nonprofit organizations through events and traditional and social media, is in the market for an experienced, determined, enthusiastic and media savvy public relations manager.

If you are passionate about PR, nonprofits, and CSR, write well, are driven by results, work best under deadline pressure, know how to manage AEs and clients, and can oversee many accounts at once, we would like to hear from you. Excellent organization, communication, self-motivation, and time management skills are essential to this position. Manager candidates must have at least 10 years proven related experience.]

Managers are responsible for supervising accounts, customer relations, obtaining new clients, managing AEs and SAEs, writing, strategizing, and pitching media. Managers are encouraged to participate in the new business process and are financially rewarded for contributions that directly impact the company’s growth.

The position is full-time, in our South Boston office, and reports directly to company president.

Requirements:

• 10 years of experience
• High E.Q.
• Unwavering self-respect and self-confidence
• Positive, can-do, make-it-happen attitude
• High expectations
• Knowledge of people and experience motivating them
• Compassion and integrity
• Established relationships with local and national consumer and news media
• Prior team and client management experience
• Extensive use of social media and all PR related technology and systems
• Reliable transportation, a smart phone, and availability to work some nights and weekends, dictated by event schedules
• The ability to work in a dog friendly environment. The dog was here first.

We offer competitive salaries, new business bonuses, a retirement plan with company match, results bonuses, excellent health insurance, referral bonuses, and a casual, supportive and friendly work environment devoid of office politics.

You must have an impeccable work ethic and be passionate about the work of nonprofit organizations, a great communicator, a strong team player, extremely self-motivated, and want to be part of a team that is working to make the world a better place. You are the best and will only work with the best. If this describes you, send us your resume and salary range and tell us why you would be the ideal candidate. Replies will be sent only to those whose qualifications meet the requirements listed in this ad. Email us at info@teakmedia.com.