Communications Blog • Kristin Magette

Ending. Beginning. Living.

November 5, 2018 by Kristin Magette Filed Under: Growth & change, Personal, School PR 4 Comments

I’m better at beginnings than endings.

Which is why I’ve been staring at this screen for days and thinking about it (actively ignoring it) for weeks.

Because there’s something about saying goodbye to an incredible 12 years working in school public relations — that leaves me speechless. (Never mind that my next job has the word “writer” in the title. And suddenly I have no words.)

Looking forward makes so much sense. It is opportunity. Adventure. Uncharted paths. No details, just broad, beautiful brush strokes.

But looking back is different. It’s a painting with broad and narrow strokes. Dots and lines. Shadows and light. It’s both subtle and loud, at once.

It’s too complex for words.

“But you’ve learned so much,” I tell myself. “You’ve connected with so many. This work has changed your life. Find the words. Write them down. Document.”

It’s true. School PR has changed my life. It’s given me purpose. It’s given me an identity. It’s given me an incredible community of friends who feel like family. It’s made me a better human.

As months became years, school PR became a profession I loved, deep in my soul. A personal calling. The chance to create positive systems and programs that help kids and families. The opportunity to leverage new tools and elevate authentic engagement. Caring for all students and grappling with the issues of cultural competence, from race and religion to the gender spectrum. Doing right when faced with sexual assault, violence, drugs, suicide, mental illness.

If public education is the nation’s guardian of an informed electorate — democracy — then school PR is the conscience that listens, sees, guides and seeks to solve. As practitioners we are at our best, behind closed doors. Wrestling with the most difficult, uncomfortable but impossible-to-ignore problems that society faces. Because those same problems live right here, in our schools and communities. And our students deserve our very best, every day.

My love for this profession runs deep. And it swallowed me whole.

It isn’t easy to admit that last part, mostly because many people probably saw someone who looked at the top of her game. It’s hard to share that my fierce love for this work eventually let me down. That my therapist told me I likely wouldn’t be entirely peaceful and well, so long as I was managing a social media community. That the years of life-and-death political advocacy burned me up. That I cared too much.

I’m guessing my school PR friends can relate to the feelings of overwhelm and burnout that brought me here. The feeling when you know you care, too much. Of surviving to bring the good fight, for one more day.

But this I know: Life isn’t about surviving. It’s about living.

To my school PR friends … I hope you will use boundaries and self care to be well, and keep serving. This profession needs people like you. The world needs people like you, doing this work.

And with that, my new beginning. It will be about seeing my husband and kids more. It will be about being just a mom at school. About snow days without burden. About July and August without the stress of trying to launch that space shuttle we call Back To School. And about school board meeting nights without, well, school board meetings.

Don’t get me wrong: I will always love school PR. And there isn’t a thing on that list, or even over the last 12 years in this work, that triggers regret or resentment. (Well, not counting two complete website migrations in under a year. Ha.)

But it is time to say yes to something new. It is time to listen to friends who have encouraged and nudged me forward.

It is time to rediscover my joy.

Strategic leadership in the social media age

March 27, 2018 by Kristin Magette Filed Under: Personal branding, School PR, Social media, Strategic communications Leave a Comment

I’m a big fan of social media in schools.

(If you know me, this comes as no surprise.)

I write about it. Speak about it. Reflect on it. Push boundaries for it.

I believe in it.

But the last few years have been harder. More voices, less clarity. More complex challenges, fewer clear-cut solutions. Time and again, I find myself sensing that we have moved from simple questions of how to create and manage accounts, to how to provide strategic leadership and communications in an increasingly complex and social-driven world.

The challenge is great, and the toll this environment takes on communicators and leaders is real. But what if I told you …

the conflicts you confront on social media — often outside of official district spaces — help you build trust in your community.
social media could be your best friend in a crisis.
these tools increase your power as an advocate in any political climate.
policies and procedures are still your best bet to manage risk and protect you and your employees.
the complicated and often frustrating dynamics you face have actually made social media more valuable to your school system.

When I talk to school PR friends and other education leaders, it’s clear we all share these struggles. No district is immune, whether large or small, urban or rural, right- or left-leaning. But when we approach our work with strategy and a leadership mindset, the voices become clearer. The challenges become simpler.

I am excited to lead a one-day workshop on July 15 in Anaheim, in conjunction with the National School Public Relations Association annual seminar. We will dig into these issues (and much more). And I guarantee we will have fun — because the ability to laugh is invaluable when you’re a leader navigating in the age of social media.

I invite you to learn with me. Explore with me. Laugh with me. Grow with me.

Join me.

Click here for details about the session and instructions to register. Not a communications professional? Not attending NSPRA? You are welcome to join us — there is a stand-alone registration option just for you!

Find Your True North

January 12, 2018 by Kristin Magette Filed Under: Growth & change, Personal 2 Comments

True North. In scientific terms, it’s the direction along the earth’s surface towards the geographic North Pole. In personal terms, I’d define it as clear, non-negotiable values. That magnetic pull that points to your authentic self.

My 2017 was a year of reflection, self discovery, vulnerability and personal growth. Hard work, but so rewarding.

(And, quite frankly, a relative relief following a 2016 full of losses and grief. At least healing was underway.)

A year that began with restlessness and doubt — and far more questions than answers — became a path toward clarity. Uncovering my core values and beginning to intentionally lead my life in that direction. My True North.

Sometimes I learned I was asking the wrong questions. (No wonder I wasn’t finding answers.) Other times I realized I was working far too hard. After all, True North isn’t about hustle — it’s about heart. It’s about listening, and being still. And so 2017 shifted my perspective, deepened my faith and reminded me that worth and value exist not outside, but inside.

One of the friends who encouraged, supported and influenced me all year long urged me to share this path with others who seek the deep, pure peace that comes when you know your purpose on earth. And when the path for an authentic life is revealed.

Enter: True North Challenge.

It’s a free, five-day online challenge (in a closed Facebook group). Jan. 15-19, maybe a bonus day on the 20th. And you’re invited if you’re ready to sort out your path and find clarity — whether it be in a relationship, career decision or other life change.

Or maybe you just like self discovery — you are welcome, too!

There are no strings attached … simply reflection and encouragement in a safe space. There’s no better way to start to a new year.

If you are ready to trade restless for purpose, and orient to your own True North … join me!

Somehow, joy

February 7, 2017 by Kristin Magette Filed Under: Personal 18 Comments

A year ago today, my husband’s twin sister passed away after a long, brave fight against colon cancer. Over the next few days, we said goodbye to a woman of beauty — full of light, love and laughter. The pain of this loss, even with weeks to prepare, was staggering. And while the pain has dulled with the passing of time and everyday life, it is still profound.

But somehow, the pain of losing Emily — the first loss of a 2016 that left us bare — has made me better. More patient, more open, more compassionate, more prayerful. It has made me aware of God’s voice, and grace. It has brought incredible people into my life as new friends, too many to mention. Abundance at its best.

The enduring pain, feeling as waves sweeping in from just outside my sight line, has forced me to intentionally practice self care, humility and forgiveness. And it’s taught me (and my kids) that it’s okay to cry when you’re hurting because we know the tears won’t last forever. And it is that certain hope — we won’t cry forever — that delivers the beauty of today. We are living. We are loving. We ache because this world is less beautiful without Emily. But the miracle? We are still here, and there is joy. Somehow.

So what can I do, one year later? How do I remember my one and only twin-law? How can this milestone be made into something more than tears? Find joy — or create it for someone else. Whether you knew her or not, I’d love your help choosing one of these things to do — today. For Emily. For me.

Hug someone tight, long and hard.
Sing along to a song on the radio, as if it were karaoke night and your very life depended on it.
Pray with a grateful heart.
Drink a glass of (very) sweet wine.
Take a photo of someone you love. (Or, in Emily fashion, take 100 photos of someone you love.)
Disregard any technology that makes life too complicated.
Indulge in something delicious.
Listen carefully to someone’s troubles, and show them you care with a smile or squeeze of the hand.
Laugh hard — especially if you are prone to snorting.
Say “I love you,” without hesitation.

Life is marked by the big moments, but it should be enjoyed by the little ones. A card game. An afternoon walk. A living room concert. Watermelon slices on the beach.

Thank you for sharing one little moment of your day to remember a woman you maybe never met — a wife, mom, sister, daughter, friend. A woman who, even on this day, is helping me find joy. Somehow.

An Authentic Brand

September 16, 2016 by Kristin Magette Filed Under: Direct sales, Personal, Personal branding Leave a Comment

A few years back, I worked hard to develop my personal brand. I would be publishing a book, surrendering to a couple rounds of head shots and investing in an officially sleek website. Not only did the personal branding process strengthen my professional focus, but it gave me a creative outlet that I genuinely enjoyed. A key moment came when a friend and I hammered out this summary one fateful afternoon:

I’m passionate about making things better through strategic communications and collaboration. And I’m crazy about my family, sharing stories, big laughs and great food.

It was perfection in my eyes. Even as my experience and qualifications grew, this spoke to all of my real passions and blended together my professional goals with my personal loves. It was a whole reflection of Kristin.

But what happens when personal or professional growth outgrows what was there before?

In the past few months, there’s been a lot. And there’s been a new side business in network marketing. As I’ve grown, I’ve started to worry about how to incorporate a larger sense of myself into the existing brand. As I recently told a couple of girlfriends one late night, the worry isn’t that what I originally identified as my brand is no longer true because, in fact, it still is. The worry has been taking a broader calling or purpose and figuring out how it is congruent with who I’ve been before. I feel a little bit like the traffic engineer determining how best to widen a busy road from two lanes to three, so maybe I’m worried because my traffic engineering knowledge is limited. But then again so is my network marketing knowledge … yet here I am.

Network marketing, direct sales, multi-level marketing — take your pick. It’s a place I never expected to find myself, and certainly one that challenges my comfort zone daily. But it had been calling my name, soft and clear, for months. And in the time since, I’ve discovered that sharing plant-based health and wellness products that help my loved ones feel their very best — that fits who I am, too! This business readily connects my communications skills with my desire to directly help the people I love.

Crazy or not, it’s a perfect fit. It’s challenging and rewarding. It helps me contribute more to our family’s financial security. And, full disclosure: I’m kind of starting to love it.

The best thing is, the authentic Kristin remains at the intersection of the circles, even with the new addition. If I grow and change as a person, it only makes sense that my personal brand would need to adjust. And despite the peace I’ve had on my new journey, there still was quiet panic as I began to create new and different type of congruence. But that panic eventually revealed a simple answer. One word.

I’m passionate about making things better through service, strategic communications and collaboration. And I’m crazy about my family, sharing stories, big laughs and great food.

When I stumbled on such a simple solution — the mere addition of the word service — I realized it was, in fact, a more authentic version of Kristin than even the first. Service — to people in my profession, to people I know, to strangers who ask for help — has always been me. It took a few bends in the road this year for this calling to come in clear. And it took a risk of starting a new business to make the shift clear in my mind. But once these things came into focus, so did my authentic personal brand. It all still fits.

Answering a Call

September 7, 2016 by Kristin Magette Filed Under: Growth & change, Personal 9 Comments

“So, tell me how you got a book deal.”

A straightforward question, asked by a school PR colleague and new friend over drinks this summer. And I was happy to tell the story of an e-mail on a snowy Sunday, asking me to expand an article into book form. Except that’s not what I told him.

Listening to myself answer (and seeing the half puzzled, half entertained look on his face as I spoke), I realized that there was a narrative swirling inside me that hadn’t yet found its way out. See, there’s a thing — a very strange thing — that’s been teeter-tottering inside my head for awhile. And if I can’t regularly tell if the teeter totter is up, or down, it’s hard to know what to say, or write. Bumping into a friend, or meeting up for coffee or lunch, I wavered between letting it all out (and likely startling the person in my company), or keeping it in. But as my husband will tell you, I’m not very … adept … at keeping things in.

So far, 2016 has been a year of uncommon pain, uncommon mystery and uncommon peace. And although this story doesn’t really fit a lunch date — let alone a 500-word blog template — it’s been burning lines in my brain for too long, so out it comes.

Uncommon pain.

My husband’s twin sister passed away on February 7, a Sunday. At 39 years old, she’d battled advanced colon cancer for nearly five years. She’d shown grace, courage, patience and enormous faith. Our hearts ache in a world without Emily.

Two weeks later our family dog suffered a stroke and passed away on February 21, a Sunday. Pet owners of the world understand the profound loss of a loyal friend of 13 years. She would have turned 14 a few weeks later. Our house is not the same without Bailey.

A couple months later, my aunt, age 49 with two beautiful teen daughters, went to bed feeling unwell on a Monday night in May. She didn’t wake up on Tuesday, following a massive heart attack in the night. Another wife and mom, gone much too soon.

And a month after that, our friend and beloved pastor passed away very suddenly after a short hospital stay. The news came at the end of the Mass; age 61, he had died, just moments before the Sunday morning service began. His absence is felt in our hearts, in our parish and in our community.

Uncommon pain. But also uncommon mystery.

On a Friday afternoon in May, I was sitting in my office when my cell phone rang. It was a number I didn’t recognize from a town a few hours away, and for the first minute or two, I was sure it was a wrong number. “Someone who knows you gave me your number and said you could help me.” … “I can’t talk now because I’m waiting for my appointment at the cancer center.” … “I need help with my kids.” … “I’m going to say a word, and if you understand what it means, you’ll understand what I need.” … “Trafficking.” I stopped in my tracks. I had to help.

Two Fridays later, I got a call at the office — this time on my desk phone. My coworker warned me, “the number is blocked, and she won’t give me her name.” I’ve had stranger transferred calls in my school PR life, so I answered. The woman on the other end of the line was suffering at the hands of a stranger, a cyber bully. She said her life was on the verge of ruin, following the disclosure of personal and financial information, and she was desperate. I hit pause on my day. I had to help.

A couple weeks later, an enormous box was delivered to my house. It was addressed to my husband, and inside was a box of 200 diapers, a very large box of overnight pull-ups, an industrial size package of dish soap and a refill of bottle soap. My husband checked his Amazon account and found no shipment. (A relief considering the items would have totaled $100, probably more.) We left it be, asked the UPS man and left it in the garage. Two weeks later, a Thursday, my friend who works at the domestic violence center posted on Facebook that there were a record number of kids at the shelter. They were in immediate need of large size diapers and pull-ups. I delivered our mystery shipment the next morning.

Uncommon mysteries. And uncommon peace.

In the spring and early summer, there were many more moments (though less incredible) when I’ve found myself at a crossroads with someone who needs help. There came a point where I realized this was more than a random series of events. In each of these moments — probably a dozen, if I’m honest — I’ve felt led. Guided. Used for a bigger purpose. If you’re a person of Christian faith, we call this the Holy Spirit. If you believe it’s God or gods or the Universe at work, I also hear you. I’m less concerned with the name of this force than the message it brings. It is calm, it is humble, it is gentle, it is powerful.

And the message it has delivered is that I must be unafraid to respond. Actively help those in need. Choose to serve the vulnerable. Watch and listen. Be ready. Be open.

Measuring Social Media

May 11, 2016 by Kristin Magette Filed Under: School PR, Social media Leave a Comment

Measuring social media isn’t hard, but it’s a process that is too often overlooked. We’re busy, and news feeds always flow forward. But measuring your social media efforts is much more than just looking back. In fact, the time you invest in measurement will pay dividends in focus, using every ounce of your effort for a valuable strategic advantage.

Let’s start with some basics. First, reach or impressions — the number of times your post showed up in somebody’s Facebook or Twitter feed — are key. (These numbers will increase exponentially when people share or retweet your post because many more people are seeing your post or tweet, likely including many people who aren’t already followers.)

The numbers measuring reach or impressions are generally the highest reading among the different types of metrics. A general rule of thumb says that you’re onto something if you can engage 10% or more of the people your post reaches. After all, scrolling past a post in your feed rarely makes a meaningful difference for your brand. That’s why engagement measurements — clicks, likes, comments, shares, retweets, video views — mean so much more. After all, these are the metrics that tell us if we’re really getting the most social value from our use of social media.

The great thing is, Facebook and Twitter have ready-made tools for you to build a content strategy that really will help you get the most value out of your efforts. If you want to know more about how to find your data, click through to great tips on using Facebook Insights and Twitter Analytics.

Once you dig into your data, here’s what you’ll learn…

Who your followers are. Sure, you know where to find their names. But these tools reveal powerful insight into your followers’ demographics, from gender and age, to geographic location and preferred language. You’ll even find data related to occupation, income and education level. Never before have communicators enjoyed a resource with such rich information to identify and understand their audiences — all for free.

What your followers do. What days — and times of day — are they most likely to turn up on Facebook? Are they more likely to engage with a photo, a link, a video, or text-only posts? I’ve learned that the best time of day for me to post on our district page is between 9 and 10 p.m., any day of the week. So it comes as no surprise when posts at that flop at 10:30 a.m. take off if posted in the late evening.

Once we know who our followers are, when we’re more likely to reach them and what content they most prefer, our job as social media managers is no longer a guessing game. It’s specific and strategic. Mining your Facebook Insights or Twitter Analytics data is the first step in developing a content strategy that will deliver long-term results for your organization.

Any social media manager will get excited when a post goes crazy on social media, and I get it. Viral is exciting. Using metrics to get the biggest bang for your social media buck may not be exciting, but a data-driven content strategy is your best chance at viral success — and most importantly, long-term growth.

This post is the final in my series, Social Media Day Trips.