It’s been a doozy of a summer. I’ve been living that pandemic summer for three summers now! 2020: COVID was still new. 2021: I had a newborn premie. 2022: I became immunocompromised. Ugh. I won’t go into too much detail but I was diagnosed with a blood disorder in May called ITP where your platelets go way down to dangerous levels. Two hospital stays, three rounds of steroids and many IV treatments later we are still figuring things out. The good news is I feel fine and it’s treatable, but the bad news is the treatment I am on wipes out your immunity so I’ve had to lay low and cancel on a lo ..read more

We hear a lot about routines. CEOs waking up at 5 a.m. and meditating. Executives journaling for the first 20 minutes of their day. And while some mornings I get up early and workout and drink lemon water, other mornings I sleep later and barely throw on leggings. It’s called balance. Even if you don’t get things accomplished first thing, there is a whole day (and week) ahead of you to tackle your to-dos. But in addition to these things to do for your health and wellbeing, there are also things you should add to your professional routine to set you up for success. Here are five things every PR ..read more

I’m not really clear how this happened, but I have an 8-month old. What? It’s been a while since I’ve posted about my workout routine, so I thought I’d share how I am fitting it in at this point. I think the last time I posted, I was about 20 weeks pregnant. Shortly after that, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (a surprise) and preeclampsia (something I was a bit more predestined to get). Apparently, your placenta is wild and even if you’re as healthy as can be, it can impact having these two conditions. Luckily everything was A-OK and now I have a healthy babe. So thankful. And I was ..read more

I joined Twitter in September 2008 (!!) according to my bio. Twitter has always been the non-loved social media channel. People jumped on Instagram. Fell in love with TikTok. Remember Vine? They were all over it. But Twitter? People who were non-believers always said they didn’t “get” it or never found the value. But I have always been here to say it’s my favorite. Which may be another post for another time. I recently had a fun Twitter conversation with fellow Pittsburgh “tweeps” as we used to say “back in the day.” Social media day, that is. Talking about how many great connections we’ve mad ..read more

Direct messages a.k.a. DMs can be a scary place sometimes. Lots of odd robotic “collab” requests. Weird men saying “hello, beautiful,” and much more. For influencers, I am sure there are a lot of hateful messages as well. I once DMd an influencer because she said “um” before every frame in her story and it drove me nuts. But then I realized there is no good to come of that and quickly deleted it. There are not *too* many stats out there on these conversations because they are private. But I was able to find that one in every five organic stories gets a direct message. And I’m sure that number ..read more

Last week, some of us on the PRSA Pittsburgh board spoke with Waynesburg University’s PRSSA chapter for an informal meet and greet. I am always so impressed with their chapter for being go-getters. Speaking of go-getting: one of the questions that came up was in regards to skills every new graduate should have when they are applying for jobs, so it inspired me to write a blog post on the topic (the skill I always stress is also included in this list). Here are the top skills every new grad should have working in the communications field. 1. Networking Prowess My #1 tip for any student or youn ..read more

I am three months into this whole mom thing and now officially a working mom. What a whirlwind few months it’s been!   I’ve been nervous about how I am going to handle it all – working full time, caring for my daughter Carmen, and taking care of our dog and home. But today, I am no longer nervous. Maybe that’s because I am privileged in having help. And having a job and boss that’s not only understanding but encouraging. And also because I think once you do have a child, a confidence you never knew was there emerges. At any rate, I am excited about this new chapter in life. Here is what ..read more

PRetty in Pittsburgh is taking a brief hiatus – I had a baby! Will be back to posting later this summer. The post On Leave appeared first on PRetty in Pittsburgh ..read more

The great 50 Cent once said, “If they hate then let them hate and watch the money pile up.” Yes to that. But other things piling up? Hard no. Lately, I’ve noticed a pattern of piles. Emails (I have 4 accounts). DMs. BOXES. OMG the boxes. Snail mail. Dishes in the sink if I still need to unload the dishwasher. And then random papers that I get through receipts, the doctor, things I have to print, etc. It seems like the stuff keeps coming, and piling up. Gotta tackle the to-dos. Last fall, I shared this Zen habits article Clear Things Out in my newsletter. “They accumulate if we don’t tend to th ..read more

I’m very excited to write this post today because I’ve teamed up with Emily Bezak Writes to share her brand new Side Hustle Starter Kit! But before I reveal what’s inside, here is some background on my own side hustles. I’ve written this blog for 12 years. I cannot believe it. I look back at some earlier posts and cringe. This has been a fun side project for so many years. I even quit once but I came back. I just can’t quit you, blog. The thing about this blog though is I never intended it to “take off.” It’s a way for me to share and brand myself. I have some ads running (that I don’t e ..read more