My Passion

So I started my career in journalism (broadcast to be exact) and one of the number one things I love about being a journalist is that it forces you to learn a little about a huge variety of topics. It's not that I could necessarily call myself an expert in any one thing, but I sure do have a lot of beginner's knowledge in a wide array of subjects. And having to turn around and create copy or write stories explaining those topics meant that I had to delve deeper on any given subject so that I could pull the most vital pieces of information and package them in such a way that general audiences could understand - usually in less than 2 minutes.

So then I made the transition to PR and the learning didn't stop. In fact, it just got deeper. You see, a PR person's job is to educate a journalist. I can't count the number of times I've been on the phone with an editor who decided to start grilling me about the subject or industry I was pitching. It means you have to be on your toes, and you have to know a lot more than just the narrow topic you're trying to sell. Otherwise, you lose your audience. And that means you lose the story.

It's hard to quantify the number of subjects I know far more about than I ever thought I would have wanted. Things like electronics manufacturing, memory modules, storage and server industry standards, medical device technology, cutting-edge cancer treatments, different kinds of stitching and washing on high-end fabrics, which countries offer the best tax breaks and import/export opportunities, search engine optimization, global health epidemics and - as of today - small form factors in embedded computing.

Some might read that last paragraph with a yawn and a heavy sigh. And even though those words can sometimes make me go cross-eyed as I search for a way to disseminate the information into palatable marketing and press materials, I still find myself invigorated. Knowledge is power. Not power over other people necessarily, but power over circumstance. Knowledge takes you places. It's impossible to learn something new and not be moved.

I am grateful that there are experts in this world, and that those experts are patient with me as I try and pick their brains and utilize all of that knowledge for the areas where I've got some expertise - publicity. How fascinating this world is when we open ourselves up to any respectable information that comes our way. Even if it is small form factors in embedded computing. I am a better person because I can now (falteringly, yes) speak about them. And knowledge builds upon itself. So many times I study one subject only to find it helps me in a completely unrelated area down the road. Amazing!

So K-squared - if you want to know what drives your mom, if you want to find a little piece of that exhilaration I enjoy, go read a book about something you've never heard of, go try an activity that scares you. Go test your outer limits and acquire some new piece of knowledge you thought beyond your capacity. Then, share it with someone else.

After all, its the only thing we'll take with us when we go.

"I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." - Abe Lincoln