Keeping it Local

One of my favorite things about Athens is the wide variety of local restaurants.  I love all of the unique places that you will only find in Athens, and am especially reminded of this whenever I have friends come to town.  It's easy to take for granted our vibrant downtown scene (and lets not forget all the amazing places on Prince Avenue), which is why I love taking visitors out around town and hearing them rave about how amazing our town is.  

This weekend, I had some friends in town and was so excited to take them to two of my old favorites, Last Resort and Casa Mia, and then we also branched out and went to Big City Bread for breakfast (which I've been wanting to go to for ages).  There's just something so much more enjoyable about going to the quaint, local places than eating at chain restaurants (since I moved to Athens I've avoided Chili's at all costs).  

Now more than ever, it's important to support these local businesses.  During an economic downtown, chances are the corporate giants can sustain themselves much longer than the small "mom and pop" stores that we know and love.  Branch out from your regular Tall Latte at Starbucks and try something from Walker's.  Or if you're really wanting to keep it local, do your shopping at the Athens Farmers Market or eat at restaurants like Farm 255 that use all locally-grown food.

Of all the things I'll miss about Athens, the unique restaurant and bar scene will definitely be one of the hardest to leave.  

Athens College Track

My PR Campaigns class (which I've mentioned in several posts) has done a good bit of research about how UGA students can get involved and give back to the Athens community.  Recently I heard about an organization in town that is doing just that, and I wanted to take a minute to talk about what they have been doing.

Athens College Track, a partner of College Bound Aid, was created to inform students and parents about the financial issues involved in education post-high school.  Athens College Track also makes scholarship information easily accessible to students.

This morning, Athens College Track sponsored The College Track Game, a life-sized board game designed to teach students about the importance of saving for college.  Two weeks before the event (which was hosted by Clarke Central High School), students competed in an essay contest, answering the question, “Why do you think college students graduate with debt? How can you start early to avoid this situation?”  The top three essay candidates competed in The College Track Game, which was modeled after the game of LIFE and taught students how to prepare for college in a fun, interactive way.  UGA athletes were there to cheer on the students and speak about the importance of a college education.  The game’s winner received a scholarship from Horizon Staffing.  Athens–area professionals were available after the game to talk to students about different career options.  

As we have discussed in our Campaigns class, one of the biggest causes of poverty is a lack of education.  Athens has an extremely high drop-out rate, but of those students who make it to their high school graduation, not many get the opportunity to continue on to college.  This campaign is great because it focuses on getting students information on scholarships and financial aid, and letting students (those in poverty or otherwise) know they can go to college. 

I wish I could have gone to see the event myself, but unfortunately I had to go to class (after missing them all on Friday for Real World I figured I should go today).  Here are a few pictures from today's event, which can also be found on Athens College Track's online news room.

Great job to PRSSA's 2009 Bateman team (Selena Robinson, Stephanie Perrett, Carrie Edwards, Erin Gentry, Leslie Emanuele) for planning and putting on this amazing event!

Real World Session 4: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

The last session of the day was the hardest to choose - they all sounded so interesting (Sports & Entertainment PR; Travel, Tourism & Hospitality PR; More than "Invitations 101": Event Planning).  These are all the cliched "fun" parts of PR, and they have all interested me at one time or another.  The girls and I agreed on Travel, Tourism & Hospitality, which featured Amy Ballenger-Guest (Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau), Meghann Gibbons (Georgia Aquarium), Caroline Sanfilippo (InterContinental Hotels Group), and Melissa Libby (Melissa Libby & Associates).  Each of the speakers explained their backgrounds and gave information about their respective jobs, all of which are very different under the huge "hospitality umbrella" of PR.

The business I was most familiar with was the Charleston CVB, because I interned with the Athens CVB last semester.  CVBs are interesting because they're a sales force for the whole industry - they see the big picture in a city.  In order for all of the other hospitality-related businesses to do well, the CVB has to be doing its job and bringing business to the community.

The InterContinental Hotels Group represents InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites hotels all over the world.  A typical day working for IHG includes a lot of writing and phone calls, but there's also a lot of crisis communication involved as there is in any big corporation.  Time management can be difficult in this kind of setting, because you have a lot of people from different levels asking you to do things for them.

Melissa Libby runs her own PR firm which focuses on restaurants in the Atlanta area.  Her background was in hospitality, so when she opened her own agency she immediately started getting clients in hospitality.  She spends a lot of time strategizing with clients and talking to the media.

The Georgia Aquarium, as one of Atlanta's biggest tourist attractions, has a great deal of people working in its PR department (as I previously mentioned, it sounds like such a fun place to work!).  Like any PR job, it's far from 9-to-5 and there is always something exciting going on. They have done a lot of cool things lately over there, from a Martha Stewart book signing to having the Sci-Fi network come tape an episode of Ghost Hunters in their Titanic exhibit (for more Aquarium news, check out my friend and classmate Stekki's blog about her intern experiences there).

And that concludes my experience at Real World! I had the best time, met a lot of great people, and am so glad I took advantage of the experience. Anyone who has the opportunity to go next year, it's definitely worth it.  

Real World Session 3: What Your Professors Didn't Tell You About Your First Job

After lunch, we went to a session about the real experience you'll get in your first job.  Speakers included Rebecca Treacy-Lenda (UPS). Carrie England (Jackson Spalding), and David Jones (William Mills Agency).  Each of the speakers had a main point to make, and then opened it up for questions from the students. 

Here are my notes of the most important points:

• Just because you're graduating doesn't mean you stop learning - be a student in your first job!
  
• Throughout the first several years of your career, continue to work on building your personal brand.
  
• PR is more than just the traditional activities you learn in school - you do deal with money and create value for your form.
  
• It's very important to understand office politics in order to fit in at your first job.
  
• Our generation is typically perceived as one that expects things to be handed to us, lacks face-to-face communication skills (especially in light of the social media movement), and is unwilling to put in our time and pay our dues.  Be aware of and overcome these stereotypes!
  
• When you ask questions, ask the right person (ie: don't ask the VP where to find the stapler).
  
• An entry-level position is usually just a very small step up from an internship - you may still have "busy work" tasks, but this is so you'll understand the "why" behind everything the firm does.
  
• You have to be able to prove you can excel at the basics of your job before you can expect to be trusted with bigger responsibilities.
  
• Know the environment you're working in, and feel the company out during the interview to find the right fit for you - ask people why they like working there.
• Make an impression, even if you have to suck up a bit - make sure you gain respect from the beginning
• In the first 6 months of your job people pay special attention to you - dress appropriately (even more formal than the rest of the office), be on time (or early), make all of your work (even "drafts") flawless.
• Network at every level.
• Ask for feedback, but don't sound needy.  
• A good boss should be involved in your work but you may need to take the initiative to make them aware of what you're doing.
• Have an idea of what you want to do even beyond your first job - set clear goals that are not client/job specific.
• Take initiative - generally you won't just be handed more responsibilities unless you demonstrate you're prepared for them.

Real World: Lunch Break

After a full morning of information sessions, we got a lunch break and another chance to network. We got a table near the front of the room and were joined by several girls from the Georgia Aquarium (I swear everyone I meet that works there is so friendly and happy, it must be a fun place to work!).  

After lunch was served, Heather Oldani, the Director of U.S. Communications for McDonald's, spoke about how McDonald's has used social media.  Ms. Oldani opened the discussion by admitting that McDonald's is still learning how to utilize various social media tools, but went on to discuss various initiatives they have had success with.  One of the most interesting things to me was the effort they are making to monitor what people are saying about McDonald's online.  For example, did you know that on average someone writes about McDonald's (online) every 5 seconds?  I'll admit I didn't know much about McDonald's in general, let alone their social media use, so the panel was pretty interesting and informative.

Real World Session 2: Seal the Deal - What you Need to Know to Land the Job

The next session we went to was about actually getting a job - from mailing out your resume, to accepting an offer.  The two speakers, Jennifer Grizzle (The PR Studio) and Sharon Jones (Ketchum Public Relations), went through the steps of applying for a job or internship with helpful tips along the way.

1. Get Your Resume Working For You

-Be aware of your online presence (potential employers are).

-Spell check! A spelling error is the number one way not to get looked at for an interview.

-Use a clear, easy to read format (content usually matters more than style).

-Keep the resume to 1 page.

-Give a brief description of each company you have worked in - don't assume potential employers will know who they are.

2. Cover Letters

-These are generally looked at after the resume.

-Read the job description - put their buzz words in your cover letter or resume.

-Use the name of the company and/or some of their clients in your cover letter - these particular words automatically grab the attention of your reader.

3. Prepare for the Interview

-Research the company (website, trade publications, etc.) - don't ask the interviewer about the company, tell them what you know.

-Rehearse your "elevator speech" (9 out of 10 times, this is the first question you're asked)

-Know where you're going, do a trial run - this will avoid being late (if you are late, call).

-Get there no more than 15 minutes early, if you're sitting in the waiting room for 30-45 minutes the interviewer may feel awkward/guilty about making you wait.

-Be courteous to everyone you meet - your entire experience in the office is evaluated.

4. During the Interview

-Be calm, energetic, and confident.

-Listen carefully to questions, answer them completely.

-Maintain comfortable eye contact (there is such thing as too much)

-Be comfortable with yourself, bring your personality.

-Mirror the formality of the interviewer (tone, body language, etc.)

-Ask thoughtful, prepared questions and write down the answers you are given.

-Find out the timing of the hiring decision, know how to follow up.

-Send personalized thank you notes, but don't cross the line of persistence.

-If you brought a portfolio, you may show it at the end - make an effort to tailor it to their clients.

5. If Offered the Position

-Be respectful of the timing for consideration (ie: if you're offered the position on a Wednesday, take until Friday; if you're offered the position, take the weekend to consider it).

-Many entry level salaries are not negotiable - if yours is, research average salaries.

Real World Session 1: Agency or Corporate?

The first session (after the welcome and opening) gave a choice of panels about Agency vs. Corporate, Internships, and Making Yourself Marketable.  We chose the Agency vs. Corporate panel, but also really wanted to go to "Make Yourself Marketable" (that was the one problem with Real World - too much good information at once!).  Speakers included Renee Kopkowski (Mars Inc.), Don Rountree (Rountree Group), and Hilary McKean (Ketchum Public Relations).  

Personally, I've always been attracted to working in an agency.  Despite hundreds of people I've talked to that say they never wanted to work in an agency, something about it always drew me in but I could never really put it into words.  I think the best way to describe the distinction is that an agency lets you learn a little bit about a lot of different things, while in corporate public relations you become an expert on one company or client.  In other words, your level of expertise is more shallow (but wide) in an agency while it goes much deeper (and narrower) in a corporation.

There are tons of differences when it comes down to day-to-day work between agency and corporate life.  One interesting point I never thought of was that in an agency you're surrounded by peers that are doing the same kind of work as you are (fostering a team environment), while in corporate you're the go-to PR expert and your peers work in other areas of the company.  Agency life is also different as far as time management, since you're often multitasking but have to record your work (usually in 15 minute time increments)

 

From my understanding, there is no clear "better" place to start your career, however starting in an agency can expose you to a lot of different options before you settle down in one area of the industry.  I've always seen myself starting out in agency just because I do have such a wide variety of interests and I like learning random new things.  However, there is a business-side to working in corporate that I think will eventually draw me in that direction.  In addition to my PR major, I'm earning a business degree in management and think it would be interesting to eventually to more management-related work in a corporate setting.  

Real World: Welcome & Opening Session

As promised this is the first of several posts on the various sessions I attended at Real World in Atlanta on Friday.  After parking and checking in (and amazingly enough NOT getting lost in Atlanta... there's a first), we got coffee and settled down at our table to talk to the other people we were sitting with.  I was with two girls from my hometown of Sarasota who had driven all the way from UF to attend the conference (try to contain your shock that I was co-existing with Gators), and we were at a table with a few other students and PR professionals.  

After a quick introduction, the day started with a panel of employees from CNN (moderated by PRSA|GA President Mike Neumeier).  The participants included Victor Hernandez (Director of Coverage), Lila King (Senior Producer of User Participation - CNN.com & iReport.com), and Jennifer Martin (Director of PR - New Media & Digital Networks).  The questions focused particularly on new media and how social media has affected politics in the recent years.  

Here's a summary of what I thought were the most interesting points:

• Between the '04 and '08 Campaigns, social media evolved from candidates pushing their message to "the people" (voters) pushing the message for them.
  
• Social media in the '08 election was used for real time updates and connecting people, in conjunction with the rise of citizen journalism.  This was when people started to realize social media isn't just a fad.
  
• iReport has allowed coverage to become more personal.  When viewers were asked what they would want to ask the presidential candidates, questions ranged from campaign-related to questions about their personal lives and on a more local level.
• In addition to providing information to voters, Obama literally brought people along on the trail with him via Twitter.
• Social media allows huge gaps to be bridged (age, cultural, geographic, etc.)
• It's not necessarily more important to have viewers on the TV versus online, it's really just important that people are consuming the information being put out there by news stations.
• Citizen journalism is definitely helpful to journalists (rather than harmful) - it allows for a multiplicity of voices and perspectives.  
• It is still the journalist's responsibility to collect and synthesize the information provided by citizen journalists.  This shows how citizen journalism complements (not replaces) traditional media.
• Citizen journalism enables two-way communication.
• While it can be tough to remain neutral (there is no "view from nowhere"), there is a difference between being biased and simply letting people know where you're coming from (the Fed Ex/Twitter case was mentioned as the perfect example of crossing that fine line).
• Always remember how important transparency is - identify yourself!

The REAL World of Public Relations

I just got back from Real World PR, a networking event and conference put on by Georgia's PRSA Chapter in Atlanta.  It was my first time going and I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it was a great experience!! The panels were all really interesting, I saw a lot of friends from my classes, and also got to meet a lot of great people.  

Each time block had multiple sessions to choose from, and I'm planning to post the pages of notes I took throughout the week for anyone who missed a certain session or wasn't able to attend the event at all.  I hope some of my classmates will do the same since I would have loved to go to all of the panels but could only choose four!

UGA's Efforts at Crisis Communications

Since the tragedy at Virginia Tech in 2007, UGA has implemented a new system (UGAAlert) to quickly notify students of any emergencies on campus.  Students can opt in to the service, which either sends a text message or calls in the event of an emergency.  Parents can also sign up for the service so they will be aware of what is going on at UGA.  For emergencies which require immediate communication (like the VT shooting, severe weather, etc.), this service seems like a great idea in theory.  I was really excited about it when it first started, and felt better just knowing something like this existed to keep me informed. 

However, over the years I've grown less and less impressed with UGAAlert.  The system is so unreliable that it really doesn't do much to reassure me of my safety.  Of course a complicated system like this is bound to have its quirks at the beginning, but sometimes I wonder if UGA is just wasting its time with this initiative.  

Personally, I signed up specifically for text messages because I wanted to be able to read what was going on in the event that I should be contacted during class.  Despite my preferences I set on the website, I still get phone calls.  That's the least of my complaints, though.  There have definitely been times I haven't gotten a notification at all, when my friends have.  

Last month, a message was accidentally sent to the entire UGA community which was actually intended for a small hazardous response team.  Starting at 5:45 a.m., I got several urgent phone calls and text messages referring to something I had no idea what it meant, of course causing quite a bit of panic.

Last night, when Athens-Clarke County was placed under a tornado warning, my parents (who live in Florida) got phone calls warning them of the situation, but my roommate never got the call.  She did, however, get a text message informing her when the warning was called off.

While I commend UGA for making an effort at communications in the case of a crisis, they clearly need to spend more time perfecting their technology.  A system like this is only effective if it is reliable, and more effort needs to be put into this important service.

Is Twitter Taking Over the World?

When I joined Twitter in September, I had no idea what to expect from this new application.  I honestly didn't really understand the point, and I kind of felt like a stalker (or that I was inviting people to stalk me).  I quickly learned more useful ways to use it than just following people I had class with (ie: communicating with professors, keeping up with articles and blogs posted by PR professionals, etc.).  However, I couldn't have imagined how much Twitter would have taken off in the coming months.

Last month, the first image of the U.S. Airways crash to go public was from a Twitter user (coincidentally from my hometown, Sarasota, FL).  Since then, I have read countless articles about how traditional news sources need to change their business plans in order to keep up with "citizen journalism" and social media outlets.  Is it only a matter of time before social media websites make print news outlets obsolete?  

This morning, I read an article on CNN about doctors tweeting during surgery.  (Seriously?  I don't know about the rest of you, but if I'm being cut open I would like to have the full attention of the doctor on me, not on a computer screen.)  This is another example of social media beating out the traditional media - doctors can let followers know in real time how successful a particular procedure is.  Followers included medical students and other doctors in addition to simply curious readers.  Could Twitter one day replace classroom learning??

With seemingly endless possibilities for the usefulness of Twitter, it's hard not to think of the application as slowly taking over the world...

New Respect for Valentine's Day

I'll just come out and say it.  I've never been a big fan of Valentine's Day.  As someone who is usually very happily single, this is the one day that throws it in my face how much "better" it would be to be in a relationship than to be alone.  It honestly makes me kind of nauseous to walk around town and see flowers and pink balloons and couples everywhere.

Naturally all of my single girlfriends (that number seems to be smaller than ever this year) share my feelings, and even some of my coupled-up friends dislike the holiday because of the pressure it puts on relationships.  And the one complaint that everyone always has is that it's too commercialized, simply a "Hallmark Holiday."  In years past I've been annoyed by a holiday that forces people to spend money to celebrate, however this year I think it's just what our economy needs.

While some couples surely cut back on the typical spending (homemade cards and personalized poems instead of long-stemmed roses and diamonds), one business which surely flourished was the service industry.  I'm positive every restaurant in town was booked solid all night, which these days is pretty rare.  

As someone who works in the service industry, I've seen first-hand what effects the economy has had on people's disposable income.  Sure, I joked at first that my sales would go up at work - people will come drink away their sorrows as things get worse, right?  Wrong.  As time drags on, our sales are dropping (I've noticed an overall dwindling in the amount of patrons downtown).  On the rare occasion that I go out to eat (after all, I'm cutting back too), the once-packed restaurants are almost empty.  That was certainly not the case this weekend.  

So if nothing else, I can appreciate the serious increase in business that bars and restaurants experienced this holiday weekend.  Thank you, Valentine's Day, for helping me pay my credit card bill this month.

Internship Update

By Monday, we're planning to each have finished our respective divider pages (one for each of the themes in the style book).   The two themes I chose to work on were "Beach Casual" and "Global Chic".  Here are my first drafts of the divider pages:

The whole purpose of the book is for brides to flip through and get ideas for their own weddings.  It will be divided up into seven themes, but obviously images can be used from more than one theme as inspiration.  The above divider pages will just be sort of an introduction to the theme, and then the following pages will be more elaborate as far as flowers, table settings, lighting, and decor.  I'm excited to see the rest of the girls' work and get it all put together! 

I'm really enjoying the graphic design aspect of this internship.  I haven't had a chance to do a project like this since the Graphic Communication class I took a few years ago, and it's a fun change of pace.  

More updates soon on the rest of the pages...

Fun with InDesign

I recently acquired all the newest Adobe programs to use for my internship.  After much back-and-forth on how we would do the layouts, we've decided to use InDesign and then upload the finished images to Snapfish.  I've been playing around with the programs to practice (aka procrastinating, because doing my own projects is more fun).

Anyway, I thought I'd post the image I just finished.  The quote is from a travel ad I saw once and fell in love with, and the pictures are from some of the different places I've traveled to (study abroad and just with friends).  I'm thinking about printing a poster from Walgreens.com to hang up in my room...

It looks pretty small, and would have taken forever to upload it at full quality but I was able to upload a bigger version on TwitPic. What do yall think?

The Ongoing "Twilight" Obsession

Let me preface this post by saying I realize how incredibly dated this issue is - the Twilight craze has been going on for months (years? when did that first book even come out?). That being said, I'm just now giving in to the phenomenon myself and I've been thinking a lot about the whole series and amount of attention it has gotten.

Why is every girl in America so obsessed with this series?  I'm not just talking high school girls (which is the age-range of the characters in the books), I'm talking my 22-year-old, senior-in-college girlfriends.

I've asked my friends this question and their answers have varied, usually involving something along the lines of how amazing Edward (the vampire) is, and how the author has created a perfect leading male character for girls to fall in love with.  So is that really it, just extremely good character development?  Was the buzz intensified by the well-timed release of the movie and the hype of movie sequels?  Does Stephenie Meyer just have a really good publicist?

I avoided the craze for awhile but my mom got me the first book for Christmas and I got into it pretty quickly.  I can't really put my finger on what's so enthralling about the series, but I'll admit it's pretty addictive (especially further you get into the series - I'm just starting the second book).  What do you think, is there something so unique about this series that has caused such a frenzy or is the buzz just building on itself and sucking people in because they're so curious?  Why is everyone suddenly so obsessed with vampires?

Happy Weather

I've been fighting a cold for the last few days... well, really for the last month.  Ever since I returned from winter break (and by "winter break" I mean a summer-y vacation at my home in Sarasota), I've been congested and had a nagging cough.  It reached the worst point this week though, and for the past few days it's been hard just to get up and make myself go about my day normally.  My own diagnosis was that it's a combination of the weather and how hard I've been pushing myself lately (mom says it's life's way of telling me to slowww down... which I refuse to accept).  

I woke up thinking I felt a little better this morning, but when I opened the windows and looked outside to the sunny, high 60-degree weather I felt a million times better! I went for a long walk, sat outside and read New Moon (I've stopped trying to fight my Twilight obsession), and was in the best mood I've been in for weeks.  There were tons of people outside in my neighborhood walking their dogs, playing basketball, just enjoying the warmth.

I know I've complained on here before about my issues with the cold, but today made me truly realize what effect weather has on me.  Here's hoping it stays sunny and beautiful for the rest of the semester, because I simply don't have time to be sick before graduation.

Campaigns Thoughts

So it's a month into the semester, and we're still in the very early stages of our "poverty" campaign.  We had yet another meeting today to get a better direction, and one thing is starting to become very clear: we have to narrow down our objectives, or we're not going to get anything done.

The problem facing us, poverty in the southern "Black Belt" (named for the color of the soil), has been around for hundreds of years.  When I said at the beginning of the semester that it was overwhelming, I figured it was because we were just getting started... but it's still overwhelming.  And it's February.  We graduate and this class ends in the first week of May.

The challenge our class has now is to figure out exactly what we can do to help, and how we can leave a lasting impression.  Let's be honest, can we completely solve the problem of poverty in 3 months?  No.  Can we do research, conduct focus groups, and lay the groundwork for a sustainable program to bond the community and the university in the coming years?  Absolutely, and that's what we're going to do.  

Buying an Internship?

As a tangent to my post about being optimistic despite the state of our current economy, I read an editorial in my school paper (based on this article in the Wall Street Journal) that literally made me sick.  If you have yet to read the original article, Buying Your Kid an Internship, please take a minute to right now.

Based on the article, parents who are concerned about the job outlook for their kids are now paying for-profit companies to place them in unpaid internships.  Other parents are buying internships at charity auctions.  

One girl paid $8,000 for a sports marketing internship in NYC after unsuccessfully applying to 25 other internships.  CharityBuzz.com, a fundraising website, sold a music-industry internship for $12,000.  

Is this seriously happening?

What happened to working hard in school, paying your dues (NOT literally), and earning an internship based on your own merits?  When I said students should be prepared to do anything to set themselves apart to future employers, this is pretty much the opposite of what I meant.

Aside from how ridiculous the concept itself is, has anyone stopped to think that behavior like this is exactly why we're in a recession?  Spending the last bit of your savings (or taking out a loan? I really hope that's not happening) to place them in an unpaid position is just making things worse in the long run, not better. 

Update on Life

I've realized I become kind of MIA over the weekend as far as this blog goes, but I guess it's just because I have so much going on right now... here's a little update on life (this is as much for me as anything so I can get my life in order).

Classes are going well, it's about that time for the first round of exams - I have two this week.  So far I'm still really liking all the classes I signed up for, which is nice for my last semester.  We're getting going on our research for Campaigns, so hopefully I'll have an update soon of the direction that is headed.

My internship is awesome, we have so much flexibility which is a nice challenge.  Starting Wednesday, we're going to meet on campus so we can use InDesign or Photoshop to make some of the pages for our style book. 

I've been working a lot and basically saving every penny I earn for life after graduation.  If all goes according to plan, I'll have some kind of income post-May, but it's always good to have savings put away (I have an interview on a week - cross your fingers for me!).

On a completely random tangent, Spring Break is 32 days away and I've managed to stick to my work out plan so far, which is great news.

And yea, that's my life in a nutshell.  Nothing all too exciting to report, just keeping busy and happy :)