The Real Life Olivia Pope's Newest High-Profile Clients

Most aspiring Public Relations specialists can’t help but look up to ABC’s Scandal’s main character, Olivia Pope, who plays the ultimate crisis management expert who represents everyone from politicians to celebrities.  But, what most people don’t know is that Olivia Pope is actually based off a real woman: Judy Smith. Judy Smith was a former Bush administration press aid turned crisis management expert, just like Olivia Pope. Also, just like Olivia Pope, Judy Smith is making headlines.

(Source: Google)

In December, Sony Pictures Entertainment was attacked when computer systems were hacked exposing extensive private data including the social security numbers of thousands of employees. As if that wasn’t enough, hackers also revealed racist and inappropriate emails by Amy Pascal, Sony Picture’s film chief. Amy Pascal and Sony Pictures are definitely having a tough time but their luck might be turning around. Judy Smith has been hired to aid Amy Pascal and Sony’s internal public relations department. This is obviously a huge scandal for Pascal and Sony and definitely a testament to the success of Judy Smith. However, Sony is not Smith’s only new client.

Judy Smith was also recently hired to represent and guide Girls’ actress and creator Lena Dunham. Dunham has consistently been making headlines since the premier of her show in 2012. Dunham is extremely outspoken on social media and recently publish a memoir entitled, Not That Kind of Girl. Dunham’s frankness on social media and candid memoir have definitely caused a stir and even caused her some major bad publicity, which led Dunham to hire Judy Smith to give her counsel. Dunham is hoping to take a more active roll in her press coverage and even stated plans to delete her twitter account.

Obviously Judy Smith is extremely well known and capable of handling diverse clients. Plus, her newest high-profile clients are a testament to her success and capabilities. Do you think Smith is powerful enough to change the public perception of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Lena Dunham?  

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Emily Charles.

Build Your Confidence In Conversation

As a public relations student, throughout classes, student organizations and internships we have all been taught the “secrets” to becoming a successful public relation specialist. Time and time again we have heard that one of the most successful tools we need to optimize is networking. Networking is basically building personalized and beneficial relationships with other professionals.

Obviously, networking is extremely important and seems pretty simple. One of the first steps on the road to success is making a good and memorable first impression and building new relationships. Therefore, having a more outgoing and personable personality can be an asset to an aspiring PR professional. But, even the shyest PR student can learn to be confident in their conversational skills and eventually a confident networker. But first, these students should focus on feeling comfortable meeting and making conversation with new people.

Here are some tips for those quieter PR students:

1. Read

Obviously, as a quieter individual, meeting new people and making small talk can seem awkward. However, if you learn to feel confident in your conversational skills, this task won’t seem as daunting. For example, reading is an enjoyable way to learn more about a variety of different topics. You never know when something you learned while reading could come up and provide you with easy conversation.  Obviously, not everyone likes to read but there are hundreds of ways to expand your general knowledge. For instance, watch the news or play lots of Trivia Crack (which you probably already do).

2.  Be Curious

Sometimes, being shy or introverted makes one feel uncomfortable talking about themselves. However, developing a genuine curiosity about others and learning to ask questions can easily solve this problem. Being interested in others and what they have to say is a great way to deflect the conversation from you and allow others to talk about himself or herself. This also has the added benefit of making someone else feel appreciated!

3. Smile 

Smiling is an excellent way to begin building relationships because it signals you are open to one. By smiling more, you make yourself seem friendly and approachable to others. Also, smiling will allow others to feel more comfortable and relaxed around you, which will create a relaxing atmosphere. 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Emily Charles.

Stress Less

As a public relations major balancing between classes, work, internships and a social life, time can become pretty tight. We all have stressful days, and if we're being honest, they are more like stressful weeks…and I think everyone could use some help dealing with that anxiety.

I often researched how to reduce stress only to uncover vague suggestions such as, "set aside worry time", "learn to live with anxiety" and "take deep breaths". First of all, the problem is that we don't have enough days in the week so "worry time" seems a little out of reach. Also, all of the other suggestions deal with changing your mentality, which is often easier said than done.

Therefore, I set out to find some actual real-life actions that one could take to reduce stress. Apparently, drinking orange juice and its natural vitamin C aids in reducing anxiety. Additionally, listening to white noise has been proven to not only eliminate background noise but simultaneously allowing focus and reduced anxiety.

For all those pet lovers out there, studies have proven that spending time with your furry friend releases chemicals in the body that produce a feeling of tranquility.

Another quick fix: try having oatmeal for breakfast! Oatmeal, besides being good for you, has magnesium and potassium, which lowers blood pressure as well as helps reduce anxiety. Try trading out one of your many daily cups of coffee for Passion Flower tea. Passion Flower tea is an herbal remedy for anxiety. 

These simple steps won’t necessarily be life altering but hopefully they can help get you through those extra-stressful weeks!

Do you have any other unique ways of dealing with stress and anxiety?  Tell us in the comments!  

This guest blog was written by PRowl staff member Emily Charles.

"Oh The Places You'll Go" With Public Relations

As every public relation student knows, as soon as they say they are majoring in PR, a series of almost standardized questions always seem to follow: “What to do you want to do?” and “Where do you want to work?”

However, because of the diversity that public relations can offer, these questions can be hard to answer. But, that is the great part about this major. While looking into internships this summer, I applied to all the go-to’s. I applied to different agencies and non-profit organizations that I always pictured myself working at eventually.

The internship I ended up taking was something I never even though of. This summer I interned for a solo-attorney in center city Philadelphia, who focuses on criminal defense and personal injury.

At first, I felt extremely out of place in this office populated by legal interns and paralegals. I didn’t think a public relations student like myself belonged in a law office. But, this was definitely not the case. Even though I worked in a law office, I spend my days doing typical public relations work like writing blogs, press releases and newsletters. However, I also learned a lot due to the fact that the assignments I was doing were very non-traditional. For example, writing blogs about different legal situations and solutions.

I never realized how much any and every company needs public relations specialists. For example, every company and organization needs to have a positive relationship with the public in order to be successful. Thus, a public relations specialist can basically work anywhere for a multitude of different types of companies.

So, when you’re thinking about “What do you want to do?” or “Where do you want to work?”, remember, the possibilities are endless.

Did you have any alternative public relations internships this summer? 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Emily Charles. 

PR In The Eternal City

This summer, while studying abroad at Temple Rome I found a small cafe in the heart of the city. Everyday I watched countless Roman businessmen and women trickle in and out of the café at lunchtime. After seeing these professionals day after day, I began to wonder: what is modern public relations like in the eternal city?

I learned that one of Rome’s biggest public relations firms is called Barabino & Partners. This agency is defined as a corporate public relations firm and dominates the Italian public relations market. Like many Italian PR firms, most of Barabino & Partners’ earnings come from work in Public Affairs.

Interestingly, Barabino & Partners as well as most other Italian public relations firms are basically unconcerned with social media. This is interesting because social media has come to define public relations in the United States and basically determines the success of all major and small businesses, brands and companies. Lack of social media may be due to Italy’s seriously unpredictable and problematic wifi connection.

Also, in the United States, public relations specialists are often associated with having an extremely busy schedule and an almost workaholic attitude. However, life is a little more slow-paced for the Italian PR professional. For example, most start their day in the late morning and take a lunch break daily. As many know, in America, PR specialists rarely sleep in on the weekends let alone workdays and while you could catch many Roman PR specialists leisurely drinking cappuccino on their lunch break most Philadelphia PR pros survive on a diet of to-go espresso.

Like Barabino & Partners, many Roman PR firms have numerous international clients and therefore, are always looking to hire international employees. Thus, if you happen to be an Italian-speaking PR student who would enjoy work in a slower-paced corporate environment, Rome is the city for you.

Do you think Italian PR sounds more enjoyable due to its laid back environment? Do you think this laid back environment changes the type of students studying Public Relations in Rome and Italy compared to Philadelphia and the United States? 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Emily Charles 

ABC’s Scandal: Based off the Ultimate PR Star

Turns out, although ABC’s Scandal has some pretty outrageous characters and plots, the show is actually based off a real woman! The main character of Scandal, Olivia Pope, a crisis management expert or “fixer” is actually based directly off Judy Smith.

Judy Smith graduated with a public relations degree from Boston University and founded her own strategic and crisis communication firm called Smith & Company where, like Olivia Pope, Smith represents many high-profile political, athletic and entertainment figures including Kobe Bryant and Paula Deen.

Smith has even been the public relations expert behind the scenes of many real-life scandals that have made national news. For example, one of Smith’s biggest cases was representing Monica Lewinsky after news broke of her relationship with President Clinton.

She was also the PR expert behind the scenes of a scandal that erupted in 2007 after professional football player Michael Vick was accused of operating a dog-fighting ring in Virginia.

As if that wasn’t enough, Smith even worked in the White House! During her time as Special Assistant and Deputy Press Secretary for the Bush Administration, she provided the president with communication advice regarding the Gulf War and US-Kuwaiti relations.

Obviously, Judy Smith has a very impressive resume that definitely warrants a hit-television show but a lot can also be learned from her successful career. For example, never talk about your clients: Obviously, the scandals Smith has been involved in were splashed across all media outlets. However, until recently most had never heard of Judy Smith. This is because she has a reputation of never speaking of her past clients, which is definitely a necessity in crisis PR.

Many have asked Smith the key to her success and her response is a lesson to be remembered for all aspiring PR professionals: “Constant work and focus,” she explains. In most careers in PR, professionals will be handling many different accounts and clients; therefore, it is necessary to work hard and stay focused to keep up with their demanding needs.

Do you think Judy Smith’s wide range of clients and success makes her the ultimate PR star? 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Emily Charles.