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	<title>Alex Lee PR &#187; Media Relations</title>
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	<link>http://alexleepr.com</link>
	<description>Public Relations and Social Media Marketing PR in Vancouver, BC</description>
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		<title>My PR Approach is a Personal One</title>
		<link>http://alexleepr.com/2009/09/18/my-pr-approach-is-a-personal-one/</link>
		<comments>http://alexleepr.com/2009/09/18/my-pr-approach-is-a-personal-one/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:48:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Media Relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PR]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alexleepr.com/?p=48</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Not everyone can afford to hire a PR professional, especially in today&#8217;s economy. The irony is we are living in an economy that needs as much PR as possible to boost interest. Maybe a look at my approach will help you or your business with a few ideas to get some attention.
STEP 1: DO YOUR [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Not everyone can afford to hire a PR professional, especially in today&#8217;s economy. The irony is we are living in an economy that needs as much PR as possible to boost interest. Maybe a look at my approach will help you or your business with a few ideas to get some attention.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">STEP 1: DO YOUR HOMEWORK:</span></p>
<p>When tackling a PR project I always take the same initial approach. I try and look at my client and everything that person or business has to offer and paint myself the big picture first. What are their greatest selling features? What makes this person or business authentic and original from everyone and everything else? And what is going to get the public interested?</p>
<p>That starts the massive brain storm. Fortunately or unfortunately, for me, this is the stage where my brain doesn&#8217;t shut off. You really just have to look at it from all angles. Where is that niche thing that will get people to notice or pay attention. I simply look at everything! The past, the present and the future. The connection with community. Who is going to care about this story?</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">STEP 2: STRATEGY</span></p>
<p>From there I break things down into smaller divisions and try and come up with a unique plan. I find the most interesting things to promote first and start from there. List each trait or feature as a separate entity, a separate pitch to the media and to the public. Then list all the media you want to approach about what and at what time. Remember that generally deadlines are very tight and current. If you have time-sensitive event, promotion, etc you need to plan accordingly. Press releases will get lost if you send it too far in advance.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">STEP 3: GETTING IN TOUCH- PERSONALLY</span></p>
<p>Every media strategy should consist of research and development first. Know your press. Know your media. Once you have a clear indication of what your &#8220;pitch&#8221; will be you need to ask yourself where the story would best fit in the media. You can&#8217;t just blitz everyone with the same story. Well&#8230; you can&#8230; in fact that is the traditional way of doing things but it doesn&#8217;t always work. Sure if you sent out your press release to a hundred people you may get a handful of interest but if you really want to take the time and energy to carry out a better media strategy it&#8217;s going to take more time and effort with your pitches. Find the publication, TV show, reporter, radio host, and/or blogger that will be interested in your pitch. Send that person a direct email or call them and talk them through your ideas. Create the story together. Or at least try to. Not every show or reporter is going to be the right fit but just sending a press release to the generic assignment desk is going to show less results than if you email a specific reporter, editor, television producer, radio host, or blogger.</p>
<p>Over time you will build relationships with your local media. You will get to know what they would be interested in covering and in turn making it easier to build your media strategies around them. On a larger scale you can certainly use that approach internationally. With email and websites it&#8217;s easy to keep relationships with people who may help you to get more exposure around the world.</p>
<p>The most important part about PR is your personal approach. Be authentic and honest and open.</p>
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		<title>What is Your Online Strategy?</title>
		<link>http://alexleepr.com/2009/05/28/what-is-your-online-strategy/</link>
		<comments>http://alexleepr.com/2009/05/28/what-is-your-online-strategy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2009 11:52:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Media Relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alexleepr.com/?p=46</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have to say I am working on one of the most exciting communications projects of my career right now. I&#8217;d have to boast a bit to say that as I have worked on some amazing projects in my PR career. This one gets my heart pumping and my mind up at nights consumed by [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have to say I am working on one of the most exciting communications projects of my career right now. I&#8217;d have to boast a bit to say that as I have worked on some amazing projects in my PR career. This one gets my heart pumping and my mind up at nights consumed by it.Without disclosing too much about this project to protect those who have trusted me with this task, it involves social media strategies for a very profitable business. My point is not to brag about this mystery project but to promote what&#8217;s come out of it, for me.</p>
<p>It comes down to this question: What is my own online strategy? More specifically even, what is <em>your</em> online PR strategy?</p>
<p>Much like any corporation, being remotely public online comes with responsibilities, at least for me they do (online). Due largely to this site and to my social media addictions.. I mean&#8230;PR tools, my life is an open book. Of course when it comes to my professional reputation I take the time to think strategy and I think long term rather than short. Twenty years from now I will have built up quite a lengthy presence online. It is inevitable we are moving towards that kind of future. Growing with <a href="http://www.google.com" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.google.com?referer=');">Google</a>.  Layers and layers of online pages, like sedimentary rock. Maybe I am going for the Grand Canyon of online layers. I don&#8217;t anticipate or plan for online popularity or anything either. Growing up I wrote in a journal for most of my life&#8230; isn&#8217;t this essentially the same thing? Well, that and the fact that I am letting just anyone read it. Let&#8217;s call it more like the portfolio of my life.</p>
<p>This &#8220;portfolio&#8221; has to be something I can stand behind and represents me in the most authentic way. I have no ghost writers. I take all of my own photos or credit and link to the rare times I don&#8217;t. (Or at least try to.. please tell me if you&#8217;ve caught anything online that deserves a link) but most of all I put time into it. It is something I am proud of. I also take the time to engage in conversation with people who are interested in me and what I have to say. Call it your online handshake and then coffee talk with every Web interaction.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s also the mind-set of quality over quantity, being really selective of what you put online with each post, picture and page. Then there&#8217;s those that use the Internet and its tools for <em>everything. </em>Photo storage, email storage, blog storage, you get the picture. An enormous amount of layers upon layers of online content. I even know people who store <em>everything</em> for the sole reason the can go back and find it. Certainly faster than going through files in your closet. No risk of losing in a fire. Accessible from anywhere in the world. All things are easily search able if you have misplaced it online. Times that by 20 or 30 years. Now that&#8217;s an online strategy.</p>
<p>Yours and my strategy can be different. I&#8217;m just encouraging you to think long term, as I try to do with ever post, picture and page. Think about your online <em>collection</em>. It&#8217;s is certianly something I take into consideration all of time. It&#8217;s no longer this mad rush to pile as much of me on the Internet anymore. Now I take my time to write and edit my stuff on line. My photos are chosen carefully and I take the time to update all of my social media addictions. It&#8217;s the online commitment I have made. I&#8217;m sure twenty years from now I will surely be proud of myself for putting the work in today. I will instigate a few laughs at the very least, anyway.</p>
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		<title>An Inspiring Introduction to Namaste Publishing</title>
		<link>http://alexleepr.com/2009/03/16/an-inspiring-introduction-to-namaste-publishing/</link>
		<comments>http://alexleepr.com/2009/03/16/an-inspiring-introduction-to-namaste-publishing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:34:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Media Relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Publishing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alexleepr.com/?p=44</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In PR the rules of the game stay the same regardless of who you are representing. There are good PR practices and bad PR practices but it all stays pretty synonymous. The only thing that changes is the client. In my near 13 years in this industry I&#8217;m pleased that I&#8217;m at a point where [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In PR the rules of the game stay the same regardless of who you are representing. There are good PR practices and bad PR practices but it all stays pretty synonymous. The only thing that changes is the client. In my near 13 years in this industry I&#8217;m pleased that I&#8217;m at a point where I can be more selective on what I decide to be passionate about. For me it&#8217;s now more about finding right working relationships. Who is going to motivate me to work hard for them? What is going to make <em>me </em>want to shout to the world about? Who am I prepared to give my 110 percent to?</p>
<p>Now don&#8217;t get me wrong. I love my casino and entertainment background. On a PR stand point celebrities are the easiest of easy sells. When Denise Richards threw that laptop getting media to pay attention wasn&#8217;t my problem. Promoting Johnny Chan during a major poker tournament was one of the most rewarding and exciting projects of my gaming career but he made it really easy for me to grab the media&#8217;s attention. So where&#8217;s the challenge for me? More importantly, where&#8217;s the personal reward in selling these personalities? I&#8217;m sorry to say but many celebrities, gaming or mainstream, are needy and insecure people. They need constant hand holding and can drain the life out of you, if you let them. In fact, ironically enough the more famous the star the larger their insecure personalities were, but I digress.</p>
<p>I had an a-ha moment today. It was inspired shortly after a call from my friend, <a href="http://www.musstbemary.com" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.musstbemary.com?referer=');">Mary</a>. Caught up with her first about our boys, hers was born on the 29th like my son Jaxon but a month later. Then it hit me, as I was helping her brainstorm PR ideas for her client, the energy in me shifted. I was filled with a rush of warmth and excitement. We were finishing each other&#8217;s sentences and giggling at our own brilliant ideas (well we think they are brilliant anyways). At one point I got shivers and goosebumps. Now that&#8217;s a brainstorming session! Thank you Mary. I so needed that call today.</p>
<p>Now my a-ha moment came when I hung up the phone, still smiling. Just because my life has been filled with celebrities and casinos doesn&#8217;t mean I can&#8217;t afford to be more selective. I love my casino PR experience now. Selling this province and it&#8217;s beautiful properties is rewarding for me. But when there&#8217;s time for more, and being Type A there is always time for more, I have been careful about who I share my skills with and who I decide to help out. I guess I just need today&#8217;s call to replug myself back onto my own path. The one I work so hard to pave. I have found myself straying as of late. Today I&#8217;m back on track and it all seemed to come together. I had a moment of clarity. I can translate all of my skills into a whole new industry. I opened a new chapter in that moment. Sorry, the pun was too irresistible.</p>
<p>Mary is working her marketing magic with <a href="http://www.namastepublishing.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.namastepublishing.com/?referer=');">Namaste Publishing</a> (<a href="http://www.eckharttolle.com/eckharttolle" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.eckharttolle.com/eckharttolle?referer=');">Eckhart Tolle</a> is one of their authors!). Part of our conversation took me to my laptop to punch in <a href="http://blog.namastepublishing.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/blog.namastepublishing.com/?referer=');">Constance Kellough&#8217;s Blog</a>. When I hung up with Mary and <em>after</em> my a-ha moment I read Constance&#8217;s <a href="http://blog.namastepublishing.com/2009/02/23/a-most-tender-encounter/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/blog.namastepublishing.com/2009/02/23/a-most-tender-encounter/?referer=');">post</a> on her home page today. Her words resonated so strongly with me in that moment and I knew it was a sign that I was on the right track. Especially her last paragraph. Thank you for your words today Constance.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m looking forward to helping out Namaste. What a nice way to stumble into the publishing world. I can&#8217;t remember the last time I was inspired like this.</p>
<p>Now if only my close friend <a href="http://www.raincoast.com/indigenousbeasts/index.html" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.raincoast.com/indigenousbeasts/index.html?referer=');">Nathan Sellyn</a> would hurry up and release his next book&#8230;..</p>
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		<title>Jennifer Harman Wins Big With Her Charity Tournament</title>
		<link>http://alexleepr.com/2009/03/11/jennifer-harman-wins-big-with-her-charity-tournament/</link>
		<comments>http://alexleepr.com/2009/03/11/jennifer-harman-wins-big-with-her-charity-tournament/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:30:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gaming PR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media Relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poker PR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poker]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alexleepr.com/?p=24</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
I am in Reno Nevada at the Grand Sierra Resort &#38; Casino to join  Lacey Jones for the Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament. We flew in from Vegas yesterday courtesy of Greasie Wheels Productions. Lisa and Rob have been working overtime to bring in as many pros in support of this worthy cause. Jennifer Harman [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone" title="The Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2009/03/grand-sierra.jpg" alt="The Grand Sierra in Reno, Nevada" width="361" height="365" /></p>
<p>I am in Reno Nevada at the <a href="http://www.grandsierraresort.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.grandsierraresort.com/?referer=');">Grand Sierra Resort &amp; Casino</a> to join  <a href="http://www.laceypoker.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.laceypoker.com/?referer=');">Lacey Jones</a> for the<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-charity-poker-tournament-to-kick-off-march-10th-1290/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-charity-poker-tournament-to-kick-off-march-10th-1290/?referer=');"> Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament</a>. We flew in from Vegas yesterday courtesy of <a href="http://web.me.com/pievegas/GreasieWheels/Home.html" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/web.me.com/pievegas/GreasieWheels/Home.html?referer=');">Greasie Wheels Productions</a>. Lisa and Rob have been working overtime to bring in as many pros in support of this worthy cause. <a href="http://www.jenniferharman.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.jenniferharman.com/?referer=');">Jennifer Harman</a> is best known for her skills on the poker felts but maybe you didn&#8217;t know that she has had two kidney transplants making this tournament something very close to her heart. In fact, her last donor Anne is here playing in the tournament as well. She&#8217;s Jennifer&#8217;s niece and did not hesitate to offer her kidney to Jennifer when the time came when Jennifer needed a new kidney. It was a heartfelt open to the tournament today and everyone was moved by the video Jennifer produced about her mission to raise money for <a href="http://www.kidney.org/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.kidney.org/?referer=');">The Kidney Foundation</a>.</p>
<p>As of Monday, more than 320 people had registered for the $230 event, according to Lisa Wheeler, President of Greasie Wheels.  Many pros came out to show their support like my favourite girls Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho. Also joining them were Roy Winston, Howard Lederer, Jeff Madsen, Todd Brunson, and Harman&#8217;s husband Marco Traniello.</p>
<p>Besides the $230 entry fee, there were $50 rebuys during the first three 20-minute levels and a one-time add-on. The winner of the event receives a $5,000 <em>World Poker Challenge</em> championship entry, while second and third place will receive $3,000 <em>WPC </em>entries.</p>
<p>Proceeds from the tournament will go toward the National Kidney Foundation — specifically toward “free-of-charge” patient programs, camps for children on dialysis, patient and family assistance, and research, as requested by Harman.</p>
<p>On a more personal note, I have come to the realization of  a couple of things during my stay here so far and from observing the tournament all day. One, poker pros are a bunch of softies. Many of them are very generous and the comradeship amongst some of the players is very admirable. Certainly the personal support for Jennifer from her friends when she needed them most was very apparent and I commend them for that. The public came out to meet the pros and to see some tournament action at the Grand Sierra in Reno and everybody had a great day for a great cause.</p>
<p><img class="alignright" title="lacey" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3347454127_52bd9df9b5_m.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="240" />My second observation is that women in poker have it tough. Look at Jennifer for example. That woman has accomplished a lot in her poker career. More than most women will see in their lifetime. I&#8217;m sure she&#8217;s been enjoying the millions she&#8217;s been winning over the years. But Jennifer is a combination of many things. She has respect from her fans and her peers. It took brains and skills and it didn&#8217;t hurt that she&#8217;s not so bad to look at. That&#8217;s my point I guess. Men have it so easy. They just need to prove they can play. Never is there an expectation for them to <em>look </em>a certain way. I have to commend Lacey as well as Tiffany and Maria. They too have the respect from their fans and peers AND they always look their best when they&#8217;re playing. I know the men are not complaining if they draw a seat next to these beauties. Anyone who knows what a tournament floor <em>smells</em> like after a long day can agree that it&#8217;s not pretty. My hat goes off to these female pros who breathes an element of class into a male dominated sport. It&#8217;s not easy. I&#8217;ve seen that first hand.</p>
<p><img class="alignright" title="jeff madsen" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/3347453815_6a9eac36a6_m.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="240" />I also had a chance to meet and spend time with Jeff Madsen this trip. Had heard so much about him from Tiffany, Lacey and Maria and enjoyed his company immensely. He&#8217;s a smart kid. I say kid because he&#8217;s ridiculously good at poker and he&#8217;s still in his early 20s. As of this year his total winnings are over $2 million. What were you making at 24? I know alot of young players look up to him and he&#8217;s a good guy all around.</p>
<p>I also had the pleasure of meeting David Farahi, Director of Slots at the <a href="http://www.atlantiscasino.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.atlantiscasino.com/?referer=');">Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa</a> in Reno. His family has owned Atlantis for the last three decades and he was genuinely interested in what I had to say about casino operations. I&#8217;ve been know to have an opinion about a few things in that department. The meeting was actually just by chance as he was sitting next to me at the 1/2 table where we spent a few hours playing with the girls. After some fun banter amongst the table it&#8217;s pretty clear that Tiffany, Lacey and Maria can command the attention of any room. The energy was good and people were having fun playing. And isn&#8217;t that was casinos are all about. It was an easy sell to David to see the potential in bringing these girls in to beef up customer relations at his own hotel. Maybe he&#8217;ll continue to remain keen as they stay in touch. Reno connections by chance.. I love it.</p>
<p>One more night in Reno before I head back to reality at home. It&#8217;s been a great trip and the hospitality has been outstanding. I just got the update that the tournament raised over $115, 000 for the Kidney Foundation. I&#8217;m sure Jennifer is pleased with that.</p>
<p>Above all I had the best time with Lacey and this trip is just one of many so stay tuned!</p>
<p>Until my next poker adventure&#8230;&#8230;</p>
<p>Here are some of my photos from our trip. Visit my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/yobomedia/sets/72157615052903435/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.flickr.com/photos/yobomedia/sets/72157615052903435/?referer=');">flickr</a> page for all of them.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img title="girls" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/3347445089_f114d16499.jpg?v=1236822095" alt="" width="500" height="281" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Lacey, Maria and Tiffany and Me at Charlie Palmer Steak House</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="goofy" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3347442729_172831d25d.jpg?v=0" alt="" width="500" height="375" />The girls with Madsen hamming it up on the red carpet</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">
<p style="text-align:left;">On a side note here&#8217;s a cute video from the throw down party the night before the tournament on <a href="http://www.cardplayer.com/tv/36571" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.cardplayer.com/tv/36571?referer=');">Card Player</a></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">
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		<title>Annie Duke on Celebrity Apprentice</title>
		<link>http://alexleepr.com/2009/03/03/annie-duke-on-celebrity-apprentice/</link>
		<comments>http://alexleepr.com/2009/03/03/annie-duke-on-celebrity-apprentice/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:17:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gaming PR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media Relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poker PR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trump]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alexleepr.com/?p=20</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The second season of Celebrity Apprentice aired last Sunday and I made sure to tune in. Honestly I hadn&#8217;t even heard who was in the line-up before parking it on the couch but I&#8217;m a reality tv junkie and who doesn&#8217;t love The Donald.
At first watch I realized quite quickly that the boys had far [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="celebrity apprentice" src="http://images.google.ca/url?source=imgres&amp;ct=img&amp;q=http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/A_F/Ai_Ap/Apprentice/season8_celebrity/celebrity-apprentice100.jpg&amp;usg=AFQjCNGDj1IUUwbDzkDxowqB8JDkWexyqw" alt="" width="470" height="350" /></p>
<p>The second season of <a href="www.nbc.com/the-celebrity-apprentice/">Celebrity Apprentice</a> aired last Sunday and I made sure to tune in. Honestly I hadn&#8217;t even heard who was in the line-up before parking it on the couch but I&#8217;m a reality tv junkie and who doesn&#8217;t love The Donald.</p>
<p>At first watch I realized quite quickly that the boys had far more star power than the female celebrities and found the teams to be quite unfair. Having said that my eyes quickly turned to one person in particular&#8230; Annie Duke.</p>
<p>I was thrilled to see her on there. Come on!  A female poker player on Celebrity Apprentice!! That&#8217;s GREAT news for ALL female poker pros out there. Annie&#8217;s gonna take you all mainstream.</p>
<p>For those of you who didn&#8217;t tune in to Sunday&#8217;s show or  are clueless as to who&#8217;s who in poker, <a href="http://www.annieduke.com" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.annieduke.com?referer=');">Annie Duke</a> is one of the best at her sport. As Donald said to Annie on the show (paraphrasing)  &#8220;I&#8217;ve seen many men lose alot of money to you&#8221;.</p>
<p>Annie is a poker pro and an author and earned her celebrity status by winning a bracelet in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_World_Series_of_Poker" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_World_Series_of_Poker?referer=');">2004 World Series of Poker</a> $2,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event and was the winner of the 2004 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions where she earned the winner-takes-all prize of $2,000,000. Now that&#8217;s some serious Poker creds, for any female or male pro.</p>
<p>Professional poker career aside Annie has made a name for all female players in my opinion. Because of her and other pros like Jennifer Harman, female poker pros are treated with more respect and are becoming the ones to watch for in tournaments around the world.</p>
<p>Since my post in 2007 about the <a href="http://yobomedia.com/2007/08/02/women-in-pokerwomen-in-poker/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/yobomedia.com/2007/08/02/women-in-pokerwomen-in-poker/?referer=');">Women in Poker</a> female poker pros have been crossing into mainstream media in full force and becoming viral phenomenons. With Annie Duke topping the cake in Celebrity Apprentice. Mark my words, this is only the beginning of this major crossover. Move over Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian. It&#8217;s time to make room on the red carpet for women who have beauty, brains AND skills.</p>
<p>On a more personal note about the show, I think Annie Duke played it exactly how she should have. Sure she came across as bossy and opinionated but it&#8217;s a game people and as a female that&#8217;s how you get sh*t done. As a former reality show contestant I know how exhausting a day of taping is like on a reality show. There are 2 to 3 cameras literally in your face non stop and you go go go go go go go from the break of dawn till night. It&#8217;s ridiculous. I can&#8217;t imagine what it&#8217;s like to be on a show for weeks. And the fact that her team members sold her out before they even heard if they won was disappointing. The men stuck together till they had to turn on each other. Come on ladies, prove that you can be a good team player like the boys are.</p>
<p>Good luck, Annie! My money is on you to go far in the show!</p>
<p>Mark this one as a HUGE win for the women of poker.</p>
<p>(If you&#8217;re following the show Annie write her thoughts on each episode on her <a href="http://www.annieduke.com" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.annieduke.com?referer=');">website</a>. Here&#8217;s the <a href="http://www.annieduke.com/2009/03/episode-1-of-celebrity-apprentice-this-is-going-to-be-tough-for-me/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.annieduke.com/2009/03/episode-1-of-celebrity-apprentice-this-is-going-to-be-tough-for-me/?referer=');">link</a> to her blog post about Episode One)</p>
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		<title>Daniel Negreanu Wins the 2008 BC Poker Championships</title>
		<link>http://alexleepr.com/2008/11/25/16/</link>
		<comments>http://alexleepr.com/2008/11/25/16/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:32:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gaming]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Poker]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alexleepr.com/?p=16</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Finally, after four years of building the excitement and press around this amazing tournament, the BC Poker Championships have found their media darling. Canadian-born poker pro Daniel Negreanu took down 689 players to win this year&#8217;s main event and it couldn&#8217;t have come at a better time.
From year one there has been some steady mentionables [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014220.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014220.jpg?referer=');"><img class="alignright" title="Daniel Negreanu wins 2008 BCPC" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/p1014220.jpg?w=224" alt="Daniel Negreanu wins 2008 BCPC" width="224" height="300" /></a>Finally, after four years of building the excitement and press around this amazing tournament, the <a href="http://www.riverrock.com/casino/tournaments/BCPCpoker.aspx" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.riverrock.com/casino/tournaments/BCPCpoker.aspx?referer=');">BC Poker Championships</a> have found their media darling. Canadian-born poker pro <a href="http://www.pokerpages.com/players/profiles/15251/daniel-negreanu.htm" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.pokerpages.com/players/profiles/15251/daniel-negreanu.htm?referer=');">Daniel Negreanu</a> took down 689 players to win this year&#8217;s main event and it couldn&#8217;t have come at a better time.</p>
<p>From year one there has been some steady mentionables that have been loyal to this tournament, such as <a href="http://www.gavinsmithpoker.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.gavinsmithpoker.com/?referer=');">Gavin Smith</a> and <a href="http://www.yukonbrad.com" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.yukonbrad.com?referer=');">Yukon Brad Booth</a>. <a href="http://www.laceypoker.com" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.laceypoker.com?referer=');">Lacey Jones</a> has been there from the early days too. Brains and beauty is an easy sell for me to the press! Through the years and by word of mouth more and more pros have tried to dip their hands into the BCPC pot. There was 1.9 million up for grabs in this year&#8217;s main event, a big amount on the Canadian poker scene, not to mention a mean title to add under your belt. Joining Gavin, Brad, and Lacey over the years have been pros like <a href="http://www.gregmuellerpoker.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.gregmuellerpoker.com/?referer=');">Greg Mueller</a>, <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/steve-paul-ambrose/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/steve-paul-ambrose/?referer=');">Steve Paul Ambrose</a>, Dennis Phillips (2008 WSOP final table player), Gabe Kaplan, Mark Napier and most recently joining Lacey on the ladies side were <a href="http://blog.lizlieu.net/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/blog.lizlieu.net/?referer=');">Liz Lieu</a>, <a href="http://www.pokerpages.com/players/profiles/58808/maria-ho.htm" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.pokerpages.com/players/profiles/58808/maria-ho.htm?referer=');">Maria Ho, </a>and <a href="http://tiffanymichelle.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/tiffanymichelle.com/?referer=');">Tiffany Michelle </a>- I&#8217;ll get to those gorgeous ladies later.</p>
<p>On November 23, 2008 Kid Poker himself won the whole shbang. The giant cheque said he won $371, 910. Small potatoes for the guy ranked second in the world for his winnings. But it is one of Canada&#8217;s largest prize pools.&#8221;Being Canadian myself, playing and winning the BC Poker Championships is extra special to me,&#8221; says Negreanu. &#8220;The tournament was extremely well organized and my opponents were very good. It may have been a smaller tournament but I would say this has been the best $2500 buy-in event structure I&#8217;ve ever played.&#8221;</p>
<p>Negreanu goes on to say, &#8220;I&#8217;ve been to many casinos all over the world but the <a href="http://www.riverrock.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.riverrock.com/?referer=');">River Rock Casino Resort</a> is truly unique and it&#8217;s been a great experience. The service is excellent and I&#8217;ve been treated like a star right from day one! I look forward to coming back again with friends.</p>
<p>Being that Daniel is just about the nicest most genuine guy I&#8217;ve ever met, I hope he comes back every year from now on! He really is exactly as he&#8217;s seen. Such a nice guy! I was there when he called his mom right after his win. On the tournament tables he&#8217;s just the same. Of course he has his game face on but the guy really is a master at reading people. He talks to his opponents constantly asking them where they are from, what do they do for a living, all the while checking for tells and signs. He was short stacked a few times and I have to say his skills pulled him out every time, that and a few lucky cards. He also is GREAT with the media! So eloquent. The guy knows his poker. On a more personal note, I was extremely impressed of his knowledge of fine wines! I was even more impressed that the restaurant had it in their wine cellar!</p>
<p>Negreanu is going to raise viewership of the final table when it gets televised by at least 30% adding more exposure to this tournament and the resort. BC&#8217;s best kept secret will not be under wraps for much longer and I&#8217;m glad it was Daniel that was the first big pro to win it and blow this tournament wide open. I&#8217;m excited for the 2009!</p>
<p>It&#8217;s no secret that Lacey and I have become close friends over the years that she has been coming to <a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/dsc03837.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/dsc03837.jpg?referer=');"><img class="alignright" title="dsc03837" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/dsc03837.jpg?w=300" alt="dsc03837" width="300" height="224" /></a>Vancouver to play the BCPCs and the Coast to Coast and the Johnny Chan Classic. This year she brought 3 super ladies with her. Maria Ho (2007 last woman standing at the WSOP main event- $240k), Tiffany Michelle (2008 last woman standing at the WSOP main event- $340k) and Liz Lieu (as of 2008, Lieu has earned over $690,000 in live tournament play). In fact I spent a couple of days with Lacey and Maria in Vegas (while visiting the Global Gaming Expo) before meeting them back here on my turf. It couldnt have timed out better. And thank you ladies for showing this BC girl a good time in Vegas!</p>
<p>I had a blast hanging out with these girls at the BCPCs. Although all four busted out on the first day of the main event I was selfishly happy I could steal them away for autograph signings and a couple of nights out on the town.</p>
<p>Can&#8217;t wait till next year. I have a feeling things are gonna get real big when Daniel comes back to defend his title&#8230; with friends.</p>
<p>Here are a few photos I took throughout the tournament this year. The entire collection is <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/yobomedia/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.flickr.com/photos/yobomedia/?referer=');">here.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p10140321.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p10140321.jpg?referer=');"><img title="p10140321" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/p10140321.jpg?w=225" alt="p10140321" width="225" height="300" /></a><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014056.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014056.jpg?referer=');"><img title="p1014056" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/p1014056.jpg?w=300" alt="p1014056" width="300" height="225" /></a><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014062.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014062.jpg?referer=');"><img title="p1014062" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/p1014062.jpg?w=300" alt="p1014062" width="300" height="225" /></a><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014084.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014084.jpg?referer=');"><img title="p1014084" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/p1014084.jpg?w=300" alt="p1014084" width="300" height="225" /></a><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014105.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014105.jpg?referer=');"><img title="p1014105" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/p1014105.jpg?w=300" alt="p1014105" width="300" height="225" /></a><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014118.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1014118.jpg?referer=');"><img title="p1014118" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/p1014118.jpg?w=300" alt="p1014118" width="300" height="225" /></a><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/dsc03874.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/dsc03874.jpg?referer=');"><img title="dsc03874" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/dsc03874.jpg?w=300" alt="dsc03874" width="300" height="225" /></a><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/dsc038881.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/dsc038881.jpg?referer=');"><img title="dsc038881" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/dsc038881.jpg?w=300" alt="dsc038881" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p10141581.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p10141581.jpg?referer=');"><img title="p10141581" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/p10141581.jpg?w=300" alt="p10141581" width="300" height="225" /></a><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p10142151.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p10142151.jpg?referer=');"><img title="p10142151" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/p10142151.jpg?w=300" alt="p10142151" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
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		<title>Are you ready for the 2008 BC Poker Championships?</title>
		<link>http://alexleepr.com/2008/11/07/are-you-ready-for-the-2008-bc-poker-championships/</link>
		<comments>http://alexleepr.com/2008/11/07/are-you-ready-for-the-2008-bc-poker-championships/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:18:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alexleepr.com/?p=14</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just a quick post to remind the poker players out there that registration for the 2008 BC Poker Championships are underway! I just heard from my inside sources that are some exciting pros playing in this year&#8217;s week long championships and of course I should remind you that this is one of Canada&#8217;s largest poker [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Just a quick post to remind the poker players out there that registration for the 2008 BC Poker Championships are underway! I just heard from my inside sources that are some exciting pros playing in this year&#8217;s week long championships and of course I should remind you that this is one of Canada&#8217;s largest poker tournaments.</p>
<p>Every year we have been lucky enough to have poker pros Brad Booth, Gavin Smith and Lacey Jones here for the week. Those three will be here again as well as a few new faces. Daniel Nugreanu and Gabe Kaplan are confirmed stars now to this years exciting events, thanks to<a href="http://www.pokerstars.com" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.pokerstars.com?referer=');"> Poker Stars</a>. BC has been waiting a long time to see Canadian favourite Nugreanu up here so this is BIG news!!</p>
<p>River Rock Casino Resort is again this year&#8217;s host property. Although it is under some heavy renovations their 5 star service still remains and anyone lucky enough to come to this tournament, as a player or spectator, will not be disappointed at the gaming floor and their state-of-the-art show theatre transforms into a gorgeous poker facility for the week.</p>
<p>For more information and a 30second look at last year&#8217;s tournament click <a href="http://www.riverrock.com/casino/tournaments/BCPCpoker.aspx" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.riverrock.com/casino/tournaments/BCPCpoker.aspx?referer=');">here</a>.</p>
<p>Here are some photos that I&#8217;ve taken from past BC Poker Championships:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/l_4c9901fda4728550c9288404c73f7fec.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/l_4c9901fda4728550c9288404c73f7fec.jpg?referer=');"><img class="aligncenter" title="l_4c9901fda4728550c9288404c73f7fec" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/l_4c9901fda4728550c9288404c73f7fec.jpg" alt="l_4c9901fda4728550c9288404c73f7fec" width="600" height="800" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/brad-and-lacey.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/brad-and-lacey.jpg?referer=');"><img title="brad-and-lacey" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/brad-and-lacey.jpg" alt="brad-and-lacey" width="453" height="604" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/gavin.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/gavin.jpg?referer=');"><img title="gavin" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/11/gavin.jpg" alt="gavin" width="453" height="604" /></a></p>
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		<title>Lacey Jones on the cover of Bluff Magazine</title>
		<link>http://alexleepr.com/2008/10/30/lacey-jones-on-the-cover-of-bluff-magazine/</link>
		<comments>http://alexleepr.com/2008/10/30/lacey-jones-on-the-cover-of-bluff-magazine/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:23:36 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[
More great news about Lacey Jones. She is on the cover of Bluff Magazine&#8217;s November Issue. Pick it up at newsstands on November 3rd.

Lacey was thrilled to be asked to be on the cover. With the new game show, being a spokesmodel/poker pro at Borgatta, and now this cover shot all in the last 6 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bluffmagazine.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.bluffmagazine.com/?referer=');"><img class="aligncenter" title="lacey_jones_christina_lindley_bluff1" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/10/lacey_jones_christina_lindley_bluff1.jpg" alt="" width="318" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>More great news about Lacey Jones. She is on the cover of <a href="http://www.bluffmagazine.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.bluffmagazine.com/?referer=');">Bluff Magazine</a>&#8217;s November Issue. Pick it up at newsstands on November 3rd.</p>
<p><a href="http://alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/lacey-and-jaxon1.jpg" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/alexleebehan.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/lacey-and-jaxon1.jpg?referer=');"><img class="alignright" title="lacey-and-jaxon1" src="http://alexleebehan.wordpress.com/files/2008/10/lacey-and-jaxon1.jpg?w=127" alt="" width="76" height="180" /></a></p>
<p>Lacey was thrilled to be asked to be on the cover. With the <a href="http://yobomedia.com/2008/10/22/lacey-jones-co-hosts-the-real-deal-at-the-venetian/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/yobomedia.com/2008/10/22/lacey-jones-co-hosts-the-real-deal-at-the-venetian/?referer=');">new game show</a>, being a spokesmodel/poker pro at Borgatta, and now this cover shot all in the last 6 months, Lacey is on cloud nine. She even gushes about it in her own <a href="http://laceyjblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-am-loving-life.html" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/laceyjblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-am-loving-life.html?referer=');">blog</a>. I think it all started to turn around for her after a visit to her home away from home, Vancouver, for the Coast to Coast Poker Tournament. <a href="http://www.riverrock.com/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.riverrock.com/?referer=');">River Rock Casino Resort</a> is her homebase as Lacey is poker royalty when she&#8217;s on Canadian turf. She&#8217;s a media favourite as well and I have no problems setting up visits to TV and radio stations&#8230; What can I say? She&#8217;s an easy sell and a pro to work with. A visit to <a href="http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/?referer=');">beautiful Vancouver</a> is just what the doctor ordered to get the kharma gods back on track. Right Lacey? Maybe she just needed a big kiss from my son. Who was 12 days old when she came to visit last.</p>
<p>I know the November issue of Bluff won&#8217;t be a hard sell to the men since Lacey and Christina Lindley are in lingerie. Brains and beauty. A deadly combination at the tables. Looks like these two have their opponents right where they want them, thinking about them in their underwear before they rob them of their stacks.</p>
<p>Well played, Ladies.</p>
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		<title>Meeting the Crisis Doctor, Larry Barton</title>
		<link>http://alexleepr.com/2007/06/27/meeting-the-crisis-doctor-larry-barton/</link>
		<comments>http://alexleepr.com/2007/06/27/meeting-the-crisis-doctor-larry-barton/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:26:27 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[At around 8 am on Monday my boss came to my desk to urge me to take in a daily seminar that was being offered to key members in the casino industry. She had been to this seminar before and without saying too much, told me that the speaker was one I didn&#8217;t want to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>At around 8 am on Monday my boss came to my desk to urge me to take in a daily seminar that was being offered to key members in the casino industry. She had been to this seminar before and without saying too much, told me that the speaker was one I didn&#8217;t want to miss. When I asked her what the content of the seminar was she told me that it was about crisis management.</p>
<p>The one-day seminar started at 9am and we were all squished into a small conference room at a Holiday Inn. The audience comprised of casino general managers, those working in casino operations from different properties, and security heads&#8230;. and me. With only a quick intro and welcome <a href="http://www.larrybarton.com" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.larrybarton.com?referer=');">Dr. Larry Barton</a> started his day.</p>
<p>My first impression, right off the bat, was that this guy knew what he was talking about. At that point I hadn&#8217;t even learned his long list of personal accomplishments and career highlights. I just knew, without a doubt, that he was the goods and that I was about to learn an enormous amount on crisis management. Impressive DVD presentation and slide show aside, Dr. Barton knew how to captivate an audience.</p>
<p>The day consisted or running through the various crisis situation a casino could find itself at any given time. Whether it be from natural disasters to human tragedies, he not only had video examples of past crisis situations and how they were handled, but he had his own personal insight that put everything into perspective, preparing you to be in the same frame of mind he is in when asked to consult on a crisis situation. They don&#8217;t call him the Crisis Coach for nothing.</p>
<p>Although I can&#8217;t devulge the ins and outs of his seminar (because we were sworn to secrecy to preserve the affectiveness of his seminar to future participants) I can tell you that I walked away a different person. It was <em>that</em> good.</p>
<p>When you tie Dr. Barton&#8217;s lessons with these kinds of crisis situations it changes everything in media relations. You start to see even more facets to the big story and how you could really affect the outcome in the media just based on how prepared <strong>you</strong> are to handle the crisis.</p>
<p>Not only were my media relations eyes wide open but on a personal level this seminar helped me to understand how I would be in a crisis situation. Am I the kind to run away or can I find myself called to action? Until you find yourself in the middle of this kind of crisis one never really knows. It&#8217;s a matter of trusting your auto-pilot in hopes that you are the acting kind.. not the coward kind. From there, the next step is to call into action those around you for support.</p>
<p>If you ever have the opportunity to take in a seminar of Dr. Larry Barton, it will change your life, how you see people and situations, and how you would deal with a life threatening situation. It&#8217;s the personal challenge that I took away from the most and I feel fortunate enough to have attended. Next on the list is to read <a href="http://www.larrybarton.com/order/Larry-Barton-suborder.html" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.larrybarton.com/order/Larry-Barton-suborder.html?referer=');">his books</a>&#8230;.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://images.google.ca/url?q=http://www.f-s-m-a.com/images/barton.jpg&amp;usg=AFQjCNGXtEy3q-_apBR5OEo66EZXMakuzA" border="0" alt="Dr. Larrry Barton" width="136" height="164" /><br />
<a href="http://www.larrybarton.com" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.larrybarton.com?referer=');"><img src="www.larrybarton.com" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /><img src="www.larrybarton.com" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" />Dr. Larry BartonMee</a></p>
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		<title>The Road to Mastering Media Relations</title>
		<link>http://alexleepr.com/2007/06/21/the-road-to-mastering-media-relations/</link>
		<comments>http://alexleepr.com/2007/06/21/the-road-to-mastering-media-relations/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:57:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media Relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PR]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alexleepr.com/?p=9</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
In 2005, I made the decision to leave my career in Broadcast Journalism. If you had asked me a year prior to that decision, I would have been the person laughing at your suggestion. Why would I consider switching after sweating through over a decade of media jobs in radio and television? In fact, I [...]]]></description>
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<p>In 2005, I made the decision to leave my career in Broadcast Journalism. If you had asked me a year prior to that decision, I would have been the person laughing at your suggestion. Why would I consider switching after sweating through over a decade of media jobs in radio and television? In fact, I really did <em>fall</em> into a career in Media Relations by just being at the right place at the right time.</p>
<p>I was a morning TV show co-host covering the opening of a casino. After the 3 hour live broadcast, the man I was interviewing all morning flat out asked me if I’d consider managing media and public relations for his company. With no prior knowledge of the casino industry, aside from occasional trips to the roulette table with friends and watching the movie Casino a million times, I accepted the challenge and eased myself into a new career.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, to me, making the move from being a journalist to a media relations specialist was an incredibly easy transition. I learned pretty quickly that my greatest asset was my years as a journalist. In media relations, if you can think 3 steps ahead of any reporter in any situation, you are on top of your game. It really is <em>that</em> simple.</p>
<p>Whether I am managing media for celebrities and star-power events or handling a crisis situation, the frame of mind when dealing with media stays the same. How do you direct the media to tell the story <strong>you</strong> want, without compromising their integrity or yours? Finding the angle the media wants to take, is key to this process. You will not always see eye to eye with the media, in every situation, but you certainly can take two approaches. One is the play <em>nice</em> approach and the other is to be constantly challenging the media in your defense.</p>
<p>From experience, the first approach is the one that will see the most success. You have to take into consideration the media’s side first. They <strong>need </strong>a story. Your job, in charge of media relations, is to direct them <strong>to the</strong> story. That doesn’t mean reading a general statement in hopes they don’t drill you with tough questions. It means taking into consideration every possible angle a reporter could take and providing them with the answers they are looking for… with a slight spin. Basically, if you know the angle the media wants to take, you can provide them with that story in a way that benefits your initiatives. Then it becomes a win-win situation. The reporter gets his or her story and your message is clearly identified within it. Your headlines will reflect that, as well as the content.</p>
<p>Second, who is the right spokesperson for the media? Whether I stepped up to deliver the message or I appointed the right <em>specialist</em> to speak in relation to the incident or event, the most important element of the spokesperson lies within their sincerity. We live in a fickle and harshly judgmental society as it is and the general media reading/watching/listening public is a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Choosing the right person to speak publicly is paramount.</p>
<p>I’ll give you an example. I was handling media for a film production when something terrible happened on set involving one of the film’s top star. Instantly, word traveled like wild fire and within a couple of hours every media outlet had found their way onto the film set… eventually turning into mass pandemonium.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, I wasn’t affected by the media zoo and managed to take a step back to see what the best course of action would be, analyzing what the best outcome for the film company would be during this crisis. I was also surprised at how inadequately prepared the film unit was for such a situation and I found myself having to take complete charge of what was about to turn out to be an International headline.</p>
<p>The media was there to get their story and at that point it was anyone’s game. Tomorrow’s headlines could be either extremely damaging to both the star and the film and careful strategic planning was essential.</p>
<p>The first course of action was to clear the scene. Working closely with security I was able to empty out the area so that by the time the media did show up they had nothing to shoot for b-roll by an evacuated film set. There were no emergency vehicles on site and the last police car was pulling out of the property before the first cameraman could even take his first exterior shot.</p>
<p>Next was to find my spokesperson. I certainly was NOT going to put the star on camera right away. That would have been career suicide. Not to mention her attitude towards the situation was enough to make me want to throw her out the window. I turned to the film’s producers in hopes they would step up and deliver the message I had written for them.</p>
<p>After some hesitation I was able to make them understand that they needed to be the main spokespeople on this issue, not me. They would add credibility to their statement and I had faith, after spending 3 hours in crisis mode with them, that their genuinely sweet natures would translate well on camera.</p>
<p>I prepped them, rehearsed with them, drilled them with difficult questions in response to their statement… everything a good PR person could do before shoving them in front of about 20 cameras and reporters. What I didn’t anticipate was their nervous reaction to being in front of a live media scrum. They were like deers in headlights. The read of their statements were excruciatingly painful, at times, and if I could’ve thrown out a life preserver to save them… I would have. Still, you could tell that they were being genuine and the media accepted that. By the time it hit the evening news their quotes were so cut up within the story that you couldn’t really tell how nervous they were. In the end, the story remained consistent with their statements and they were not made to look like fools on national television.</p>
<p>Mastering media relations is an ongoing process. The <em>right</em> PR plan is one that is completely unique to <em>that</em> PR situation. Never assess the situation in the same way you have before. Fresh eyes on everything, in combination of staying ahead of your media, is my best approach. If I were to leave you with any further words of wisdom it would have to be: “GET TO KNOW YOUR MEDIA”. Your strength in PR will come with the relationships you build with them.</div>
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