Empty Room Confessions

(Source: jesserubenmusic)

In talking with someone recently, they asked me about public relations, what I enjoy about it & why I chose PR. I just typed out exactly what came to mind at that moment.

Looking back at it as I was weeding through my inbox this morning, I realize how true it is & how lucky I am to have found something I love to do like this.

I’m such a people person - it’s a profession where it’s never the same thing every day. I get to deal with people, I get to delve into so many different mediums of media, I get to write, I get to work events, I get to be ridiculously creative, I get to help make people’s dreams come true and help have those dreams be noticed but lots of others

Making things pretty/finishing touches on one of the bigger professional projects I’ve worked on in a long time.

This one piece could help lead the way to something huge, something beyond even the expectations I’ve set if I have my way.

Man oh man oh man. This feels so good yet so super nerve racking.

Will be attempting to UStream from Jesse Ruben’s show tonight at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City.

He’s due to be on at around 8pm EDT for an hour set. 

http://bit.ly/pKcJcU

This has not been an easy journey for me at all. As many of you may know, I’m an unemployed PR professional.  I’m two days out from hitting my 23rd month mark of being out of work. I’ve completely exhausted all of my unemployment benefits; I’ve started to dip into my reserves to get by. Unfortunately, it’s come to the point where complete and utter panic has started to set in.

I’ve been doing everything humanly possible in that time to find work. I’ve gone through working my contacts. I’ve done networking events. I’ve gone outside my comfort zone. I have been applying to anything that I could possibly do with my background, PR or otherwise. I’ve looked at relocation, both domestic and even abroad. I send out a minimum of 40 resumes a week.  I spend countless hours researching on companies, agencies, places for potential job openings. I’m at an absolute loss at what else I need to be doing. 

It would be one thing if I wasn’t getting traction on my resume or during interviews, but I am and I do. I get through rounds one, two and three. I get so close and then just miss out on opportunities. It’s what I like to call the “We love you but…” responses. There are many variations on this but the “We love your background, you’re amazing, but we’ve decided not to hire at this time” is the one that kills me the most.  Why did you waste not only our time, but your own time with the process? That aside, nothing has gone to the point of having an offer extended to me.

I’ve been told as well by temp agencies, I’m too experienced to temp. I’ve been told by retail locations that I’m an at-risk hire or I have too much experience, so thanks but no.

I’m the biggest proponent of being a resource, of paying it forward, being as helpful as I possibly can be to everyone I can. It’s engrained in my DNA to be a giver. 

Now it’s my turn though to ask for some help because I desperately need it.  I need your help, be it with potential opening of doors via introductions, knowledge of openings, retweeting of my Hire Friday profile on Fridays. I will be grateful for any and all help I can get.

Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, for all the ongoing and constant support you’ve all given me throughout this time. To say it’s greatly appreciated would be a vast understatement.

Guys, I cannot thank you enough for your love, reblogging, retweeting, downloading & support that you’ve given to help Jesse Ruben get his album, The Ones That Matter, into the Top 10 singer/songwriter charts on iTunes for his 25th birthday tomorrow.

HE IS CURRENTLY SITTING AT #44

Let’s keep this going!

I’ve tweeted something which you can find HERE. Go retweet it.

Go reblog this all over the place, go to Jesse’s blog and reblog his posts or to his twitter and retweet any of his tweets.

Go to iTunes. Download the album for yourself, gift it to your friends.

Let’s get this done for Jesse!!!

jesserubenmusic:

So, I am turning 25 on Wednesday, July 27th (full disclosure: so is my twin sister, Molly).

A lot of people have asked me what I want for my birthday.

Well, here it is:

I want “The Ones That Matter” in the top 10 itunes singer/songwriter chart.

I know the album has been out for a year now. But before I start recording my next project, just once, I’d like to see it in the top 10. This is not a marketing tactic. This is not someone from my “team”. This is me, personally asking for your help. I want to do this. Without a label, or a manager, or an agent, or a promotional team. Just with you.

So here is what I’m asking. If you like “The Ones That Matter” but haven’t bought it yet, please please PLEASE do so. We even lowered the price to $7.99

If you already HAVE bought “The Ones That Matter” (thank you!) please please PLEASE recommend it to your friends and family.

And if you and everyone you know has already bought the album, then give yourself a high-five, and enjoy your weekend.

You can buy “The Ones That Matter” on itunes here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-ones-that-matter/id367636981

please repost this, retweet this, and resend this to as many people as possible.

Thank you so, so much. I love you.

- Jesse

When the very first opening artist on the concert bill blows the headlining act out of the water, you’re experiencing something unique. That’s the power that Jesse Ruben has.

Named 2010’s new artist to watch by Clear Channel, CBS News and the Channel One Network, the 24 year old Ruben backs up the high praise with a combination of true talent, well crafted songs and engaging live performances.  Reminiscent of early James Taylor and Paul Simon, songs like “A Lack of Armor” and “Bleecker & 6^th” display the artistry that resulted in Sirius/XM calling him ‘The next generation of singer-songwriter.’

Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2008, he has independently released two solo albums, “Aiming for Honesty” and “The Ones That Matter”, each of which has sold over 5,000 copies. His songs have appeared on TV shows such as One Tree Hill, Degrassi, and Lonestar.

As a headliner, Ruben has sold out rooms all along the east coast, from Boston (Café 939), New York (Joe’s Pub), and Philadelphia (World Café Live). He has also performed live on NPR, and has appeared live with Jewel, Ryan Cabrera, Parachute, and Brendan James.  His performances are deeply personal, combining well crafted pop songs with the stories they came from.

The first time I heard Jesse play, which is in the neighborhood of five years ago now at Mexicali Live (Teaneck, NJ), I was immediately drawn to his music. His songs, the melodies and lyrics were fantastic in such a way that they were constantly stuck in my head.

I’ve had the good fortune to work with and get to know Jesse over the last year thanks in part to his efforts in raising awareness for the Reeve Foundation through running the 2010 ING New York City Marathon.  I was thrilled that during my time working with the New York Road Runners, I was able to bring him into the fold with the public relations efforts on our celebrity runners. His enthusiasm, genuine excitement and generosity made my job pitching that much easier.

For me, working with Jesse now isn’t just about having another client or project to work on - it’s a labor of love.  I truly believe in him, in his talent and his music. I want to be able to use my talents to introduce the rest of the world to him and have them enjoy his music as much as I do.

I recently introduced Jesse’s music to someone I know in the UK, her response after the first listen blew me away in its poignancy:

It’s honest and simple in the way music like this should be. It’s someone’s journal set to music. It’s a confession - a love letter without the pretence.

That’s why I love his music, it’s like the conversation you always wanted to have but couldn’t put into words.

Take the time to listen to Jesse’s music.  After one song, you’ll be clamoring to listen to more.

Buy his music on either iTunes or Amazon. Then, for even more information, you can find him at the following:

Website
YouTube
Twitter
Tumblr
Facebook
MySpace 

Talk about big time screw up. This story is just hitting now, about a week or so after the mega hit Glee Live tour rolled through Chicago. Lying, making up facts on deadline. That’s the absolute biggest no no you could make as a reporter.

I can’t even begin to describe how awful something like this is, especially for someone who has been in the industry for almost two decades. At that point, you should know better.

Alas people do not learn and think they can toe the line or inch over it without consequence. Not this time, not on this editor’s watch. I applaud him big time for stepping up the way he did.

‘Glee! Live!’ Concert Review Costs Chicago Critic Her Job

Paige Wiser is dismissed from the Chicago Sun-Times after admitting she did not watch complete show performance.

Chicago Sun-Times TV critic Paige Wiser has lost her job after admitting that she fabricated parts of her write-up on a “Glee! Live!” concert on June 3.

Wiser’s review, published June 5 in the paper, mentioned a song that was never performed and described another number she did not personally see, according to the Chicago Tribune. Wiser said, “I’m at fault. I do understand what a big deal this was. I am ashamed, and it’s just a matter of making bad decisions when you’re exhausted.”

Wiser reportedly left the Allstate Arena show because her son had fallen off a chair and her daughter had thrown up, and she based her erroneous information on previous Glee Live! set lists. Wiser said, “I’d like to think it wouldn’t have been part of my thought process if it hadn’t been 1 a.m. and I was just trying to get the story done.”

The Sun-Times was tipped off to the inconsistencies by a reader. Editor in Chief Don Hayer announced Wiser’s dismissal in a note posted online on June 9. He wrote, “Accuracy and honesty in reporting are essential parts of the promise we make to our readers. We regret the incident and apologize.”

Wiser had been with the paper for 17 years. She said, “Of course I was in the wrong. I made a horrible decision at 1am when I was tired, but I know it was not worth throwing away a career. But I have no excuse. I know the rules.”

Wiser also says she fabricated the review, in part, to make up for difficulties on an assignment last month on Oprah Winfrey’s farewell show.

Props to Old Navy for becoming the first mainstream retailer to sell special edition Pride shirts! Hitting shelves on Monday, 10% of in-store sales will benefit It Gets Better.

http://bit.ly/kPHRP4<—- follow this link to see all the designs. They include adorable kiddie ones too. Equality doesn’t know an age so I’m glad they have those available as well.

I absolutely adore this both on a personal and professional level. It’s refreshing to see an accessible, mainstream company come to stand up for a cause such as this that may raise some eyebrows, but caring more about doing good. 

Personally, this equality is something I believe in. Love is love no matter what.