Thanks to Overheard in New York
Customer: I’ll have an egg omelet.
Cook: An egg omelet?
Customer: Yeah, one made with eggs.
Cook: Thank god you mentioned eggs. I was about to give you an omelet solely made from butter!
–Grant’s Restaurant
Overheard by: AJ
Was cleaning out my computer last night, and came across this gem, recorded during my 19-hour spur-of-the-moment round-trip to London this past June. I debated whether or not to post it - it’s really mostly ramblings - but the underlying statement is what my underlying statement always is: Doing things a certain way only because they were done that way before is foolish, detrimental, and could, very possibly, hurt you in the long run. Take some chances, have some fun. You can always go back to the “old way” if it doesn’t work. Remember that.
OK - Take this with a grain of salt. I was very, very full from a very, very good meal. (And try not to laugh at me around 27 seconds in.)
It’s Friday. Everyone needs a happy Friday video. A fun version of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn.”
Have a great weekend!
The FIVE RULES OF HARO. Keep them as a sign upon thy hands.
1) You will get three emails a day, M-F, with reporter queries from reporters and outlets from all over the world. Scan the emails, and if you’re knowledgeable about any of the topics, answer the reporter directly.
2) Don’t SPAM reporters with off-topic pitches in response to their queries.
3) You MAY forward queries to friends, but DO NOT post them on blogs or anywhere on the web.
4) You’re not allowed to harvest the reporter email addresses in the HARO emails for any reason.
5) Be excellent to each other.
Violating any of the above rules is punishable by any of the following: An email, a warning, being banned from the list, and in extreme cases, being “outed” to the over 33,000 36,000 members of the list. HARO works on mutual trust and support. Don’t violate that.
That’s it. Don’t say you never saw them.
Any others you think should be on there? Leave them in the comments.
Tried the US Helicopter service from NYC to Newark Airport yesterday. After taking it, I realize that I can never take a regular form of transportation to the airport ever again. It was truly awesome.
For about $30 more than a car service from my apartment, I walked into the US Helicopter terminal on 33rd Street and the FDR Drive. Once there, I walked inside, checked in, (I was one of two people on the flight) and was checked in not only for the USH flight, but for my flight to South Carolina, too.
Then I went through security. While I still had to take my shoes off, I didn’t have to take my laptop out! Now I was using the new “Checkpoint Friendly” laptop bag from Pathfinder Luggage, but the TSA guy said it was because when they only had one person at a time through security, they could just look. So, SCORE!
Sat in the lounge there for 10 minutes, then was escorted to the helicopter. All my bags were carried for me, I just walked and watched. And giggled.
Got onto the Helicopter, less than a minute later we were in the air. Went down the East River, cut across Wall Street, over the Hudson, past the container yards, and over the airport. Landed at the edge of the airport. Total airtime - 8:35.
This is from the time we hit the airport until we landed. The last 2 mins of the flight.
Got off the helicopter, right into a van five feet away. Took me right to the gate. Literally, to my gate. Walked up the ramp, waited about five minutes, they called for boarding, I walked onto the plane.
I don’t understand why more people don’t use this - Granted, they don’t fly late nights or weekends, so I can’t use it all the time - but next week I have to go to Denver. I have a 10am flight. I’d have to leave my apartment at 6 to take mass transit there, or I can leave at 8:30, walk to the helicopter pad, get on a 9am chopper, be at my gate by 9:20, and walk onto my plane. For what? $30 more than a car service? I’m a believer.
Coolest thing - This isn’t a “luxury” or “uber-rich” thing I’ve discovered. If you’ve ever taken a car to the airport in rush hour, or dealt with EWR security at 6:30am on a Monday, you know what it’s like. So I don’t consider this a “luxury” by any stretch. This is a necessity - and part of doing business. If you find something that makes your time better spent, you do the math and ask yourself if the slight extra cost is justified by the amount of time you’ve saved. If it is, you do it. (Same reason you go to the front of the cab line at McCarran in Vegas and offer to pay for a cab for the next person who’s going to your hotel. You’d have to pay for it anyway, this saves you an hour or three during CES.)
I ask you - is my logic sound?
Stay safe, my friends.
From a HARO member in Texas, her driveway.
Good vibes!!
First person who knows what the line “Abstract business” is from gets a HARO t-shirt.
Sitting outside the Huntington, LI Hilton, waiting to speak at the Long Island Public Relations Professionals breakfast this morning. “Breakfast” and “Driving to Long Island for” should never, ever be in the same sentence.
So this afternoon is the HARO “How to Pitch” Conference Call, at 2pm EST, 11am. We’ve got over 500 people registered, please join us, as well!
Tomorrow find me speaking at the Entrepreneurial Women’s Network in Norwalk, CT. Hey, it’s a great way to meet women! Kidding. That’ll be a fun lunch.
Of course, Thursday morning is the big one - my Keynote at the T3PR conference in Manhattan. Of course, I do notice that one of the key sponsors is PR Newswire. And I promise not to let that go unmentioned. 
Just the week of Abstract Busy-ness.
12 years ago, Seth Godin turned me down for a job at Yoyodyne. Today, he pimped out HARO.
Sweet, sweet redemption.
“Can We Do That?! Outrageous
PR Stunts That Work— And Why
Your Company Needs Them”
by Peter Shankman
Details »
Copyright © 2008 Peter Shankman
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