Master Your Story

Juggling various roles in our lives can often be overwhelming and allow us to lose focus. We sometimes struggle to maintain our work and personal lives, while pursuing our passions and sustaining our deepest values. Today we speak with Sahl Communication's PR Account Executive Ashley Achenbach about the importance of prioritizing your individual goals and using them to bring your story to life.

Ashley Achenbach graduated with honors from DeSales University in 2017 with a B.A. in Communications. An avid supporter of animal welfare, Ashley has volunteered at a small non-profit animal shelter in her community called Pets In Need since 2009 - where she is active in fundraising, outreach, and animal care. Ashley has also advocated for animal rights on a larger scale, speaking at a 2018 NYC City Council meeting to reform Manhattan's Animal Care Centers and end the euthanasia of New York City's homeless animals. Ashley also has a passion for the arts, and enjoys hobbies such as painting, ballet, and playing the piano. Ashley currently lives in Wind Gap, PA with her family and her rescue cat Diddles.

For more information on Pets In Need, visit www.pets-in-need.org and follow @petsinneedshelter on social media. To learn more about Manhattan's Animal Care Centers or to get involved, visit http://www.nycacc.org/.

We have seen great presentations showcasing how the most successful nonprofit marketers have incorporated storytelling into their organization's communications efforts. Whether it's a global organization like Water for People, a large US one like Outreach, Inc, or a small local nonprofit, the most successful organizations say they got where they are by first taking the time to identify their core reason for being – their core brand promise – and then sharing that brand promise through consistent, emotional storytelling.

In this week's show we speak with Mandee K. Hammerstein - Founder & producer of New Feathers Productions, dedicated to providing a voice and welcoming forum for new, theatrical works is delighted to be introducing a new season now at the James A. Michener Art Museum this fall. Known for her national, public relations and launching work of cultural institutions, artist-initiatives and new businesses, one of Mandee's biggest missions is helping lead the effort to save and preserve Oscar Hammerstein II's home in Doylestown, Pa and turn it into a multifaceted, Broadway history & house museum.

Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (/ˈhæmərstaɪn/; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Awards for Best Original Song. Many of his songs are standard repertoire for vocalists and jazz musicians. He co-wrote 850 songs. Hammerstein was the lyricist and playwright in his partnerships; his collaborators wrote the music. Hammerstein collaborated with numerous composers, such as Jerome Kern, with whom he wrote Show Boat, Vincent Youmans, Rudolf Friml, Richard A. Whiting and Sigmund Romberg; but he is best known for his collaborations with Richard Rodgers, as the duo Rodgers and Hammerstein which include Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music.

We enjoyed having Megan on the show last month we brought her back to discuss a the hot topic of "Work/Life Balance" There are so many books, magazine articles, podcast and media in general focusing on this topic. We found Megan's approach to be refreshing and easy. Click on the link and listen in to our discussion. Feeling frazzled with your life? Megan was once too, but not anymore. To learn more about it or to stay connected with more information, sign up with your email address and we will keep you informed.

There are three phases in audience analysis. The first is adapting to your audience before you speak. There are three ways to do this: demographic analysis, attitudinal analysis, and environmental analysis. Demographic analysis involves age, gender, culture, ethnicity, race, religion, and educational level.

Audience analysis is the process of examining information about your listeners. That analysis helps you to adapt your message so that your listeners will respond as you wish.

In everyday conversations you adapt your message to your audience. For example, if you went to a party the night before, you would explain the party differently to your friends and family. To your best friend you might say, "We partied all night and there were tons of people there." To your mother you might say, "Oh, I had fun with my friends." And to your significant other you might say, "It was fun, I had a great bonding time with my friends." In each of these situations, you are adapting your message to your listening audience.

There are three phases in audience analysis: adaptation before, during, and after the speech. Demographic Analysis involves age, gender, culture, ethnicity, race, religion, and educational level. Attitudinal Analysis addresses the audience's attitudes, beliefs, and values. Environmental Analysis is finding out things like the seating arrangement, the number of people likely to attend, and the room lighting. The way the seats are arranged will affec the audience's response. It is also important to know how many people will be there for the speech. And the way the room is lighted will affect the way the audience responds. If it is dark and the speaker is showing overheads, there will not be conversation. But if the room is light and open, the audience may feel more free to talk. The seating arrangement, the number of people and the room lighting are all factors that will affect the speech.

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