culture

Why Creating a Company Culture is so important for PR Success

Why Creating a Company Culture is so important for PR Success

What’s your favourite movie? If you’re anything like me, you know it like the back of your hand and can literally recite the words to it. Perhaps your favourite movie is even so universally loved that it’s considered a ‘cult classic,’ deriving from its loyal following? As in the film industry, the underlying concept of any devoted following is simply that it’s fans have a shared value system, vision and mission. They then ultimately come together to explore and express those areas of familiarity.

The reality of this in business is that every successful business has one. That customer loyalty and, dare I say, obsession with a brand is what helps to sustain and continue to (organically) grow a business. Apple, Starbucks and Tesla are just a few examples of this because they are major brands that people love and almost seem unable to live without. Developing a following like this needs to be a top priority strategy for every business, in order to be acknowledged and have supporters who will market on your behalf – whether that be by word of mouth, social media or indeed PR. That’s why I’m super excited to share my client Marlyne Pierce’s most recent article, where she gives you the exact steps that need to be taken to create a strong culture for your business.

How to overcome fear of success with visibility

How to overcome fear of success with visibility

We often hear the phrase "shattering the glass ceiling" in terms of the invisible barrier that stops women achieving their goals and progressing towards top positions in both the work and business sector. But what about the internal glass ceilings that we impose on ourselves? The limiting beliefs systems rooted in culture that have been passed down to us from generation to generation and now threaten to hold us back if we do not unlearn them?

Well, I recently wrote an article for Black Ballad, called "Are These Toxic Cultural Beliefs Holding You Back In Your Life & Business?" that explores 5 common toxic cultural beliefs and how we can overcome them according to a cognitive behaviour therapist (Amanda Bakare) who I interviewed along with 4 other black business women to get a greater depth of perspective and expertise.

One of the toxic cultural beliefs that I mention in this article is the fear that friends will become enemies and, as Michelle Shaw (event planner and stylist) put it, “put their mouth on you,” if we share our ambitions and successes publicly. This is something that is definitely a factor as we start to manifest our PR goals and become more visible. If this is something that has been stopping you from putting yourself out there (more or at all), I want to share this excerpt from the article

Lessons from Mahlah and her sisters on the first step to self-advocacy

Lessons from Mahlah and her sisters on the first step to self-advocacy

In August 2017 I wrote an article called “Lessons from 5 Rebel Girls of the Bible”

Which you can access here, sis

Among those that got an honourable mention were Mahlah and her 4 sisters- Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah

To summarise Numbers 27:1-11, they were the daughters of Zelophehad and when he died they advocated for themselves regarding their inheritance

by standing

“before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: 'Our father died in the wilderness...and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers'"

Causing God to instruct Moses to give it to them

Like it literally says that, when Moses brought their case before the Lord, He spoke to him saying:

“The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them."

Which shows that God is an advocate of women's rights, equality and leadership- despite what we may have traditionally been taught

Lessons from Zipporah on how to be the change you want to see

Lessons from Zipporah on how to be the change you want to see

In my most recent blog post I talked about the importance of taking a stand with your messaging, even if it’s polarising

You can read that here if you missed it, sis

The truth is, though, that sometimes your presence can be polarising not just because of what you say- but who you are

Don’t believe me?

Just look at Zipporah

Number’s 12:1 is very explicit about the fact that “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married…”. In other words-

They disliked her, not because of the content of her character, but because she was a minority

The worst part?

Lessons from Miriam on how to use your platform for social justice

Lessons from Miriam on how to use your platform for social justice

Last week, I mentioned in passing that Numbers 12 talks about Miriam and Aaron almost staging a coup against Moses because he married a black woman (Zipporah)

Click here if you missed it, sis.

What I didn't share was the aftermath

Basically God went ham on Moses' behalf by calling the 3 of them together; then:

  • Defending Moses

  • Striking Miriam with leprosy

Although Moses' prayer for her healing was eventually heeded, God still made her go through the recommended cleansing and separation process to teach Miriam a lesson. In other words-

God caused her to feel what it's like to be reviled, ostracised and hated for (leprous) skin that she had no control over and could do nothing about- just like Zipporah had been made to feel because of her blackness

Being a British citizen of Nigerian descent connects me with the African diaspora, including my African American brothers and sisters. They are me and I am them.

I talk about visibility all the time and how positive it can be but, as a black woman, I also know what it's like to be visible for all the wrong reasons- just like Zipporah, just like Ahmaud Aubrey, just like Breonna Taylor, just like George Floyd and countless others

All of whom have been tragically killed through acts of domestic terrorism (racism).

What we need is for our white counterparts- particularly those who claim to be our Christian brothers and sisters- to learn the same lesson Miriam did. To put yourself in our shoes. To empathise with us and stand with us. Since we didn't make or break the system, nothing changes until you do. Practical steps on how are given below from my friend Monique Melton (an antiracism educator, author, speaker and podcast host) pictured with me.

Lessons from Miriam on why lack of support is a blessing in disguise

Lessons from Miriam on why lack of support is a blessing in disguise

Do you watch Insecure, sis? If so, then you'll know that one of the overarching themes this season has been feeling a lack of support from the people you most expect it from when you're trying to birth your vision

(e.g. your best friend)

This theme of lack of support is something that we see through Miriam in Numbers 12 too…unfortunately, though, she’s not the hero in this story

Lessons from Rachel and Leah on How to be transformed by the renewing of your mind

Lessons from Rachel and Leah on How to be transformed by the renewing of your mind

So last week, lovely, we started talking about Rachel, Leah and everything that they have to teach us about finding the “why” (or motivation) behind your goals.

One of the things that I mentioned in that post is that sometimes we end up setting goals with wrong intentions because we are motivated by past hurts. This, as was the case with Rachel and Leah, may cause us to want to achieve certain goals for reasons such as:

  • Proving others wrong

  • Feeling validated, for example

rather than wanting to please or glorify God.

The past can also keep us from carrying out God’s will for our lives and achieving our goals when we choose to cleave to the traditions and cultures that we grew up with instead of carrying out God’s words/instructions. This is why Mark 7:13 says:

“[You make] the word of God of no effect through your tradition…”

In order to avoid doing this, we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in line with Romans 12:2- all of which I elaborated on, on my Facebook page this week via the (live) video below.