By Gini Dietrich
Not unlike many of my friends, I first met Nikki Little on The Twitter.
She was in town for a bachelorette party a few years ago (before she had twins!) and we got together for a drink before her craziness began.
It was like getting together with an old friend. We had tons to talk about and lots in common.
Since then, I think I average seeing her once a year—even this past spring when I spoke at an event that she was hosting for a client, which definitely is not enough.
But she does live 300 miles away, has twin toddlers, is the social media manager for Identity PR, is vice president of Social Media Club Detroit and is the Help a PR Pro Out (HAPPO) Michigan champion.
For HAPPO, Nikki manages a bi-weekly e-newsletter called the HAPPO MI Report, which serves as a job, events, and news resource for communications professionals.
AND, she is a member of PRSA Detroit.
Girl gets around!
She is someone to keep an eye on and that is why I asked her to sit on the Spin Sucks Inquisition hot seat today.
What is the Biggest Mistake You’ve Made in Your Career?
Ignoring red flags and my gut.
It’s one of the very first professional lessons I learned during my first PR agency internship during college.
During my interview, there was a major red flag about the agency and its president.
But, I was so excited when I got the internship offer that I ignored that gut feeling and took it anyway.
It was a rough three months, but I will forever be a better professional (and person) overall thanks to that experience.
And I’ll never not trust my gut again!
What is One Thing about Yourself that Would Surprise Most People?
You know all those classic 80’s movies people have seen 10 or 20 times? Think Top Gun and Back to the Future. I
haven’t seen either in their entirety (or a lot of other movies people would call classic, like any of The Godfather movies).
My husband was appalled when he first learned I hadn’t seen many of these movies, and he promptly got me to watch The Goonies.
If You Could Achieve Everything You Ever Wanted in Life, but Had to Die 10 Years Sooner, Would You Make that Trade?
Oh boy, that’s tough.
I could spend a lot of time getting into situational analysis with this one, so I’m just going to say no.
I’d like to believe that even after I *think* I’ve achieved everything I could ever want in life, as long as I’m meant to continue being on this earth, there is something awesome still left in store for me.
What Industry Advice or Practice Would You Most Like to Cry Foul On?
PR tactics that worked five or 10 years ago should still be kept in practice because they’re “standard.”
Bull.
Sadly, there are practitioners who still believe this and are still resistant to change.
Also, anyone who ever for one second thought it’s OK to attend a networking event simply to hand out as many business cards as possible needs to go take a relationship 101 course.
Kid you not, at an event I attended a couple of weeks ago, a guy I’ve encountered in many online communities (you know, THAT guy who spams all the communities) was at the event.
What was he doing?
Talking (sometimes interrupting) to as many people as possible just to hand out his business card and invite people to the networking group he hosts.
I was fuming, but part of me also felt terrible because clearly no one has ever clued this guy in on why this is the way wrong way to approach networking.
That type of practice is what pushes people away. It’s the exact opposite of how you build genuine relationships.
What is the Best Book You’ve Read in the Past Six Months?
Books I’ve read in the past six months are all parenting books (I have 20-month-old twins).
But, going back a bit longer than six months, two of my favorite recent reads were Lean In and Gone Girl (and I’m dying to see the movie!).
Why Does Spin Suck?
Because Gini says so. Do I get bonus points for that answer? (Gini says, “YES!”)
Spin sucks because, somewhere along the line, spin became synonymous with PR.
And the industry took a blow.
Yes there are people who continue to spin the truth and think it’s an acceptable way to practice PR.
But, it doesn’t represent the majority of us who work honestly and ethically.
And, it may not be the next day, or even the next year, but lies are always revealed.
They come back to bite you in some shape or form…even if only part of the lie is exposed.
Spin sucks because it’s damaging, dishonest, and downright crappy!
Where You Can Find Nikki Little
Because she is a social media manager, you can stalk her pretty much everywhere online.
Find her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Slideshare, and on her blog, Essential Elements.
You also can find her managing the Verizon Wireless Midwest Area blog, which she and her team have grown from a Tumblr blog three years ago into a real community.