It's Armageddon 2020. It seems as though every morning there is something happening to threaten humanity on a global scale. We have pandemics, social unrest, the Presidential run, UFOs, swarms of murder hornets, locusts...the list is endless. With all this action, entrepreneurs may feel inclined to opt into the conversation, yet there are elements you should consider before you do.
As an entrepreneur, a business leader and trailblazer in your respective community, one thing is certain—someone is always listening and watching. Whether your audience is looking to you for inspiration or analyzing your reaction to the current climate as a personal or organizational barometer, you have to consider your actions and communications as an extension of your company or brand. Here are my top 5 things to consider as we move into the second half of the year.
Welcome to the fishbowl
As a professional, I hold leadership positions as President of the Tampa Bay Latin Chamber and President of the Tampa Bay Mobility Alliance, but the most important lesson I learned in leadership was as Student Body President at The University of South Florida—Go Bulls! During student leader orientation at College Leadership Florida, I was introduced to the concept of the “Fishbowl”, i.e. a place, situation, or environment in which one has little or no privacy. It’s simple, when you are in a position of leadership, you need to consider the fact that everyone is watching you. You may think that no one is paying attention to your actions or how you maneuver throughout life—that somehow you can maintain a bit of anonymity, but this thinking is incorrect. Keep the “fishbowl” mentality in mind during your in-person conversations—especially on social media platforms where your thoughts and commentary live on in perpetuity.
Be sensitive to what is happening
Pre-Constitutionalist and liberal theorist John Stuart Mill warned of a tyrannical majority, group-think, if you will. He remarked, “There needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against the tendency of society to impose, by other means than civil penalties, its own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them.” I get it. We are all entitled to our own opinions, but as a business owner and leader, you need to read the proverbial room and respond with a curated message that is sensitive to the political and social climate. The wrong Tweet, post, text message, conversation, or picture on Instagram can make or break you and your company.
Don’t believe me? Does that sound like a response to the tyranny of the majority? Here is someone who got it completely wrong. LanFranco Pescante, former partner in the Nocturnal Hospitality Group put out a distasteful and insensitive post on Instagram that said, “Just shoot them all” at the height of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The post garnered protests at Nocturnal Hospitality Group establishments, his (obvious) resignation, spurred an FBI investigation, and put millions of investments in jeopardy. Not worth it.
Here is an organization who got it right, start-up collaborative, Embarc Collective. At the onset of BLM’s movement, a moment where historically marginalized communities’ voices were finally being heard and supported, I, like many other Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs, was scanning social media to see what members in the tech ecosystem in Tampa Bay were saying on the matter. Embarc Collective’s messaging was spot on. They penned A Call to Open Opportunities. It was simple, quick, and refreshing to see. Thank you.
Continue to tell your story
As aforementioned, there is a lot happening in the world. But the world has not ended...yet. At this moment, journalists have a very difficult job. They have to report what is happening to educate the public, but many have been furloughed and editors are working with reduced staff in many cases—not to mention the reduced weekly printing of larger newspapers like the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald. These writers are going to pick and choose their stories very carefully. With all of that being said, you should continue to pitch the media the outstanding announcements you may have, keeping in mind that they can’t get to everything they would like to cover. Be very patient with them and do not take it personally if they do not get back to you immediately.
Pro tip: instead of pitching them a story, ask them if they are open to a virtual chat. During the discussion, ask what type of stories they are looking to cover and their interests. If they do not respond to a pitch and are too busy for a virtual chat, subscribe to their newsletter to get an understanding of what they are writing. A good place to start is the Tampa Bay Inno newsletter. In my opinion, Lauren Coffey has the best newsletter in the game.
If you need more insight on how to pitch the media and write a good press release, check out our article on How to Write a Press Release.
The next “p” after pivot is perform
The Pandemic has forced many companies to make necessary sacrifices and cut the “fat” from their operations. This has opened up an opportunity for entrepreneurs who can execute to shine. Here are just a few examples: Immertec has utilized this time to expand their offerings and utilize their technology To Work with Health Care Systems during COVID-19. Disrupt The Bay founder Stan Liberatore not only took his annual med-tech conference virtual, he created a virtual event platform to host it on dubbed vSummits. The rockstar mobility startup, Nickelytics created an Ad- Shield to protect drivers and patrons using rideshare during the pandemic.
Most notably, the Tampa Bay Wave without skipping a beat this year, launched their second Nielson Foundation backed Tech Diversity Cohort and launched their Tech Woman Rising Accelerator.
Don’t pander
Back to Mill and his warning of the tyrannical majority—if you’re doing what everyone else is doing just because you think you need to...be mindful of pandering—the act of expressing one's views in accordance with the likes of a group to which one is attempting to appeal.
Not every media pitch, social media post, or blog has to be related to COVID-19, BLM or BIPOC. If you think the story you are pitching to the media is a stretch, it probably is. If you think the social media content you are about to post is disingenuous, it probably is. And if you hired an intern to write a socially conscious blog for your company, don’t do it. If you are not coming from a place of authenticity, just don’t. If you are genuinely interested in coming from a place of truth, do the research yourself and write, post, Tweet, etc. Remember that fishbowl analogy? Your views are your own, and your passion for your thoughts and actions will be respected if you are coming from a place of true authenticity.
About the author:
Cesar R. Hernandez is the Founder and Managing Director of Omni Public, a full suite public affairs and public relations consulting firm with offices in New York City and Tampa Bay. Omni Public specializes in introducing new concepts and ideas into the marketplace and helps clients navigate media, government and industry. He has worked with companies such as Tesla, HyperloopTT, Bird Rides, Scoot and Entrepreneurial Support organizations such as the Tampa Bay Wave and Synapse Florida. He also advises policy entrepreneurs and political candidates, most recently serving on the transportation advisory team and racial justice task force for Mayor Jane Castor.