When you have a newborn in the house, it’s funny how everything sort of filters through the little bundle of joy. And, depending on how much sleep you’ve gotten the past few nights, this can either be a good thing or quite the obstacle! I won’t make this post all about babies and first-time parenting (there are entire blogs dedicated to these things), but rather, I’d like to draw a comparison – if you’ll allow me.

Obsidian PR has grown incredibly since the early years, and I’m fortunate to be back on board with an expert team of communication strategists. While I have the privilege of getting to work with some of the same clients from my previous term, there are plenty of new accounts to go around, and I’ve been working to learn those industries and clients in my brief time back with Obsidian. Are you ready for this? It’s not unlike learning your newborn.

Starting with a Solid Foundation

You’ve seen the amount of baby books out there, right? My bedside table was full of them as we prepared for Truitt’s arrival. But, what has made the difference for us has been the trusted counsel of those who had been there before. In the PR industry, you’d be hard-pressed to find a PR firm with more knowledge and expertise than Obsidian. We’ve done our homework and built a foundation based on results. Armed with this, we move forward with eagerness and confidence for the new challenges and new faces that join our roster!

Five Steps Ahead

My wife and I have really worked to get out of our comfort zones, and this includes things such as two-hour road trips with a 2-week-old and solo ventures to the grocery store with infant in tow when one of us can’t join. These examples, coupled with overnight stays at the in-laws, have reinforced one key principle chief among good PR practitioners: proactivity. If you haven’t packed that diaper bag half a day in advance, you’re guaranteed to forget something. At Obsidian, we’re not order takers – we anticipate needs and proactively recommend strategies and tactics to ensure our clients are prepared for whatever comes their way.

Never Stop Learning

As we navigate growth spurts, eating patterns and the like, being first-time parents is a continual learning process. (Even the veteran parents I talk to say that just when they thought they knew something with one child, they were humbled by the next one!) While some might take this point as a perceived negative, I’d argue that we’re looking at this the wrong way. Whether I’m learning the needs, preference and industry of a new client or working with a client who’s been on retainer for more than seven years, I’m always striving to be a continual learner. Once you stop learning, complacency creeps in and kills momentum. At Obsidian, you can trust our team to keep the pedal down.

The Long Haul

Parents’ commitment to their children is for the long-term. As I’ve observed from my own relationship with my parents, it’s a process that only gets better and better with time. During both of my stints with Obsidian, I’ve noticed that the majority of our clients are retainer-based with only a handful of project work here and there. In my opinion, this is a natural result of numerous business partnerships reinforced with years of proven results and relationship equity. We’ve found that investing in and choosing the right clients yields solid partnerships built for the future.

Now, if you’ve made it this far, the question is: are these observations characteristic of the business partnership you’ve trusted for your communications efforts?