Name: Johna Burke
Email:
Bio: I’ve been in the media monitoring and measurement business for nine years, joining BurrellesLuce in 2000. How did I get here? I was a client. I was the PR and IR director at U-Haul International for nearly 11 years. Then I chose to help make my former peers more efficient and effective. I enjoy my role as a trusted advisor and am enthused to speak about best practices in public relations. My commentaries on the subject have appeared in PR print and web outlets. Currently, I chair the Southern Region of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). So what am I passionate about, aside from measurement? My family which includes my three “boys” (Boston terriers). By the way, did I mention that I am also a master at Seinfeld trivia? Twitter: @gojohnab; LinkedIn: Johna Burke; Friendfeed: gojohnab; Facebook: BurrellesLuce
Posts by Johna Burke:
- Be a leader. Be in tune with yourself and allow wonderful things to happen all around you. Patrice, while herself is a dominant leader, her strong lesson came from her taking cues from her strong partner and instills those same traits with her “whatcanbe” program at her agency.
- Be a follower. My favorite lesson is from the mambo where Type-A Patrice let her partner lead. She didn’t rely on a routine, but allowed herself the freedom to live in that moment of the dance in the power of her knowledge to guide her and trust in her practice and experience.
- Love yourself. When times are tough, remember that unless you are strong and take care of yourself it’s hard to be strong for others.
- Love what you do. It will show. No matter what you’re doing: PR, marketing, dancing, knitting, accounting—love it while you’re doing it and you’ll find the best YOU. If you don’t love it, don’t worry, but don’t force something that doesn’t feel right. There’s a “Ginger Rogers” in you waiting to bloom.
- Follow your gut. Patrice suffered loss in her life, but you would NEVER know it. She commands an audience whether her feet or her mouth are telling the story. She is inspirational and truly in tune with her heart and her instincts.
- If you need to call 911
- If the room is dark and light from your device will illuminate the room or a menu/document to be viewed
- If something MUST be Googled to settle a debate and avoid a full out riot
Lessons for Leaders: Dancing with PR Star Patrice Tanaka in Her Book “Becoming Ginger Rogers”
December 13th, 2011Be sure to RSVP for the commPRO.biz Holiday Party and Celebration of Ballroom Dancing, featuring Patrice Tanaka, co-chair, chief creative officer, whatcanbe Ambassador CRT/tanaka and co-hosts Fay Shapiro, publisher, commPro.biz and Todd Grossman, VP, Multivu™, a PR Newswire company.
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This book review by Johna Burke, BurrellesLuce SVP, first appeared on commPRO.biz and is reposted with permission.
First, let me say that I love biographies. People are fascinating and their stories rarely fail to compel and inspire me to think differently, try something new or just try to be an overall better person.
Patrice Tanaka’s book “Becoming Ginger Rogers…How Ballroom Dancing Made Me a Happier Woman, Better Partner and Smarter CEO” was, as advertised from the front cover, “inspiring.” And, for me, a page-turner because I’ve met Patrice personally, but also because she is a public relations pro telling her own story. In essence, whether your personal “style” is rumba, foxtrot, tango or the samba—you’ll really like this book. Reading this book IS the mirror-ball of communications—and it’s A WINNER!
Not only is Patrice co-chair, chief creative officer and whatcanbe ambassador at PR firm CRT/tanaka, but she is also is an artist of words. Throughout her career she told the story of her clients and organization so eloquently; this is no less true in her book. She turns her storytelling into a master class of “take care of you” for every professional. Within her book she wins and loses love, she struggles and succeeds in business and she follows her passion to develop new skills. Patrice teaches lessons of endurance and empowerment through life and specifically through dance. As she transforms her physical appearance and mental strength she learns and fills gaps of vulnerability with confidence, poise and glamorous gowns.
A few lessons I learned that you can apply to your daily life and career, as well:
This book is a tapestry of communication and life lessons and skills exemplified at the highest level. Each day we all dance our own mambo and after reading Patrice’s book you’ll be reminded to master the basics and the routine will follow. So many times in a world trying to be clever, the simple lessons are the most powerful.
I read this book in two days—just the pleasure and the mental vacation I needed. The real joy is that it’s a business book too. Patrice is an entrepreneur who has a keen business sense and places high value on people to make her organization thrive.
Through all of the stories and lessons the secret ingredient to this book is, in fact, Patrice. She transforms herself and reminds me to prioritize and be diverse. Communications plans are very much the same. You know the moves you have the technique and you need to trust your skills to execute and rely on cues for subtle adjustments as needed. When you meet her in person, don’t be fooled by Patrice’s tiny stature … her presence is large and in charge on the dance floor and on the PR scene.
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About Patrice Tanaka: Patrice is Co-Chair, Chief Creative Officer and whatcanbe Ambassador at CRT/tanaka. She’s also author of “Becoming Ginger Rogers…How Ballroom Dancing Made Me a Happier Woman, Better Partner and Smarter CEO.” Her personal philosophy is that of “whatcanbe,” CRT/tanaka’s brand vision, cultural ethos and approach to business that involves helping the agency, its clients and the community-at-large to envision and manifest a bigger, brighter, better future.
Does ‘Off The Record’ Apply To Today’s PR and Journalism?
November 21st, 2011In this Ragan.com video, Johna Burke, SVP BurrellesLuce, warns that everything is a matter of public record and the practice of “off the record” is a “mythical creature.”
Lane Sutton, Kid Critic, Dishes on Social Media at PRSA. (Video Interview w/ Johna Burke, BurrellesLuce)
October 28th, 2011Transcript -
JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce and I’m here at the PRSA Connecticut event on social media. I’m joined by Lane.
Lane, will you please introduce yourself?
LANE SUTTON: Sure. I’m a 14-year-old social media coach and entrepreneur for diverse types of businesses.
BURKE: Lane, you just did a presentation about social media. Can you tell us a couple of the key takeaways in working with the youth today via the channels of social media?
SUTTON: Definitely. So no broadcasting, OK? So we’re in the era where PR releases do not work on social networks. And now we need to engage and listen and have bigger ears out there. And then also customer service is a huge differentiator for PR in that what–that’s what sets companies apart from each other. And lastly, PR has been used so much. You know, it’s all about analysis and things. So some great tools to do that would be Hootsuite, Social Mention and journalist tweets.
BURKE: And to show that Lane is very well rounded, he has a pretty exciting announcement. What’s your new position at school when you’re not out public speaking, Lane?
SUTTON: I’m treasurer for student government for my freshman class at Framingham High School.
BURKE: Excellent. Congratulations, Lane.
SUTTON: Thank you.
Tough Talks, Insights for Creating a Win-Win-Win: Alan Cohen, Acts of Balance, Interview With Johna Burke, BurrellesLuce, at the 2011 Counselors Academy
September 23rd, 2011Transcript -
JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and we’re here at Counselors Academy. We’re joined by Alan.
Alan, will you please introduce yourself?
ALAN COHEN: Absolutely. My name’s Alan Cohen, and I’m president of Acts of Balance Executive Coaching and Training based out of New York City. And I work with public relations executives and PR firms to help develop more effective leaders, and I work a lot with communications skills and team-building.
BURKE: Great. Alan, you did a session on tough conversations for PR practitioners and agency owners here. Can you give us a couple of your insights as far as how people can set up and then have those tough conversations?
COHEN: Absolutely. One of the most common things that I see in my practice is people really avoiding having those tough talks. And in avoiding them, they actually make the situation even bigger and more volatile. We largely like to be people pleasers, and so we avoid having the conversations that may be unpleasant, may provoke some strong emotions. But what I do is really help develop people to think, to plan in advance, to go through a multistep process to really think about how they’re interpreting the situation, to really align their values with having the conversation and to really, really plan it out so that the conversation will develop into a real win-win-win; a win for the individual having the talk, the–a win for the person who’s being spoken to, and really a win for the relationship overall. It’s really about a collaboration. So as leaders, we need to have the courage to have the difficult conversations. And leadership is not always easy, but it’s important that we stay in integrity by really addressing the situations that are causing us discomfort.
BURKE: Alan, thank you so much. Where can people connect with you online and in social media?
COHEN: I’m at actsofbalance.com, and my Twitter handle is actsofbalance.
Or you can join my Facebook fan page, also Acts of Balance.
BURKE: Thank you so much, Alan.
COHEN: Thank you.
Is Your Mobile Device the New Cigarette?
September 12th, 2011When I first joined the workforce my colleagues were permitted to smoke in their offices. That’s right…ashtrays on their desks. Seriously! Then one day, a law was passed that forced all of the smokers outside. If they wanted to satisfy their craving, they had to go outside to a designated area. They were given a nice place to sit and smoke and visit so, except for the heat of Arizona summers, I don’t think they minded.
However, I do remember feeling bitter about the perceived special privileges given to smokers. It seemed no matter how much needed to be done – the smokers got their break. They were permitted extra time in some cases because they “needed” their cigarette in order to function. This got me thinking that maybe mobile devices are the new cigarette. We excuse mobile devices in work and social settings because people “need” to be connected.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’m guilty of taking out my device when I’m surrounded by interesting people. I guess, one could say that the “need” to know if someone has tweeted or facebooked something that “must” be immediately reviewed is an addiction of mine…
I’m sick of being that person. I want to get more focused, enjoy the real live people in front of me, whenever I have the opportunity, and show respect when people make time for me face-to-face. Wall posts and tweets can be viewed anytime – so they’ll have to wait.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. So far, I’ve come up with these three reasons it’s ok to take out your mobile device when in a meeting or out socially:
So, the next time you’re at a meeting or out socially, think about your companion and the message you’re sending before you pull out your mobile device. If your mobile device was a cigarette would you take it out even just for a quick drag? If the answer is no, then I challenge you to have the same courtesy with your mobile device. Remember courteous smokers would ask people in their group if they “minded if they smoke” … at a minimum be conscious of your mobile addiction.
I don’t think a mobile courtesy law is in our near future, but we can still make a difference. Will you join me in this effort and step away from the device and enjoy the people? If so, leave your name in the comments section and we can police each other on our mobile “smoking” progress. 
