A Gen-Y's fear, proof reading and a little artistic flair

Hello again everyone!
I can already hear your burning questions about my fear. Well, it WAS face-to-face meetings. You know, as in talking outside of the internet, emails, phone calls and text messages.

A lot of my internship with JumpClimb has meant facing my fear of face-to-face communication. I have always been good at writing, but the thought of someone standing in front of you, where you can watch their facial expressions and read their reactions is frightening! As part of Gen Y, along with many of you, I have been conditioned to become comfortable with emails, phone calls, MSN, Facebook, text messages and the like - it is quite daunting having to walk into someone's store, introduce yourself and make your case.       

As Business Liaison for the Beaufort Street Festival, I look after our Beaufort Street businesses. They are EVERYTHING to us, as they are what makes Beaufort Street so very special. From Planet Video to the newly erected Panchos (right across the road from our office, hallelujah!) to Behind the Monkey, Must Winebar to the Mary Street Bakery and The Beaufort Street Merchant to Solomon's Cafe (owned by Perth hip-hop artist Drapht, for those who are musically inclined), the street is buzzing with delightful food, good vibes and business owners who are invested in the community that surrounds them.

The thing I've learned most from this is just how important community engagement is as part of good Public Relations. Our businesses are so important because of how unique they are and without them, we would have no reason to hold a Festival. The businesses on the street do so well because they are so friendly and welcoming - hence why contacting them constantly by emails and phone calls isn't quite appropriate.

But in saying that, I have also had a chance to do some reading and writing. I have written newsletter updates for the businesses and for our volunteers, written press releases (one of which was almost taken word for word by local media!), proofed the Recipes & Ramblings - Beaufort Street Festival Cookbook, written a blurb about one of the bands we manage, proofed our television commercial helped to develop content for our internal newsletter, proofed our Beaufort Street Festival program and most excitingly, started to run my own business activation with the businesses along Beaufort Street!

It's exciting to be able to claim something as my own, as well as be praised for the things I am passionate about. I'm quite close to finishing my internship officially, but I'll be working with the wonderful JumpClimb team until after the Festival is finished.

TODAY IS ONE MONTH UNTIL THE FESTIVAL!

I'll leave you a photo from today, with some giggles from Must Winebar:

Good luck everyone!

Renee