Free-loaders are a common part of life. They are that “friend” who promises to pitch in for gas, buy the next round or contribute in some way, but never does. It’s the person who shows up at the potluck but doesn’t bring the casserole made with mushroom soup. These people exist everywhere and can present…
Do you ever worry that someday someone will realize you don’t know what you’re doing? Are you sure you will be exposed and your clients and colleagues will discover you have been pretending all this time? You might have “Imposter Syndrome.” Imposter Syndrome, a common issue experienced by many professionals, occurs when an individual has…
“If you’re not at the table, you are probably on the menu,” is a favorite saying of Fred VanNatta. Fifty years after founding VanNatta Public Relations (VPR) in 1967 (formerly named Public Affairs, Inc.), Fred VanNatta has made sure that his company will always be “at the table” representing its clients. VanNatta Public Relations, Inc.…
In today’s economy, reasonable prices and good customer service aren’t enough. Modern consumers value experiences more. Eventbrite, an event promotion website, reports that 78 percent of millennial “would choose to spend money on a desirable experience or event over buying something desirable.” Businesses need to re-evaluate how they deliver value to consumers. In a 1998…
If you’ve spent any time in high school, chances are you’ve encountered a “slacker.” Slackers, while fun and perfectly nice people, do just barely enough work to pass a class (think Jeff Spicoli from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont). In schools, slackers are fun to have as friends, but now, all grown up, not…
Fred VanNatta spent his working career as housing advocate and governmental affairs representative for the homebuilding industry. On Dec. 1 he was awarded the 2017 Home Builders Association (HBA) Lifetime Achievement Award at the Builder’s Ball in Portland. The Home Builders Association presents the award “in recognition of involvement and leadership in the association, contributions…
VanNatta Public Relations (VPR) brought three trophies back to Salem from the 2017 Oregon Public Relations Society of America’s Spotlight Awards. The yearly event recognizes public relations excellence for practitioners and their clients. The Salem Fire Foundation’s (SFF) “Salem Fire Foundation CPR/AED Training Program for Students” took the top award for Public Service Campaigns. In…
You know it’s the end of the month, quarter or year when the phone rings and sales people have that slightly desperate tone in their voice. Some admit that you are the one person who stands between them and achieving their sales goals for the quarter. You are encouraged to make your decision before the end…
You’re just at a meeting and to speed it along you propose a solution before EVERYONE has a chance to weigh in. Your co-worker sends a poorly written, irritating email to you. You blast off a snippy reply to “all” with typo’s marked in red. You’ve already heard enough during the presentation so you interrupt…
It’s summer and many business people will be taking vacation. It’s probably well-deserved and if you are like we are, we seem to plan for months for the one week we might be out of touch. We spent years terrified to leave town for fear something might happen at work, but after 25 years in business,…
I recently listened to a presentation from a young woman who attended a leadership conference. As a result of what she learned, she was removing “non-contributors” from her life. I found the concept interesting and decided to investigate the “non-contributor” concept further to see how it might help in business. Contributors at work are people whose…
New York, NY, (March 8, 2017) – Mary Louise VanNatta, CAE of VanNatta Public Relations, Inc. (VPR) has successfully completed the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations, entitling her to use APR professional designation. The announcement was made by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), a consortium of nine professional communications organizations that directs this competency…
Resolutions for 2017? How about ending the year healthier and happier than you started? You will see dozens of articles this month with a fitness tip here or a dieting tip there, but what’s the lasting power? If by 2018 you could healthier or happier at work then what would you be willing to do…
As a child, I never missed “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” when it came on television. However, re-watching the stop motion special with my own kids made me acutely aware of how our current values clash with the Santa’s 1960s management style. He’s a bottom-line boss. In an amusing review of the show, I considered…
VanNatta Public Relation’s building, located at 3340 Commercial ST SE, is one of Salem’s newest locations for an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). The AED was installed by Willy Giddings, EMT-P of the Salem Fire Department. Mary Louise VanNatta, who serves as the volunteer Executive Director of the Salem Fire Foundation (SFF), received the AED as a thank…
