When I think of parties, especially ones during the holiday season, the word “bowling” rarely comes to mind. Mistletoe, hot cocoa, ugly sweaters … sure. But bowling? So when I learned that the 2011 Hunter Holiday Party (my first) was happening at a place called “Lucky Strike,” I held off on getting too excited.

Rookie mistake. Not only was the party a blast, but the venue couldn’t have been better. Unlike the hokey, nerdy bowling alley I had envisioned, Lucky Strike turned out to be a very classy lounge with a great vibe, incredible food, an awesome DJ and of course, some intense bowling.

We played pool, took our turns in the photo booth and enjoyed a night together out of the office. As the night wore on and drinks began to replace hors d'oeuvres, we even got a chance to let loose and bust a move on the dance floor, which made for some pretty entertaining dance battles. Let’s just say I taught a few people how to dougie.

So what has this newly minted Hunter learned from his first out-of-office social event? That Hunter Public Relations is an agency that both works hard and plays hard. At some agencies, the fast-paced nature of the work keeps you from really connecting to those around you on a level deeper than business collaboration. Thankfully, that’s not the case here. I’m glad I get to work with so many people who are both professional and incredibly fun. Here’s to having fun this holiday season!

-Jason Woodward

Autumn is my favorite season for three reasons: the amazing weather and foliage that hits the Northeast region, the start of professional football season, and, most importantly, the onslaught of great pumpkin beer. Every year, around this time, stores and bars begin celebrating the colder weather with grand displays featuring brews embracing the season’s favorite flavor. And since my personal attempt to create my very own pumpkin beer was thwarted by a siphoning incident, I’d like to take the blog post to share my favorite options for you to indulge in the awesomeness that is Autumn beer:

1. Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat, the category’s newest addition, is one of the best pumpkin beers of the season. The unfiltered wheat ale features crisp flavor of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove that could only be delivered from a Shock Top cask. It has easily become my personal “must-have” beer of the season.

2. Smutty Nose Pumpkin Ale is more relaxed in flavor but not in quality. The smooth taste and thick texture makes this ale the perfect compliment to your annual Thanksgiving dinner. Start planning your sides around it.

3. Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale is a spicy and sweet autumn beer inspired by one of the top Belgian Whites beers. It is the great addition to the traditional citrus flavor of the Blue Moon family but brewed with the bounty of fall spices making it a necessary addition to your weekly Sunday tailgate.

- Dan

The rare NYC earthquake might have contributed to the excitement that filled the office on August 23rd, but the “newbies” were buzzing about Hunter Public Relations’ annual off-site retreat. For months, we had been daydreaming about this day and it had finally arrived.

The partners kicked off this year’s off-site retreat at Bear Creek Mountain Resort & Conference Center with an enlightening ‘State of the Union’ address. Call me a nerd, but I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about the firm’s history, where we stand and our future goals because for me, the retreat was all about becoming part of the Hunter PR family…and about getting our Hunter PR Class of 2011 sweatshirts. After competing against each other in “Minute to Win It” games, the new hires received our coveted green sweatshirts. With the sweatshirt in my possession, my remaining mission was to get to know all my colleagues.

I had ample opportunities to complete my mission during the morning hike, workshops and nighttime activities. This year’s retreat focused on honing our presentation skills, something I was grateful to be working on. There were many takeaways but the work assessment session was the most popular. We learned about our personal work styles and how to better communicate with one another.

After a hard day’s work, we partied the night away. First, we played trivia in teams determined by our alma mater. Representing Middlebury College, I was part of the New Englanders team that took home the winning cup.  Then, we danced. Hard.

Spending time with my vivacious colleagues during this retreat made me realize that Hunter PR is not only investing in the professional development of its staff but also nurturing us as people. That’s why I’m proud to be part of Class of 2011 (aka Gang Green), the trivia winning New Englanders and most importantly, a Hunter PR employee.

- Sakura

When I graduated from college two months ago and started my career as a young public relations professional at Hunter Public Relations, I had no idea how much fun my new job was really going to be. Between impromptu after work outings to planning high profile events all across the country, my first two months in the “real world” have been more than exciting.

Last night’s PRSA-NY Bowling Social was an event that will definitely go down in Hunter PR history. More than 30 Hunter PR staff members, all dressed in matching branded t-shirts, rolled into Bowlmor Lanes on 44^th Street and lived up to our team name Thunder from Down Hunter.  Taking up over half of the alley for the PRSA event, we arrived with fire in our eyes and ready to win the coveted Bowling Pin Trophy.

From what I heard, Hunter PR has a history of taking down the competition in sporting events, but when the bowling alley erupted with enthusiastic and positive Hunter PR staff bellowing chants and cheers to our squad of determined “athletes,” I couldn’t help but feel proud and grateful that I had the opportunity to join such a dynamic agency.

Though we did not take home the trophy last night, our team did have the highest score with a monstrous 179 from our fearless Co-Captain Trisha.  Fellow Hunter PR bowlers Sakura and Michael also won digital cameras, and the night came to a close with a fitting Hunter PR rendition of Katy Perry’s “Firework.” PRSA-NY put on a great event that brought the Hunter PR staff together not only as co-workers, but also as a team!

- Lisa

Upon recently moving into New York City, the only thing I could focus on was, “OMG! I’m moving into New York City!” Never did I take the time to focus on the logistics or cost, let alone the actual move itself.  After experiencing the up’s and down’s, the laughter and the tears, I have compiled a Do’s and Don’ts list for moving within the Big Apple:

DO: Rent a UHaul in advance. The hardworking people at your near-by UHaul can either be your best friend, or your worst enemy depending on timing.

DO: Recruit friends and loved ones for your special move- because why wouldn’t they want to share this totally awesome day of sweat and heavy lifting with you?

DO: Have patience. It will make your move ten times easier. Try not to stress about things you cannot control, i.e., worrying about the old lady moving at a snail’s pace in front of you while you try to walk your kitchen table down the sidewalk. She is moving as fast as she can.

DO NOT: Wait until the day-of to pack. This can/will result in a disgruntled father/parent as throwing your clothes into garbage bags takes a lot longer than one would think.  You can only yell, “Just one more bag!” so many times before they catch on.

An extension of the above: DO NOT throw random things into random boxes. You will be much happier actually knowing where everything is while unpacking. Mixing your computer charger in with your shoe bin will only give you a headache. (I am still looking for said computer charger.)

DO NOT: Leave during rush-hour traffic. While the island of Manhattan is only 23 square miles small, it will take you over an hour to travel half that during rush hour.

- Cara

Father’s Day is this weekend, and I’m sure many of you are scrambling for last-minute gifts, trying to figure out exactly the right thing that says, “I love and appreciate you, Dad,” and not, “here’s something I picked up in the gas station on the way over for brunch.” Well, as the newest dad hire at Hunter Public Relations, I’m here to tell you…I don’t have the slightest idea what that could be. If you’ve got some ideas, please let me know, and I’ll definitely add them to my Amazon wish list.

There’s always a certain value in getting dad exactly what he wants, of course. My aforementioned wish list is full of video games I’d be perfectly happy to receive as a gift…your dad’s might not be. But at the same time, don’t you want to be the one who comes up with the perfect gift—the one that perfectly encapsulates exactly who your dad and only your dad is, and makes the shirts and ties your siblings got him look like hastily bought afterthoughts?

Of course, it’s not a competition—no matter how much more awesome your gift is than your sibling’s. In the end, sometimes the best way to say, “I love and appreciate you, Dad,” is…to say, “I love and appreciate you, Dad.” Now, my girls are five and two, so they’ll probably give me something hand-made that I can hang above my desk to remind me how much they care about me. You may be too old to make your dad a handprint painting or a macaroni-and-glitter-paint greeting card, but what’s your version of that? What can you give your dad that has the same love and thought put into it as the handprint paintings you used to give him? Figure that question out, and you’ve got the perfect Father’s Day gift.

Or, you know, maybe a gift card. Let’s face it…dads can be tough to shop for.

- Justin

Growing up in South Florida, I’ve never really known what it was like to dress for different seasons, let alone organize your wardrobe for them. Then I moved to Hoboken, NJ. So after my first, long winter season, I decided I was going to reorganize my closet and embark on my first ever Spring cleaning.

A few Florence and the Machine songs later, I found myself with FOUR garbage bags of clothes that I wanted to donate. That’s when I thought, “Wow. What if everyone at Hunter Public Relations did this? I wonder how many bags we can get?” 

After some perky conversations and inspiring emails, Hunter PR’s First Annual Spring Cleaning with Meaning was born, thanks to the support of the new Hunter Parks & Recreation grants program to encourage staff camaraderie outside the walls of the office by supporting staff-initiated outings including topical film viewings, volunteer days and adventures through the great city that surrounds us. The idea was to get everyone at Hunter PR to put aside clean, wearable clothes and I would organize a few of us to go around the city and pick them up because who wants to lug around garbage bags of clothes on their way into work.  The goal was to donate 20 bags.

Fast forward to Saturday morning, May 21. We need to identify who these folks are. Hunter PR co-workers…. Nick, Rose, Lauren E. and I jump into the Hunter PR van and embark on our mission. We start in Murray Hill, head to the Upper East Side, Hell’s Kitchen and finally, down to Wall Street. It’s a gorgeous morning in the city. Rose is tweeting and taking pictures along the way.

After our last stop, the van is full. So full that we had to go to The Salvation Army’s  warehouse in Hell’s Kitchen. We arrive and I happily announce “Hi. We have 26 bags we’d like to donate.” They gladly take us in and we unload the van.  As we pull out in an empty van, my heart is filled with joy.

It was an incredible feeling to think of an idea and have it come to fruition. It took an Excel sheet, two All-Staff emails, a Google map print out and a few hours on a Saturday morning to collect 26 bags of clothes to make a difference in countless lives.

Thank you to all of my wonderful colleagues that helped make this program a success. I look forward to next year!

- Ana

Mother’s Day is upon us and here at Hunter PR, it’s a baby boom. In the last two months, we celebrated the birth of three baby boys and in the process three professional women have taken on the new role of “working mothers.”

And while we welcomed three women to ranks of working moms, the public relations industry recently lost one of its first working moms, Jean Schoonover, the former CEO of D-A-Y Public Relations, and beloved sister to the founder of Hunter Public Relations, Barbara Hunter. 

Jean passed away in early April at the age of 90.  A remarkable woman, Jean, in partnership with Barbara, became the first woman and mother to own and operate a public relations firm in the United States. This “sister act” (as they were called when they were named to BusinessWeek’s list of 100 most powerful women in business) achieved success in the early days of the public relations industry which in the 1950’s and 1960’s was an era dominated by men with wives who did not work outside the home.

At Jean’s memorial service, there were many remarks made by her business associates about her acumen, smarts and determination as a CEO of a major public relations firm. All of these comments were very accurate as I was fortunate enough to work with Jean first at D-A-Y, and again when she served as a consultant to Hunter PR in the 1990s.

But what touched me the most were the remarks given by Jean’s children and grandchildren. They spoke of Jean’s important role –that of their mother and family patriarch.  Even though Jean worked day and night in service to her clients, supervised several offices and dozens of employees and traveled the world for business, Jean was first and foremost a loving and attentive mother.  At home she was mom – a woman who displayed intelligence, contentment, confidence, resourcefulness, caring and concern.

Jean Way Schoonover with children, Katherine, Daniel and James.

As a public relations agency owner myself and mother of three children, I often experience the guilt that comes from having a career rather than being a career mom. And, around Mother’s Day, I wonder if I am really worthy of receiving the same accolades as mothers who make a career of being home to nurture and care for her children every day.

However, after being reminded of Jean’s success as a mother of three, I learned that the example you set for your children with your professional life can be as powerful as the time you spend with them.  Jean’s life and legacy shows that success for working mothers in PR can come as a result of how you lead and grow in your professional life, not in spite of it.

To all the working moms in the public relations field (and especially the three new moms here at Hunter Public Relations): Happy Mother’s Day.  Let us hope that we all achieve the same professional and personal success as one of the greatest mothers in and of the agency business, Jean Way Schoonover. 

Happy St. Patty’s Day everyone! With the last name Sullivan I may automatically qualify as official culture ambassador, so allow me to entertain you with some fun factoids to satisfy your yearly interest in all things Irish. 

It might not come as a surprise that a holiday named after a saint actually started out as a religious holiday, and the iconic shamrock with its three leaves was originally cited as a symbol of the holy trinity. These days the number one symbol for St. Patrick’s Day is drunkenness, and there are plenty of bars you can get your Irish on with some green beer. But how else can you celebrate the nation that brought you such wonders as U2, James Joyce and the magical money-hoarding sprites called leprechauns?

Well you could run a record-breaking marathon dressed as such a leprechaun. Running may not be associated with St. Patty’s Day, but breaking world records should be. The Guinness Book of World Records itself is brought to you by Ireland, and it’s no coincidence that it shares the name with the famous Irish brew. The book was founded by the managing director of Guinness Breweries in 1954 and was originally given away as a marketing gimmick for their beer.  Now the Guinness Book holds its own record as one of the best-selling book series of all time (thanks Wikipedia!).  So if you can beat a 4 hr 22 min 08 sec marathon time in a handsome green suit, you can gain a world record and celebrate authentic Irish culture all in one go. I’ll drink (Guinness) to that!

If long distance running isn’t your thing, enjoy the holiday festivities by attending the St Patrick’s Day parade, go green, or irk your friends by pranking them with rubber snakes. Either way, enjoy the day and remember: Everyone’s Irish on March 17th!

Meg

In 1989 at age 62 I started a new business! Thinking about it now, it seems so crazy, but after leaving Ogilvy & Mather I was unsatisfied and not ready to retire.  Moreover, I wanted to prove to myself that I could realize the kind of PR agency I envisioned.  With two people willing to take the risk with me, Hunter MacKenzie Cooper was born in my apartment on East 38^th Street. 

 That first year was a scramble – euphoric when McIlhenny Company decided to move its business to us, frantic in locating decent affordable space, funny when trucking in used furniture from the United Wrecking Co., triumphant when we lured Grace (then Thompson, age 20 something) to join us.

 For our first assignment from Kraft we staged a formal Washington Dinner Party for 140 food writers at the Willard Hotel.  George and Barbara Bush look-alikes greeted everyone, satirist Mark Russell performed, and Miracle Whip appeared in every course, including dessert.  It was a blast, a total success.  That event plus our work for Tabasco sauce provided the credentials to build the business.  And the clients started coming our way - Dannon, Pillsbury, Nabisco, Planters/LifeSavers, Haagen-Dazs and several more in just the first few years. The company grew and changed, evolving into what it is today.

I’m so very proud of the success you have achieved while maintaining a culture that nurtures and fulfills.  It’s way beyond what I could possibly imagine those many years ago.  I’m truly honored that my name is still on the door.  Congratulations …and may the next 22 years be even more fantastic!