My Blog's World Premiere

Another opening, another show...another blog, but my very first related to my business, Mark G Auerbach Public Relations.

Backstory: My first PR effort was publicizing my high school musical "Brigadoon" to my Northfield Mount Hermon boarding school community, a captive audience that was required to attend the show. In college (American University), while visions of song and dance whirled through my head (I whirled in serveral productions from "Wonderful Town" to "Fiddler on The Roof" and "La Perichole"), I worked in the theatre department's administrative office in the box-office and the audience development/public relations area. I was accepted to Yale School of Drama, and after two weeks of surveying the competition, I realised that I was born to be a P.R. Guy who liked watching others act and sing. P.R. is a production unto itself.

Backstory, Scene 2: I started my company in 1987, after working in marketing and public relations for a variety of non-profit cultural organizations around the country. At various points in time, I called Washington, DC; Houston, TX; New Haven, CT; and New York City home. In 1982, I returned to my hometown, Springfield, MA, to take the position of Director of Marketing and Communications at the Springfield Symphony. I loved the job, loved the people, an made good contacts in the region. Then, the headhunters swarmed, and in 1985, I was woo'd to Miami to take a marketing job at a major arts organization that was launching a musical theatre series. It was winter in MA and Miami looked too fabulous. I took the job.

Within months, I'd realised it had been a mistake and I looked for a way to return to W.Mass. Starting my own consultancy offering that opportunity, and with two part-time positions lined-up with a professional theatre and a tourism bureau, the curtain went up on my business.

The client base increased and diversified. I picked up projects in retail, cultural tourism, travel, non-profits, special events, media and more. I was also able to refine my journalism skills and return to writing and editing, mostly covering arts and travel for newspapers. An incredible mentor transitioned me to putting those skills to work in radio, and for a period of time, I provided arts reports and features to commercial radio and some syndicated programs. I also sharpened long-ago-forgotten news reporting skills and took to the anchor desks.

Flash Forward: My company has survived 20+ years of economic ups-and-downs. Two of my clients have been with me from day one. Others have come and gone. I have created my own workplace, sometimes well-staffed, sometimes me and some out-sourced work. My integrity and my sense of humor are intact. And, since, I'm the boss, I can listen to showtunes at work.

Today's showtune: "I Do What I Can With What I Got" from "Paper Moon" as sung by Faith Prince