Arika Daniels | Denise Scatena | Jennifer Berson | Lauren Walsh | Rachel Kay

Arika Anderson Daniels
Editor of Love Your Job, Live Your Life and PR Revelations

Arika Daniels is a founding partner of Scatena Daniels Communications, a San Diego-based boutique public relations consultancy. A public relations generalist who can do it all – from strategic planning to media relations, special events and grassroots outreach – Arika is especially skilled at guiding her clients through tough issues. With over a decade of experience, she has helped clients big and small put their visions to work. Arika has helped shape communication programs for Blue Cross Blue Shield, Boys and Girls Club, ElderHelp of San Diego, Glam.com, Jewelry.com, Line-x Protective Coatings, Rhino Linings, Social Betty, University of Phoenix and more.

Arika is a graduate of San Diego State University (SDSU) and Chapman University’s George L. Argyros School of Business, where she obtained an MBA with an emphasis in marketing communications. Her work has earned multiple awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and International Association of Business Communicators. She currently sits on the boards of the PRSA’s San Diego Chapter and the SDSU Business Alumni Network.

Arika blogs on topics designed to influence practitioners to continue career training and fine-tune their craft, provide updates on upcoming professional development workshops and conferences, offer tips on how to land that perfect job, announce new career opportunities, and lastly, give ongoing advice on how to handle the pressures of being a successful practitioner while maintaining a happy, balanced life.

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An award-winning publicist, Denise Scatena a founding partner of Scatena Daniels Communciations. She has extensive experience creating successful communication strategies for businesses in a variety of industries and some of the largest and well-known non-profit organizations in San Diego, such as Meals-on-Wheels Greater San Diego, YWCA of San Diego County, Head to Toe Women’s Expo, San Diego North Chamber of Commerce, California Pizza Kitchen, Mission Federal Credit Union, University of Phoenix, Belmont Park and Time Warner Cable. With nearly 15 years experience, Denise performs work on behalf of her clients’ overall business strategies, advancing their missions, driving awareness and attendance for events, and raising critical funds in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her work has been recognized nationally by the Cable Television Public Affairs Association and locally by the PRSA San Diego chapter.

Denise is a graduate of Chapman University in Orange, Calif., and San Diego State University’s School of Communication, where she earned a master’s degree in communications. Most recently, she served as Secretary of the PRSA San Diego chapter board of directors and chair of the communications committee, leading the organization’s communications efforts and web site renovation.

Denise blogs on media relations and manages the Media Pulse section of SoCalPR Blog. She believes that public relations professionals are connectors, and strives to help publicists and the media become strategic resources for each other.

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Jennifer Berson is president & founder Jeneration PR, a full-service public relations and communications company based in Los Angeles. A native of Southern California, Jennifer is an avid networker, constantly scoping out the latest beauty and fashion trends while developing and maintaining connections in the world of media. After graduating summa cum laude from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Communications, she earned a JD from the University of Southern California School of Law and passed the California Bar Exam in 2001. Jennifer practiced civil business litigation for several years until 2004 when she founded Jeneration PR in order to provide strategic communications and marketing services for beauty, fashion and lifestyle brands.

She has created and successfully implemented comprehensive media outreach strategies and produced events on behalf of consumer brands such as Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur, Little Giraffe, L’ANZA Hair Care, MD Confidential Skincare, and Enjoué Beauté. Jennifer has been featured in the New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, Los Angeles Daily News and PR Week, and was recently profiled on Apple.com. She also serves as the Beauty Editor for Couture Magazine.

Jennifer manages the Business Development section of SoCalPR Blog, blogging about topics aimed at helping communications professionals develop and learn best business practices, whether they are at a large agency or running a firm of their own.

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Lauren Walsh is principal of Citrus Public Relations and serves as lead publicist to develop and execute smart communications programs for her clients. As a dedicated PR practitioner, Lauren brings unique value to her work creating opportunities that engage target audiences through communications that reach media, influencers and target clients/audiences. She’s known for developing programs using a multi-faceted approach of traditional public relations and new communications technologies. Alongside a team of expert consultants in their respective fields, she supports clients in a variety of industries to earn the media spotlight with local and national audiences.

One of the most important factors she’s found valuable for her clients – and for her own business – is in determining what will deliver the most value. Whether it’s the pursuit of a new campaign idea, attendance at a conference, use of a new technology, or knowing when it’s time to shift directions in the course of a planned initiative, it takes experience to learn how to navigate the terrain.

That’s how the column, Worth Your While, came to fruition. This column is all about previewing new thinking, events/conferences, technologies, and more that may be of resource for your business. Especially with PR team’s in mind, such ideas to be explored include how to run a virtual office team efficiently, what top networking groups are worth your time; and interviews with leadership and resources that can provide valuable contributions to your bottom line (which means making clients happy, and your business health happy too.)

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Rachel Kay is president and founder of Rachel Kay Public Relations (RKPR), a boutique agency that provides strategic public relations, social media conversation counsel, and grassroots marketing programs to help emerging brands and Web start-ups build brand value and boost awareness. RKPR clients have included Honest Foods, Cleatskins, Mary’s Gone Crackers, FiveSprockets, Coromega, BellyBar, The Honest Kitchen, MyFashionPlate.com, Environmentallights.com and others.

Prior to starting RKPR, Kay managed corporate communications for Brickfish, a social media advertising network, promoting corporate initiatives and client-focused ad campaigns for many of the nation’s most prominent brands, including Frederick’s of Hollywood, Samsung, Kodak, Givenchy, iVillage, and Clinique.

Before joining Brickfish, Kay worked for national PR agency, Formula, where she supervised the consumer products and services team on brands including Kashi, FruitaBu, ConocoPhillips Lubricants, XaviX, and Alizé.

Kay contributed an exhibition entitled; “Leveraging New Media to Share Your Message,” to the 10th edition of Cutlip and Center’s “Effective Public Relations,” one of the nation’s most widely-used public relations textbooks for the university level. In addition, she frequently speaks to industry organizations and students about the industry and techniques for success. Kay has also been featured in numerous industry blogs, as well as pens www.CommuniKaytrix.com, her own blog on public relations and social media.

Taking her passion for social media to the page, Kay edits “Digital Cocktail,” designed to help PR pros stay abreast of the latest trends and tools in social media communication.

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