Beyond Ward Circle

Michael Kempner Talks About Building a Top 10 PR Agency

Originally scheduled to graduate with the Class of 1980, Michael Kempner took a year off to work for the Carter re-election campaign and ended up in the Class of 1981 with a BS in Political Science. He went on to serve as a Legislative Director on Capitol Hill for 8 years. Next, his career path took a twist as he moved to the private sector to work for a candy company for two years focusing on marketing and lobbying. Today, he is the founder and CEO of MWW Group.

(Listen to the 12 minute interview here.)

Using the lessons he learned at the candy company, Kempner intended to "just support [himself] enough" until he got another job. At the outset, he had no idea that his foray into consulting would transform into building one of the ten largest public relations agencies in the world. "I never imagined in those days the firm growing to this size," he told me.

As he built up the infrastructure, hiring employees and putting processes into place, he started to see the promise. After about five years, he realized it could be a really big agency and changed the goals appropriately.

Based in East Rutherford, NJ, MWW Group has offices around the country and the world. Kempner now has about 300 employees, a far cry from the solo consulting days when he first started. MWW offers a full range of services, including corporate reputation management, consumer marketing, lobbying, and a variety of other services.

In addition, MWW Group is recognized as a leader in the social media space, having launched a number of innovative campaigns. "We have one of the leading digital media practices in the country," Kempner proudly explains. "The business in many ways has never been more interesting because of the rapidly changing way in which we communicate." He described the pace of change as "breathless" and talked about how it makes it exciting, but also challenging to keep up with.

"With the decline of broadcast television, with the decline of thirty second advertising," Kempner sees the ascension of public relations. "It has changed how we operate and how function dramatically," he says.

Reflecting on his earlier years, he says that "what college gives you, in my mind, is a foundation for learning," but you must stay curious.  He stressed the importance of "lifetime learners" when it comes to having successful careers.

He says he hires a lot of AU students and says whatever the University is doing these days it is working because "they are my best employees." He talked about AU's real campus being all of Washington, DC and stressed the opportunities that AU provides in terms of non-classroom learning provide students with a real edge.

(Listen to the 12 minute interview here.)

Carey Earle: Farming for Ideas and AU's Future

Carey Earle (SOC/'88) is the Chief Idea Farmer and owner of Green Apple Marketing based in Vermont. She's also an active graduate who has served as the President of American University Alumni Board. Carey was kind enough to take a few minutes to share with me a bit of her career story and reflect on her association with AU.

(Click here to isten to the entire 15 minute interview.)

After spending a year as a crisis counselor, Carey found that field wasn't for her, so she turned to marketing in New York City. The journalism courses she took at AU inspired her interest and taught her that "you could make money at writing" without having to be a famous novelist. She started out in advertising and developed a reputation as "the girl from Vermont," so she has carried that theme forward as her personal branding, naming her companies and even her current job title with a rural theme.

Carey got her first job in advertising through a referral from an AU professor. She had the opportunity to explore different marketing opportunities, but ultimately was bitten by the "entrepreneurial bug." The field is "dominated by women," she says, but women rarely rise to the top of the major agencies. She thought to herself that she could "do this on [her] own." At the same time, she was working with big names in the technology field, she made the leap to an Internet startup at the height of the Internet boom in 1996-1997.

Pulling these themes together, she became an independent internet marketing consultant for a couple of years, and ultimately started an agency with a partner called Harvest Communications. It was a boutique firm focused on financial services, providing advice to companies like American Express and Wachovia.

Today, Carey is back on her own and based in Vermont, though she travels frequently to her old stomping grounds in New York, as well as other venues around the country. She says her network is "still largely based" in New York, so like a good farmer, she tends to her crop. "For the first time in my life, I feel like I have the best of both worlds," she told me.

Her time heading up the AU Alumni Board can be traced back to when she first moved to New York and she was introduced to the head of the New York alumni chapter at the time. The two of them really clicked and "he treated me like I was his little sister," introducing Carey to a lot of people and getting her involved in the chapter activities.

Carey's tenure as Alumni Board President came at a turbulent time, coinciding with the challenging resignation of the former University president. She personally responded to thousands of emails and phone calls from fellow alumni. "They wanted to be heard," and she made sure that's exactly what she did. "I returned every message that she received," she told me. She also noted that President Neil Kerwin, then the interim head of the University, tried to make himself similarly accessible to the AU community.

Today, she couldn't be happier that Kerwin has assumed leadership of the University. The fact that he himself is an alum "meant a lot to me." "We are poised for even greater things ... it's a moment of pride for the entire AU community," she concluded.

(Click here to isten to the entire 15 minute interview.)

The Story of Windy Zou Kohl

Today I came across an article published in November by Maddux Business Report that profiled Windy Zou Kohl, a 1993 recipient of a graduate degree in international communications from American University. It is a fascinating look at someone who watched the events in Tiananmen Square and decided to head to the U.S. for a graduate education. She wound up with a scholarship to AU, where she also changed her first name to Windy since Xiaojie, her given name, proved too hard for professors to pronounce. Today, she works for GTE and is married to a hedge fund manager ("My husband is as American as you can get,” she told the author). Certainly a long way from her original goal of becoming a Chinese diplomat. This link takes you to what appears to be an abbreviated version of her story, but it's worth taking a few minutes to read.

Tim Ryan Named CEO of Securities Industry Association

Tim Ryan, a graduate of AU's Washington College of Law, was recently named CEO of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association based in New York. He has been with JP Morgan since 1993, most recently as Vice Chairman of Investment Banking for Financial Institutions and Governments and a member of the Investment Banking Coverage Management Committee. Prior to joining the private sector, Ryan spent more than a decade split between government service and at a private law firm, including stints at the Department of Labor, Resolution Trust Corporation, and Office of Thrift Supervision. When he wasn't in public service, he was a partner at Washington, DC's Reed, Smith, Shaw & McClay.

Ruben Keoseyan Named Publisher of Chicago's Leading Spanish-Language Weekly

Perhaps it was the Master's degree he picked up at AU, but whatever the case, Ruben Keoseyan will take the helm as publisher of La Raza newspaper in Chicago. Previous experience includes serving for five years as Managing Editor of La Opinion, a Los Angeles daily newspaper. He also has spent time in television, working for ABC and NBC affiliates in California. "It is an honor and a privilege to take the helm of this great newspaper," said Keoseyan. "I look forward to contributing in the continued success of La Raza in its efforts to serve the Spanish-speaking community of the greater Chicago area. We have a group of extremely talented employees, and along with them I expect to solidify our position as a must-read for Latinos.”

Lynn De Lacy Named Psychiatric Nurse of the Year

Dr. Lynn De Lacy received a nursing degree from American University back in 1981 (yes, more recent graduates may not know that the school used to have a nursing program, since discontinued). Recently, she was honored as the 2007 Psychiatric Nurse of the Year by the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. De Lacy went on to earn a Master's and a PhD following her days at AU and today is the Director of the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute.

Q&A with Chris Heuer: Social Media Expert, Entrepreneur, and Author

Chris Heuer (SPA/CLEG/'91) is a co-founder and partner with The Conversation Group, a marketing and communications agency that is redefining the way companies interact with the markets they serve.  In 2006, Chris founded Social Media Club in order to bring a level of professionalism to the emerging industry of Social Media by bringing people from different background together to share best practices, support industry standards and promote ethical behavior.  He has been an Internet entrepreneur since 1994 when he co-founded an interactive agency and local content network, with some time off from the private sector in 1999 when he served as Chief of eBusiness at the US Mint.

Chris shares his experiences in the following interview with Beyond Ward Circle.

You're extremely active in social media.  What attracted you to it?

My interest in what is now called Social Media goes back to my first interactions with the computer, a TRS-80, when I was in 7th grade. After taking some classes in programming Basic and TurboPascal, I quickly realized I was more interested in what you can do with a computer then how to make it work.

In the mid-90's I read Virtual Community by Howard Rheingold and I found my life's calling -- it also inspired me to start my first business, Virtual Community Network.  Social Media is really the natural evolution and manifestation of what Howard, and many other people, particularly those from The Well, called Social Computing. The things people promised in the early days of the dot-com era connected people beyond geographic boundaries.

What really inspires me today to help more people understand Social Media, is that it is a powerful force for transformation, empowering people to find their voice and share their stories with others. Across society, and particularly within the enterprise, people are using Social Media to connect, to communicate and to collaborate in entirely new ways, usurping the power of command and control systems to make things right and get things done.

Tell us a bit about your experience as an entrepreneur in the San Francisco Bay Area and how it compares to Washington, DC.

I have been an entrepreneur in Miami Beach, Washington DC and the Bay Area over the past 14 years, also spending some time in New York's start-up scene, and nothing compares to the culture of entrepreneurship in the Bay Area.  There is such a great ecosystem here for supporting start-ups and no one has been able to re-create it anywhere.  The differences are many, but the root of it all from my perspective is a combination of four factors:

1. the tolerance for risk, the willingness to fail fast and forgive those who fail
2. the belief that anything is possible and that all problems have solutions
3. the willingness to work hard beyond a 9-5 clock
4. the water, the sun and the air -- it really is an amazing place to live

The other thing that I have noticed in talking with entrepreneurs who relocate here is that in the Bay Area, we socialize frequently with other people in the same industry.  In other areas, work associates and personal friends are usually two different groups of people, whereas out here, it is often one and the same -- or at least, we spend as much if not more time with industry friends as we do others.  This engenders more trust between people and makes business deals much easier to complete.

What's the most valuable thing you took away from your experience at AU?

In looking back now, there are a number of things that I think were very formative.  The most valuable thing by far was my friendships -- there have been some hard times which would have been even more difficult to get through were it not for my friends.  From an academic perspective, my CLEG degree has been invaluable in helping me under socio-economic impacts on market behavior and a holistic way of thinking that has helped me understand business models.  My experience working with Dr. Brenner gave me an invaluable understanding of contract law that has helped immensely in business negotiations.  As a member of Phi Sigma Kappa, I learned firsthand the value of team work, brotherhood and a never say quit attitude.

Would would surprise your AU classmates most to know about you?

That I am more then just a beer drinker... OK, my real friends knew that, but I had a lot of fun during my college years and was not striving to showcase my intellect as much as I was trying to enjoy the collegiate experience.  When I run into old classmates, I think they are most surprised to discover that I have been an entrepreneur and a geek -- that I am actually a fairly smart and creative guy with a knack for innovative problem solving.  These days, I think they would be surprised to discover that I am writing a book (The Social Media Playbook) with a great publisher that is being published by Wiley and due out this summer.

K. David Harrison Featured in Film at Sundance Festival

He's gone a long way from political science at American University.  That's perhaps the best way to characterize what has happened to K. David Harrison since his graduation, as he spent time living in Eastern Europe and developed an appreciation for languages, according to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Today, the 41 year old serves as an assistant professor at Swarthmore College and is an expert in linguistics. He will be featured in a film titled The Linguists at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival founded by Robert Redford.

Harrison himself speaks Russian, Polish, and three Siberian languages.  The film tracks Harrison and a colleague as they travel around the globe exploring some of the 7,000 languages still spoken by at least a few people.

Even if Harrison weren't an AU grad, this article makes for interesting reading, and I imagine the film will be no less captivating, so take a few moments to read about it.

AU Law Grad Talks About Immigration Reform

The Barnstable Patriot in Massachusetts writes today about Matthew Lee:

"Lee, who at age 2 immigrated with his parents to Massachusetts from South Korea, served as a U.S. Navy military attorney after graduating from American University Law School in Washington D.C. He then worked as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service before establishing his immigration law practice 10 years ago. Today Tocci, Goss and Lee, with offices in Boston and Centerville, specializes in corporate employment and immigration law, helping U.S. companies to employ and retain legally foreign national professional workers."

The article details his views on immigration reform and media coverage of those issues.

Q&A With Geoff Livingston: Author, Marketer, and Entrepreneur

Marketing strategist Geoff Livingston recently added author to his list of accomplishments when he published his first book.  Over the past 14 years he has worked with the likes of AT&T, the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bartleby Books, BEA Systems, Hughes Network Systems, ManTech, the Washington Nationals, Intelsat, Verizon Wireless and many others.

Geoff graduated from American University in 1994 with a BA in Literature.  He was kind enough to take a few moments to reflect on some of his experiences at AU as well as his life since graduation.  I'm sure I met Geoff at AU since we graduated in the same year, though it was probably at Quigley's where he worked rather than a classroom, but it wasn't until this year that I actually got to know him.

You just published a book, Now Is Gone, that helps educate executives and entrepreneurs about new media.  What compelled you to take the time to write the book?

I literally was getting peppered with requests to explain social media to local execs.  I could not keep taking the time to do it, and felt the book would be a better way to meet their needs.  Little did I know what I was getting into.  The time consumption was amazing.

What lessons would you share with others interested in writing their first book? 

Get ready for the long haul.  Writing a book is an arduous journey, but marketing it is also a long and tedious process.  There’s much more that goes into book publishing than you can possibly imagine, and financially, it’s not that rewarding.  So make sure it’s something you want to do.

If you want the book to be successful and well received, make sure you are writing for others, not for yourself. If you write to make yourself look good, or about your many thoughts, the book will not be of service to its readers. It’s about them, not you.  Like all things in life.

We rushed our book to market so it would be timely. The resulting reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, but I feel it could be better.  Maybe my standards are too high, but I hope we can sell enough books to get to a second edition, and a cleaner version of the book. This is my Achilles Heel with Now Is Gone.  I would tell other writers to make sure your publisher has a real strong editing team in place.

The other thing is that people will suddenly criticize you randomly. Developing thicker skin has been a trial by fire process, and not that enjoyable.  Yet I understand it.  By becoming an author you inadvertently put yourself on the public’s pedestal for pot shots.  Simultaneously, you do get viewed as a subject matter expert, which is the positive trade off.

What was most valuable about your experience at AU?

I had a great medieval history professor by the name of Terry Murphy.  Professor Murphy wouldn’t take my spun bunk for work, and insisted I think. The end-result was a new way of looking at the world, analytically and culturally.

What would your AU classmates be most surprised to know about your post-college life? 

That I actually became something more than a bartender (go Quigley’s)!  Somewhere around 24 I woke up and smelled the coffee, turning my life focus from partying and debauchery to responsible actions. Thank, God. I’m so glad not to be that guy anymore.

I look back at my college years, and dread the wasted hours that I should have been studying.  But I was fortunate enough to get a second chance at Georgetown, and graduated with honors.  For me that relieved a lot of guilt from my poor undergraduate performance.