PatrickMott.ca

Here’s a question from a reader, Melanie Mendes, that I’m really excited to answer:

“How do you keep your site updated with such awesome content?”

Thank you so much for emailing me and thank you for calling my content awesome! I really strive to keep my readers entertained. Shall we get started?

Firstly, posting content isn’t easy. Life is extremely busy; but busy is good! I’m at school all day and then usually have something going on in the evening. Simply speaking, I take every moment I have to find, write, edit and publish content.

Finding ideas for content isn’t easy and that’s why I really need the help of you, my readers. I constantly want to keep my site fresh with interesting and thought-provoking content - and no one knows good content better than you! I always go through my Twitter mentions and see what my followers have asked me to blog about. Some ideas are way too crazy but some are really cool topics! I also search Twitter to see what the latest pop culture talk is.

Once I have a working topic, I start to write about it. I usually write a post about five times before it’s published. I want it to be perfect for my amazing readers! I usually have about ten blogs on-the-go but some will never reach www.PatrickMott.ca.

Anytime I have a moment, whether it be going somewhere or in between classes, I write. (Thanks to my amazing iPhone for always being there.)

Some people are shocked to learn that I have an editorial plan for my website. With about 20,000 readers per month, I need to make sure that I’m regularly posting interesting content. (My editorial plan is a spreadsheet that no one can comprehend but me. It’s actually really confusing, but it works for me!)

When I’m finally satisfied that I like what I’m posting, I publish it and hope that you’ll love it!

Do you want me to answer a question of yours? Let me know: Email me,Patrick@PatrickMott.ca, or submit questions through the Ask Patrick section of www.PatrickMott.ca.

This week I reached into my email Patrick@PatrickMott.ca where readers can submit questions that they want me to answer. Readers can also submit questions via my Ask Patrick section.

Here’s an email from a reader that I’d like to answer in this blog post:

“Hey Patrick Mott!

I’m a huge fan of yours and I admire your driven attitude to accomplish and succeed at a young age, especially in a career like Communications and Public Relations. I’m also amazed at the fact that you’ve done so much in your career and you’re still in high school. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind answering some questions on how you started up your company and how you knew what you wanted to do at such a young age.

Communication and Public Relations is a demanding job, you always have to be aware of what the latest news is and what the next big topic everyone is talking about, so how did you keep up with that?

How did you get started with your website?

Did you always know you wanted to do this?

Do you think Public Relations and Communications is easy?

Is it for everyone? Where do you see yourself 5-10 years from now?

I would be really honoured if you would replay back to my e-mail.

Your biggest fan!
—
Ellie Knight”

Firstly, thanks for the question, Ellie! I’m so glad you took the time to write to me and I love your passion and determination to learn more about communications and PR as a career. Let’s get started!

Communication and Public Relations is a demanding job; you always have to be aware of what the latest news is and what the next big topic everyone is talking about, so how did you keep up with that?

Communication and PR is a very demanding job with potentially long hours and stress. You’re on-call 24/7 in case a client needs you and you have to be ready for that. As you said, you have to keep up with the latest news and with what everyone’s talking about. It’s not easy, but it can be very rewarding at the end of a huge project, or when you see your client happy. Twitter is a very fun way to keep up with the latest news and trends.

A large part of keeping up with your job, especially in communications, is to step back and have fun in your personal life. You can’t focus on work all the time or you’ll burn out, and that’s not good for you or your client. Vacations, family, and relaxation are three major things that can help you make sure you’re putting your best in when you’re working.

You can’t always be working in a fast-paced, 24/7 environment like PR, but you have to be ready. Taking time to reflect, or even just turning off your phone when you’re at dinner helps you disconnect and put that extra effort in when you are actually working.

—
How did you get started with your website?

This is one of my favourite questions ever! I started it in February 2012 as a creative outlet—something that I could share with friends and family. I never imagined how fast it would grow. Now, I have about 20,000 readers per month, which is mind-boggling to me. In January 2013, I had to redesign my website and switch servers because my service-provider couldn’t handle the traffic I was getting. PatrickMott.ca remains a place where I simply blog what’s on my mind - usually, that’s pop culture!

—
Did you always know you wanted to do PR?

Not really, actually. When I was younger I wanted to go in to politics. Politics still remain a passion for me, but I have steered my professional life towards PR, communication and social media. I always will stay involved and engaged in politics as I encourage every youth to. Lead your country or be led!

I knew I wanted to do PR when I was in grade nine, which is when I really started to love social media and effective communication. I started Mott Communications in the summer of 2012 and I’ve really worked hard at it. It’s not easy to build a firm when you’re a sixteen year old full-time high school student, but determination will get you anywhere. I made a promise to myself when I registered my business to only work for clients that I was passionate about and felt I could really help. Otherwise, what’s the point? Unlike Rich Nixxon, money is not my motive. Rather, rewarding, fun learning experiences are the motive for me.

—
Do you think Public Relations and Communications is easy?

Not at all. PR and communications is actually quite challenging at times; you can be working on multiple projects at once and still have to live your life. It takes a lot of time and dedication, and you must have a passion for what you do; otherwise, you’ll hate it. However, PR and communications is a very rewarding profession. Finishing the execution of a project and seeing your client happy with meeting their goals is so satisfying at the end of the day. Getting to live out your passion every day is even more rewarding.

—
Is it for everyone?

Like any profession, PR and communications isn’t for everyone. Like my great mentor, Jesse Jones, I really believe that you have to have a passion for what you do. It’s not just liking what you do, it’s wanting to go to work every day—it’s loving what you do.

—
Where do you see yourself 5-10 years from now?

Would “being a multimillionaire” be appropriate? OK, since that’s not entirely plausible, I would like to see myself having finished my Bachelor of Arts in Professional Communication and Master of Professional Communication from Ryerson University. I want to see myself loving my job—whether it be at Mott Communications or not, I want to love my job, co-workers and life in general! (A great salary and beautiful condo in the heart of Toronto wouldn’t hurt either.) While that is my plan for now, and I strongly encourage everyone to have a general plan, I’m prepared for changes. I know that every aspect of my plan won’t come true - and whether it be for better or for worse, I’m ready for the ride and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

The bottom line? Do what you love, push past obstacles and work hard everyday.

Feel free to reach out to me with any more questions and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter to keep up with what I’m doing: @PatrickMott.

Best of luck and stay brilliant,
Patrick

Do you want me to answer a question of yours? Let me know: Email me, Patrick@PatrickMott.ca, or submit questions through the Ask Patrick section of www.PatrickMott.ca.

Social media is so prevalent in our society that almost everyone is connected to some form of it; whether it be Twitter, Facebook or even Pinterest. We are a fast-paced, technologically evolving society and we are addicted to social media. In fact, we crave social media.

We post almost every aspect of our life on social media. We share what we’re doing, how amazing we did on a test and our random personal musings. Simply speaking, we love people knowing what we’re doing. Since we put so much information in one easily accessed spot, doesn’t this become a place that can define us? Absolutely.

Our social networks can tell a story about us and, if you’re like me, you want to make sure that the story your Twitter or Facebook tells about you is a good story. One’s online reputation couldn’t be more important. For example, the first thing a hiring manager is going to do when they receive your application is Google your name. With a few clicks, your Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and an array of other information about you is at their fingertips.

So how does one ensure a positive online reputation? It’s simple:
1. Keep it Clean: Be entirely sure about what you’re posting. Party photos with alcohol are an absolute no-no. Would you want to have your boss see these photos? Make sure to post content that you feel positively reflects you, your creativity and your skills.

2. Don’t Trust Privacy Settings: You have a private Twitter account so you can post anything you want? This is decidedly not the case. Privacy settings make it harder to see your full account, but it’s not impossible. Under no circumstances should you rely on privacy settings as a way to protect inappropriate content.

3. Ensure You’re Polished: Keep it classy! Discover your brand, or what you want people to think of you. Proper spelling and grammar is always a plus, but it may not be your brand. Think about what you want people to think of you and go with it.

Follow these few simple rules and you’re well on your way to building, or restoring, an online reputation. Using social media positively doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and use it to express yourself; however, you want to ensure that everything you post you’re OK with anyone seeing. Once you click post, there’s no looking back!

Like it or not, your social networks reflect you—make sure you look like the shining star that you truly are.

Do you try to use social media to positively reflect you? Or do you just let it be a creative outlet with no restrictions? Tweet me: @PatrickMott.

Who wouldn’t want a free membership to one of Canada’s best gyms? Now, teens aged 12-17 can get a free member to GoodLife Fitness for the summer.

The best part? Registering for the free membership is super easy! All you have to do is sign up here, go into the club with your parent or guardian and attend an orientation to learn how to use the equipment properly! Super easy, super fun and a great way to be healthy.

I will be completing the GoodLife Fitness summer teen program and will be blogging about my experiences. I’m really excited about this new opportunity and I can’t wait for July 2 to start blogging!

My blogs will be posted here on www.PatrickMott.ca and on the GoodLife Fitness Blog, www.blog.GoodLifeFitness.ca.

My goal throughout the summer is to become more healthy and to get in shape! It’s no easy feat but it can be done with determination.

I encourage you to register for the GoodLife Fitness summer teen program here, and follow along with my experiences while sharing your own experiences with me!

(Do you have a topic that you would like me to blog about for GoodLife Fitness? Let me know, email me (Patrick@PatrickMott.ca) or tweet me (@PatrickMott).

How many hours per day do you spend on Twitter? Lots? I’m the same way.

According to the Twitter Help Center, “Twitter has become a valuable tool for people to exchange timely bits of information, whether it be a momentous news event, a personal story or a random thought.” I could not agree more. Twitter has become such a large part of our society with celebrities such as Kim Kardashian using it as well as everyday people like you and me.

With its hashtags (#) and at signs (@), Twitter has become a tool not only where you can share thoughts and interact with your friends but where you can also find a job, get help, make money and become a pop culture sensation. Let’s get started!

Want to get a job? Look to Twitter. Twitter is a platform where you can find a real job or volunteer opportunity. And I’m not talking about those spammers that claim you can make $5,000 a week. I’m talking about finding a real job. Here’s how: follow employers! For example, say I want to work for NBC Universal, I can follow their recruiting team, @NBCUniCareers, so when they tweet job openings I can be instantly alerted. But Twitter can also be used to find a volunteer opportunity. Take me for example! How am I blogging for HuffPost Teen? I tweeted them! HuffPost Teen then tweeted me the address I should email, and as they say, “the rest is history.”

Want help? Look to Twitter. And by help, I mean customer service. Now, let me give you an example that showcases my Canadian roots. Rogers, a telecommunications provider in Canada, has a Twitter account dedicated solely to customer service, @RogersHelps. So say I had a problem with my cell phone, I could tweet @RogersHelps and they will assign a customer service representative to assist me via Twitter. Twitter is a great tool for consumers, and also for companies to reach out to existing and potential customers.

Want to make money? Look to Twitter. You know Khloé Kardashian, right? What would you say if I told you she allegedly makes $8,000 for typing less than 140 characters? Well, she does (according to an unconfirmed source)… And how can you spot those tweets? Each tweet that Khloé was compensated for will always have a disclaimer, such as “Sponsored” or “AD.” Now, you may be thinking, “I don’t have 7 million dollars, so this doesn’t apply to me.” Oh no, it does! You can be paid for tweeting advertisements even if you have a few thousand followers. However, you would probably make around $10 to $100, not $8,000 like the Kardashians.

So you want to become a pop culture sensation? Well that is no easy task, but Twitter can help. Twitter is all about “getting you out there,” and it allows you to interact with people you may not regularly interact with. Ever heard of Milk (@Miilkkk)? Milk is just an average guy who started tweeting subjectively hilarious tweets. Approximately 600,000 followers later he’s what they call, ‘Twitter famous.’ Try to use Twitter for the same purpose!

So next time someone says “Stop wasting your time on Twitter…” read them this post! #SoundGood? And don’t forget to tweet me what you think, @PatrickMott!

(This blog that I authored was originally posted on HuffPost Teen.)

I have a problem with school and it is not just forcing myself out of bed every morning to go and sit through six hours of boringness. It’s not that I have to get ready just to see people whom I’m not too fond of and it’s also not fighting my way through the hallways like it’s The Hunger Games between every class. My problem with school is that you’re evaluated solely based on your weaknesses instead of your strengths. Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” When I first read this quote, I was taken aback; it summed up my school experience so perfectly. Teachers aren’t entirely evil, but it seems as if it is their job to show their students that we don’t understand course material. Why is that?

Think about a test you recently wrote, do you feel as if your knowledge of the subject matter was properly conveyed to your teacher? I feel as if our schools are designed to highlight our weaknesses instead of what we, as students, excel at. Have you ever had an assignment that you know you just won’t excel at? For example, many teachers will assign skits that you must present in front of the class. Many students may not feel comfortable showcasing their dramatic skills, or lack thereof, in front of the whole class. On the other hand, many budding performers may feel like this is their time to shine. So how can our schools help highlight student’s strengths instead of solely showcasing our weaknesses? More and more teachers are giving students options for assignments, tests and other evaluation material.

For example, your major project is assigned but instead of the teacher telling you what exactly you have to do, you can chose from a list of options; perhaps you could perform a skit, write a report, or showcase your awesome graphic design skills. This way you can show what you’re good at instead of accentuating what you may find difficult. As students, it is impossible to retain 100 percent of the course material. Instead, we have to decide what we feel is most important for us to learn in the long-run. Wouldn’t it make sense for teachers to give students options so they can highlight what they know instead of emphasizing what they don’t? Instead of giving three questions on a test, teachers should give more questions with a wider variety of topics so students have the opportunity to show what they know instead of simply regurgitating information.

The case of an Ontario school board abolishing the two level streams for math class is a perfect example of our school system hindering students’ success. The Limestone school board announced last month that they will only offer academic math class to grade nine students. Currently, in the province of Ontario, students can chose an “academic” or “applied” stream for math class. Despite the stigma attached to both, the streams do not define your academic ability or intelligence; they are simply designed to help craft curriculum to what students need further on in life. For example, a student wishing to pursue a career as a mechanic may find the applied stream more helpful, whereas a student wishing to become an engineer may find the academic stream more useful. The school board’s decision to force grade nine students to take the ‘higher level’ stream of math is, in my opinion, ridiculous.

As students, it is our responsibility to push for a better way to emphasize our successes rather than highlighting our own faults. Wouldn’t school be that much easier to go to every day if it we could show what know instead of showing what we don’t know? It’s time for us to shine.

What do you think about this? Do you feel like your knowledge is accurately portrayed through tests and assignments? Tweet me: @PatrickMott.

(This blog post that I authored originally appeared in the Huffington Post on June 9, 2012.)

The Keg used to be one of my all-time favourite restaurants. I absolutely loved it!

On Saturday June 8, I was so excited to go to the Keg with my family for dinner. My brother was coming home from Guelph, so we decided to have dinner at the Keg. In retrospect, it was a bad decision—a really bad decision.

On their website, it states “Quality, comfort and value are three key ingredients that make The Keg Steakhouse & Bar experience like no other.” My visit was truly an experience like no other, that’s for sure. I’ve never been in such chaos, disorganization and, to be quite frank, rudeness.

We walk into the Ajax Keg, and are “greeted” by about ten hostesses holding iPads, they totally ignore my request for a table as they would rather speak to my parents. I guess since I’m 16 I’m not able to speak? Perhaps a class in ageism would assist all staff of this particular Keg.

We are then told that it will be about a 60-90 minute wait. Lovely! I’m not sure if that wait was for a table or for the hostesses to actually start caring and stop treating guests like they were a bother.

Exactly 74 minutes later (yes, I timed it), we were directed to our table. That moment of relief when you sit down after standing for 74 minutes listening to staff gab about their partying is amazingly euphoric.

Once, the server came I actually had faith that the Keg trained their staff in customer service. He was excellent.

The Keg should most definitely train their host staff in the same customer service that they train their serving staff in.

Our experience while waiting for our table was actually horrendous. Here are some tips for the Keg to make guests’ experiences more palatable (no pun intended):

• A seventy-four minute wait is unacceptable. Especially with no apology.
• Treat all guests as equal no matter of age, gender or any other factor commonly discriminated against.
• The number of host staff (they just kept coming out of nowhere) doesn’t necessarily mean they will be helpful to customers—because they weren’t.
• Adequate seating for guests waiting for their table would be appreciated. It felt as if I were trying to get my Passport renewed—yet that probably would’ve been faster.

The bottom line? If you want a pleasant dining experience, or at least while your waiting for a table, don’t go to the Keg!

Have you had a bad experience at The Keg? Let me know, email me: Patrick@PatrickMott.ca.

…unless you want to be treated as inferior and wait (literally) 90 minutes for a table. Madness!

Full post to come.