A LGK Principal Flashback

A shout-out to Marcus T. Paulk, a young actor, who stars as David “Deke” Watkins in the film Red Tails. I had the honor of selecting Marcus as the national spokesperson for the Paramount Stations Group Kids are Paramount campaign. Although he was just ten years old at the time, Marcus was already a seasoned pro with appearances and roles in television shows and films such as Me and the Boys, Thea, Grace Under Fire, Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Moesha, Nothing to Lose and One Night Stand. At the conclusion of every quarterly taping of our thirty minute specials on Paramount’s Stage 28 (the Entertainment Tonight set), Marcus would have flowers delivered to yours truly, the executive producer. One could say that Marcus T. Paulk had me as a fan from the very first “It’s a wrap.”

L-R: GB OBrien-Executive Producer, Marcus, K. Ryan-Producer 

G.B. O'Brien

PS: Visit this link to learn more about Marcus.

We're Ready to Go - No Matter if There's Snow!

Happy New Year from LGK: Rich Levy, Gay O'Brien, Leisa Chester Weir and Steve Roschelle

Trading Places – What We Can Learn From the Classic Eddie Murphy/Dan Aykroyd Movie

by Leisa Chester Weir

Trading Places is a 1980’s motion picture starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche about a street hustler (Billy Ray Valentine) and a privileged yuppie (Louis Winthorpe III) that, thanks to a bet between two wealthy but bored old men, trade places in their “careers.” Though the story is presented as a workplace comedy, surprisingly enough there are some important lessons for the real workplace managers can take away from this the-prince-and-the-pauper-like remake.

In addition, the concept of trading places is a notion whose time has come.

An Oprah-favorite television show, Undercover Boss recently restyled the trading places model in a more dramatic, reality-show format with a twist. In this series, the owner or CEO type of a company stepped down with the rank and file employees to observe their work performance, attempt to perform these positions and witness the front lines and behind-the-scenes happenings. The employees did not know the identity of their new work colleagues. Bosses were able to encounter their company from another perspective, one in which they were oblivious, ill-informed and/or naïve about prior to this undertaking. It was a life-changing exercise for both the bosses and the employees.

So, what are some of the common messages in these trading places experiences? Click here for our take and a few actual parallels.

Why Breast Cancer Awareness Matters 2 Me



The NBACA Phila. Convention Committee



This month as we focus attention on breast cancer awareness, I think of one of my very first assistants and dear friend, who rose through the WTXF-TV/Fox 29 ranks to make her own stellar mark in the Philadelphia broadcast community at KYW-TV/CBS 3. She was always there, professionally and personally. She had my back and, true story, as if out of a scene of La Femme Nikita, she almost took a bullet for me (an insider’s reference to the NBACA -National Broadcast Association for Community Affairs- Philadelphia Convention). With impeccable style, grace and compassion, she worked publicly and tirelessly on causes to make life better for others; however, many of us did not know until it was too late that she was fighting a battle against breast cancer all by herself.

Like the stray bullet that pierced through the window of my hotel suite (ironic that this was the hotel’s presidential suite), breast cancer reminds me of how fragile we all are. Breast cancer reminds me of the toll exacted upon my circle of family and friends. And because breast cancer reminds me there are far too many who are fighting all by themselves, this month I’m donating my charitable dollars to a team that specializes in helping those impacted by cancer, Cancer Support Community Philadelphia (formerly the Wellness Community of Phila.). If you did not know my dear friend, the late Geaneen Rutledge Buford, you probably know someone just as gracious and giving. That someone may very well need to know that they are not alone.



The late Geaneen Rutledge-Buford and husband, John, November 18, 2000.


Gay O'Brien
Principal
LGK Marketing Communications Collective, Inc.

LGK Brief: Compromising vs. Caving In - The Art of Creating a Win-Win Situation

By Leisa Chester Weir

In business and politics, settlements of the opposing entities are eventually reached by compromise and caving in. To find the significance in all of this, let’s turn to the POTUS. President Obama was faced with a compromise vs. caving in situation recently when he extended the Bush era tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, something he said he was not inclined to do. He was accused of caving in. He said it was a compromise, "Sympathetic as I am to those who prefer a fight over compromise, as much as the political wisdom may dictate fighting over solving problems, it would be the wrong thing to do," he said. "The American people didn't send us here to wage symbolic battles or win symbolic victories.”

What gives? Was this a good or a bad thing?

Although they are different degrees of the same thing, compromise has the idea of each party sacrificing something with both meeting somewhere in the middle – an agreement that neither party loves or hates, whereas caving in has the feel of one party giving up most or all of their marbles to more dominant force – a concession. What’s missing in the semantics of it all is the understanding of the end result. Can each party live with the solution? Did everyone take a step forward? Was there a feeling of accomplishment? Did someone learn something about themselves, others or a situation?

Click here to read this brief in its entirety.

Happy Holidays

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Global Trends and a Few Surprises!

This is a good article from Ad Age.