Post written by Corina Manea at www.nutspr.com.
Hello and welcome to another edition of NutsPR Spotlight.
This month I have the honor and pleasure to introduce to you someone who reinvented herself when others would have just kept doing the same over and over again.
I “met” Patrice through her book “Becoming Ginger Rogers: How Ballroom Dancing Made Me a Happier Woman, Better Partner, and Smarter CEO.” If you haven’t read it yet, go do it. It will change the way you see your job, your relationships, your life, in general.
I was hooked from the first page and I knew I just had to connect with her on social media. We live on different continents, so an in-person meet up is challenging, for now. 
Patrice is a connector, she likes connecting and helping people. She’s a serial entrepreneur. She co-founded not one, but three award-winning PR and marketing firms.
Through her most recent company—Joyful Planet—a Business & Life Strategy Consultancy, she is doing what she loves best, which is in her own words “leveraging my creative, problem-solving talent to help individuals and organizations discover and live their purpose and unleash greater success, fulfillment and joy in business and life.”
This is also the subject of Patrice’s new best-selling book, Beat the Curve, co-authored with world renowned management consultant and coach, Brian Tracy, and other business leaders. Her chapter is entitled, “Live Your Life’s Purpose and Unleash Your Joy.”
Patrice was very kind to share her story with us.
Without further ado, please welcome, Patrice Tanaka.
When did you know PR was what you wanted to do?
My first memorable encounter with PR was when I was a reporter for a newspaper in Hawaii, going on a site inspection with the PR Director of Wailea, a spectacular new resort on the island of Maui. The resort was so beautiful that I remember, saying to myself, “I wish I had her job!” I remember this clearly, because I don’t usually wish for something someone else already has.
A year later, that very same job was offered to me. I didn’t really have a clue as to what PR people did, but in trying to convince myself that I could do this job, my reductive reasoning went something like this: I work with PR people. They send me press releases. I can write those releases. I can do PR! I later learned how ridiculous that thought process was when I learned what PR people really do.
At the time, however, my goal was to accept this job and learn PR so that when I finally moved to New York City, which was my childhood dream, I could pursue a career in PR or journalism and double my chances of gainful employment.
Getting back to your question Corina, when did I know PR was what I wanted to do. I think it was early on in my career when I brainstormed creative ideas like “Korbel Champagne’s Department of Romance, Weddings & Entertaining” and the “Emily Post Summer Camp” at The Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, then developed and implemented these programs, which generated significant media coverage and meaningful business results for these clients.
I love the idea of creating something that never existed before I thought of it and then making it a reality. This is pure magic to me! And, to someone who loves fairy tales, magic wands and magic lamps, PR was simply irresistible.
How did teaching your team help you learn? How do you like to learn?
I think the most powerful teaching and learning experiences happen when you are working closely with others. You can witness one another’s thought process when problem-solving, for example, brainstorming and developing an idea. I believe the best thinking emerges when all parties involved are totally focused and fixated on coming up with the “best solution” to a problem.
Collaborating with others can be a truly magical experience when people respect, trust and enjoy working together and can set aside their egos in service of coming up with the best idea. A former colleague who loved The Beatles likened the experience of the best of these in-the-flow, working sessions as intense collaborations like Lennon-McCartney, working eyeball to eyeball, each contributing music and lyrics and building upon one another’s creative inspirations.
I also think you teach and learn by demonstrating the courage of your convictions to your team, having them watch you counsel clients to do what is in their best interests no matter how much they might want to do something else and, at times, making tough decisions like terminating under-performing employees or resigning an account when a client is totally unreasonable or abusive. And, when necessary, having your team witness you owning up to mistakes, admitting to colleagues or clients when you/the agency has made an error or failed to deliver despite your best efforts.
All of these are teaching and learning opportunities for both you and your team.
What piece of advice do you have for anyone heading into the reality of PR?
I think you must be a perpetual student, keeping current on new trends and innovations in society, in the communications field and in your clients’ businesses. Importantly, you must think globally so you can most effectively counsel clients even if they are largely, U.S.-centric businesses.
If you’re not endlessly curious and always seeking to learn and understand, you may not be ideally suited to a career in PR. And, if you don’t have strong writing skills, I think you need to sharpen them or re-think PR as a career.
I also believe that in a world and profession where so many things could go wrong, the best PR pros are those who have a strong sense of optimism and a feeling that they can make it work no matter what! I love being on teams with these kinds of people.
Why Joyful Planet?
Thank you for asking! Joyful Planet is my vision for the planet of 7.2 billion people coming from a place of joy, engaging joyfully with one another and making joy-filled contributions to the world. I believe this vision can be realized if more people are living their purpose and leveraging their greatest talents, expertise and passion in service of other people and our planet.
My new consultancy, Joyful Planet, is focused on helping individuals and organization do just that – discover and live their purpose to unleash their greatest success, fulfillment and, yes, joy!
What’s next for Patrice Tanaka?
I left the PR field a year ago to start my Joyful Planet consultancy and it has been a rich and wonderful time for me. I’ve been sharing my message – “Discover Your Life & Leadership Purpose” – via keynotes, webinars and workshops for groups such as PRSA, Vistage International, the Elevate Network, Girl Scouts, and businesses and non-profits.
I believe that discovering your purpose is the single, most efficient and powerful thing you can do to unleash your leadership potential and the joy of a more fulfilling life. This is something that enlightened businesses should consider offering to their employees as a “personal” and “professional” development opportunity. Like “purpose-driven businesses,” which research has proven significantly outperform “profit-only” focused businesses, it makes sense that “purpose-driven employees” will significantly outperform “me-focused employees.”
If you are a “purpose-driven business,” wouldn’t you want an engaged workforce of “purpose-driven employees” to help drive the growth and success of your business?
What’s next for me is encouraging, inspiring and working with individuals and organizations who want to contribute to creating a more joyful planet!
Connect with Patrice at Patrice@JoyfulPlanet.com, and via LinkedIn and Twitter.