Posts by Frank L. Williams
Don’t Wing It: Plan Before You Step Behind the Podium
by Frank L. Williams Leaders often shoulder the responsibility of serving as the official face and voice of their business, association, non-profit, or governmental body. Over the years, I’ve seen far too many leaders step behind a podium or onto a stage, only to completely fumble the opportunity to represent their organization. In previous articles,…
Read MorePodcast: Reflecting on Pioneer Strategies’ 25 years in business
Reflecting on 25 Years
by Frank L. Williams It’s difficult to believe that Pioneer Strategies is turning 25 years old this year. Time truly flies, and the world has changed dramatically since I formed the company. I started doing freelance PR work in 1993, eight years before launching Pioneer Strategies. In August 2001 I decided to make the leap…
Read MoreDon’t Drown Your Audience in Alphabet Soup
by Frank L. Williams Leaders often shoulder the responsibility of serving as the official face and voice of their business, association, non-profit, or governmental body. In June’s column, entitled How to Kill Your Presentation, I shared a number of ways I’ve seen speakers shoot themselves in the foot. In July’s column, Be Clear, Be Brief,…
Read MorePioneer Strategies celebrating 25 years in business
Pioneer Strategies, a Brunswick County-based public relations and strategic communication firm, is celebrating 25 years in business this August. Brunswick County native Frank Williams founded the firm in August 2001 while living in Raleigh, and the firm was incorporated on September 11, 2001. Williams, a 1988 graduate of North Brunswick High School and 1993 graduate…
Read MoreBe Clear. Be Brief. Be Seated.
by Frank L. Williams In last month’s column, entitled How to Kill Your Presentation, I shared a number of ways I’ve seen speakers shoot themselves in the foot. In the weeks since, I’ve seen a couple of these in action. Last week, I attended a meeting during which organizational representatives delivered reports. One gentleman, who…
Read MoreHow to Kill Your Presentation
by Frank L. Williams Leaders often shoulder the responsibility of serving as the official face and voice of their business, association, non-profit, or governmental body. This responsibility frequently involves public speaking. For better or worse, a leader’s tone words, tone, and non-verbal communication impact how the audience views the organization. All too often, it’s for…
Read MoreA Leader’s Responsibility and Impact as a Spokesperson
by Frank L. Williams Leaders often shoulder the responsibility of serving as the official face and voice of their business, association, non-profit, or governmental body. For better or worse, their words, tone, and non-verbal communication impact how key stakeholder groups view the organization. This is especially true in the midst of a crisis. Some leaders…
Read MoreThe More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same
by Frank L. Williams The world has changed dramatically in the more than three decades since I earned my communication degree from N.C. State University, and this change is as evident in the world of communication and public relations as anywhere. When I graduated, we saved files on floppy disks, the internet was in its…
Read MoreRemember Your Core Focus
by Frank L. Williams Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, said “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Over the years, I’ve seen far too many businesses and organizations lose sight of their primary purpose. In the non-profit world, this is often called “mission creep.”…
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