Author of "Society's Breakthrough" - Jim Rough

Speakeasy with Author Jim Rough

Jim Rough's book is a fun and exciting read, not just because of the workable idea it describes, but because it is original in so many ways..Our September Speakeasy featured a special guest who has been actively reforming democracy across Europe for the past several years. No, I’m not talking about Vladimir Putin – I’m talking about acclaimed author Jim Rough who is also a speaker and innovator of the “Dynamic Facilitation and Wisdom Council” seminar.

Jim Rough is a corporate consultant, speaker, and seminar leader. He originated Dynamic Facilitation as a way to assure creative, collaborative thinking in small groups. For more than a decade he has presented public seminars on this innovation (www.ToBe.net), where people from around the world address societal issues and achieve breakthrough insights. He lives with his wife, Jean, in the Pacific Northwest.

Jim’s book “Society’s Breakthrough” was published a decade ago, but in recent years the ideas from his book have taken on a life of their own, inspiring governments across Western Europe to reform their local democratic process.


Whether you’re a PR professional, a business owner or a college student trying to learn what you can, Speakeasy is a place to share and chat about the trends affecting culture and communications. Every so often we invite an interest guest speaker to our offices to get the inside scoop, drink adult beverages and enjoy a few snacks. To learn the secret knock that gets you in, ask to join the Speakeasy Facebook group.

Portland Does an “About Face”

 

about face spread

In 2011, a new publication emerged in Portland, Oregon with a model unlike any before it. About Face Magazine brands themselves as “Portland’s Quarterly Interview Magazine.” This trendy, local publication highlights Portland’s innovators in many fields and industries such as arts, culture, music, fashion, business, design, and science.

According to About Face Creative Director and publisher David Bentley, “We’re less interested in celebrity worship than we are in learning and being inspired. Well-known Portlanders aren’t boasting or bragging. But many of us want to know more about them.”

robin lopez open shirt

Recent features from About Face have included profiles on Seth Aaron, the 2007 winner of Project Runway and season 3 winner of Project Runway: All Stars, Steve Gemmell, a local contractor who specializes in the rare practice of seismic retrofitting (an anchoring process that helps earthquake proof homes), and Johanna Ware, the owner of Smallwares on Fremont Street who took a risk in marketing her cuisine as “inauthentic Asian.”

Other magazine features have included everything from Keen Footwear, to orthopedic surgeons, to bridal fashion, and interviews with the stars of the Portland based TV series Grimm. 

about face woman          about face sam adams

The man behind the curtain, D.C. Rahe Editor In Chief of About Face will be stepping out on Thursday, June 26 to talk to us and our guests at our Speakeasy event at the AM:PM office in Southeast Portland. We look forward to introducing him and this exciting publication to a wider Portland audience.

about face DC Rahe

D.C. brings a myriad of talents to the magazine with experience in motion pictures, TV ads, print and web ads, websites, magazines, and social media campaigns. He is an excellent manager of creative team members and brings even more flavor to an already great Portland melting pot. We look forward to seeing more from About Face and can’t wait to meet their team and the local innovators who inspire them later this month.

If you’d like to join us on June 26th please RSVP

Just like a AM:PM PR Speakeasy roundtable

The Best King Arthur Story Ever – The 442

– by Jake Ten Pas

You know that story about the Round Table of Arthurian legend arising from the knights demanding to all be treated equally? Total nonsense. I wasn’t there or anything – I had a previous commitment at Morgana’s place – but I can tell you exactly what happened. It went a little something like this:

Arthur: Can you please pass the gravy?

Sir Lamorak: (who was sitting at the opposite end of a very long table): Eh? You like to shop at Old Navy?

Arthur: No, the gravy. The gravy! Can you pass it? And what is this Ye Olde Navy of which you speak?

Sir Lamorak: Inexpensive yet chic? I quite agree. I got this tunic there in several fun summer colors just last week.

Arthur: Did you just call me weak? Guards!

And after Sir Lamorak was beheaded (this is only one version of the story, mind you), Arthur decided that it’s just much easier to have a conversation if everybody is seated in a circle. A large circular table was constructed, gravy was passed without bloodshed, and they all lived happily ever after.

The End.

Or is it?

Last week, we hosted our weekly social media Gabalot, better known as PR 3.0, at 442 Soccer Bar on Hawthorne. It’s quickly become one of our favorite places to host the event for a number of reasons, all of which could prove instructive to other bars, pubs and nosheries looking to attract the patronage of businessy-type people such as us. So, without any further ado, a list of five reasons why we frequent 442:

1)   They’ve got a great circular seating area where roughly a dozen folks could sit, hear each other talk and keep a lively conversation going between them. Places that only have long, skinny tables simply will not work for a good group discussion. They end up breaking up into individual conversations about good TV shows, as opposed the big, dynamic group discussion about TV shows we prefer.

ampmpr-speakeasy-at-442

2)   They play great jazz music in there, but they understand how to work the volume knob. Few people on Earth are more obsessed with music than I am, but there’s just something about being forced to scream like a character in a natural disaster movie to be heard that tends to distract from the finer points of a good confab. Keeping the music at a reasonable volume encourages your customers to enjoy each other in addition to your tunes.

3)   The bartender, who I assume is also the owner, is a total character. He refers to everybody as either “Pretty lady” or “Nice guy,” and he is always friendly and welcoming. Big groups tend to spend a decent amount of money, and his strategy is endlessly more effective than that of some other bars, where you’re treated like yuppie scum if you walk in with a brief case or without a mustache and sarcastic T-shirt.

4)   442 features tasty Bosnian food. While this isn’t directly related to us holding our meetings there, it doesn’t hurt. And if you like to watch soccer games (Personally, I do not, but my coworker Erin is an aficionado), I’d imagine they go way better with Cevapi than hot dogs.

5)   442 has both a full bar and a killer selection of European beer. Normally, I only drink bourbon, but when you have the option of drinking a giant frosty mug of draught beer from the homeland of the owner of the bar – or thereabouts – I highly recommend it. And yes, I realize that any domestic beer is probably from the homeland of the owner of most U.S. bars, but now you’re just being difficult. Finally, unlike point number four, point number five IS directly related to us holding our meetings there.

The End.

Really this time.

Unless it isn’t.