Colita Colloring’s PR challenge

As a high-powered wheeler and dealer in the world of public relations, I am often asked "Colita, how do you balance the demands of international business with those of being a full-on party animal and girl about town?"

A good question, to which the simple answer is: planning, and plenty of it. For the art of good PR is to take an apparently simple task and break it down into a complex series of elements which can then be individually analysed and discussed.

For example, the statement "do you want your coffee white or black?" might to the untrained eye seem to require a simple, one-word answer. But no PR worth her salt would consider committing herself without at least two days of brainstorming power brunches, strategy meetings and Powerpoint presentations.

We are, however, jumping ahead. This week I'm going to start readers off with a basic decision process which you can do in your own home using nothing more than a flip-chart and coloured marker pens. It's worth taking some time to draw this out before going to bed.

And there you have it. A concise mission-critical realtime life solution.

Next week: Hmmm, the Gap top or the M&S trouser suit? Getting dressed in less than a week.