a Porter Novelli Company

The newsletter bringing you the voice of a nation.

Mother Trucker of the Month
by Ed McClendon Ever crave all the goodness of Korean food wrapped into a burrito? Next time youre in the Sunnyvale area, checkout the BBQ Kalbi truck. They strive to combine healthy ingredients into tasty, affordable foods so everyone can enjoy. I recommend the Daejee (Spicy Pork) Burrito. If youre not in the mood for meat or youre watching your figure you can go for the Unagi Burrito. Want to kick up the spice? Try adding their special spicy mayo and your mouth will sure to be on fire. Happy eating! Price Range: $2- $7.50 Must Try: Daejee (Spicy Pork) Burrito Website: http://www.bbqkalbi.com

Porter Novelli welcomed into the Voce Nationthe Novelli story

by Everett Meyers At 11 years young, Voce Communications continues to grow. It seems hard to believe that just nearly a month ago Voce was a company of only three offices, and now, thanks to Porter Novelli (PN) and the recent acquisition, Voce can claim offices around the world. Within the industry, Voce is known for its tremendous success with clients and unique company culture, and now that culture is evolving and the team is expanding. For PN, as well, this acquistion is a huge change one that is being welcomed by the PN crew. Office Manager Brad Kuerbis has been a part of the PN family for the past 15 years and has seen the San Francisco office go through dozens of changes throughout the years. We used to have a big food practice, bigger than tech, Kuerbis said. Hot pockets use to be our client, but we lost everything to Nestle! PN started its first office in San Francisco in 1998, and over time has moved around throughout the Mission and Financial districts, before finally settling down at their current location of 550 Third Street. When Kuerbis first began his PN career, the office consisted of 12 employees, growing to around 70 at its peak, and in recent years has leveled off at 12 again. Account Supervisor Andrew Hussey

April 2011

has been at PN for seven years, and has met a lot of great individuals in that time, recalling how much fun its been working among so many different people and cultures. Hussey is looking forward to this acquisition as he feels it is going to reinvigorate the office, explaining that PN really needed this injection of culture. There was a lot of excitement when we heard we were getting together with Voce, he said. You guys have a great reputation. As Hussey understands it, PN realizes that the Bay Area is a critical market and that representation is needed in this area if you want to be credible in the technology market. There was a time when PN had two offices in the area, and they needed their tech practice to be revamped. One of the things I think you guys do best is social media, he said. Itll Continued on page 3

Vo i c e s o f Vo c e
Im a cougar and Im not even 24. YEAH! -Dyani May I tell June who is calling? -June Its just workrelax. -Gallow

VOCE NATION Employee Spotlight

by Janice Vargas This Months Spotlight shines on Lauren Tweet Queen Sadelin, who hails to us from the Windy City...and Voces newest ACE to have moved up from being a good ol Intern!
1. Whats been your favorite part about being a Vocian? This place is different from anywhere else Ive been and Im lucky enough to look forward to coming into the office each morning. At the risk of sounding totally clich, its the people here that make Voce what it is and make working here so enjoyable (and Ill stand by this even on Richard Cheese days and trips to the Pizza Hut buffet). 2. Whats been one thing that you learned at Voce that you didnt learn in college? Not that my fabulous alma mater didnt teach me anything over the four years I spent there (Mom and Dad werent so fond about the idea of extending it to five...I tried), but Ive learned more in my nearly eight months here than I did out of my textbooks and classwork everything from interacting with clients to just the basic ins-and-outs of the industry. 3. Other than family and friends, what do you get homesick for? Just spending time in the city walking around Michigan Avenue, game days in Wrigleyville, the list goes on. Then again, ask me if I still feel that way when its below zero and snowing... the answer is most likely going to be not so much. 4. Whats the one thing that you cant live without on a dayto-day basis? Oh man, do I go with coffee or a turkey sandwich? Lets say coffee. I could live without a turkey sandwich, it would just require me learning how to cook (but lets be honest, those odds arent exactly in my favor). 5. How much did you like counting 3000 tweets on Stats Monday... tell me how you really feel? I dont want to toot my own horn or anything, but if I had to rank my tweet-counting skills on a scale from 1 to 10, lets just say it would be at an 11...pre-abacus. Ive gotta say, the abacus has really helped me set the bar unfairly high (thanks, Platforms team).

BOOMthe Voce Nation expands by fourteen

by Samantha Gasper Most would agree that it is a bit scary when the time comes to kick their baby bird out of the nest but the time is now, and its time that Voce spreads its wings and takes flight. Being acquired by a global company such as Porter Novelli (PN) has raised questions and concerns, but it has mostly created promise and a great deal of opportunity for Voces future. A common theme of this big-time acquisition is the challenges that are sure to come with it. Vice President Dave Black believes that with challenge comes opportunity. Voce has been like a baby to me for the past 12 years, he said. There was going to be a challenge if we didnt take this route. Theres no reason to get out of bed in the morning without challenge. Own it and make it yours that is why we come to work and part of what drives us in our careers. Vice President of Operations Mike Gallow sees a lot of promise in the acquisition, especially after having worked with CEO Gary Stockman more than 10 years ago while Stockman served as director for Copithorne & Bellows. A Voce employee for 10 years and counting, Gallow likes the idea of something new. Im looking forward to the integration and some transitioning activities, and having a new challenge, he said. There havent been any projects like this since Ive been here being able to roll our infrastructure into a new one. Its going to be a lot of work, but there might be something fun in that. A common concern for Vocians has been how PN would adapt to the Voce culture. Gallow is optimistic and said, The Voce culture breeds an attitude of openness and willingness to get people involved. The PNs seem very similar to us, and over time well develop our own set of inside jokesespecially in the SF office. Black wants to see it through that Voce maintains what got us here and really makes an impact on the business of Porter Novelli. Can we imprint our DNA throughout the organization, or will they imprint theirs onto us? I think we can do it, and I like our odds. Its really going to take every single person to carry over our legacy. Black explains how he hopes Voce will pass on that legacy and what Vocians are best known fortheir outgoing personalities and hard work. People want to be around a fun vibe, and its infectious. When people start to get too serious, it makes it a place I wouldnt want to be a part Continued on page 4

VOCE NATION

Continued from page 1 be great to have resources here in this office. Merging two companies can often times bring many challenges for the employees, but PN has been handling the transition quite smoothly, though the mass volume of VoceEveryone emails has been a bit intimidating (Tip: set up a rule and folder for those emails it may change your life). From my perspective I dont think it has been very challenging, said Senior Account Executive Keira FitzGibbon. I love having more people in the office and I think [Vocians] are a great addition. FitzGibbon has been at PN for two years, landing a job in the SF office right out of college, and has become accustom to working in a larger agency. She is looking forward to the new work experience, friends and colleagues, and already feels like PN is evolving into something better.

To be honest we dont have that many traditions, which is why I am looking forward to having you here with such a great culture already, she said. And PN employees also look forward to having a lot to offer Voce as well. I hope that I can be a positive presence in the office, and somebody people can go to for advice on different clients and experiences, FitzGibbon said. I also hope PN offers Voce a big support team when we are going into global pitches All in all, PN is very excited about the acquisition and all the great new things to come from it. Hussey notes that it goes without saying that Voce and PN coming together is one of the greatest mergers in history, and its up there with Red Bull and Jaeger, rice and beans, and of course, Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block.

Eat, Drink and Be Voce: A culture explained

by Ed McClendon What is Eat, Drink & Be Voce? Think of it as it reads. Eat - To take in and absorb as food. Drink - To take liquid (probably alcoholic) in from the mouth and swallow. Be Voce To be a talented, awesome, fun person. Okay its a little bit more than that. Eat, Drink & Be Voce (EDBV) first started in 2007, following the opening of the SF office. The purpose was to bring together employees from both Bay Area offices. The inaugural event was held at a Vietnamese restaurant, in San Francisco, called Bong Su. Organized by C&C (Culture and Community), EDBV has always been strategically placed in the first half of the year. Mike Gallow, vice president of operations said, This was done because the summer months bring the Voce Retreat and later in the year is the holiday party. The 2009 EDBV saw the Voce Nation takeover the Silver Cloud Restaurant & Bar. When the Silver Cloud invested in a karaoke system they did not foresee a show stopper, such as Dave Black, grace their stage. Dave rocked out to Billy Idol More More More as loyal Voce fans cheered in the background. Not all of the fun was kept inside of the restaurant. Doug Madey, senior client executive said, The funniest moment was when Moesch jumped onto a fork lift/ tractor that was parked outside on the street. Im pretty sure someone has a picture of that. Last years EDBV saw the Voce staff survive the elements as they attended a San Francisco Giants night game. Thankfully Giants Snuggies were given away to add a little warmth. The event also brought the first introduction of Stephen Lynch to the Voce Nation. My favorite moments would be drinks at Public House with all the Voce crew, specifically participating in some shenanigans with Katie Watson. Another would be spitting sunflower seeds all over the place with Podboy, said Client Executive Paul Doherty. Did you know EDBV has also made its way to the East Coast? The Florida office, also hosts a yearly event, with last years EDBV FL Edition including dinner and drinks at Tanners Pub in good olWinter Haven. This years Floridas event is still in the works, so stay tuned! This years EDBV west coast event will be on May 6th. With a return to AT&T Park, the Voce Nation will get rowdy as they cheer on the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. Its sure to be a night of fun and lots of memorable stories!

VOCE NATION
Continued from page 2 of. The Voce way is to have fun and do great work. Hopefully the traditions weve created are carried through, and were doing something that actually makes an impact. Many are excited about the dynamic of this years annual retreat in Lake Tahoe. Hazing is always a threatened idea to anyone new on the retreat, Gallow said. But I think just being a part of it for the first time is hazing enough. Theres so much hype. Once youre there and take part, just going through it is the ultimate initiation to Voce.

Candid Photo Captions

Thoughts from a peon

by Kevin Wetzler

One of the first things I noticed when I started at Voce, besides the fact that I was the only one wearing a suit and tie, was the atmosphere in the room. Everyone was incredibly focused on the tasks at hand, and normally this means that people are too busy to engage with or talk to others around them. This however, was not the case. People at Voce joke with each other, play pranks with one another and send out all-staff emails, which frankly still blow my mind. Since Ive started, Ive heard a lot of people talk about the Voce culture, and when I first thought about what that meant I associated it with the jokes, emails and other shenanigans that take place around the office. However, this understanding quickly changed once things started to heat up for me on my accounts. Watching my teammates hit high gears through highly publicized acquisitions, partnership announcements and industry events made me see the other side of the Voce culture. And the truth is, when Voce isnt joking around and laughing, the Nation is impressing clients, meeting deadlines and just plain winning. Its amazing to watch, and even better to be involved in. Though the life of an intern might be less than glamorous, knowing that Im involved with a culture thats making huge headlines is an awesome feeling and something that I love about doing PR at Voce.

What... All I said was I have a tent-pole idea to discuss. -Matt Podboy I farted. -Angela Asche

Maybe I shouldnt have told her what Cleavland Steamer really meant. -Amy Wall The end of this flower just punctured my nipple. -Chris Thilk

ID BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR! -Sean OShaughnessy

Email us your candid captions for Eds desk and we will post our favorites in next months edition of the Voce Nation. (voce-internship@vocecomm.com)

Janice Vargas

Kevin Wetzler

Chazlee Rivera

Ed McClendon

Sam Gasper

Everett Meyers