Lucie Fralicks on working in a modern era

By Kristin Biery


Lucie Fralicks graduated from the University of North Texas with a double major in music and psychology. In fact she wanted to be a high school band director but a bad student teaching experience altered her career path to where she is today.

Currently Mrs. Fralicks works for the Promotional Products Association International and the biggest thing they do is an annual trade show in Las Vegas. They do all of the planning, logistics, sales, etc. for the 50th largest trade show in the U.S.

“It takes one year to plan and it’s a week long event,” Mrs. Fralicks said. “The first two days are education days with seminars or certification workshops and the last three days are the actual trade show.”

On a daily basis Mrs. Fralicks contacts supplier companies and invites them to come to Las Vegas for the trade show. This past year they had over 1500 companies attend.

While she enjoys talking on the phone, there are certain drawbacks to the job that she has never adjusted to---people saying no. Mrs. Fralicks had to learn early on not to take things personal and that they were not saying no to her as an individual but her as a sales person.

Before working for Promotional Products Association International, Mrs. Fralicks worked selling advertising for Modern Bride magazine and then worked in the development office of the University of North Texas.

With the economy in it’s current state, it is not full of job opportunities so I asked Mrs. Fralicks her advice for someone graduating from college this May.

“Be open to possibilities,” Mrs. Fralicks said. “ Talking to people and networking helps too!”

Utilizing PR in the Non Profit Sector

Utilizing PR in the Non Profit Sector by Heather Anderson

Public relations is extremely important for non profit organizations. After speaking with my former internship supervisor, Lindsay Sparks, I learned how she views the this industry while hoping to make a difference to world around her. As the Marketing and Web Coordinator at World Neighbors, an international non profit organization based in Oklahoma City, OK, she knows a thing or two about utilizing public relations skills to not only promote her organization, but educate the public of its cause. She has worked in the industry for 5 years since graduating from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's degree in Public Relations. 

As we spoke, she gave me some valuable advice on what knowledge and skills I should obtain in order to be successful in PR. Being as current as possible with issues and trends is key to this industry. She said that becoming a member of PRSA was a great way to gain access to this information, as well as a wonderful opportunity to network with other PR professionals. 

In relation to the needed skills while working in public relations, being as capable and creative with technology as possible is the best way to set yourself apart from your peers. Using different networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) and other media resources, such as YouTube, will expand the organization's audience and appeal. It is also important to be savvy with the technology required to create publications, videos and websites. I greatly appreciated the insight I received from Lindsay and I plan on utilizing these resources for my professional benefit.