Celebrating International Women's Day

Today is International Women’s Day and 2022's theme is Break the Bias. From the International Women’s Day website let’s:

Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.

I have met some remarkable women over the years, especially when it comes to my blog interviews. Today I wanted to highlight some of them because in my eyes they are shining a light and making an impact on people and in the community. Most of these women are people who I’ve worked with, some are friends, and I’ve seen first hand the work they are doing and the positive influence they’ve had in my life.

Kristen Cronyn from Meet and Eat Charcuterie - Kristen is all about community and collaboration. She’s always there to connect with other businesses and celebrate others through her work and I admire that about her. It’s not about competition but about building each other up and being each others cheerleader.

Amanda, Colleen and Rachel from Revolution Buffalo - These women have always been about creating a positive community through their studio since the day they opened their doors. A place where everyone is welcomed and seen equal and I admire the positive atmosphere they continue to create and the work they do to give back to their community.

Kate from Hope Rises - In a world where there is so much negativity, Kate finds the good and shares those stories that offer hope. That is one thing we all need a little more of right now.

Catie, Sarah and Zhi from Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy - These three women are creative, kind and care about the community they live in and they show that through the work they do for our Buffalo Parks. In my opinion without this amazing development team our Buffalo Parks would be as enjoyable to park users. They help raise the funds needed to keep the parks clean and safe throughout the year.

Melissa from Winkler + Samuels - Not only can she recommend a great bottle of red (or white) she offers fun classes for customers to learn more about the wine they drink, the region its from and the local winemakers that make it. Some of her classes also benefit local charities which is another win in my book.

Kate and Dusty from WNYMMA - I don’t know much about WNYMMA or these two women but they offer free self-defense classes for women on Sunday’s at 11am (I took a class a couple weeks back). This community is strong and kind and I love that there is a business in WNY that takes pride in wanting to help teach women to defend themselves if they ever needed to.

Jess Kelly - Jess is a native Western New Yorker who travels around the country and shares her experiences on her social platforms and with national publications. Not only is Jess a caring and kind human, she reminds me to live life in the moment and to enjoy the world, to take risks and have some fun.

Carrie from Rusterior and Buffalo Boss Babes - Carrie is not only a local business owner but she created Buffalo Boss Babes, a women run blog and social media feed that features talented women in the WNY community. She hosts fun, laid-back networking events that are meant to empower creative women who are helping to build Buffalo.

Dionne from UPward Design for Life - she founded this organization to “restore hope by transforming empty spaces into homes.” By volunteering I have seen the work Dionne does by taking an empty space and turning it into a home and changing peoples lives for the better. If I had an ounce of her talents and energy I would be a better person. We can all learn something from Dionne through her hard work, passion and drive, it motivates me to not give up on my dreams.

Mandy from Big Big Table - I haven’t met Mandy but she is the founder and chef of this new community café where everyone can enjoy a good meal and not have to worry if they can afford it or not. The idea is all are welcome, everybody gives and everyone matters.

The Inventive Team Behind The Social Media at PSE

This months feature is one I’m really excited to share because it’s highlighting a group of creative, talented people who run the social media content and strategy for Pegula Sports and Entertainment, LLC (PSE). While some may think running social media is a piece of cake there is a lot of work and time behind the scenes in creating the content that is published. Having a great team that works together is what makes this team and PSE stand out from the crowd.

Learn more about the team below.

Who makes up the social media and content team at PSE?

• Anna Stolzenburg – Director of Social Media Strategy and Content// Media & Content

• Zach Specht - Manager of Social Media

• Kelsey Sweet – Senior Social Media Editor

• Alexi Spector - Senior Social Media Editor

• Jami Cohen - Media & Content Coordinator

• Allie Napoli - Social Media Editor

photo courtesy of PSE Social team

What is your favorite part of your job?

Anna: The people. In social media, we get to work with so many different departments and individuals, and getting to know so many across our companies makes every day different in a great way.

Kelsey: Aside from working with our team and others in our company, getting to know our players as people and getting to show that side of them to our fans.

Alexi: I get to come to work every day and provide content about something I love and am passionate about – hockey!

Zach: Any time that we collaborate with our Community Relations team amazes me. I’ve been privileged to be around for some very special moments throughout the last few seasons and it always inspires me how people in less fortunate situations always see the best in every opportunity.

photo courtesy of PSE Social team

As a team what would you say is your most memorable moment & why?

The NFL Draft is an event that our whole crew gets to join forces on, and every year it’s a really fun, collaborative experience. The three long days almost become a professional bonding experience – and it helps that the One Bills Drive spread is complete with ten different types of M&Ms and all the snacks you could ever want.

In general though, making memories and covering impactful moments in Buffalo sports history is a thrill for our team always!

Individually, what is your most memorable moment of your job & why?

Anna: Being in Miami, outside the locker room, hearing the roar of the team when the Bengals won and the Bills playoff drought was over was an incredible moment. It was New Years Eve, and the plane ride after was a blast. Then arriving at the airport to thousands of fans on a freezing cold night was the cheery on top of an experience I’ll never forget.

Kelsey: Most recently, when we beat the Colts this year in the Wild Card round. That game was a rollercoaster of emotions, but getting to hit send on the win graphics at that game had me basically in tears. Anna can confirm.

Alexi: I think the most memorable moment of my job was more of an experience – going to Sweden to cover the team for the NHL Global Series was incredible!

Zach: Although we have had some amazing moments together like breaking the 18 year playoff drought and winning the AFC East for the first time in 25 years, I have to pick the 2017 Snow Bowl against the Colts. There are some pretty iconic photos from that game and despite being Buffalo born and raised, I have never seen lake effect move that quickly!

What is one thing you've learned about yourself from being in your role at PSE?

Anna: I’ve learned so much, especially having been here for eight years, but if I had to pick one thing I’d say I’ve learned that sports can transcend the field and transform a community, and that I feel most purposeful working on projects that do just that.

Kelsey: Passions can be matched with a career. Some days it feels like work, but most days it honestly doesn’t. I love what I get to do each day and who I get to do it with!

Alexi: I think I’ve learned more about where my strengths lie and where I can work on things. Having a team to collaborate with provides opportunities for us to shine in our strengths, but learn from each other when it comes to things I don’t know as much about!

Zach: Although the unpredictability of this job keeps us guessing, I enjoy being challenged to create content and anticipate different trends that are happening on social media. Despite many challenges throughout our COVID world, I think one thing I’ve learned during this past season is how important it is to intentionally recharge. Take the 20 minute walk outside and go grab your coffee, you’ll feel refreshed and ultimately be more productive.

photo courtesy of PSE Social team

What is one thing you've learned about each other during your time at PSE?

Anna: I’ve learned that even though we’re all in the same field, we each have different styles and that’s what makes us work together so well.

Kelsey: How well we work together as a team and play to each other’s strengths. I’m grateful to work with people that I genuinely enjoy spending time with not only as co-workers, but as friends.

Alexi: I’ve learned so much about working in the big picture as a team!

Zach: I think my favorite attribute that I’ve noticed about our social team is selflessness. No matter the game or event, we truly always pull together and have a content first mindset that allows everyone to work to their strengths.

photo courtesy of PSE Social team

Can you explain how as a team you take an idea and put it into action? Are their brainstorming sessions as to what type of content to put out there and how? Do other departments get involved in the social media strategy and content? Do you ever work with other teams on collaborations or ideas? How as a team, do you work through any differences on ideas, if there are any?

We absolutely couldn’t survive without our brainstorm sessions that later evolve into a finished product. We very much believe that the thought power of the group is greater than the individual, and we have often turned a random thought into great social media. Depending on the project, we brainstorm with our videographers, content team, graphic designers or anyone else who might end up being involved, so we’re all on the same page. Differences in ideas happen, but we always try to reflect on what the fan would want most, and what the goals of our dept./organization are, and let those guide us to a compromise.

How would each of you describe each other to others?

Anna: Kelsey brings enthusiasm and passion. Alexi brings organization and focus. Zach brings energy and an ability to get along with everyone.

Kelsey: Anna is hard-working, thoughtful, and sincere. Alexi is a go getter, strong, and kind. Zach is high energy (highly caffeinated always), funny, and supportive.

Alexi: Anna - Driven, supportive, confident and an awesome boss! Kelsey - Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and always ready to jump in where help and guidance are needed! Zach - Energized, creative; I love to go to Zach for outside-of-the-box ideas for the Sabres!

Zach: Anna- is the steady force that keeps us mindful of the goal if (and usually when) we get off topic. Alexi- the elite planner. I haven’t helped out with Sabres social where everything hasn’t been planned out. Kelsey- always brings the energy. To quote her “she’s LIT”

What is one thing you'd like the general public to know about your job? Something that people may think they know but they don't.

Anna: A lot of thought, time and effort goes into crafting any given social post. Hitting send is 1% of the work.

Kelsey: We read the comments, haha. But seriously, there’s so much that goes into what we do, it’s not just “sending tweets,” even though I joke and say that sometimes. There’s so much time and thought that goes into curating the content we push out on a daily basis to best engage with our fans. We do it for them and we work dang hard at that!

Alexi: We read the comments, but don’t set the lineups.

Zach: Having a personal brand/presence on social media is different than contributing to a brand.

What do you love about Buffalo/WNY?

Anna: This is cliché, but it’s absolutely the people – their resilience, friendliness, warmth, camaraderie. It’s something people who aren’t from Buffalo can’t understand until they’ve experienced it.

Kelsey: I always half joke with people when they move here that they’re going to “catch the Buffalo bug,” but it’s SO true. There’s just something about this city that pulls you in. I think moving away made me more grateful for it. But especially in recent years, and in the pandemic, it’s been really cool to see Buffalo on the rise and how we’ve come together. And the amazing summers make the gray winters worth it. 😊

Alexi: I love the summertime in Buffalo! There’s nothing better than seeing everyone outside enjoying the summer after a long winter – it seems to bring the city together.

Zach: I’m stuck choosing between the people and the food. Despite being a mid-sized city, the culinary scene in Buffalo is much more diverse than people would think at face value.

If you had to choose, what would you say is your superpower as a team and individually?

Anna: As a team and individual – shapeshifting, being able to go between brands in an instant and provide valuable input.

Kelsey: I’d say either staying hip with things, or being able to jump between brands and roles when needed!

Alexi: Hmmm…as a team, maybe collaboration? Individually, maybe organization.

Zach: Mind reading. I can’t count how many times two people within our group have had the same caption idea for a photo or video.

What do you think makes your team so strong and special?

Anna: We are so fortunate to work with a group that enjoys each other’s company, inside and outside of work. In this job, you often have to miss personal activities and make sacrifices of your time that wouldn’t happen in a typical professional setting, but time spent with our crew is time genuinely enjoyed, and that makes such a difference in our experiences but also in our output on the job.

Kelsey: I feel like I’ve already said this 87 times in my answers, but seriously our bond just as people at the roots of who we are makes all the difference in making as strong as a team. We are just having fun at the end of the day, and that makes it so so special.

Alexi: How our strengths all lie in different and unique areas, and how we’re able to use them effectively to help each other!

Zach: I can’t overcommunicate how fortunate it is to be friends with your coworkers. We are all passionate about our careers but caring for one another will always be first and that makes the long hours during the season worth it.