In-N-Out

I find myself working out of our scrumptious little LA office every couple of months. What I lose in the time difference between here and New York, I gain back in the sunshine, shopping and plethora of In-N-Out Burgers (about 10 pounds to be specific in this case). And while I like LA a lot, it is certainly a different playing field than New York City.

For one, publicists rather than PR firms rule Los Angeles. We just took a meeting with a young eco-conscious accessories designer who is looking to take her business to the next level. She seemed incredulous when I explained that as her PR firm we would not only develop meaningful stories around her brand, but also help her form strategic brand alliances and secure editorial product placement in fashion magazines and on celebrities. We’re a full service PR firm; it’s what we do. The concept seemed foreign to this young native Californian who admitted that she had never been to the Big Apple. She explained that she had only ever worked with a single publicist before who essentially slotted her in when opportunities came her way. By comparison, I think our team seemed like a pack of hungry bulldogs. Let’s hope in the best way possible.

Another point of difference is the workday structure. In our field, there are an awful lot of after work drinks that happen—and after work usually means 8 or 9 pm EST.  A New Yorker’s working lunch is usually shoveling tossed salad into one’s mouth with one hand as we type with the other and the phone dangles precariously from the crook of one’s neck—chic visual I know. However in LA, the working lunch takes on a whole new meaning. We met a client at Craft in Century City for a “working lunch” and were surrounded by agent and publicist types that seemed to be doing the same. Even more amazingly, we actually got a lot of work done AND I was able to eat an amazing meal of Hawaiian Blue Prawns. Magical.

So while I think it’s great that we bring that good old New York up an' at 'em sensibility to a market that may be lacking a certain degree of gumption, I also think Lala Land can teach us New Yorkers a thing or two about the whole work-life balance.

Source: images.businessweek.com, dailypress.com