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There is a proverb that says, “Failure is the mother of success.” And we, as business professionals, know this to be true. Struggle is the best educator. And innovating and failing fast has become a top business strategy. In this PRNEWS series, in partnership with the Institute for Public Relations, some of the most successful leaders in the industry will share the lessons they have learned from failure.

Whether it be flight delays, shark sightings, wildfires or mudslides, tourism public relations pros should hope for the best, but always prepare for the worst, especially in the summer during peak vacation time. Denali National Park showed preparedness, and a quick resolution of a scary situation, which many organizations would be right to mirror. These takeaways can help guide your brand through the worst crisis.

In this regular feature, PR News asks movers and shakers in the industry to share a little bit of their personal history and personality through answering a series of 12 questions.

Journalism remains one of the most volatile careers due to industry mergers, political attacks, and the gutting of resources to maximize profits. In the past month we’ve seen GateHouse Media announce an incorporation with Gannett and CBS combining its assets with Viacom, withering away an already sparse news ownership scene. While an important and exciting job, for some the pressures and layoffs are too numerous and frequent, and enough is enough.

We know influencer marketing can provide third-party authenticity to brands. It also can raise awareness and bolster sales. On the other hand, it means allowing an outsider to be your brand ambassador and losing some degree of control. Here are three tips to reduce your anxiety when working with influencers.

This past Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stock market index hit its lowest point in 2019. Many critics pointed to President Trump’s decision to tie his performance to the markets and start a trade war with China, while economists worried about something called the inverted yield curve, which can point to an imminent recession. For communicators in either the financial sector, or those speaking to an organization’s finances, this panic yields many opportunities to practice educational, non-siloed PR. Here are a few things to focus on.

Let’s face it: You don’t have to be running PR for Donald Trump to find yourself mired in the muck with a difficult client. This is a common situation for those in PR and communications and it causes a lot of stress and anxiety. So it’s important to know how best to deal with challenging clients, both to minimize the psychological impact on you and also ensure you deliver quality results for the client.

There’s no arguing about the importance of a steel-toed communication plan for a company merger. External AND internal communications need to be orchestrated in respect to many audiences—investors, employees, consumers, the media and more. It can be somewhat overwhelming for those involved to perform with speed and accuracy, all the while keeping a brave face for those unsure of an acquisition’s future impact.

It’s a given that social media is critical to many if not all companies. And you’d agree that culture flows from the top in most organizations. Fine, then why do more than 60 percent of CEOs lack a social presence? It’s becoming more difficult for the C-suite to ignore the influence social media has not only on consumers but shareholders, team and brand.

The Newark water crisis, like its sister tragedy in Flint, Michigan, has proven to be an insurmountable PR challenge for local government. More than 100 of the 240 water samples derived from the city of Newark this year contained federally unacceptable levels of lead, leaving impacted occupants of the city panicked for clean water. As families grow thirstier for an explanation behind the chaos, they have started to believe legal action may be the only way to motivate local government.