Stacey Ross Cohen said she is “a born entrepreneur.” When she was just 14 years old, she and a friend started their own business. Fed up with paltry sums earned as babysitters, the pair figured they could make more money as waitresses for at-home parties. They bought some cheap nurses”™ uniforms and advertised in the PennySaver, under the headline “We Set, Serve and Clean Up.”
The business made 200% more than she earned as a babysitter.
Today, Cohen is founding CEO of Co-Communications, a 25-year-old public relations, marketing and design agency with headquarters in White Plains and satellite offices in Hartford, Connecticut, and Manhattan. Its clients have ranged from the American Heart Association to Manhattanville College, Morgan Stanley and 3M. Now Cohen wants to do for high-school students what she has done for many professionals ”“ help them present their best selves to the world. Her new book, “Brand Up” (Post Hill Press, 191 pages, $16.99) is subtitled “The Ultimate Playbook for College & Career Success in the Digital World.” Barbara Corcoran, a founding investor on the ABC entrepreneurial series “Shark Tank,” called it a “don”™t miss.”
But do high-school kids and even middle schoolers really need a brand? Statistics bear out that they do, Cohen said over coffee at The Nordstrom Café at The Westchester in White Plains.
“In the world of college admissions officials, 75% look at social media,” she noted, adding that the number is 85% for job recruiters. “My mantra is use this to your advantage. I say to all kids: ”˜Google is the new résumé.”™ Kids need to be on LinkedIn by the time they”™re 16.” (See sidebar.)
Written with Jason Shaffer, an Innovation Institute instructor at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida, where he teaches entrepreneurship to middle schoolers; and Alan Katzman, a pioneer in creating techniques for students to use social media for academic and career success, “Brand Up” takes the student through exercises designed to explore effective application letters, college interview tips, follow-up emails and high school entrepreneurship ideas.
“It”™s geared to”¦ how to stand out in a cluttered, competitive world. It”™s about goal-setting, networking, empathy and life skills,” said Cohen, herself personable and always enthusiastic.
The book is also about avoiding the pitfalls of social media. In 2017, Cohen said, the particularly choosy Harvard University revoked the acceptance letters of 10 students for the class of 2021 because of sexually explicit messages and memes in a private Facebook chat that also targeted minorities. “The book starts with creating social awareness.”
The irony is not lost on Cohen that student branding comes at a time when the humanities ”“ English, history, philosophy, the very subjects that teach the critical thinking skills that CEOs always tell you they want in new hires ”“ are being diminished or ditched at colleges and universities nationwide. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/06/the-end-of-the-english-major In February, trustees at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, voted to eliminate its liberal arts curriculum ”“ ancient historian Bret C. Devereaux wrote in an April 2 guest essay for The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/02/opinion/humanities-liberal-arts-policy-higher-education.html while noting that “history majors had a”¯lower unemployment rate”¯than economics, business management or communications majors, and their salaries barely lag behind in those fields, according to a recent study. Art history majors”¯do just fine, too, with”¯strong projected job growth”¯in the next decade. And despite the sneers, those with”¯bachelor”™s degrees in philosophy”¯have an average salary around $76,000,”¯according”¯to PayScale.” (Studies have shown that an average annual salary of $75,000 is the point at which happiness peaks.)
Given the decline in the humanities and the rise of A.I. programs that can write for you, how can you market yourself to colleges and companies if the foundations for how to express yourself are being rocked in schools?
Cohen would say all the more reason for books like “Brand Up,” which is not about boasting but about how to convey true humility ”“ knowing your strengths.
“It”™s not about me, me, me,” she added. “But what is your superpower? What is your value to the world? Why choose you?”
These are questions Cohen has been thinking about her entire life. As the older (by three minutes) of fraternal twin girls who were born in Brooklyn and raised in New City, she said, “I had to fight to create my own identity.” She”™d go on to hone that identity with a Bachelor of Science degree in human development at Syracuse University and an MBA in marketing from Fordham University in the Bronx. (She also recently received a certificate in media, entertainment and technology from NYU Leonard Stern School of Business.)
Cohen began her career at Marsteller Inc. (a division of Young & Rubicam, now VMLY&R), where she was responsible for expanding the corporate communications program for advertising executives. She then held senior positions in both public relations and marketing over a six-year period at CBS/Fox Video, then the world”™s largest home video company, before striking out on her own.
Cohen and her husband, real estate attorney Bruce Cohen, raised their two daughters in Chappaqua, whose public school system is among the national standouts. (The couple now live in White Plains with their Shih Tzu, Willy. They also have a home in the Hamptons.)
She”™s part of Westchester Angels ”“ a group of investors supporting early-stage start-ups in the county and wider tristate region. As she noted in the acknowledgements of her book, her goal for her professional clients is the same for her student readers ”“ helping them share their individual talents and perspectives with the world.
Tips for teen digital success
By Stacey Ross Cohen
Clean up your digital act.”¯Teens must put their best digital foot forward during the college admission journey. Get started by removing dormant, inappropriate profiles, including images containing nudity, alcohol, drugs or offensive language. If someone has posted a questionable photo, ask that individual to remove it or untag you. High school students (and adults alike) should also search their names online and note how they show up. It”™s not wise to delete your profile, because it doesn”™t guarantee the data is completely gone. Plus, it looks like you”™re trying to hide something.
Invest in the right platforms.”¯With the cleanup complete, it”™s time to create a digital presence that differentiates you and tells your story, describing your talents, passions, achievements and more. Narrow down the vast array of social media platforms by determining which ones best accent your strengths. Are you an artist? Then Pinterest and Instagram work best. Are you seeking a career in broadcasting? Then stick to YouTube or TikTok. LinkedIn is the most beneficial channel for college-bound students to stand out and showcase their accomplishments. Getting a jump start on LinkedIn (by age 16) allows you to take charge of your narrative in a professional manner and set the stage for your career path. Another LinkedIn bonus: It builds networking skills, allowing high-school students to”¯communicate with admissions officers, professionals in their intended fields and like-minded students.”¯
Create an outstanding online profile. Once you have selected which platforms to invest in, it”™s time to build an online profile highlighting a diverse range of academic pursuits, hobbies and volunteer work. Character attributes like leadership, resiliency, teamwork and volunteer service should surface. Use a headshot (high-resolution, minimum 300 DPI) of yourself in professional attire against a neutral background across all social media platforms for consistency. If you are feeling creative, consider including your favorite quote. Other ideas to set you apart: Build a personal website to showcase achievements, activities, volunteerism and a portfolio of work; share your narrative through a video link; and use your email signature to include your contact information, photograph, hyperlinked social media icons and website hyperlink (if applicable).”¯
Content is king.”¯It”™s time to post college-centric content. High school students can share images from their college tour, topics related to their intended major and more.”¯While teens should include community activities on their application, showing this through social media is quite another thing. For example, do you have photographs collecting supplies for a local homeless shelter? Are you reposting interesting articles about climate change? Consider sharing a link to a news article with thoughtful comments that show leadership, critical thinking and intelligent analysis. The goal is to leverage social media to broadcast your best selves. Engage with colleges”™ social media and follow your dream college”™s accounts, showing your love by being visible and liking content. Connecting with college admissions officers, professors, department heads and alumni is essential.
Consider all touch points.”¯Every communication mode (email, cell phones, interviews) counts. Privacy does not exist in any social channels, including your cell phone. Text messages can be screenshot and shared without your permission, leaving you no control over where they land. Screenshots of racist and inflammatory text conversations have gone viral countless times. Before you hit “send” on that next text message, ask yourself: Would I be comfortable with that message scrolling across the Times Square digital billboard?
”¯High school students need to become a master of first impressions. The ultimate goal is to come across as a responsible young person who would be a welcome member of a college campus.”¯”¯
For more, visit cocommunications.com.
