Meet Dr. Echo Rivera
My guest on this episode is Dr. Echo Rivera of Creative Research Communications. I first met her through networking on social media and was instantly drawn to her work. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we shared many common interests, such as business systems, work ethic, passion for our work. She has a delightful sense of humor and has become one of my favorite colleagues to catch up with and discuss business strategies. We both thrive on some of the super geeky details.
We spent some time chatting and catching up before starting the interview. So you will sense a high level of energy in our conversation right from the start.
Let me tell you about my guest before I connect the interview.
Dr. Echo Rivera helps academics, researchers, consultants and evaluators communicate more effectively and creatively. She has a PhD in Community Psychology, and after about 14 years of working in the social science research and program evaluation fields, Echo became a freelance communications consultant. She is on a mission to end #DeathByPowerpoint in our course lectures, conference presentations, and other educational settings. What she does goes beyond just graphic design. She works specifically with people who want to present their data in ways that increase the likelihood the audience will pay attention to, understand, remember, and use the information.
You are going to really enjoy getting to know Dr. Rivera in this episode because my conversation with her is so refreshing, and brings a new level of interest and excitement to the way we communicate our messages in public health.
Listen to the podcast episode
Dr. Rivera's Advice to Students
(1) Grad schools usually don't train you on how to communicate your work in effective or engaging ways. Yet, no matter what you do for your career, this is an important and necessary skill especially for public health. Take action to get yourself this type of training. Try to find professional development funding from your department or university, or ask your faculty mentors for ways to get professional development funding.
(2) Find opportunities to practice your presentations: conference presentations, webinars, brownbags. Experience will help you present better, but will also help you network.
(3) Don't be afraid of using creativity to get your message out there.
Dr. Rivera's Advice to Graduates and Professionals
(1) There are a lot of really smart people out there, and you're no doubt one of them. You have research skills and expertise. However, the people who can communicate that work in engaging and memorable ways are the ones that stand out among the crowd of smart people.
(2) You probably know to already have a website, but that's also a great place to showcase some of your presentations -- if they were designed well
(3) Most people deliver #deathbypowerpoint presentations. If you can present at a conference, do so but make sure that your presentation makes a positive impact.
(4) Doing webinars might be a great way to share your information more publicly (but, again, they need to be done well) while also increasing your network. Free webinars are shared on social media and can bring exposure your way so you can showcase your ability to communicate public health information in effective ways (while also demonstrating your expertise and skills).
Connect with Dr. Echo Rivera
Website: Echorivera.com
Website: The Center for Stellar Slides
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