What is considered a success in a PR person's world? I pondered this as my job was recently eliminated and I was laid off from Posit Science as director of Communications. Even though in six months we garnered some great press coverage, including a wonderful column by Walt Mossberg in the Wall St. Journal; articles in Newsweek, NY Times Wheels blog and Scientific American MIND; and a two-page story in TIME that unfolded as I was leaving. Generally, I consider this a pretty decent lineup of media hits for a small startup and strong results for my resume.

Though millions of dollars are spent on run rates, research and reserves in a typical Silicon Valley startup, dollars are often not budgeted for integrated outbound marketing and instead public relations is expected to carry the weight of getting the word out about products to the public. So stardust is sprinkled and hopes rise and good old economical PR spins its golden stories and the company is a success. But unfortunately not everyone is going to have a story like Google's rags to riches based on its incredible PR good fortune. In the real world of most struggling emerging growth companies, every day needs to be a "USA Today day", meaning that type of coverage is constantly necessary to raise sales numbers to keep the company afloat. And this is not a realistic accomplishment in most PR pros' worlds.

So back to what makes a person in public relations feel successful? Is it the number of media hits, ability to get everyone on message, generate discussion on social media sites, create a buzz in its customer community? It is all of these but most of all it is a confidence in telling the truth...being true to your PR instincts and experience in counseling senior management about expectations and the role PR can play - and not play - in building brand. That honesty and respect for the profession is what allows us to look in the mirror every day and say to the reflection, "job well done!"