6 PR lessons from Mr. T

I didn’t know it at the time, but many of the lessons that have shaped who I am today came from the TV shows I watched as a kid. In some cases those shows taught me a bit about my future career, too.

Yes, I am saying I learned PR lessons from ’80s television.

Those of us who grew up in the ’80s recall our favorite sitcoms with great pleasure; they were full of heartwarming, yet humorous, life lessons. As a child growing up on an apple orchard miles from town, TV meant the five channels that came in via a rabbit-ear antenna. But it was all I needed for hours and hours of Saturday morning cartoons and an endless number of sitcoms.

Of these, one of my favorites was “Silver Spoons.” Starring the great Ricky Schroder as Ricky, “Silver Spoons” began running in 1982 when I was 10 years old. During the fourth episode we were introduced to a celebrity who would become a childhood hero: Mr. T.

Here are a few PR lessons from the great Mr. T:

1. Stay on message.