The PR Maven Podcast

In this episode, host Nancy Marshall speaks with Sean Riley, p resident and CEO of Maine Course Hospitality Group (MCHG) , about his career and network. Sean explains how his career in hospitality started after having been a high school teacher and the journey his career took before joining MCHG. Sean emphasizes the importance of a strong company culture and an employee first attitude. Social medi...

In this episode, Raffi DerSimonian talks about his career doing public relations and marketing of the arts. As a Waterville , Maine, native, Raffi desc r ibes the re naissance going on in the city from arts to dining. Music has always been a passion of Raffi's. He describes his musical career and helping found Waterville Rocks. In addition to doing PR and marketing for the arts, Raffi is experienc...

In this episode, Nancy talks with Tim Winkeler , president and CEO of VIP Tires & Service about PR, marketing and sponsorships . Tim desc r ibes his career and how VIP Tires & Service has grown since he started working there in 2010 , with a focus on people rather than price . Nancy and Tim also discuss how they met after Nancy left a bad review about her experience at VIP . Nancy and Tim also tal...

In this episode of the PR Maven podcast, host Nancy Marshall welcomes guest Koty Potts, the digital manager at ER Marketing, to discuss how to amplify brand reach using traditional and digital networking methods. Koty shares his journey from an SEO specialist to a digital manager, stressing the benefit of combining SEO expertise with web development skills. He elaborates on his strategy of optimiz...

In this episode, Caili Elwell joins Nancy to share her career journey from hospitality to food allergy advocacy using public relations . After discovering her daughter had severe food allergies, Caili made a career shift , opening Mother Eats Proper to grow the conversation around foo d allergies. Caili shares her approach to PR and branding through this lens, emphasizing a craveable narrative. Ca...

In this episode, Christian Espinosa shares his career path, starting in the Airforce and the lessons he brough t with him to his work in cybersecurity . Chrisitan also talks about his books, mainly "The Smartest Person in the Room," giving an overview of what you will learn by reading his book. Christian describes his keynote speaking, from his inspiration to become a keynote speaker to the theme...

Billions of dollars in profit. Millions of fans captivated by her concerts. In 2023, Taylor Swift has been everywhere, and her omnipresence provides valuable lessons for the entire public relations industry.   In PR, we dream of making our clients a hot commodity. We dream of sending consumers into a frenzy. We dream of going viral. Sometimes, dreams become reality , and that is the excitement of...

In this episode, Nancy Marshall, T he PR Maven ® , speaks with Kathleen O'Heron , CEO and co- founder of Jynx Productions. Kathleen shares her professional journey , from her early fascination with film production and editing in high school and college, to co-founding Jynx Productions, a leading boutique media production company based in New England. She discusses the value of personal storytellin...

Based on her 27 years as a journalist in Maine, Deirdre Stires (you might recognize her from her byline, Deirdre Fleming) shares what she was always looking for as a journalist and how PR people can be helpful. Deirdre talks about her recent transition to creating content for Bates College and why it is important to be a good writer when it comes to creating content. Deirdre also lists some of the...

You may be using search engine optimization (SEO) to increase the traffic to your website, but are you using conversion rate optimization (CRO) to make use of that traffic? In this episode, Marty Greif defines CRO, explains what it can do for you and how you can start implementing it . Marty also talks about client success stories using CRO and a game changer you will want to know for your career....

In this episode, Steve McCausland returns to The PR Maven® Podcast to share more of his crisis communications wisdom. Starting with his background and career, Steve shares some examples of how to handle communicating during crises based on his 30+ years working for Maine Public Safety. Steve and Nancy also give a look into their crisis communications training process, including some of their most...

I've run a public relations agency for more than three decades, so entrepreneurship runs in my blood. It's honestly difficult to fathom life before, when I worked a traditional job and reported to a boss. Honestly, I was not cut out to be an employee. I was born to run my own business.   These days, headlines like "How to be an entrepreneur" are a dime a dozen. It seems like everyone has secret ti...

In this episode, The PR Maven® Podcast celebrates f ive years and congratulates Bob Shultz, president and chief financial officer at Puritan Medical Products , for having the most popular episode of the year. Nancy and Bob  talk about how Puritan adapted during the COVID pandemic and how they are diversifying now that demand for COVID swabs has decreased . Nancy and Bob also talk about the value o...

As The PR Maven ® Podcast awards the 2023 Golden Microphone , we are re releasin g the most popular guest episode of the past year . This year's Golden Microphone Award winner is Bob Shultz, president and chief financial officer at Puritan Medical Products. Listen to this week's e ncore episode as a refresher ahead of next week's launch of a new episode with Bob!    In episode 210 , Nancy and Bob...

It isn't easy being a boss these days. The economy is up and down, and the labor market is unpredictable. Depending on the industry, some employers are struggling to attract and retain employees, while others are thriving.    In public relations, I have seen it all in recent months: Some agencies refusing to hire, others hiring in abundance, some losing workers to their competitors, and others kee...

Did you know that there are millions of podcasts? Or that nearly 80% of U.S. adults listen to them?   You don't need me to state the obvious: Podcasting is big business.   What's less obvious is how to succeed as a podcaster. Which topics resonate most with your target audience? Who is your target audience? Which formats are the most popular? How often should you release a new podcast? Who should...

In another column, I explained how LinkedIn is a useful social media platform for generating sales. And it's true: LinkedIn can be monetized in a way that grows your business and strengthens your brand through your own "thought leadership."   But there is much, much more to LinkedIn than money. Too often, advertisers, marketers, and public relations practitioners look at social media platforms exc...

Can you imagine a time when we didn't have emails? I remember when my late father, who was an electrical engineer for Westinghouse, first got email and his administrative assistant would print out all of the messages for him. He would then bring the emails home at night and write out his responses, so she could type and send them out for him the next day. What a time! I don't know about you, but I...

When was the last time you took a good look at your business's social media presence? Is it time for a social media audit? In this podcast episode, Lara Beckius , Marshall Communications' 2023 i ntern , explains when and why you should complete a social media audit. Whether you want to make sure you are reaching your target audience or you want to expand your social media presence, Lara offers som...

At last! A new episode with Tim Cotton is here ! To wrap up our fifth anniversary celebration , we are proud to launch this new episode with the PR Maven® Podcast guest with the most popular episodes of all time . In this episode, Nancy catches up with Tim Cotton . Since his last episode, Tim has retired from the Bangor Police Department , but still manages their Facebook page, as well as his own....

As The PR Maven ® Podcast continues celebrat ing 5 years, we are re releasing our second most popular episode of all time , episode 60 with special guest, Tim Cotton . If you missed last week's rerelease of the most popular episode on The PR Maven ® Podcast, check out that episode here ! Tune in again next week for the releas e of a new episode with Tim coming out on September 26 !     In episode...

As The PR Maven ® Podcast celebrates 5 years, we are re releasing our two most popular episodes of all time , episode 36 and episode 60, both with special guest, Tim Cotton . Whether you have been listening to The PR Maven® Podcast consistently from the beginning or you are a more recent or occasional listener, we hope you enjoy these encore episodes as we build up to the releas e of a new episode...

Getting the word out about your business requires a mix of marketing techniques , but should working with influencers be one of your marketing strategies? On the one hand , influencers can help spread the word about your business , but on the other , influencers can take advantage of businesses and have less credibility than journalists. In this episode, Karen Stabiner talks about the challenges a...

Remember that person you met, but whose name you can't remember? You had the most interesting conversation, but you don't know how to reach out because a simple name has slipped your mind.   Bob? Bill? Something else? We've all been there before.   I pride myself on meeting new people and building new connections – personal or professional – and even I 'm not immune to the occasional lapse in shor...

When should you rebrand? In the changing marketplace, you may want to rebrand at a different time now than you would have wanted to in the past . Listen as Paula and Derek Slayton explain when you should consider rebranding and if your current brand promise is still achi e vable . Paula and Derek also discuss the language of branding , how PR and advertising can work together and why you should co...