The PR Maven Podcast

In this episode, Christian Espinosa shares his career path, starting in the Airforce and the lessons he brought 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 of his speeches. He also talks about growing his personal brand and network.

5:29 – Christian talks about his time in the Airforce and how his career developed after.

8:47 – Christian explains how NOT to be the smartest person in the room and gives an overview of the seven steps.

16:35 – Christian shares how he built his brand and network.

19:14 – Christian lists some lessons he learned in the military that he still uses now.

25:11 – Christian describes why he wanted to start keynote speaking.

26:13 – Christian talks about the theme of his speeches: self-leadership.

27:35 – Christian explains how his books have helped position him as a thought leader.

29:44 – Christian shares some of the PR techniques he has used.

31:40 – Christian offers some resources that have been helpful to him.

Quote

"When I first started doing marketing or PR, I thought I could just market to everybody and what I realized is that I'm marketing to nobody if I'm trying to market to everybody because I don't really understand the details of someone's pain points." – Christian Espinosa, CEO of Blue Goat Cyber

Links:

Heroic Public Speaking: https://heroicpublicspeaking.com/

Otter.ai: https://otter.ai/

About the guest:

Christian Espinosa, an esteemed thought leader, is most known as the bestselling author of "The Smartest Person in the Room," which explores the limitations of seeking validation through achievement and the desire to be the brightest intellect in any room.

With a deep desire to inspire others to harness their innate wisdom, overcome perceived barriers, and summon the courage to tread new paths, Christian authored his latest book, "The In-Between: Life in the Micro." This book chronicles his remarkable transformation — from a "me against the world" mindset cultivated during his tumultuous upbringing to his evolution as a compassionate global citizen committed to uplifting humanity.

A dynamic entrepreneur, Christian built and successfully sold Alpine Security, a cybersecurity business. He founded and currently leads Blue Goat Cyber. He also has an array of professional and personal development certifications.

His expertise extends beyond the confines of the corporate world: he's a white hat hacker, a captivating keynote speaker, a perceptive real estate investor, and a connoisseur of heavy metal music and fiery cuisines. He's also spent time in the Mexican jungle with Mayan Shamans, is a C-License skydiver, and is a PADI divemaster. Whatever Christian tries, he tends to master.

Beyond his impactful professional pursuits, Christian's zest for life knows no bounds. An adventurer at heart, he fearlessly leaps from planes and balloons, conquers towering peaks, explores the globe, imparts wisdom in outdoor wilderness survival, and even takes on the rigorous challenges of Ironman triathlons. Having completed an impressive 24 Ironman triathlons and scaled two of the renowned Seven Summits, Christian Espinosa epitomizes the spirit of transformative leadership and unyielding exploration.

Looking to connect:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianespinosa/

X: @Ironracer

Website: https://christianespinosa.com/

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 PR. With hard work and strategic execution, PR campaigns can truly change hearts and minds.

Swift's success is essentially PR at its finest. Because of positive PR, the singer extraordinaire has become one of the most famous people on the planet. Whether you're a Swiftie or not, the reasoning behind her success can be applied to other industries outside of entertainment and popular culture.

Continue reading here.

The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in November 2023.

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In this episode, Nancy Marshall, The 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 storytelling in achieving impactful personal branding and the documentary style of production that her company follows. Kathleen also sheds light on the production process, where a one-day to two-week shoot goes through several iterations of research, planning, filming, rating, editing and broadcasting. Finally, Kathleen shares her passion for educating people about American life, their work with corporate clients and creating legacy documentaries for families.

00:00 Introduction and background

00:48 Guest introduction: Kathleen O'Heron

02:15 Kathleen's journey into filmmaking

05:14 Kathleen's experience at Bloomberg and Jynx Productions

11:33 The impact of technology on filmmaking

14:37 The art of pitching a story

22:50 Current projects and future plans

25:45 The production process in filmmaking

35:23 The influence of media on Kathleen's career

38:33 Conclusion and contact information

About Kathleen:

Kathleen O'Heron is the co-founder and CEO of Jynx Productions, a media production company based in Maine. Over the last 20 years, she has built Jynx into one of the leading boutique production companies in New England. Jynx produces unscripted documentary-style content for TV networks, corporate clients and private clients, reaching millions of people on television, streaming platforms and social media. Prior to co-founding Jynx, Kathleen ran the global post- production department at Bloomberg Television in New York City, where she was instrumental in the success of several corporate initiatives. Kathleen has a unique combination of skills, including documentary storytelling, technology and international experience, having worked in London, Germany, and traveled extensively. Jynx Productions often covers American topics and stories from the perspectives of everyday people.

"Hunger for content has not changed. In fact, it's increased. And it seems to me that the more that's available to people, the more they want."

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 content she enjoys consuming and some resources she has found helpful as a writer.

3:16 – Deirdre describes how her career began by studying journalism in college and moving to Maine to cover hockey.

10:53 – Deirdre shares the best ways to help a journalist, including delivering on what you say you will deliver.

21:08 – Deirdre talks about content creation and how she is always looking for something quirky or unusual.

28:58 – Deirdre gives a glimpse into the types of content she consumes.

33:28 – Deirdre explains why it is important to be a good writer when it comes to content creation.

35:28 – Deirdre shares some resources that have been helpful to her.

Quote

"I always wanted to get an unusual story, something different, something quirky, weird, bizarre and ideally, it's something new. It's breaking news. Then, you're the first person to get it on your website or on the front of your newspaper, but even if it's not something new, oftentimes within a story, there's something unusual or unique." – Deirdre Stires, senior writer at Bates College

Links:

Maine's outdoor tourism industry seeks solutions for workforce housing: https://www.pressherald.com/2023/04/23/maines-outdoor-tourism-industry-seeks-solutions-for-workforce-housing/

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife: https://www.maine.gov/IFW/

Maine Audubon: https://maineaudubon.org/

The Nature Conservancy in Maine: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/maine/

Bates College: https://www.bates.edu/

Bates Trashion Show 2023: https://www.bates.edu/news/2023/11/16/bates-trashion-show-2023/

Portland Press Herald: https://www.pressherald.com/

"Becoming" by Michelle Obama: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Michelle-Obama/dp/1524763136

Word Counter: https://wordcounter.net/

"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen: https://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Bruce-Springsteen/dp/1501141511

"Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson: https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537

About the guest:

Deirdre Stires worked for 27 years as a journalist in Maine, first at the Bangor Daily News and then at the Portland Press Herald, where she covered the outdoors for 20 years. Many newspaper readers in Maine know her from her byline — Deirdre Fleming — and her stories that anchored the Maine Sunday Telegram Outdoors section virtually every week. But Deirdre also covered outdoor and environmental breaking news and wrote in-depth, front-page Sunday stories on Maine's myriad outdoor activities, wildlife populations, conservation efforts and trends in outdoor recreation. In two decades, she wrote about — and experienced while reporting —virtually every outdoor activity in Maine.

She's won several writing awards in Maine and nationally. In 2013, she was selected as a national finalist in the beat-writing category by the Associated Press Sports Editors, which means as an outdoor writer she beat out sports journalists around the country covering traditional sports like football, basketball and baseball.

Her first book, which will be published by Islandport Press this spring, will be one of the nation's few hiking guides on accessible trails and will highlight the current movement to build more universal-access trails across the country.

Looking to connect:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deirdre-fleming-stires-383910132/

X: @DeirdreStires

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. Learn about trust bars and the ugly baby test in this episode as well.

3:50 – Marty describes how he started his career as a developer before joining SiteTuners and then buying the company.

6:38 – Marty defines conversion rate optimization.

8:41 – Marty talks about what types of clients he looks for.

11:50 – Marty explains why it is important to have your phone number and a trust bar on your website.

14:55 – Marty shares a game changer: think about others.

22:08 – Marty describes the difference between conversion rate optimization and search engine optimization.

25:28 – Marty lists some changes you can make now to improve your conversion rate optimization.

29:26 – Marty shares client success stories.

34:47 – Marty talks about some resources that have been helpful to him.

Quote

"Conversion rate optimization is making sure that the traffic that comes to your website actually does what you want them to do. There's a difference between driving traffic and making use of the traffic, so conversion rate optimization is making sure that the traffic, when it gets to your website, takes whatever your desired actions are so that you create a user journey for people." – Marty Greif, president of SiteTuners

Links:

Heroic Public Speaking: https://heroicpublicspeaking.com/

Women Presidents Organization: https://www.women-presidents.com/

Forbes Agency Council: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/people/nancymarshall1/

Maine PR Council: https://meprcouncil.org/

Mainebiz: https://www.mainebiz.biz/

Society for the Advancement of Travel Writers: https://satw.org/

"How to Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie: https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034

Nyraju Skin Care case study: https://sitetuners.com/resources/case-studies/nyraju-skin-care-ecommerce-landing-pages-277-increase-in-conversions/

"What Women Want Man to Know" by Barbara De Angelis: https://www.amazon.com/What-Women-Want-Men-Know/dp/0007132956

"True Connections" by Marty Greif: https://www.amazon.com/True-Connections-Relationship-Marketing-Digital/dp/1716943361

About the guest:

Martin Greif is a digital marketing expert, author, and renowned speaker who has captivated audiences worldwide with his transformative strategies. With over 25 years of experience in sales and marketing, he brings an unrivaled level of expertise and a passion for driving revenue growth. Currently serving as president at SiteTuners, Martin is responsible for nurturing partner relationships, creating value for the customer base and overseeing day-to-day operations for this award-winning digital marketing agency.

But Martin's impact extends far beyond his professional achievements. He is a man of compassion and social responsibility, serving as a board member for Vincent House, a respected charitable organization dedicated to supporting individuals with mental health challenges. This philanthropic involvement showcases Martin's commitment to making a positive impact on society and creating a better world.

Looking to connect:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martingreif/

X: @SiteTuners

Website: sitetuners.com

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 important tips. Steve and Nancy discuss how the media landscape has changed throughout their careers as well and how that impacts your crisis communications strategy.

3:21 – Steve talks about his 30+ year career at Maine Public Safety.

4:57 – Steve explains how to stay calm in the face of a crisis.

9:18 – Steve shares the advice he gave to the Farmington deputy fire chief following the deadly 2019 explosion.

10:19 – Steve recounts the worst motor vehicle accident in Maine.

18:50 – Steve shares why you should never say "no comment."

20:41 – Steve describes how the media landscape has changed since he began his career.

25:03 – Steve gives a piece of advice: don't go off the record.

30:57 – Steve talks about why and how you should get ready for a crisis.

35:57 – Steve emphasizes the importance of rehearsing.

40:38 – Steve shares some resources that have been helpful to him.

Quote

"It is an incredibly important component of getting the information out, to show some empathy. You can do it with few words, but it shows that you care about what happened, for the victim, for the victim's family and the businesses that may have been affected as well." – Steve McCausland, communications specialist at Marshall Communications

Links:

Farmington explosion: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/09/16/farmington-maine-explosion-leap-inc-1-dead-propane-blast/2341115001/

Lac-Mégantic interviews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfULxhsPm3Y

City of Lewiston Support Fund: https://www.androscogginbank.com/city-of-lewiston-support-fund/

AP Stylebook: https://www.apstylebook.com/

"The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White: https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Fourth-William-Strunk/dp/020530902X

Listen to PR Maven® Podcast episode 82 on message mapping: https://marshallpr.com/podcast/episode-82-how-to-use-a-message-map-to-build-your-brand/

Listen to Steve's first episode on The PR Maven® Podcast: https://marshallpr.com/podcast/episode-118-how-to-communicate-during-a-crisis-with-steve-mccausland-communications-specialist-at-marshall-communications/

About the guest:

Steve McCausland served 32 years as the spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, handling information on over 500 homicides, another 500 fire deaths and thousands of motor vehicle fatalities. Before retiring, he had a role in every major criminal investigation the department was involved in over those three decades. He served as an advisor to eight commissioners of public safety and eight chiefs of the State Police on media relations and public and governmental policy.

Steve started his media career as the news director of the radio station in Bath and worked part-time for the Portland Press Herald, Associated Press and WCSH-TV in Portland.

He was elected and served 20 years on the Brunswick Town Council, serving six of those years as chairman.

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 tips and pieces of advice for those looking to be entrepreneurial, even if it means thinking outside the box and excelling at a 9-to-5 job. While there is no silver bullet, one thing is clear: Entrepreneurs take pride in building a strong network, which leads to a strong personal brand.

Without networking, it is virtually impossible to be a successful entrepreneur or to find success in business more generally. A strong network — and the strong brand that it creates — is like a magnet, attracting the "right" people to your orbit and leaving out the "wrong" ones.

Continue reading here.

The article read in this episode originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice™ in October 2023.

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In this episode, The PR Maven® Podcast celebrates five 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 of having a finance background in a leadership position.

3:17 – Bob explains how Puritan adapted to the demand for testing swabs during the COVID pandemic.

7:39 – Bob talks about the growth at Puritan since he joined Puritan.

8:36 – Bob describes why he chose to come back to Maine.

10:14 – Bob shares how having a finance background has helped him in his role as president at Puritan.

14:43 – Bob talks about being on The PR Maven® Podcast.

15:47 – Bob explains how Puritan is diversifying as demand for COVID swabs has declined.

19:36 – Bob shares some resources he finds helpful.

Quote

"Doing whatever it takes to get it done. You can see that in everything that Puritan does and it is a differentiator. We are a company that is in the medical device business, so we have regulatory requirements that we need to meet, but the beauty of a company like Puritan is that we're nimble enough to be able to get things done that our customer needs done." – Bob Shultz, president and chief financial officer at Puritan Medical Products

Links:

Cianbro: https://www.cianbro.com/

Bath Iron Works: https://gdbiw.com/

Grippy Tannins: https://www.grippytannins.com/

Benkay: https://sushiman.com/

3M: https://www.3m.com/

"StrengthsFinder 2.0": https://www.amazon.com/StrengthsFinder-2-0-Tom-Rath/dp/159562015X

"Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss: https://www.amazon.com/Oh-Places-Youll-Dr-Seuss/dp/0679805273/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PJJ1JG1UYUFQ&keywords=the+places+you+go+by+dr.+seuss&qid=1699551376&s=books&sprefix=the+places+you+go+by+dr.+suess+%2Cstripbooks%2C72&sr=1-1

Listen to Bob's first episode on The PR Maven® Podcast.

About the guest:

A 1990 graduate from Bowdoin with a major in economics and a minor in government, Bob Shultz started his career at Deloitte where he earned his certified public accountant (CPA) designation. After public accounting, Bob worked in a variety of leadership positions in both financial and operational capacities. These roles allowed him to excel as a business leader given the diversity of experiences. Bob has worked in organizations ranging from start-ups to global Fortune 100 companies and across diverse industries. Prior to joining Puritan, he was the division CFO of one of the largest global operating units of 3M Company.

At Puritan, Bob is currently the president and chief financial officer.In this role, he is responsible for the day-to-day operations as well as the future strategic direction. This role allows Bob to utilize the totality of his strengths and experiences to partner with the fantastic leadership team and drive profitable growth across all of Puritan's markets.

Looking to connect:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bobshultz3

Website: www.puritanmedproducts.com

As The PR Maven® Podcast awards the 2023 Golden Microphone, we are rereleasing 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 encore episode as a refresher ahead of next week's launch of a new episode with Bob!

In episode 210, Nancy and Bob talked about Puritan Medical Products' growth after ramping up production of their testing swabs for COVID-19 under the Defense Production Act. In early 2020, Puritan was one of only two producers of these swabs in the world. Bob joined Puritan in April 2022 as the CFO and quickly added president to his title. Nancy and Bob also talked about Puritan's plans for the future in this episode as well as the role sales and marketing have played in Puritan's success.

Find the original episode here.

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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 keeping employees for the long haul.

During turbulent times, it is important for employers — in PR or not — to go back to the drawing board and reevaluate their policies pertaining to employee attraction and retention. Businesses large and small cannot rest on their laurels. They need to make a strong case to employees and job-seekers to come and stay.

Continue reading here.

The article read in this episode originally appeared in Mainebiz in July 2023.

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