Episode 61: How To Positively Impact Lives Everyday Starting With How You Treat Your People With Sean Riley
Release Date: 02/20/2024
The PR Maven Podcast
Alright! Nancy Marshall here, and buckle up because this is it, the grand finale! It's hard to believe, but this is the very last episode of the PR Maven Podcast. Six years! Six glorious years of spilling the tea, cracking open some good PR wisdom, and sharing a laugh or two along the way. You have always seen Nancy on the front but this all would have not been possible without my producer the fabulous Emma Quinlan. We've had some real rockstar guests on this show. From industry titans to rising stars, each one brought their unique perspective and valuable insights. So, what's next?...
info_outline How To Use Your Strengths To Develop Your Personal Brand, With Christine Tieri – Episode 141The PR Maven Podcast
In this episode, Chris Tieri explains how to use your strengths to develop your personal brand. As a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, Chris talks about how she discovered her passion for coaching, how to use your strengths finder results and how to build your personal brand around your strengths. Listen for Chris’s definition of a brand and what research can do to help.
info_outline The Power of Human Connection in PR ft. Tangia Renee Al-awaji Estrada - Episode 281The PR Maven Podcast
In this episode of The PR Maven® Podcast, host Nancy Marshall explores the power of storytelling in PR and branding with . Tangia, a PR and brand strategist and co-founder of BIPOC Podcast Creators, shares her journey from political science and community organizing to founding her own PR agency. The conversation covers the importance of personal branding, effective media relations, and the unique challenges of PR efforts within multicultural communities. Tangia emphasizes the need for genuine relationship-building and understanding the nuances of different communities. The episode also...
info_outline How Being Yourself Is the Best Way To Build Your Brand With Lee Goldberg – Episode 79The PR Maven Podcast
Lee Goldberg is a reporter/anchor for NEWS CENTER Maine. He joined NEWS CENTER Maine in 1993 as sports director at WLBZ 2 in Bangor. In his years at NEWS CENTER Maine, Lee has covered some of the biggest stories in New England sports history, including seven Super Bowls and three World Series. Lee's contributions to journalism in Maine have been recognized by the New England Emmy’s, Maine Association of Broadcasters and the Associated Press, as well as the Maine Athletic Directors' Association.
info_outline Growing Your Brand Through Public Speaking and Social Media Featuring April Chavez - Episode 280The PR Maven Podcast
In this episode, Nancy hosts performance coach April Chavez. They discuss April's journey from being a police officer and living with lupus to becoming a performance coach and public speaker. April emphasizes the importance of spiritual, intellectual, and physical wellness, and shares insights on how her experiences and challenges have shaped her advocacy. The episode also highlights April's approach to wellness through relaxation techniques, meditation, and her Wellness Driven Life Show. Additionally, they touch upon the significance of personal branding and how having a clear, authentic...
info_outline How To Use Digital Media To Build Relationships for Print Publications With Lisa DeSisto, CEO and Publisher of the Maine Trust for Local News – Episode 47The PR Maven Podcast
Lisa DeSisto is the Chief Executive Officer for Masthead Maine which publishes six daily and twenty-three newspapers in Maine. The titles include The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Sun Journal in Lewiston, and the popular Forecaster Newspapers. She hosts a live event series; “Like A Boss” where she interviews other Maine CEOs on their leadership principles.
info_outline Tips To Become the Most Sought-After Podcast Guest with Michelle Glogovac - Episode 279The PR Maven Podcast
This podcast episode is sponsored by Pitchcraft. In this episode of The PR Maven® Podcast, host Nancy Marshall sits down with Michelle Glogovac, THE Podcast Matchmaker™, award-winning publicist and founder of the MLG Collective. They discuss the importance of traditional and digital networking techniques for brand growth. Michelle shares her circuitous career path from corporate aviation to podcasting, her influence in helping entrepreneurs and authors tell their stories, and practical tips on how to effectively pitch oneself as a podcast guest. She emphasizes the significance of authentic...
info_outline How to Start Your Personal Brand, With Kit Huffman - Episode 190The PR Maven Podcast
How do you build a personal brand? Find out in this episode as Kit Huffman explains how to start a personal brand, sharing her tips and the steps she uses with her clients. Kit explains what personal branding is, how to identify a goal for building a personal brand and talks about how networking will give your brand a boost, sharing tips on how to network. In addition, Kit shares how she built her own personal brand, and how that fits into an overall marketing strategy. 00:00 Introduction to the PR Maven ® Podcast 01:33 Introducing Guest: Kit Huffman ...
info_outline What Personal Branding Means To A Champion Ski Racer, With Sam Morse - Episode 278The PR Maven Podcast
In this episode of The PR Maven® Podcast, host Nancy Marshall, introduces her guest, Sam Morse, a professional ski racer with the U.S. Ski Team. Sam discusses his journey from learning to ski at a young age at Sugarloaf, to achieving impressive results on the international stage including a top 10 finish in the World Cup. The conversation delves into his background, the influence of his upbringing in a faith-driven family, his education in mechanical engineering at Dartmouth College, and his efforts to build a personal brand. Sam also highlights his advocacy for promoting ski racing, his...
info_outline Why It Is Wrong To Think the Press Release Is Dead, With Jody Fisher - Episode 208The PR Maven Podcast
As a public relations veteran, Jody Fisher brings his vast knowledge to this episode of The PR Maven® Podcast. Jody shares some of his secrets to success, in particular, always trying to be helpful to the reporter rather than just trying to get a result for your client. He explains how he trains his clients for media interviews by making sure they are confident in the messages they want to get across. Jody also explains why the press release is not dead and emphasized the use of video to get results. 00:00 Introduction to the PR Maven ® Podcast 01:33 Introducing Guest:...
info_outlineIn this episode, host Nancy Marshall speaks with Sean Riley, president 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 media has made it possible to further engage with employees as well as build a network. Sean describes how he uses social media and how it benefits all of his relationships, personally and professionally.
00:00 Introduction to The PR Maven® Podcast
01:03 Introducing Guest: Sean Riley
03:27 How Sean’s Career Went From Teaching to Hospitality
07:55 Building Company Culture
09:18 Using Social Media To Share Positive Impact
11:43 Doing What Is Important to You
16:24 Building a Personal and Professional Network
19:01 Measuring Success
24:55 How Sean Built His Network
31:29 How Sean Has Fun and Engages With Associates
34:13 How Networking Can Enable You To Learn From Others
About Sean
Sean began his career in hospitality in 1982 as the general manager of a 19-room motel and cottage business in Wells, Maine, that he ran with his wife Dayna while teaching high school special ed. A few years later, with experience running larger hotels, Sean switched full time into the hotel business. After working at a couple of hotels that ended up closing, Sean worked for a bank until MCHG bought their first hotel. Over time, MCHG bought more and more hotels and Sean held many positions throughout the company until becoming the president and CEO. Today, Sean is most proud of the culture that MCHG has created, positively impacting lives every day.
Related Episodes
Episode 172: People Over Price, With Tim Winkeler, President and CEO of VIP Tires & Service
Social Media Basics Series: Find All Episodes Here
Bonus Q&A
What is the one thing that MCHG does that has the most impact to make people feel welcome at your hotels?
Simply put, but not always easy to do… take care of our people. They will take care of the guests and the guests will keep coming back.
A culture of caring for our people is a distinguishable difference. Lots do it, but our purpose is “to positively impact lives.” We start that with associates first. We can’t demand that guests be taken care of if we aren’t first caring about our people. Not just with money and benefits, but in caring for them as people. Family is one of our core values and it is commonly used throughout the organization. It’s not just a word on the website or said by me. It is embraced.
Fun is another value that can be seen and felt by guests. And that DEFINITELY has to start at the top. Think about the last time you walked in and someone was having fun and turned to you. The REAL smile, the happy face. It is contagious!
Leaders need to set the pace! I need to set the pace.
How do you keep employees engaged in this era of quiet quitting?
No one is immune from what you called the “quiet quitting.” But if we stay true to our culture and core values, it lessens the chance. Compassion for associates is the right thing to have, and in turn, it creates a caring environment. People need a refuge from their tough lives. Creating a caring environment can help them, not only in the work environment, but in their life outside of work. Long gone are the days of “these are the rules, this is the schedule you are required to work.” Today it’s about flexibility and managing by reason, not by rules. We don’t get it right 100% of the time, but we try.
What are you the most proud of in your hospitality career?
To have participated in building a sustainable culture, and quite frankly, it’s sustainable because it’s much bigger than Sean Riley. I took part in the development and help to keep it growing, but it has truly been a culture driven from all levels of our organization. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow and the culture would live on! This culture has allowed us to “positively impact lives.” Do the math, if each of our 750 associates positively impacts the life of just one guest per day, we can positively impact over a quarter of a million people per year. It’s a grandiose idea, but boy it feels good! I’m so proud of the people who make this possible every day! I am one proud Pop!
Sean’s Mission Going Forward
As I mature into glasses and aches and pains, I think back on my career. It is time for me and other “seasoned” professionals to give back to the industries that treated us well. It’s my mission going forward.
Seniors are welcome in the world. No one is truly old if you stay relevant. I try daily to stay relevant, admit I don’t get it and learn to become more relevant. I use Chat GPT. In fact, everything I just said was AI driven. JK!!!!