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The PR Maven Podcast


The PR Maven® Podcast is the combination of traditional networking techniques combined with the power of social media to build your personal and professional brand. The podcast features interviews with industry leaders, top executives, media personalities and online influencers about public relations and their personal brand. Each week, Nancy connects with a special guest to talk about their career, and business or organization, as well as the latest news and events that will give listeners a unique perspective on the world of public relations, marketing and personal branding, including actionable takeaways.

May 12, 2020

About the guest:    

Ed McKersie is the Founder of Live and Work in Maine, a statewide initiative to increase awareness of career opportunities here in Maine. The website and related efforts are focused on keeping young people here in Maine, and marketing Maine as a career destination to job seekers around the globe – and to those already here. The website was launched in November 2015.

Ed is also the Founder and President of ProSearch, Inc., a staffing and recruiting firm. Established in 1994 in Portland, the firm is now the largest locally owned firm of its kind in the State of Maine, and as of 2017, is an employee-owned company.

He is past President of the Human Resources Association of Southern Maine. He also served on the Maine Society of Human Resources Management Council where he was charged with establishing the Best Places to Work in Maine program. This program, launched in January 2006, recognizes Maine based employers that adhere to “best practices” when it comes to employee relations and human resource issues. He was inducted into the SHRM Maine Human Resources Hall of Fame in 2012.

Ed has served on the University of Southern Maine Foundation Board since 2011 and was its Chairman from 2016 through 2018. He also serves on the Boards of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southern Maine (where he is also on the Executive Committee) and is Board Chair of Rippleffect. Ed is also a Board Member for Martin’s Point. He is a Corporator for both Maine Health and Gorham Savings Bank.

A Massachusetts native, Ed graduated from Bentley University with a dual major in Economics and Finance in 1983 and moved to Maine in 1989.

 

In the episode:    

3:14 – Ed talks about his career in recruiting and staffing.

6:08 – Ed shares how Live and Work In Maine was founded to change the conversation about working in Maine.

8:38 – Nancy and Ed discuss how COVID-19 will change the future of Maine’s workforce, whether moving to Maine for a better quality of life or working remotely.

11:11 – Ed and Nancy talk about how the generation entering the workforce today has been raised to work remotely.

14:15 – Ed shares how to work remotely by over-communicating and making sure employees stay happy.

19:37 – Ed describes how ProSearch is giving back to their community and their employees.

22:48 – Ed talks about measuring success and building the ProSearch brand through social media platforms, such as Facebook Live.

28:36 – Ed explains the tax break people with student loan debt can receive.

36:30 – With the great team at ProSearch, Ed shares why he decided to transition the company the be employee-owned.

41:43 – While his network grows more organically, Ed describes how early in his career he would try to make connections that he could learn from and that would be mentors to him.

45:03 – Ed shares his best resource for applying personal values to your career.

46:54 – Ed leaves PR Maven Nation with a parting thought about the upsides of COVID-19.

 

Quote: 

We're all in this together, whether it's COVID-19 or just life in general, right? I've been involved in several startups and one of the things we always say is, yeah, we want to be successful, but more importantly, we want to have fun doing it.” – Edward McKersie, founder and president of ProSearch, Inc. and founder of Live and Work in Maine

 

Links:          

ProSearch Inc. - https://www.prosearchmaine.com/

Live and Work in Maine - https://www.liveandworkinmaine.com/

Maine Voices: Our state’s social distancers can’t afford to be Luddites - https://www.pressherald.com/2020/05/07/maine-voices-our-states-social-distancers-cant-afford-to-be-luddites/

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey - https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/0743269519

 

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Looking to connect:           

Email:  ed@prosearchmaine.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-mckersie-0953061/