Chasing the Sun: Your Chief Wellness Podcast with Mark Mohammadpour Mark Mohammadpour

This week, I am honored to speak with Mary Prevost! Mary and I have gotten to know each other over the last year and is just an amazing person in the industry. She’s a parent, runs her own business, a master networker and we had such a wonderful chat on how she lives her best life!

We chat about:

· Mary’s role at Prevost Partners, her background and what it’s like to run a business with her husband.

· Mary’s experience working on the client side and agency side, and how it compares to running her own company.

· How Mary works as a master networker.

· How Mary ensures she makes herself a priority.

Enjoy, and thank you, Mary, for your time!

Links!

Prevost Partners

LinkedIn

Twitter

About Mary Prevost:

Mary Prevost, MBA

Founder, Prevost Partners

PrevostPartners.com

Empowering brands and inspiring people to think differently – this is how Mary Prevost has approached her 17 years of work in the public relations industry.

Nurturing meaningful relationships is key to Prevost’s success – from internal executives and colleagues, to external target audiences and media. Prevost’s vast experience spans both agency and client-side work and she’s helped clients of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to startups and non-profits. Her specialties include both B2B and B2C strategic communication, content marketing, media relations, writing, social media planning and execution, crisis communication, brand development, event planning and internal communications/team building.

Prevost previously worked as Director of Communications at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center in Cheyenne, WY, and then transitioned into agency work as an Account Supervisor at an agency in downtown Minneapolis. In 2014, Prevost founded MJP Strategic Communications to provide independent public relations consulting services. In 2019, she founded Prevost Partners with her husband to broaden their services.

Prevost graduated with an M.B.A. from Augsburg College (Minneapolis, MN), a B.A. in Mass Communications with emphasis in Public Relations and News Editorial from Colorado Mesa University (Grand Junction, CO) and an A.A.S. in Radio/TV Broadcasting from Central Wyoming College (Riverton, WY).

Really excited to have Brandon Laws, director of marketing at Xenium HR and host of the "Transform Your Workplace" podcast, on the program. Today, we touch on:


How Brandon evolved his role at Xenium HR to Director of Marketing
How Brandon has built a personal brand at Xenium within his own company.
How Brandon balances life at work with family.
The books that have influenced Brandon the most (Brandon's Goodreads link!).

Suggested reading:

How to Win Friends and Influence People | Atomic Habits | What Got You There Won’t Get You There | Deep Work | Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook | Atlas Shrugged

About Brandon Laws:

Brandon is the Director of Marketing at Xenium HR. He joined the team in October 2008. In over nine years with Xenium, he has held the positions of Operations Administrator, Sales & Marketing Coordinator, Senior Marketing Specialist & Business Analyst, Marketing Manager, and Senior Marketing Manager.

Taking on the role of Director of Marketing in July 2015, Brandon spearheads all marketing efforts with a focus on lead generation, contributing to new business growth. Brandon oversees all outbound marketing campaigns, product marketing efforts, the digital marketing strategy (e.g. website management & SEO, blogging, content creation, social media, pay-per-click advertising), events management, sponsorships, and public relations. Brandon is heavily involved in other company initiatives as well. He has contributed to the Xenium Culture Integration & Team Enhancement (XCITE) committee for six years and has sat on the Stoller Group wellness committee for three years.

In February 2012, Brandon received The Stoller Group’s “Bright Idea” award for implementing and having success with local search engine optimization for the Xenium website and for contributing to the development of a client utilization tracking system. Additionally, Brandon volunteers on the board of the Portland Human Resources Management Association (PHRMA) as the Director of Marketing and PR. Brandon’s focus on personal growth is central to all he does and leads to his continual efforts to become a better person and a greater asset to the people around him. In his various roles, Brandon has led projects such as “Passport to Xenium,” (an internal marketing effort designed to encourage all Xenium employees to invest in marketing and sales efforts), a rebuild of the Xenium website, the Human Resource for Small Business Podcast, and other projects relating to search engine marketing and social media marketing.

This week we chat with Ashley DelBello! 
No matter how much or how little support we get from our colleagues, we put SO much pressure on ourselves to succeed. And because of that, we sometimes feel guilty for taking extended vacation. Rarely do PR folks take more than 10 days off in a row. I know; I’ve done my own research on the topic!
As professionals, we need to think about not only short vacations, but taking extended time away. It’s important for our mental health.
Ashley is doing just that! She and I had a great chat about a number of topics.

Ashley’s background.
Her transition from agency to client-side.
How Ashley determined this was the right time to take a break.
How Ashley adjusted to life while starting on her break.
The importance of self-care.
Tips Ashley has to start her mornings off right.
Thoughts people should have before making a decision to start a lengthy break.
What Ashley is up to next.

Thank you, Ashley, for your time!
About Ashley:
Ashley is an accomplished PR and communications professional with 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. She recently left her role as the Product Communications Lead at Neurocrine Biosciences to focus on personal development as well as to branch out on her own as a PR and communications consultant. Prior to this, Ashley served as a Director in the Corporate Affairs department at Amgen and was the U.S. Communications Lead for Amgen’s Cardiovascular and Bone franchises. In previous roles at Amgen, she worked on the Global Product Communications team where she managed communications for the Cardiovascular franchise, including pipeline products. Ashley has also held a variety of roles at several public relations agencies, including Weber Shandwick, Hill&Knowlton and Burson-Marsteller. Through her personal development work, Ashley has become passionate about mindfulness and the impact it can have on the world. She hopes to be able to bring mindfulness to the public school system one day. Ashley earned her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Spanish at Texas A&M University. She maintains her focus and sanity by doing a daily morning routine that includes gratitude, journaling, and meditation. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles and can be found on Instagram at @abdelbello.

It’s so great to talk to Erin Merz, APR, and Tracey Lam, APR. This is the second of a two-part series.

We talk about:

Our respective pets and the role they play in keeping us sane!

Challenges and tips for making career shifts.

The impact of managers in our career.

The impact of PRSA.

Erin and Tracey’s role in advancing diversity and inclusion.

Their exercise of choice.

Enjoy!
About Tracey Lam, APR: Tracey is an award-winning communications professional with more than 20 years of experience.  She currently works as a communications specialist at OHSU, specifically supporting the Center for Diversity and Inclusion in its efforts to enhance the climate at OHSU through diversity, equity and inclusion. Prior to this, Tracey served as the communications manager at Make-A-Wish Oregon and executive producer of special projects at KATU-TV. Tracey is also very involved in her community. She recently wrapped up a 3-year stint on the board of directors of the Public Relations Society of America Oregon Chapter. She continues to support PRSA through her involvement in the chapter’s diversity and inclusion committee. One of her proudest achievements is co-founding API Forward, an education foundation dedicated to the advancement of Asians and Pacific Islanders. She maintains her sanity by practicing yoga almost daily, hiking, snowshoeing, playing tennis and curling up on the couch with her lap cat, Tilly. She also organizes a monthly book club.
About Erin Merz, M.A., APR:
Erin is a seasoned marketing and communications professional skilled at creating quality content that reaches the right audiences and inspires action. Her passion for storytelling, results-driven mindset, and commitment to building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders adds substantial value to the organizations she works with. Erin serves as director of marketing and communications for The School of Business at Portland State University where she’s responsible for developing and implementing strategies that support the institution’s recruitment and retention efforts. Erin has worked at PSU since 2015. Prior to, she held a variety of marketing and communications roles that span the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Erin has a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from Grand Valley State University, a master’s degree in communications from the New York Institute of Technology and holds the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). She’s also an active member and volunteer with the Public Relations Society of America Oregon Chapter. Connect with her online at erinmerz.com.

It was SO great to talk to Erin Merz, APR, and Tracey Lam, APR recently. This is a two-part series. Part one is live now, and part two on December 5.

We talk about:


Our respective pets and the role they play in keeping us sane!
Challenges and tips for making career shifts.
The impact of managers in our career
The impact of PRSA.
Erin and Tracey’s role in advancing diversity and inclusion
Their exercise of choice.

Enjoy!

About Tracey Lam, APR:

Tracey is an award-winning communications professional with more than 20 years of experience.  She currently works as a communications specialist at OHSU, specifically supporting the Center for Diversity and Inclusion in its efforts to enhance the climate at OHSU through diversity, equity and inclusion. Prior to this, Tracey served as the communications manager at Make-A-Wish Oregon and executive producer of special projects at KATU-TV. Tracey is also very involved in her community. She recently wrapped up a 3-year stint on the board of directors of the Public Relations Society of America Oregon Chapter. She continues to support PRSA through her involvement in the chapter’s diversity and inclusion committee. One of her proudest achievements is co-founding API Forward, an education foundation dedicated to the advancement of Asians and Pacific Islanders. She maintains her sanity by practicing yoga almost daily, hiking, snowshoeing, playing tennis and curling up on the couch with her lap cat, Tilly. She also organizes a monthly book club.

About Erin Merz, M.A., APR:

Erin is a seasoned marketing and communications professional skilled at creating quality content that reaches the right audiences and inspires action. Her passion for storytelling, results-driven mindset, and commitment to building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders adds substantial value to the organizations she works with. Erin serves as director of marketing and communications for The School of Business at Portland State University where she’s responsible for developing and implementing strategies that support the institution’s recruitment and retention efforts. Erin has worked at PSU since 2015. Prior to, she held a variety of marketing and communications roles that span the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Erin has a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from Grand Valley State University, a master’s degree in communications from the New York Institute of Technology and holds the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). She’s also an active member and volunteer with the Public Relations Society of America Oregon Chapter. Connect with her online at erinmerz.com.

I’m so happy to have Jaimee Mayfield Fox on this week. Jaimee is a new mother to Jamal Jr. and we chat about her time back from maternity leave, advice for new parents, and tips for those who manage and/or work with new parents. We had a great chat! This is part two of our two-part conversation. About Jaimee: Jaimee L. Fox, APR is the Communications Project Manager for the Office of Equity and Inclusion for Multnomah County Health Department. Fox’s professional experience ranges from video production and public speaking to government and the nonprofit sector. As a versatile PR professional, Fox has progressive experience developing strategies that drive objectives and align with company values. A PRSA member since 2015, Fox joined the board of PRSA Oregon in 2019 as the director of advancement.

A native Oregonian, Fox received her bachelor’s degree in communication with a minor in political science and global studies from Washington State University and a master’s degree in public relations from Michigan State University.