Publisher Donna Brassard, who will be transitioning from Mainebiz in the months ahead, pens a note to readers, friends and the business community.
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On January 1, 1999 I became the publisher of Mainebiz. I was so excited that WPL had purchased it from Jonathan Whitney, that I was going to be the new publisher, and my family was moving to Maine! And what has transpired over the last 22 years? Two recessions, five websites, two changes in company ownership, a growing number of employees that had us moving to five different locations, the start and end of the Momentum Convention, the transition online to digital and mobile content, and a pandemic. It certainly has not been boring.
I’ve read that your 20s is a time of experimentation and change. In your 30s you concentrate on developing your career. Your 40s is a time for maximizing earnings. In your 50s you’ve proven yourself and begin to lose your patience to suffer fools lightly. After that you begin to self-reflect and ask yourself, what else is there that I want to do?
Five years ago I had that exact thought, What else is there for me? I wanted the opportunity to find out. So, after consulting with the owners, we made a plan to transition me out of Mainebiz — to essentially retire from Mainebiz and from New England Business Media, which had been my “home” for decades. We put the plan into action, and here we are now, five years later, ready to transition me out of the management and leadership of Mainebiz, and with the Mainebiz team very ready to take it on.
I confess that this has been an emotional decision for me — Mainebiz is part of me. I feel like it’s a child I have nurtured and helped develop. Now it’s time for me to move on, and Mainebiz has never been stronger, which makes the idea of my leaving less stressful for me.
The Maine business community has welcomed me, energized me and inspired me. One of my favorite things to do has been to travel around the state and visit with various businesses, to meet our readers and our advertisers, their employees and their customers. So much fun! I am always amazed and somewhat humbled by the positive and can-do attitude of Mainers.
The plan is to have me continue working at Mainebiz until the end of March, at which time I will be able to fully transition out, and Mainebiz managers Peter Van Allen, Alison Nason, Matt Selva, Andrea Tetzlaff and Valerie Clark will be large and in charge, with Group Publisher Peter Stanton, and COO/CFO Mary Rogers. Many of you have met Peter Stanton — he has attended many Mainebiz events; I think he’s delighted to be able to spend more time at his home in Harpswell now.
And while I may be retiring from Mainebiz, I won’t be “officially” retired from my career. I have not yet fully answered the question, “What else is there for me?” I know that I want to use my experience as a business and sales strategist, coach and team leader to help other businesses succeed as I have helped Mainebiz. I am excited about the prospect of new opportunities for me right here in Maine. So if you have an idea for me, please reach out.
It has been my privilege to provide you with Mainebiz and all it has to offer for the past 22 years. I am so proud of some of the new products I helped develop such as the Women’s Leadership Forum, the Real Estate Insider and the new Mainebiz podcast, “The Day that Changed Everything.”
But most of all, I’m proud of the team that produces all our products, and works with our advertisers to continue to deliver value in all they do. I am continuously awed and grateful for the Mainebiz team that is so talented and creative and totally dedicated to the brand. And to you, our audience, thank you for your acceptance, your consideration and unwavering support.
I’m here for the next few months — you can “hear” me on the podcast, and you will be able to “see” me at our upcoming Five on the Future event. Feel free to connect with me, and I will certainly be around after my time at Mainebiz is complete. I will gently close the door, and open the window wide!
Donna Brassard, who has been publisher of Mainebiz since 1999, is leaving at the end of the first quarter. She can be reached at db55me@gmail.com
