The pandemic and the “great resignation” have inspired many professionals to reconsider their career journey and evaluate new opportunities. Whether it’s changing jobs, changing industries or starting your own business, with any career decision there is adrenaline and apprehension. In this Career Coffee session led by Maria Reitan, principal at Topsail Strategies, we’ll explore how to analyze your readiness to make a jump and the process of preparing for the leap. In addition to her role at Topsail Strategies, Maria helps journalists with transitioning out of the news industry through her Jump Team consultancy. A seasoned communications consultant, Maria understands not only our industry but also the career transition process. She has made a senior-level career pivot herself along with launching two businesses from the ground up. Join us for an exciting discussion that is designed to help you plan your next move.
Speaker:
Maria Reitan, Principal at Topsail Strategies
Maria Reitan deploys more than 25 years of strategic communications experience across public relations, advertising, and social for her clients. Her award-winning work has driven results for family-owned businesses like Schuler Shoes and Honeybear Brands, franchises such as Budget Blinds and Erbert & Gerbert’s, to national household brands including Hasbro, Trane, Pella, and Tempur-Pedic to name a few.
Maria founded her strategic communications consultancy Topsail Strategies in 2015 after spending more than a decade on the senior leadership team at Carmichael Lynch advertising and PR agency and as president of boutique agency Lola Red in Minneapolis. She served as both agencies’ media coach and has frequently led crisis communications strategy for her clients. Maria is a member of AddWomxn, a collaboration of BIPOC creatives. Topsail is a certified women-owned business.
In 2019, Maria launched Jump Team, a virtual learning and personal coaching platform to assist journalists seeking to transition from the newsroom to corporate, agency or entrepreneurial careers. Through a multi-module course curriculum and live coaching calls, Maria takes clients by the hand, walks them through the steps to consider, create and execute a plan that will make their next career dream a reality.
For more than 14 years, Maria has hosted a podcast on Webmasterradio.fm. PurseStrings was on the air for 13 years, reaching tens of thousands of business professionals interested in marketing to women. In 2021, she launched Dream Possible, a podcast that shares women’s pursuit of their dreams.
Her podcast and client campaigns have been awarded the industry’s highest recognition including the Silver Anvil, Bronze Anvil, PR Platinum, PR Week, Golden SABRE and Minneapolis PRSA.
Prior to her career in integrated strategic communications, Maria spent fifteen years in television news as an Emmy Award-winning news director, producer and reporter in Minneapolis, Chicago, Miami, Louisville and both Carolinas. Her intimate knowledge of journalists and the inner workings of newsrooms has been invaluable to clients.
Maria has a B.A. in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.