This week, Alex sits down with Quincy Hentzel, President & CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce. Quincy talks about business during the past year, her vision for the future…and what it means to compromise.
Podcast Transcript:
AS 0:06
Thanks for joining us for this episode of Serra Speaks. We are in Portland at the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce joined by the one and only Quincy Hensel. Quincy, thank you so much for joining us today.
QH 0:20
So good to be here and to see your face.
AS 0:22
It's so good to see you in person. So Quincy and I met in '06. And here we are. You're president of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce. And you deal with serious economic drivers in our state. How has the last year been for you, Quincy?
QH 0:44
Oh, wow. How much time do you have? Yeah, the last year has been a doozy. It has just been, it has changed so much, if not everything that we as a chamber have done. But it's been I mean, it's it's I will say something that it's this has been said before, but it has impacted every single business the last year just had a tremendous impact on everyone. Some businesses were impacted harder than others here in the Greater Portland area. We're a big tourist region. So we have a lot of businesses and organizations that are in hospitality, that really, really, really got hurt. And you think too about event venues, we have a lot of event venues in Portland that have been able to do nothing. For the last 15 months.
AS 1:49
Right. We were we have spent the night in Portland, Ben and I, Ben is our producer of the show. And we rarely see him. So because it's podcast, and also because we don't share photos of him on this, but we should because he's the best. But anyway, we spent the night here last night for work. And we were walking around Portland yesterday and today. And there's parking everywhere. And there's not as many feet on the streets. And it's just not the Portland that I know, love and lived in for a number of years. With the reduction in just foot traffic from everyone working from home that's obviously has ripple effects, too.
QH 2:28
It does, it does. And you know I've been we're in my office right now together, I've been coming to the office for the last couple of months, most of my staff is still remote, I have my favorite coffee shop across the way in Monument Square. And I would go in and talk to the owner, you know, once a week and it just the pandemic was devastating to her because her customers are the people who work downtown and there's been no workers downtown. And it's still amazing to me, how many people are still working remotely. It's not amazing to me, it makes sense. I get it, I get why a lot of workers are still remote. But that has just had a tremendous impact on the restaurants and the coffee shops and the businesses downtown. It's getting visitors are picking up on the weekends in Portland, it's definitely busier, it's definitely more difficult to get a reservation at a restaurant. That being said, our restaurants aren't at full capacity, we have a huge shortage of workers and what I'm hearing from all of the businesses, they cannot find people to come back to work. So now we've had all these restrictions that have been lifted, which is great. But the businesses cannot find enough people. So some hotels are at limited capacity because they don't have enough help to turn over the rooms or do what needs to be done for guests. Restaurants also have limited hours, maybe they're still limiting capacity because they don't have enough workers. So there's kind of this false sense of things were coming back. Things are definitely getting better. Don't get me wrong. But the shortage of workers is really going to be a challenge the summer when I think Maine is going to have one of the biggest tourist seasons we've had in a really long time.
AS 4:09
I can't imagine that people wouldn't want to come to Maine this summer, because it's Maine in the summer. But everyone's been cooped up for so long with all the travel restrictions, obviously what you're saying is, I'm sure correct. So when COVID first started, you know, we do crisis communications and clients returning to us saying what do we do? And we were like, we're figuring that out right now too, because we have yet to live through a pandemic yet. We weren't around for the Spanish flu. So just hold that thought. We'll be right back, go on standby. And I'm sure you are in the same position no matter what anyone experienced in their career leading up to the moment of like the after the first 10 days, advising businesses on what to do next was no one was trained on this, like this was not in the manual when we all took our positions, right. So as you've been figuring things out along the way, what from your past and your career, was the most valuable thing that you pulled on, like, was it your education? Was it past work experience? Was it? What prepared you to deal with this?
QH 5:12
Oh, my gosh. That's a really good question. I think what prepared me to deal with this was my dedication to the practice of yoga, and just trying to remain calm and grounded. I think, the first three, four months of the pandemic, every single day, something new was happening, whether it was learning, like we didn't understand what this virus was. So we're all learning about the virus, We're shutting down businesses, We're shutting down schools. And then we're, then there's all this relief effort that's coming out, which was wonderful, but so hard to navigate. And then ultimately reopening businesses, again, there was just so much information coming at us. And what we began to do with the chamber was just to be that resource. And we tried to figure out and we tried to distill all that information that was coming out from every single level, whether it's the federal level, or the state level, or even in the municipalities, and trying to distill that and get that information to our members as quickly as possible. So really, just trying to remain calm and carry on every day, and just know everyday was going to bring a new challenge. And our job was just to try to make to help our members navigate this time, to the best of their ability. It was, it's hard to even put it into words. But it was it was scary. I kept having to remind myself and our staff and just everyone that this was what you said earlier, everyone's first pandemic. We've never been here before. So we were all trying to navigate it to the best of our abilities. Yeah, and we just became, you know, we completely changed what we did as an organization and just became like a resource for our members.
AS 7:06
Tell me about your background. How did you come to Maine? You and I are both from other places, we are not born and bred. So tell me about your background.
QH 7:17
Sure. So I was born and raised outside of Chicago. I did both college and law school in Illinois. Shortly after law school, I moved to Maine with a boy that's often how the story goes. But we decided to move to Portland, he had a job, I thought it would be really cool to live somewhere else for a while. So off to Portland, we went. And I just I fell in love. I fell in love with Portland, and I fell in love with Maine. And that was you know, it feels like a million moons ago. You and I met in 2006. I had moved here maybe a year or two prior to that. So I've been here a long time.
AS 7:55
And and what do you how do you think it's changed? I mean, Portland has grown so much, but what in what ways have what are the changes you've seen other than the obvious economic kind of development?
QH 8:07
Sure. Well, I think what you what you just said, when you were introducing like this part of the show is saying, you know, we're both not from here, we're both from away. And when I first moved here, that was the phrase I would hear over and over and over and over again, like you're from away. People were almost a little suspect of people who were here from away, like it didn't make sense to them that people would willingly come to Maine or to Portland to live and work. I have sensed that changing. I mean, that's a phrase that we at the chamber and just in our Greater Portland Community have been really trying to move away from that phrase, it's not welcoming. It's not welcoming for people like me who make the decision to up and move my life and my career to Maine. It's not welcoming to other diverse populations, you know, we're a very much not diverse state, and we're working really hard to change that. So I have to imagine if I, as someone coming from Illinois, didn't feel welcome. I'm sure people coming from other countries and other parts of the world also sense that but I have really sensed that changing and people trying to move away from that, and really making Maine and you know, here in the Greater Portland region, a much more welcoming community. So that's probably the biggest change that I've noticed since I moved here.
AS 9:28
How do you think Portland is evolving? Is it evolving artistically? Is it evolving culturally? Do you think those other cultures in Portland are impacting the foods that are available? The businesses that are opening, the arts that we're being exposed to? Are you seeing that kind of cultural influence?
QH 9:49
Definitely, definitely. We have a, you know, for Portland for as a small of a city as we are we have a pretty diverse population and you're seeing a lot of these individuals. from different cultures, different backgrounds, opening up their own businesses opening up art galleries. Anton's Tailor shop down the street is now owned by my good friend Adele, who is just a wonderful, beautiful human being. And so she's got this really successful tailoring business, literally three doors down.
AS 10:20
They're amazing. They're amazing tailors, we actually walked by it on the way here. And I was like, Note to self, Ben, that is an amazing tailor shop, truly.
QH 10:28
She makes dresses, and just beautiful, just such a talented woman and just has beautiful design. So we are seeing a lot of that influence of individuals who are moving here from all over who were starting businesses, and really adding to the culture and just adding to the art scene, I've seen that with the creative side, we have a really incredible creative community. Creative. Portland is one of our great partners here in Portland. And they've just done an amazing job, really trying to elevate all artists, but then also looking at those who have come from different countries, diverse backgrounds, people of color, and trying to really work to elevate their art as well. And it's been pretty beautiful.
AS 11:12
What do you think, is happening with women in business in the in your area in Portland?
QH 11:55
It's a really good question. What's interesting is, you know, I've never thought of myself as like a woman in business. Like, that's not the first way that I would describe myself, I think I've always just worked in, I've always just worked and done my thing, whether I was a lawyer, whether I was working in the State House now in this role. What's interesting in this role, our organization, the Portland Regional Chamber has been around in one way or another since 1860. And I'm the first female CEO. And I didn't even know that. When I got the job, I got interviewed, and somebody interviewing me was like, how does it feel to be the first female CEO? And I was like, I didn't even know that. True, right? It's obviously very cool. And I'm proud to take that role. And I know I won't be the last female CEO of this organization. And I think in Portland, it's what I have found is, you know, I'm not part of any truly like organized like women and business type of group or anything of the sort.... They exist and I think they're fantastic. And I, I just haven't found myself in those places. But we have such a supportive community, I have found that the women who I am surrounded with who are other women leaders in business, are so incredibly supportive of one another. And it's almost like you kind of create your own support team, and we're here to cheer each other on and to raise each other up. So we're making strides in that area for sure. We still have a little ways to go.
AS 13:33
I've noticed and I recently had to do a piece for a magazine. And one of the things that I talked about when I was being interviewed was one thing I do notice is that if you look around at professional associations in Maine or elsewhere, women are not 100% of the time 50% of the boards that are out there. Right. And, you know, I love Ruth Bader Ginsburg's quote of, you know, when will it be enough women on the US Supreme Court and she said, when there are nine, you know, I was like, that'd be the greatest tattoo when there are nine. So, on your board, how do you address that issue? Do you have 50% of a gender split on your board? And also, how do you deal with other genders other than men and women, whether it's transgender or non binary? Or you know, right, all that?
QH 14:23
Great question. And that's just that has really come to the forefront of our organization over probably the last year and a half, just in conversations we've had in the work that we've done around racial and social justice. Our board is probably not 50% women, we have a large board we have about 33. And you know, a lot of it is we have a lot of the leaders and the CEOs of companies. And just if you look around Maine, it's still a lot of men who are in those roles. And I think over time, that will change. So we are we're always focused on our boards, our committees, just everything we do around trying to bring diversity and whether that means more women, whether that means more people of color, whether that means bringing more immigrants who have recently moved here onto our board so that we can really help support them in their communities. We definitely have an eye on it, we don't have a formal program in place, which we probably should, I think it's hard to move that needle if you really don't have maybe not a formal program, but you really don't have a plan in place. Those things tend to kind of fall to the wayside if you don't have an actual goal. So we're looking at that and just trying to figure out how, how we can bring more diversity in general to our boards and just have more viewpoints, and then also allow us the ability as the Portland Regional Chamber, to support all of the different business communities that we have and all of the different businesses and organizations and just the community at large because our community is changing, and it looks different now. And we want to make sure that we're actually addressing that and kind of mimicking the community that we live and work in.
AS 16:06
Do you think it's changed since you started your career? Do you see more women in leadership roles since you started working?
QH 16:16
I think so. I do think so. I know that, you know, especially in the Portland area, there are, there have been a number of women who have stepped up into like large companies, as leaders and CEOs who are stepping into the shoes of men who held those positions before them. So I do think it is changing. I do think over the last 15 years, it's changed significantly. It hasn't changed enough, you know, we host a lot of different events with, you know, CEOs, and lately, they've been on zoom, and we'll have 25 CEOs and I'll count like four women, right? Right four women who are part of it. So we have a ways to go. But we're definitely making progress.
AS 17:52
What, um, what is it that gives you hope? What gives you hope for business in Maine? Or what's inspiring to you for business in Maine?
QH 18:05
You know, oddly, I think I found the pandemic incredibly inspiring. I mean, do I wish it happened? No, do I want to live through it again? No. But I just felt like I was on the ground floor of all these businesses that were scared and struggling and trying to figure out the path forward and trying to see what's going to happen next, what's coming down the pike. And to see our community come together. I mean, I was just really blown away by our business community, whether it was a business helping another business, whether it was a business that was adapting their model to start, you know, doing hand sanitizer, or helping to put together face shields. Just to see everyone in the community kind of pull together and figure out like, okay, we're gonna survive this. And we're going to survive it together. And we're stronger together. And I think living through and surviving this global pandemic, I think, just oh, I've always known that I have a really incredible business community. And I've always been really proud of the business community, and I just take great pride in what they do. And I'm humbled to be able to work with them every single day, but it shone through in spades in the pandemic, just how people came together. And were there in you know, even if you think about businesses, who would typically like compete against one another, like the competition was like, put on the back burner, and all of a sudden, you'd see like, all these like, for an example, all these banks coming together, trying to talk to one another, okay, how do we get PPP out to everyone in the community, where typically that could be a competitive advantage to an institution to know how to do that better and more seamlessly than others. People just came together. They checked the competition at the door, and they were like, we got to do this together or we're just not going to survive. So that gives me a lot of hope.
AS 20:01
So what's interesting about the COVID experience is it was a shared common experience happening in real time. And so that sets a really fertile ground for togetherness and collaboration. The Portland Chamber is not is not a stranger, the Portland Chamber is not a stranger to controversy. And you have definitely, as a leader had to navigate controversy here in your role, at the Portland Chamber, right? What would you say to other leaders who find themselves in situations where they have to navigate controversy?
QH 20:42
Start doing lots of yoga, again, ground yourself. You know, it is true, we do deal with a lot of like controversy in Portland. And then just like the political climate in Portland is really, it's been interesting, is probably too kind of a word, but it's been really interesting. And, you know, I've always just tried really hard, you know, people are gonna say what they're gonna say, and you can't, you can't control everything. But just, you know, be true to who you are, be true to your mission, speak the truth, be honest. And that's which that's really all you can do. And I have found that for an organization that's served us really well. And try to learn more about, you know, if people are angry at you for something that they think you're doing or angry, because they think you're not supporting something, you know, try to have those conversations and dialogues. I mean, you and I worked in Augusta in the legislature for such a long time. And the key to success is really relationships and like the art of compromise, and just being okay coming out with like getting a little bit of what you want, but maybe not everything that you want. And I think that still rings true. Like I really pride myself in my ability to form relationships, I think it's what makes me successful in the roles that I've had. And so I just continue to do it now. And even you know, people who have differing viewpoints, like those are the people I want to talk to, because you know, what I'm going to learn from them. And we're evolving as an organization, and we're trying to really meet the needs of our community and really do good work around like social justice and just community impact. So talking to people listening to people, definitely talking to people who have different viewpoints, because that's where you grow and evolve as a person and as an organization. I think I'm probably like straying from your question a little bit. But that's just a dump of like, some lessons that I've learned in this role. And in my role prior to working in the legislature really prepared me for this work.
AS 22:55
What would you like to do in the future? Not that you will ever leave this role because they would be dismayed, I'm sure. But in your lifetime, what are some things you'd like to accomplish, that you have yet to accomplish?
QH 23:10
That's a great question. And I have found myself thinking about that more. I've always struggled, thinking of the future, because I'm so mired in what's happening day to day, because there's a lot happening day to day, and I have one of those jobs where you can just get lost in the job, right? There's like so much taking place. So much, you have to deal with every day, something different. There's so many people that I need to like, I don't want to say answer to but I have a lot of members who need our support and services and we're always there trying to help them navigate things. So I've really been trying to put some thought into what I want to do in the future. And I think one of them is I really want to help this organization evolve even more. So I think we're in a really interesting place in Portland, Maine. I think the chamber, I think the business community has such an important role to play in all kinds of issues that we're talking about, you know, including like racial equity, including diversity. We have a really strong voice, we have a lot of resources that we can put towards helping make change happen. So I think for the short term, I definitely still have a lot more work to do here. And to help our organization just move forward in this new post COVID environment and being really tuned in to what's important to our members and what's important to our community.
AS 24:32
Who are some of the people you look up to?
QH 24:36
Oh, wow. Well, one of them is sitting across from me right now.
AS 24:40
God, someone else said that and I was like, I have to buy them a giant latte and now I'm gonna have to buy two giant lattes.
QH 24:47
I've known you forever and just I think we have been I think we became like best friends like 20 seconds after we met and just admire you and how you have gone through life and how you have have managed your career. And there's been bumps and barriers and you have gracefully like, come to where you are now.
AS 25:07
We're not so graceful.
Unknown Speaker 25:08
I've maybe seen some of those moments. But no, I think, you're an amazing, an amazing mentor to me, and I just adore you and look up to you and admire all that you've done. I feel really blessed to have so many mentors. I mean, I've got dear friends who have, you know, really incredible jobs in the business community. I mean, I'll say, you know, Katie Harris, who's somebody I've known for a long time who works at Maine Health. She's just an amazing human being and an incredible person to watch, both in her day job, and then also what she gives back to the community. Melissa Smith, who is over at WEX is also a friend, like I've known her since before she was CEO of WEX , and just wow, learning from her and how she thinks, and how she like navigates the day to day of this, like, colossal job that she has, and she does it with such grace and ease. So having people like that in my world who I can always talk to, and reach out to and bounce things off of, I think it is so important for women to have women mentors, and the thing I always tell women, especially younger women who are who are starting out is that women want to be there for other women. And so never hesitate to reach out to somebody for advice, like we are here to support and here to help like, guide and help you navigate their career, their professional career, just the world in general. But I think having women, mentors, women, friends, women confidants is just probably one of the best things in life.
AS 26:56
And I also always like to talk about how I know a lot of your peers, because they're my peers. And we're also really lucky to have a lot of men who've been really encouraging. Like, I haven't faced a ton of men that have been like, Oh, you know, don't let her in the room. It's been totally the opposite. And so I think we're I don't know, and I don't know, because I'm just me, and I've grown up here, my career's grown up here in Maine, from infant stage to you know, where, wherever I am now, somewhere in the middle. We're lucky that men have always been inclusive, I think, to a certain, you know, to a substantial degree.
QH 27:36
Yeah. Oh, I totally agree, I feel I've been really lucky. Having in what I do at the chamber, there's probably a majority of people I'm working with are men. And I've just been surrounded by a lot of really supportive men who who got me into my position that I have now who want nothing but to see me succeed, and who have become some of my closest friends too. And people who I look up to, I mean, I have plenty of female mentors, I have male mentors as well, who are always there to just help you know, people who were there before you to help you navigate problems and just kind of get to the other side. So I agree with you. I feel really lucky that at least my experience here in Maine, and here in the Greater Portland area. I just feel so supportive from everybody.
AS: Yeah. Tell me what you read and what you listen to, like, what are your I've gotten answers all over the place. I'm just always curious about what it is that different people take into their brains. So what is it that you, you know, read or listen to or watch? What's on your diet, in your diet?
QH: It's like a whole mishmash of stuff. You know, right now, I'm doing a lot of podcasts. And every morning, I religiously listen to The Daily and get my fill of whatever like the big story of the day is and so I really enjoy that. That's like my morning routine is The Daily and then I listen to the BBC News to get like my 10 minutes of like World News. You know, other podcasts I'm listening to is I love Glennon Doyle. So I've been listening to a lot of her I'm reading her book Untamed right now. which is fantastic. I read a lot of biographies. I kind of am all over the board. It kind of depends what my moods on if I'm like on a beach vacation I'll read something a little lighter. But then I love historical fiction. Like I really am way probably too into like World War Two historical fiction books. So I read that a lot as well, but I'm kind of all over the place like news, fiction, nonfiction.
AS 29:59
I feel like that's healthy though. Like I feel like it's healthy to have a whole bunch of interests as opposed to I am I read about the Italian Renaissance, only. Nothing against the Italian Renaissance, right if some fabulous stuff came out the Renaissance, but I think it's healthy to have a wide intellectual diet.
QH 30:19
Definitely. Yeah.
AS 30:21
Quincy, thank you so much. This has been wonderful. I really appreciate your time and everything you're doing and keep it up. We need you.
QH 30:28
I appreciate you doing this podcast. I think this is really awesome. And again, it is so good to see you. Like so long, but it's been a pleasure being here. Thanks for having me.
AS 30:41
Thank you for having us. Thank you for joining us for this episode of Serra Speaks where we talk with women about business, not about women in business. Please be sure to hit subscribe and stay tuned for upcoming episodes.