Cassie Sheridan, Publicist
Cassie Sheridan is one of the newest publicists to join Maracaibo Media Group (MMG). A local foodie who loves to explore new restaurants and different types of food, Cassie hails from Cortlandt Manor, NY, and graduated from Mercy College with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and specialization in Public Relations.
In college, Cassie got her first taste of the PR world from a class with a professor who worked for one of the largest PR agencies. His passion for all things PR inspired Cassie to see what the job was like firsthand. During her last semester of college, Cassie was introduced to the fast-paced and (slightly) intimidating world of PR through an internship at a travel PR agency in Manhattan. There she managed different projects such as a luxury hotel opening in St. Barths and the launch of a travel app that acts as a personal travel assistant. This internship solidified Cassie’s desire to pursue a career in PR.
After graduating, she started working as a PR assistant at a public relations firm specializing in hospitality, real estate, food and beverage, and lifestyle industries. There, she monitored the media, developed content for social media channels, participated in client calls and team brainstorms, conducted media research, and developed creative pitching angles.
This journey led her to MMG in July 2020 where she is now working as a publicist. Her favorite part of the job is working for such a diversity of clients. Working for such markedly different brands allows her to think creatively and learn about different topics and industries.
When asked why PR is so important for brands, Cassie responded, “PR helps brands get traction with the public. It is all about building relationships between the public and the consumer.” She continues, “People want to do business with brands that they trust, brands that are authentic, and brands they have heard about. Launching a new brand? PR. A brand involved in an incident or reputation scandal? Crisis PR. Every brand needs a consumer-facing voice that will portray them in a positive light.”
Cassie has already secured a number of substantial media hits for our clients. She enjoys being part of an incredible team and helping MMG’s clients bolster their media presence.
Brayden James, Publicist
Brayden James joined MMG as an intern in the fall of 2019 during her senior year at Manhattanville College. Since then, she has enjoyed working in PR (and is so darn good at getting our clients hits) that she gave us a resounding “Yes!” when we asked her to join the MMG team as a publicist shortly after her college graduation.
Brayden grew up in North Texas but moved to New York when she was 17 to pursue NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey at Manhattanville. There, she double majored in Communications/Media and Sports Studies.
Throughout college, Brayden completed multiple internships such as graphic design for non-profit organizations, sports broadcasting and journalism with ESPNU Campus Connection, hosting the 2019 Sports Business Journal Game Changers Conference, and her alma mater’s own athletic program.
While she was always intent on working in the sports business because of her background as a dedicated athlete, her eyes were opened to the world of PR through her internship as Maracaibo. She realized her talents weren’t meant to be limited to one particular field. As she’s always had an interest in Communications, her internship at MMG made her realize that PR was the right path for her because she is constantly challenged and learning new things.
As Brayden says, “PR isn’t a one-size-fits-all profession and I think that’s what really sparked it for me. There are so many strategic components that go into the business, it’s something different every day. When I was in front of the camera interviewing athletes or professionals in the sports biz, I realized that I needed more than that. I wanted to dig deeper, so PR was a perfect switch.”
She enjoys having the opportunity to help client companies succeed and enjoys the professional relationships and connections she makes working in this field.
Brayden believes that PR is often an untapped root of opportunity for companies, as it increases brand effectiveness and credibility. In her own words: “Delivering the right message at the right time to the right audience increases sales, profits, and reputation.”
Michelle Murray, Intern
Outside of her work at MMG, Brayden continues her passion for sports as she coaches youth ice hockey where she is able to give back to the game that brought her to New York and to the field of PR.
Michelle Murray is a senior at Bergen Technical High School in Teterboro, NJ where she majors in Fashion Design and Merchandising. She joined MMG in the fall of 2020 as a remote-working intern.
Michelle has always had a passion for sports and is now the captain of the Varsity Soccer team. She is also involved in track and field, peer mentoring and working part-time at Rita’s Italian Ice. She plans to study Public Relations and Communications in college and is thrilled to be learning about the PR field at MMG.
