How to tell the story that attracts talent to Maine

Every region has a story. Some tell it well; some barely tell it at all. And a few places have figured out how to tell it so clearly and consistently that people start to lean in. That includes investors, founders, job seekers and community partners.

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Katie Shorey

That’s the power of storytelling; not the marketing kind, but the narrative that makes people believe a place is on the rise. And if Maine wants to compete for the next generation of talent and business growth, we need to sharpen that story together.

Here’s how Maine employers, leaders and ecosystem builders can do it.

Know your region’s ‘why’ and say it often

The most successful regions don’t tell 20 stories. They tell one story 20 times.

Buffalo. N.Y., decided it would be bold. Tulsa, Okla., decided it would be livable. Charlotte. N.C., leaned into fintech. And Washington, D.C., built a brand around inclusive innovation.

Each place picked a lane and repeated it until the rest of the country heard it.

Maine needs the same clarity. When employers and community leaders speak consistently about what makes Maine special — purposeful work, connection to community, quality of life — we begin reinforcing a shared message that travels farther than any ad campaign.

Make success visible, not quiet

Maine has incredible companies: global players like IDEXX and WEX, as well as a growing wave of startups scaling in climate tech, biotech, ocean innovation, food systems and advanced manufacturing.

But too often, our success stories stay inside the walls of boardrooms or in private Slack channels.

If we want investors, job seekers and new residents to believe that Maine is a place where ambitious work happens, we must make that work public.

That means celebrating wins loudly; sharing founder and employer stories outside the state; talking openly about capital raised, jobs created and problems solved; and showing the world what Maine companies look like

When stories travel, talent follows.

Harness the power of remote workers

Maine is home to thousands of remote employees from some of the world’s most influential companies: Google, Meta, Stripe, Zoom, Apple, Dell and dozens of high-growth startups.

They already live here. They already love it here. But we rarely treat them as an economic asset.

What would happen if Maine employers, founders, chambers and regional groups regularly highlighted these professionals? We need more of these individuals to mentor, advise, speak, invest and plug into local networks.

And on that note: if you work remotely in Maine, change your LinkedIn profile address to say "Maine."

Partner like it’s a strategy

No region succeeds with siloed messaging. What works is an echo chamber.

Employers, economic development groups, higher ed, investors, and nonprofits must coordinate—not compete — on the story they’re telling.

Partnerships make a narrative feel bigger. They make momentum feel real. And they make talent think, “Something is happening there.”

Translate your company’s mission into a movement

People don’t relocate for a job description — they relocate for a sense of purpose.

Every Maine employer, from startups to legacy manufacturers, can strengthen talent attraction by articulating what the company believes, why the work matters, what problems the team is solving — and why Maine is the right place to solve them.

When your company has a clear narrative, candidates don’t just apply to a job; they opt into a mission.

Reinforce the narrative

The most powerful line we can all use is simple: “Of course it’s happening in Maine.”

When employers, founders, community leaders, and remote workers repeat this belief (be it on stages, in interviews, on LinkedIn or recruiting conversations) it shifts the way people perceive what’s possible here.

Narratives aren’t shaped by data alone. They’re shaped by confidence.

The bottom line

Maine has the ingredients: grit, talent, growth-oriented companies, scaling startups and a quality of life that’s hard to match. Now we need to amplify the story loudly, consistently and together.

Because when people believe the story of a place, they stay to see how the next chapter unfolds.

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