“Amazing,” is how Chantel Connell describes what it’s been like to return to her job at the Announcer and Star Herald in Luverne.
“I’m enjoying myself,” she said. “I’m visiting with my old clients. Getting back in my groove.”
And she’s getting hugs.
Which isn’t surprising, considering the relationships she built over 20 years of calling on clients.
Connell returned to newspaper sales this summer after a five-year retirement prompted by the loss of her husband, Terry, in November 2021.
At the time, she needed to focus on rebuilding her new life without him.
Their son, Jesse, bought Connell Car Care, and their son, Joshua, bought the Sunrise Extended Stay.
And she said she spent a lot of time with four grandkids, who were ages infant to 9 at the time.
“But they’re not babies anymore,” Connell said last week. “They’re getting busy with school and their own lives.”
So, this summer, when the Announcer and Star Herald were seeking an ad salesperson, Connell said she felt called to her old job.
“I probably did 15 or 20 puzzles over the winter,” she said. “I decided I had to get out and do something.”
In many ways, she said it was like riding a bike. She’s familiar with deadlines and office processes, and selling advertising comes naturally.
But she said social media has become more pervasive since she left in 2021.
“Some of my clients have turned to social media for advertising,” she said.
“And I’ve had to remind them not everybody has social media, and if you’re not going to a specific site, those ads aren’t going to land in your lap the way a subscription newspaper lands in your home.”
Also, Connell said, she finds herself reminding people “newspapers aren’t dead” when she’s selling newspaper advertising.
“You have to be able to explain that local news is important,” she said. “And that they need to advertise because this is an important thing for the community.”
Connell took over many of the accounts previously served by Rick Peterson, who retired July 31 from the Announcer and Star Herald.
And she’s reconnecting with her former clients while also meeting new business owners.
While she admits it’s been a lot of work, she said it feels good to be back.
“The social aspect of going out to see people is why I’m here,” she said, wiping a tear. “I like it.”
Connell can be reached at 507- 283-2333, 507-220-8200 and by emailing ads@star-herald.com.
