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I do love a good rush of adrenalin. I’m not gonna lie. -Sandy Lish
For most of us, the word “crisis” is a negative, but not for Sandy Lish. She loves a good crisis because she knows how to solve it. Together with longtime colleague Wendy Spivak, Sandy co-founded The Castle Group thecastlegrp.com 27 years ago. Armed with a yin/yang skillset, the two started small, in a shared office space, with their desks facing each other and 3 initial clients: the Nellie Mae Foundation, Bank of Boston (precursor to Bank of America), and The Street, an online financial services publication. With steady growth year after year, the company is thriving with specialties in PR, events, marketing, public affairs, social/digital, and crisis management and was named a Forbes Best PR Agency. Based in Boston with offices in Atlanta and Maui, Sandy and Wendy have built a company culture rooted in trust, authenticity, and a deep commitment to civic engagement. It’s no wonder then, that this PR Maven is the recipient of many awards, including the Boston Business Journal Power 50. Born and raised in Brookline, MA, Sandy’s family struggled to keep their home in the upscale enclave known as Chestnut Hill when her father declared bankruptcy. Determined to keep the family solvent, Sandy and her mother both worked three jobs. In this interview, Sandy reveals her natural born competitive edge and her lifelong ability to be resilient during adversity. At only 14 she found herself unsupervised and instead of doing her homework, she became an income earner, scooping ice cream, working in a supermarket, at a local pharmacy, and as a waitress. After failing to graduate with her high school class, she opted to get her GED instead. A first-generation college graduate of UMASS Amherst, Sandy is the proud mother of two who firmly believes “it’s a good thing for a son and a daughter to watch their mother run a business.” For a tutorial on chutspah, resourcefulness, overcoming obstacles, and thriving under pressure, just hit that download button. #thecastlegrp #PR #marketing