St. Anthony resident Ryan May has spent much of his life inspiring others through communication and public relations work.
May, who has worked for several public relations firms and managed a blog for communicators he started from the ground up, was recently the recipient of the Donald G. Padilla Community Excellence Award from the Minnesota Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The award recognizes individuals who show exemplary achievement in public relations and communication.
Both personally and professionally, communication has always played an important role in May’s life regardless of challenges, accomplishments, rewards or pain — even as he navigates life with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Although the diagnosis led to an early retirement, roadblocks with articulation and several health complications, May was determined to be well enough to receive the award in person.
He almost didn’t make it to the May 9 awards ceremony because of MS complications that landed him in the hospital and on oxygen due to pneumonia, but he persevered. Being able to receive the award in person was everything.
“It means the world to me,” May said. “Feels like I got a lifetime achievement award that came early. When I started the blog, I said if I can just give one person a job it will be worth it, not recognizing how many people I would impact.”
Before social media was a thing, May wanted to use the internet superhighway to help create connections and job opportunities in the public relations field. In 2003, he launched the Minnesota Public Relations Blog (MNPR), posting daily, networking at meetings, conferences and by word-of-mouth. He eventually garnered blog followers who made it a point to thank May for their career shifts due to the opportunities found on his site.
“When I started the MNPR Blog, I didn’t know anything about blogging,” May said during his awards ceremony speech. “No one knew anything — that’s because it was 2003. But I wanted it to be a resource to help people find jobs. After 15,000 blog posts, I think I succeeded.”
May’s work trajectory began to change in 2014 when he was diagnosed with MS. After years of working in communications and managing the MNPR blog, May retired in 2018 when his MS symptoms and hospitalizations increased. MS also shifted the family’s home life and after 14 years as Audubon Park residents, the family moved to a fully accessible home in St. Anthony to accommodate May’s healthcare needs.
But May’s impact goes beyond his prior day-in and day-out work. Even though he struggles with the constant complications related to MS, his story is shared through a Caring Bridge page started by his wife, Stacy, in 2021. Writing about MS is hard sometimes, but it helps quell the physical isolation his disease can create by inspiring worldwide connections to friends, family and even strangers who are encouraged by May as they traverse their health conditions.
The Caring Bridge site also helps the family continue to engage May in something he loves — communication. Stacy said blogging also helps her and their three children reflect on MS even if it’s difficult.
“By sharing our story, we are reminded we do not walk this road alone,” she said. “Writing has become a therapeutic outlet for me and provides a glimpse into the day-to-day realities of MS. Writing about the raw, painful moments of a chronic illness requires courage and humility, but we do it because we’ve found the beauty that comes with living a life of authenticity and vulnerability with our community.”
In a sense, May addresses the barriers of MS in ways he used to address the challenges of public relations saying, “Keep pushing through. It depends on what you are struggling with. There will be tough times and there will be easy times, but every day I keep pushing through one day at a time. You never knew what PR was doing day in and day out, so you had to be focused. You have to be driven.”
May told the PRSA members, “PR can be a rollercoaster, just like life. One minute you’re at the top of your game, the next minute, you’re not. I learned you have to keep putting 100% into whatever you’re doing and one day it will ultimately pay off. Even though I retired much earlier than I planned, this award makes me feel like my career has come full circle.”
If there’s anything May wants others in the PR industry to take away from his legacy he said, “I want people to push hard and strive for the best they can be.”
Ryan May speaks at the Minnesota PRSA awards ceremony in May. (Emmanuel Duncan/CRWN Media)
Ryan, his wife Stacy and their three children. (Emmanuel Duncan/CRWN Media)