Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Pictou. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jennifer , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

We tell paranormal stories from both the Euro-American and Wabanaki perspectives. People who take our tours are treated to not only the typical haunted house stories and local legends but also spirit stories from the Wabanaki tribes. As a Wabanaki woman and member of the Mi’kmaq Nation, I I am proud to share spirit tales not heard anywhere else and allow visitors to connect in a very different way to their natural surroundings here in Acadia National Park.

Jennifer , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I came to open my own tour business through the museum field. I spent many years leading tours and researching, eventually working my way up to being an Executive Director. After leaving my last position, I was burned out and wanted to do something different but connected so I had a long talk with myself about what I really liked to do in the museum field and discovered it was leading tours, talking with people, and connecting them to the resource. Picking the topic was easier as I have had a fascination with ghost stories since I can remember and even lived in a haunted house a time or two.

Any advice for managing a team?

First and foremost, my tour guides are allowed to tell the stories in their own voices. This means I give them a script to start with but fully expect them to develop their own nuances. The information is consistent throughout our tours but the delivery is unique with each guide. Being given that freedom and having me being there as a sounding board gives my guides the ability to think on their feet and delve into their personal passions within the topic. For example, I have one guide who loves putting more history bits into the tour while another focuses on the fright aspect. Each guide is a little different and I enjoy celebrating that feature of my staff members’ talents.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Around 2017 another business (big corporation) came to town for concessions and took a name very similar to my LLC. It was so similar, that staff members of the other business would ask my tour guides when their employer started doing tours. No matter how hard we tried to make ourselves stand out, the other company overshadowed us and it made marketing very difficult. Yet another tour company at the same time decided to copy how our guides looked and what they carried. After speaking with the Director of the Chamber of Commerce about what I could do to stand out, I chose to pivot and create a new business name that told people exactly who we are and what we offer. In addition to the rebranding with a new name and logo, I also ordered new uniforms and tour props that would not be mistaken for anyone else. Making our guides stand out an a unique way helped solidify our marketing strategy as well as set us apart from others. Make no mistake, it was time intensive and expensive but was a worthwhile effort in the end.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.barharborghosttours.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/barharborghosttours

Image Credits
Left to right – Heather Anderson, Jennifer Pictou Bottom left to right both GiGi Bee Photography