Don McLean, MMS Holdings: How to Win 32+ Awards in Three Years

Originally published June 2020. Updated June 15, 2026.

Part of PR Agency Q&A Profiles · See also: Dan Ward, Curley & Pynn · Evan Nierman, Red Banyan

Don McLean is the Senior Manager of Global Marketing & Communications at MMS Holdings and TrialAssure, based in the Detroit area. McLean has helped colleagues, clients, and brands win more than 32 awards in three years. He has worked with brands and leaders across pharmaceutical and biotech, healthcare, insurance, technology, and B2B services. MMS Holdings created a $1,000,000 grant for pharmaceutical companies developing a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Interview: How to Win Awards for Your Clients

Q: Why are winning awards important?

A: Let me be clear: awards are not for the winner. Awards reassure the people you'll work with in the future. It's all about perception. When someone wins an award, it elevates that person or company in the hearts and minds of those considering working with them. When I was recognized as a member of the Elite 40 class in Oakland County, Michigan, the local American Cancer Society chapter tapped me to be an ambassador for their Real Men Wear Pink program.

Q: How do you approach an awards program?

A: If you don't nominate someone (or yourself) for an award, they can't win. You lose 100% of the awards you don't apply for. The art is gathering your stories — situations that were tough, that nobody wanted to do, that had the most visibility. If you wrote a book on cybersecurity, that's part of your story. If you volunteered every Saturday to help package food for the hungry, that's part of your story. If you created a $1,000,000 grant to help in the development of a coronavirus vaccine, that's part of your story. Then identify the measurable elements — the science.

Q: How do you find the right awards to apply for?

A: Start local. Allow the person or company to be a "hero in their hometown" first. Local awards tend to be more general — elevating the region, great places to work, excelling by age group. Once garnered, it becomes easier to move on to trade and national awards.

Q: What do you do when an award isn't a fit?

A: I'll let an old friend or colleague know about something that may be a fit for them. Zig Ziglar said: "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want." Sometimes there are other ways to get involved. With the Digital Health Awards, my company wasn't a fit so I applied to be a judge — that gave me greater insight into what judges look for.

Q: How do you make an award submission stand out?

A: Copywriting legend Joseph Sugarman wrote in The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: "the sole purpose of the first sentence is to get you to read the second sentence." Every word and every sentence must have purpose. Strong background materials and an applicant's LinkedIn profile also make a large difference.

Q: What if they don't win the first time?

A: Consider it a test. You didn't fail — you get a chance to try again. There's nobody to tell you that you can't apply for an award, other than yourself. Re-evaluate, find ways to make it stronger, apply again until you win.