Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Sarpy.
Hi Kathleen , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the western suburbs and have lived in Chicagoland my entire life, so I like to say I’m a Chicagoan through and through. I’m especially enchanted with the Midwestern values of kindness, empathy and hustle that I believe represent a lot of the people I know in this great city. After graduating in less than 3 years from Purdue University in the early 1990s, I pursued a career in the field of communications working on both the agency and corporate side for many years. I enjoyed my early career but after the birth of my first child when I was 28, I realized very quickly that my work at the big global PR agencies wasn’t conducive to being a present and committed mom as I hoped to be. When my fist child was born, I had a 12-week maternity leave and returned to my senior leader role only to be both conflicted about my role’s responsibilities but learned I was also unexpectedly pregnant soon after with my second child. I was at a crossroads of my career and my values system. I knew this was a wake-up call for me to determine my future. I elected to leave my secure salary and huge opportunities for growth at the world’s largest independent PR firm to instead launch my own PR agency in my modest suburban home’s basement. Now nearly 24 years later, I’m proud that I bootstrapped Agency H5 to become a nationally regarded, award-winning firm. We’re a female led and owned and employ the best of the best professionals to work on the world’s most iconic brands and organizations including some incredible household names like BRACH’S Candy, Laffy Taffy, Lemonhead, all® Detergent, Great Wolf Lodge Resorts, Girl Scouts, Ronald McDonald House Charities, among many others. I am so thankful that I took a risk on myself all those years ago to ensure I was always a present and involved mother during my 5 children’s childhood and I’ve proud to have built and organization that allows others to be “human” and “happy” at work (the H in H5) that is rooted in our core values of kindness, creativity, passion, hustle and integrity (the “5” in H5 and a nod to the five children I was able to have).
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Now that I’m in my early 50s, I’ve come to realize that life is never supposed to be a smooth road. In fact, I’ve learned more about myself and my capacity for overcoming obstacles from the many challenging times in my life. Certainly, being pregnant on and off for 10 years and raising 5 kids while running a thriving company had always been a juggle but I’m proud that I always prioritized being a mother while maintaining a successful career. Eight years ago, I went through a very sudden and unexpected divorce after 18 years and then immediately lost both my parents just 3 months apart of each other. With so much uncertainty and sadness, I had to navigate grief and continue to manage my family and business simultaneously. There’s no doubt that it was a really tough time in my life, but I gained great perspective on what remains truly important to me – family and the support of friends. That painful season only reinforced and validated to me why I started out on a journey to build my company based on the core values that make me “me,” Now happily remarried for 5+ years to the most wonderful man, it’s very validating to see our blended family of six children (ages 16-25) growing up and thriving in their own busy lives and careers. I’m proud that I never have to apologize for being myself – a wife and mother. I encourage everyone to stay true to your authentic self and remain genuine in your work and life. It’s okay to tell people you’re hurting or struggling and to ask for grace when the world feels against you. I try to always reciprocate that grace and understanding to others that work with me at H5.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Agency H5 is a values-driven firm based in Chicago that offers world-class PR, digital and integrated marketing communications support to global, national and local brands and organizations. We are rooted in smart strategy, unbridled creativity and award-winning results for our many high-profile clients. We’ve had the joy of working with so many incredible companies and organizations over the decades, many Chicago-based, including Allstate, Kraft-Heinz, Conagra Brands, Lettuce Entertain You, Giordano’s Pizza, Ferrara Candy, Navy Pier, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Girls Scouts of Greater Chicagoland, Northwestern Hospital, St. Regis Chicago Residences and Hotel among hundreds of others. I’m very grateful for the trust and collaboration with so many excellent companies and constantly in awe of my colleagues at H5 that make it all happen. The people I work with are all committed to the same 5 core values at H5, and many have been with me for nearly a decade or more, which is such a privilege.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
As a genuinely bubbly and talkative person like many are in the field of communications, I think people would be surprised to know that I am sometimes quite the introvert and love the quiet. I seek out small respites of alone time to think and reflect to recharge my batteries. I enjoy quiet drives in the car to the city while listening to lots of podcasts on Spotify or YouTube. I always crave learning more about myself and the world around me. I think my curiosity and desire to improve myself and others has always been part of who I am and it’s served me well as a mom and business owner. I also love the power of manifestation. I truly believe you get what you put out into the world, so I aim to bring optimism, hope and inspiration to others whenever I can. I love giving back to my alma mater, Purdue, and helping mentor young women as they navigate starting out on their own journeys. Giving back to others is always worth the time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://agencyh5.com/about/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agencyH5/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgencyH5
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agency-h5/
- Twitter: https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fagency_h5
