Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amber Krasinski. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Amber, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
IvyHill Strategies may have initially started as a very intense grad school project, but its roots are much deeper than that. While working at a local access television station and building out a massive educational services department, I was growing restless. I dreamed of creating a production studio where businesses could connect with the public and learn ways to get creative with how they shared about their work. Video would be the main focus, but maybe other areas as well… At the same time, I could hire talented folks in my network to help these clients with various aspects of the process. Everyone could focus on what they did best while mutually supporting each other. Little did I know this was essentially an agency.
Fast forward to my first semester of grad school where I had 8 weeks to come up with a full-scale PR agency. Coming up with plans fast, creating content as quick as possible, developing plans on the fly, all of it was making my cohort’s head spin. I was washing dishes at 5am one morning trying to figure out how the heck to keep up when something caught my eye. I looked out my kitchen window and noticed a very pretty glint of sunlight on my next-door neighbor’s wall of ivy. It made me stop washing for a moment and be present. Then it dawned on me. What if THIS was part of what I did with this agency? Providing space for clients to pause and reflect before diving in full force? Ivy is also very resilient as a plant (invasive, actually). What better way to think about growing a message than with a plant that wasn’t phased by cold New England winters or concrete? It needs structure to thrive and THAT’S what my agency would provide.
So, IvyHill was born that day. It’s evolved into a strategic communications agency that helps ambitious brands take a moment to assess their situation, plan with intention and dive in full force, growing messages, content, and reputations efficiently and effectively. If you want to get the word out about what you do, you need to have the right words, visuals, connections, and consistency to back it up. That’s what we help with.
I had never owned a business officially, aside from freelancing as a videographer and producer, but I had a vision and saw a massive need in the dozens of business owners who desperately wanted to do things differently, but had no time or clue where to start. I wanted to bridge that gap, especially for small business owners and entrepreneurs from communities that experienced more roadblocks and red tape than others.
I gathered up all my materials and research from grad school, then started implementing bit by bit. First, I tightened up my messaging and brand identity. Then I began tweaking my service offerings, getting really specific based on what I had identified through research and what my target clients said they struggled with the most. I started with one large client and several smaller ones, but now things have balanced out a bit more. It’s been an iterative process ever since I secured that LLC and I’ve made many mistakes along the way, but I’m now seeing the vision come to life and creating stronger systems to facilitate the whole process.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Originally intending to be a professional theater director, I took my first film class, and my life changed. I dove headfirst into video production in college and have never looked back. I love the power of video and the effectiveness it has in getting people to understand things. I leveraged my passion for video with my innate strategy and troubleshooting skills when I got into public relations and brand communications. This is where IvyHill came into being. I’m a go-getter who enjoys working with other go-getters, but have found that sometimes that boldness can be a hindrance. If you move too fast, you may end up in the wrong direction without realizing it. On the flipside, if you constantly prioritize other things, it’s hard to grow in new ways.
IvyHill is an agency that helps ambitious brands take the big ideas they have in their head and actually bring them to life to level up their business. We focus on three key areas to address the common issues folks run into when trying to do that: brand strategy & messaging, content creation & social media, partnership development & reputation management. We start by assessing where a business owner is at and where they want to go. Do they want to get new leads and are scared to try out video? Maybe they want to get some press around a new product, but haven’t done that before? We get to the root of why they do what they do and how they serve others, then examine the different channels that can communicate those things to the world.
We’re committed to being equitable and inclusive, exploring different ways to authentically connect with communities on and offline. This is especially important for me as an activist and queer woman. I designed IvyHill to be a company where we work with a network of creatives, marketers, and strategists depending on what our clients need, acting as a one-stop shop for all things communications. We believe in teaching people different tactics to grow their message and increase their brand potential while also offering expert support when it’s needed most. We known that that the best connections start right within your own network and work hard to connect our clients with one another. Rising tides lift all boats, after all!
As a former educator who has worked with countless neurodivergent individuals, I also value adaptability and accessibility to ensure our clients have systems and strategies that work for them. This can look like countering task aversion to new marketing activities or even learning grounding techniques before important press interviews.
I’m proud to be a think-outside-of-the-box kind of gal and IvyHill is a prime example of that.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In the blink of an eye, my entire ability to do my job disappeared. At a video shoot, I slipped and fell off a dock, falling 12 feet onto a sandbar in the middle of winter and shattering my right arm. I had to have reconstructive surgery on my right elbow and undergo extensive occupational therapy to regain the function of my right hand. This meant half a year of no video and only using one arm for all of my client work, grad school work, everything. I sank into a deep depression for a long time, but still kept going even when it got hard. When I overheard my doctors saying they weren’t sure I would be physically capable of holding up a camera again, a fire lit up inside me. “Screw that! I’ll show them.” was the exact phrase that went through my head. I was determined and on the six month anniversary of my accident, I went on my first shoot. Was it harder to operate gear for a while? Yes. Do I still sometimes get flashbacks to the moment I was plummeting with a tripod and camera? Absolutely. Will I still be somewhat limited in what I can do? Unfortunately, yes. But I refused to let the doubt win and am proud of myself for getting through that tough time.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Dolly Parton’s “Dream More” is what set me up to have the right mindset about business and life. Her positivity and ability to rise above everyone’s expectations stood out to me when I first started listening to her audiobook as a bed bound, broken armed creative. I had a big dream of starting an agency and doing it different. Dolly has always been known for taking chances and turning her dreams into reality, even if she fails in the process. It’s her resilience, creativity, and business acumen that has really shaped my approach to the agency.
A slightly unconventional resource I encourage any entrepreneur to explore is playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Yes, the roleplaying game. So many of the things you’ll encounter in one of those games can apply to business. Resource allocation, team dynamics, planning for the unexpected, navigating different cultures, influencing others…and it can all be done in the confines of an imaginary world. Getting creative with how you build those skills can be incredibly helpful.
If people need help learning how to be more resilient and have a tougher mindset when they feel like they keep hearing “no”, I encourage them to watch a roller derby game and keep an eye on the person with the star on their helmet. To win the game, you have to trust your team, have guidance from a mentor (the coach), know when to change your approach and push through walls. Whenever I feel really stuck, I just think back to my roller derby days and it reminds me that even in the toughest of times, I can still win some points.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ivyhillstrategies.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amberkcomms/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivyhill.strategies
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberkrasinski/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ivyhill.strategies
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@amberlkrasinski
Image Credits
Amy Crosby Photography, Amber Krasinski