We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katy Rutkin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Katy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I was in a senior-level role at a global marketing agency and was experiencing such burnout personally, and also observing it in many colleagues and junior staff. Morale was low, and mistakes were being made quite frequently. I knew we weren’t alone; agency roles notoriously come with long hours and the culture can be detrimental to the mental health of employees. I thought to myself, “there must be a better way” and decided to build a business that would improve upon the existing agency model. I sought to create an environment where people would feel valued and supported and have the opportunity to learn, grow and do work they felt really proud of. Most importantly, I wanted to set healthy boundaries with clients that would allow my team to prioritize their mental health.
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?
I graduated from Michigan State in 2006 and started working in radio ad sales in Detroit. At the time, the recession was starting to hit Michigan hard, and an entry-level position in a commission-based role was really difficult. I loved the marketing aspect of my job but really hated the sales side, so I decided to explore other opportunities. I wanted to experience something new, so I packed my tiny Saturn Ion and drove to Los Angeles with no job prospects and knowing no one. It ended up being the best decision I’ve ever made.
I was lucky to have landed a job at Rogers & Cowan, a creative marketing and communications agency in West Hollywood. Social media was really starting to emerge, and Rogers & Cowan was making acquisitions to build out an eMedia department. I found it all really fascinating and shifted my career focus to social/digital media.
After working in agencies for nearly ten years, I decided to build my own company, Laurel and Grey, which aims to bring big agency strategic thinking to boutique brands and individuals. We specialize in all things digital communications, including brand strategy, social media marketing, paid media (social, search, and display), influencer marketing and much more.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Referrals from my existing network/community have been the best source of new clients for me. I think sometimes it can be difficult to talk about ourselves or tout our own accomplishments, but I have learned that doing so can really open up a lot of doors. It’s time to perfect your elevator pitch and feel confident talking about your business with others.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I thought I had to be perfect to be a successful business owner. I truly believed I was never allowed to make a mistake – and then I made one, and it felt absolutely catastrophic. I was ready to shut it all down. From this experience, I realized that (literally) everyone makes mistakes and that mistakes are actually really good opportunities to learn and grow, both personally and professionally. I also learned that honesty and transparency are so much more important than perfection.
I still hold myself to a very high standard, but have learned to give myself some grace and embrace my missteps.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.laurelandgrey.com
- Instagram: @laurelandgrey
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurelandgrey
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyrutkin/
Image Credits
Monet Izabeth