We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristin Luckie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristin below.

Kristin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

My path in PR and communications was very traditional. I majored in public relations in college, gained an internship at a leading PR agency in New York City, and went on to work at a midsize firm for nearly a decade. Until this year, my biggest career ‘risk’ was stepping back from agency life to pursue a position in-house at a large technology company as part of its global marketing organization. In February, this all changed. The marketing organization underwent a restructure and my position, along with many others, was eliminated. For the first time in my career, I felt a bit unmoored. I spoke with countless contacts and interviewed for different positions in different types of companies supporting different kinds of industries but nothing felt “right.” At the same time, our son was moving from five days a week in daycare to three. We had always planned to hire a nanny to support but suddenly there was a new opportunity in front of me. I could spend more time with my young son and use the other three days in a different way, completely defined by me and what I found interesting and energizing. Twelve days after my last official day of work, I incorporated my communications consultancy, Kristin Luckie Communications, and took the biggest leap of my professional life.

Kristin, 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?

This kind of work always appealed to me because it combines so many things I already enjoy; in fact, my parents would probably say I was destined to work in the communications field. I loved writing and telling stories as a child, and was a voracious reader who explored every section in the library. It’s probably no wonder then that my favorite kind of work — strategic analysis, content development and media relations — reflects these early interests, and I’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with so many different brands to advance these areas and drive their reputation forward. It is truly a labor of love, and I think that’s such an important consideration for clients when they’re looking for support. When I worked in my in-house role, I was responsible for onboarding and managing the agency partner in our region and ‘traditional’ expertise was, of course, crucial but I ultimately wanted to work with people who could be true partners. I wanted to surround myself with people who loved what we did and appreciated the story we were trying to tell. That’s what I strive to be for my own clients — an honest, empathetic extension of their team who is willing to roll up her sleeves not because she has to, but because she wants to.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I had the opportunity to work with several people who helped set an incredible standard for stakeholder service that I still try to practice today. Communications is both a science *and* an art, and I learned from so many who were brilliant at both. These individuals taught me how to write more clearly, but also see around corners. They were diligent project managers, but they also went out of their way to celebrate a client’s promotion or birthday as if it was their own. I hope I’ve built a similar reputation as a PR partner. There are many amazing publicists and writers for hire, but I think this combination of hard and soft skills in stakeholder service is a differentiator — certainly the standard I’ve set for myself is!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

The greatest impact to my entrepreneurial approach has been my mother. It’s not a ‘resource’ per se, but how she lived her life and the anniversary of her death earlier this year really catapulted my decision to launch my consultancy. She entered the workforce very young and built a thriving career in HR before she left it to help raise me and my brother. She was a hustler though before that was even a catchphrase on a coffee cup, and after spending years as a nanny and teacher’s aide, she jumped backed into the corporate workforce. In hindsight, these career twists and turns must have been so intimidating, but she forged ahead. It’s that example that I really draw on. Here was a woman who probably had so many different voices in her head telling her she couldn’t do something, and she chose to listen to the one who encouraged her to take risks and live her life fully. I try to practice that same courage as a business owner, and I also try to practice empathy — empathy for myself because I don’t have all of the answers, and empathy for others who are experiencing moments of professional doubt or personal difficulty.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kristinluckie.com
• Instagram: @kristin_ld
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/kristin-davie