As part of the Morning Lazziness series about empowering women who encourage and do incredible things with their ideas in society, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kristjana Hillberg & Sarah Karger.
Kris Bio: Kristjana Hillberg has spent fifteen years in a variety of client experience industries that led her to her career in PR. She has always been a creator, avid connector, and currently runs her own media relations agency. She has worked with various clients in industries from entertainment to e-commerce, as well as experts in the areas of pediatric sleep and play therapy. She has provided support with client branding strategies, marketing campaigns, and has been a core team member on a few founding behavioral and physical health teams. Kris manages PR channels with a focus on affiliate marketing.
She resides in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her family, is a military spouse, and enjoys thrifting, exploring the outdoors, and loves to box!
Sarah Bio: In a former life, Sarah was an eCommerce director for a men’s accessory retailer, overseeing all aspects of our team’s marketing efforts for the .com direct-to-consumer website, as well as the marketing for the wholesale side of the business. So her experience in marketing spans the gamut from media relations and PPC and ad buying to email marketing… and you guessed it, affiliate marketing. Today, she is a partner and full-time publicist and affiliate manager for the boutique public relations house, Comm Oddities and co-author of the Affiliate for Publicists Substack. In what little time she has left over, she has a hobby regenerative agriculture farm and can be found doing chicken math over on Instagram at @sarahkarger.
You both have built impressive careers in PR. What inspired each of you to start your own agencies—and how did you land your very first client?
Kris – I landed in the PR field about 6 years ago & did a cannonball into the industry. I was supporting 2-4 large agencies at any given time. Working in industries from dog treats, hospitality, spirits, vitamins and beauty really taught me skills, but I came with built in grit. My network started referring me clients that couldn’t meet their $$$ agency retainers and that led me to my first client & the decision to put a name on my business.
Sarah – I’ve been in the marketing and comms space since 2008, GOSH that dates me. I started my career as an ecommerce director for a .com DTC brand and also owned marketing efforts for the wholesale side of the business. From there I did internal comms and then went to the agency side. Today, I’m a partner for Comm Oddities, a boutique PR agency that specializes in lifestyle brands. For brands I’ve brought to CO, they’ve all been relationship based. Networking is truly crucial in business.
As women entrepreneurs in PR, what unique challenges have you each faced, and how did you navigate or overcome them?
Kris – I tend to look at whatever challenge I’m facing & ask myself what I’m in control over, what I’d like the outcome to be, and what makes sense moving forward for me specifically. Nothing ever feels final – clients shift, budgets get cut, stories don’t land…I think being aware that all of those things are inevitable already sets you up for success.
Sarah – Something I struggle with daily is communicating in text based formats like email directly, but with compassion and the human element. I often get into a mindset of efficiency, efficiency, efficiency, but sometimes that’s not what’s best for the team.
The media landscape shifts fast. How do the two of you stay ahead of trends in an industry that’s constantly evolving with technology, platforms, and press strategies?
Kris – This industry can feel all consuming at times when you think about just how often the landscape shifts. It definitely takes having a flexible outlook, networking, reading, listening, more reading & following those on the other side of the media – what are journalists saying & needing right now?
Sarah – II = IO – Ideas In equals Ideas Out is something I try to live by. I think Tom Bilyeu coined that? Consumption in any digital-first industry is essential in staying ahead. Networking and paying attention to the pain points of media is really helpful.
What are your go-to strategies for building strong, lasting relationships—with both clients and members of the press?
Kris – Relationships are my favorite part of the business. Nothing else can really fall into place (in my opinion) if you don’t prioritize how you work with people. At this point, communication comes naturally to me 88% of the time; it flows & feels authentic. When I’m challenged by either a client ask or a journalist who is frustrated, I make sure to take a walk & be properly hydrated before answering. 🙂 I try to look at things from all sides, be neutral, not take things personally, & ensure that every answer from me is not generated by ChatGPT. I’m human and so are they.
Sarah – Remembering to approach every interaction in a relationship forward is helpful. You get lost in the our client needs XY,Z right now, but the minute you shift your approach to being transactional is when you get in trouble. From the client side of things, getting to the root of their needs by overcommunicating is something I only see as helpful.
Can you each share a campaign or media moment you’re especially proud of? What made it stand out or feel like a win?
Kris – Oh gosh…any time that a client give me a “dream” publication to be mentioned in & it happens! Nothing feels quite as exciting as that. Right now I’m in the midst of helping host a 50th anniversary for a brand and it has been an immense joy to watch it all come together!
Sarah – Anytime media reach out to me and say I worked with you on XYZ story and you were so fast and helpful, that is like getting the front page of the NYT. Knowing media can trust me to help them complete their work makes me so happy.
You’re both known for building your own visibility. Which platforms or tactics have been most effective for growing your personal brands—and now, your Substack?
Kris – I have tried a few different platforms to see where I organically tend to go & what feels most intuitive to me. IG is my go-to. It feels most me. I also love podcasting, but don’t dedicate nearly enough time to being as consistent in that medium as I used to be. This new Substack that we started together has reignited my joy for writing & is such a fun way to dig into your network of media professionals for their insight about certain topics that we have on our content calendar.
Sarah – Yes, we are so excited to launch this substack. It’s something I have wanted to do for years, but just kept putting off. Joining forces with Kris to help our fellow publicists is a dream execution here.
What role has mentorship played in your journeys? Are there ways you both try to pay it forward in the industry today?
Kris – I will always hop on a call if someone needs support with an affiliate program or wants to brainstorm. I’ve been blessed with some really incredible mentors who were always willing to share knowledge, so when it comes to someone who has questions that I can answer, I will always choose to share as much as I possibly can with them!
Sarah – I’ve carved out a small business in affiliate consulting. This really came about because of the insights and posts people tag me in on the PR and media focused facebook groups. Doing work daily makes it challenging to always be responsive, so this substack’s free edition will be another way to pay it forward.
How do you handle high-pressure moments or crises—whether it’s navigating a client firestorm or dealing with a tough moment in your own business?
Kris – Handling intense moments is prepped for before the intense moment. It’s one reason I enjoy boxing so much! I spend time in the gym every day testing my limits & mental capacity so when I encounter a tough situation at work, the 100 burpees I did feel harder.
Sarah – In high-pressure moments or crises, my focus is always on the next steps, asking myself,”what can we do right now to move the situation forward.” It’s easy to spiral into the “what ifs,” but that rarely leads to progress, only overwhelm. A great example is the recent Coldplay Kiss Cam incident. Rather than addressing it directly and outlining what actions would be taken, there was silence, possibly in hopes it would blow over? But that vacuum allowed misinformation to spread, making the situation even worse. I believe in timely, honest communication paired with clear action. Even if the solution isn’t perfect, transparency builds trust and gives you back control of the narrative, if not the situation.
What’s one piece of advice each of you would give to a woman just entering the world of PR or communications?
Kris – Do it your way. There will always be someone giving advice, telling you the thing that you must do in order to succeed, sharing copy & paste templates that worked for them…but intention that aligns with you will win every time. Don’t want to work on Wednesdays? Aren’t available 24/7? Meditate with your clients before each call? You do you. Always.
Sarah – Don’t? Just kidding. It’s very fulfilling, but making sure they know they need to be open to continued education. That the industry is in uncharted territory and you have to be aware that you’ll need to be malleable and adaptable to survive.
Here’s our signature question: What are the 5 things you each believe are essential to overcome self-doubt and build confidence in this field? If possible, share a personal story or example for each one.
Kris – Practice. Intention. Overcommunicate. Mess up. Authenticity.
I think all 5 of these words go hand in hand, but the #1 thing that brings it all together is practice. Practice being intentional. I have learned to be intentional in how I build lists, who I’m reaching out to, what I prioritize & when, who I choose to work with, etc. It didn’t come easy! I had to practice. When I had a potential client call and my gut said, “nope, Kris…this brand & your workflow is not a fit together!”, instead of ignoring that & onboarding a client I knew wasn’t aligned, I would refer them to a colleague or say that my services weren’t a fit at that time. Practice doing the thing in real time.
Sarah – Everything Kris said was spot on. I also think failing forward is critical. Knowing you will not be perfect but having a growth oriented mindset is so important in any industry. Your skills are not fixed. You can get better no matter what the area of focus is.
Is there a quote, mantra, or personal philosophy that guides how you each lead—as communicators, business owners, and now as voices behind your Substack?
Kris – Jason Feifer is one of my favorite educators in the PR space. He shared once in his newsletter – “If we want to do our best work, we cannot just work hard. We must work fresh.” This is one reason why I’m so intentional on getting my morning workout in or why I won’t stay up until 10pm working on a project just to do it. I want to make sure that I’m giving 100% to the task I’m on with a fresh, focused brain.
Sarah – I never stop learning. I approach each day with the mindset: How can I get better at my craft today? Sometimes that means going deep on what I do best, and other times it means staying curious about areas on the edge of my industry, like emerging trends in SEO for social media. (Yes, did you know that your brand’s social teams need to approach their work like SEO experts used to? This is a fascinating article.) Even if I’m not directly executing in those spaces, understanding their impact makes me sharper and more strategic and brings real value to clients.
Ok, nearly done—this one’s a big one: You’re both people of influence. If you could inspire a movement that would create the most good for the greatest number of people, what would that movement be? You never know who’s reading and what your idea might trigger.
Kris – The Philosopher Sir Francis Bacon’s “Knowledge is Power” quote stands the test of time. If I could inspire a movement it would be something around empowering yourself with knowledge – no matter the topic! Learning is growing. Growing is uncomfortable & tests you. There is a special feeling behind gaining knowledge, sharing it, & continuing to be open minded as you learn from others. I’ve always dreamt of starting a non-profit with a focus on learning, especially for single mothers who may feel like the societal limitations for learning aren’t accessible to them. Still daydreaming about all it could be.
Sarah – How slowing down can help you speed up. Efficiency is in my DNA, and as counterintuitive as it sounds, slowing down has always helped me do better work. I don’t know that it’s a movement, per se but thats what came to mind. I think with mental health at all times lows, slowing down not only in work to improve efficiency but in life will help increase levels of happiness.
