As part of the Morning Lazziness series highlighting empowering women who are making a remarkable impact with their ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kirsty Leighton.
Kirsty Leighton has three decades of experience across the corporate brand and communications sectors ― holding senior leadership positions for agencies such as Hudson Sandler, Text100, and WE Communications. Kirsty’s PR leadership has now been recognised with her appointment as Chair of the PRCA.
She is a fierce advocate of the power of ethical PR: alongside making history as one half of the first all-women leadership team of the PRCA with Sarah Wadding MBE as CEO, Kirsty is: a B Corp pioneer; a champion of Better Business; and actively forges partnerships in politics to educate policymakers on the responsible use of PR within the democratic process.
Kirsty is a formidable entrepreneur, founding multi-award-winning Milk & Honey PR in 2017. People first, ethically led and values-driven, the agency now encompasses four offices on three continents ― and is 55% owned by the people who work there. Always learning, Kirsty has also taken part in Goldman Sachs’ invitation-only ‘10,000 Small Businesses’ and elite ‘Unicorn School’ business accelerators.
In this interview, she reveals the mindset shifts, bold moves, and lessons that helped her turn ideas into impactful online businesses.
What’s the origin story behind your business, and how does it reflect who you are beyond the entrepreneur title?
Milk & Honey PR grows from a simple idea. Since 2017 we’ve been building a workplace where people come first, so they actually enjoy their work and have the time, space, training and opportunities to grow professionally and personally. Where diversity is and will always be seen as strength, and everyone belongs. Where better business purpose and responsibilities to our planet inspire us to go further for our clients and our people.
It’s an approach that has created an agency with a vision to nurture the reputations of purposeful brands ― to engage, influence and inspire. We create the stories that move people and change the world.
Our values inform our business, rather than a business that dictates values ― encompassing energy, bravery, respect, passion, collaboration and loyalty.
Vision and values guide us in our mission ― to be our clients’ trusted communications consultants; to champion their difference; to find and engage audiences; to amplify their voice; and to continually enhance their value.
Your work blends purpose with business — what’s the “why” that still gets you out of bed on tough days?
The world faces so many challenges – climate crisis, social justice, a post-truth communications environment, and equality, to name just four. I believe that PR has the power – and responsibility – to make business part of the solution.
More than any other industry, we have the power to surface important issues that are buried (by accident or design). If we look at climate change as an example, it’s the PR industry that has done so much to share understanding of its causes and the actions we need to take. Greta Thunberg, for example, was an unknown and lonely protester in 2018 – until a passing PR pro helped to catapult her onto the international stage. Today, she’s a global environmental icon who goes toe-to-toe with prime ministers and presidents.
What gets me out of bed in the morning? It’s the potential for PR to change the world for the better.
Many brands offer similar services, but few capture hearts — what’s your secret to building deep emotional resonance with your audience?
Quite simply, authenticity. You can’t fake passion or commitment or action. We believe in what we do, and our audiences do too.
What’s been your most effective marketing strategy, and can you walk us through the creative thinking or risk-taking behind it?
In terms of campaigns, there are so many – but I think the work we did for a global technology company stands out. Tasked with showcasing their extensive but little-known work on building a truly sustainable organisation, we created a global environmental index. Our creative turned the concept on its head ― seeing the actions and attitudes of everyday people as the real key to unlocking positive climate action, rather than the approaches of governments and corporations.
It grew in scale and scope over three years, capturing the views of well over 30,000 people in 39 global markets. Our analysis of survey data again showcased creativity, identifying fascinating trends and segments to compare and contrast attitudes. Creative materials, including accessible and powerful infographics and video, cut through the noise at UN COPs to secure top-tier coverage.
How do you listen to your community — not just in surveys or analytics — but in ways that help you anticipate their unspoken needs?
My colleagues will tell you that one of my favourite phrases is, “we have two ears and one mouth – so we should listen twice as much as we talk.”
In terms of clients, we use a range of formal listening tools, including NPS scores – where ‘excellence’ is our baseline. We engage quarterly to make sure that we are meeting and exceeding expectations – and can identify issues quickly.
We take a similar approach with our people, with quarterly surveys – known as ‘Hive Happiness’. Responses are anonymous to a range of questions that include everything from internal comms, trust in Milk & Honey and manager relationships, to training, mental health and wellbeing. Outcomes are discussed at board level – with action taken where results show we can do better.
Surveys, however, are only one side of the equation. We prize the value of in-person communication – making the time to talk to and learn from our clients and teams.
We also engage with our local and global communities – working through our pro bono Purpose Academy to work with charities to upskill their PR capabilities and, in turn, learn from them of the challenges they face and how PR can better support their life-changing missions.
Which campaign, collaboration, or strategic shift felt like a true turning point in your brand’s public image?
Becoming a member of the B Corp community really helped everyone at Milk & Honey to find a framework around which we could build our better purpose. We became one of the first communications agencies in Europe to certify and have gone on to be named a B Corp ‘Best for the World’ company, as well as achieving one of the highest B Corp scores of any agency in the world (we’re about to recertify with over 185 points).
The value of B Corp is that it’s not a tick box exercise – it’s a constant journey to prove (with hard data) how we currently perform and how we will always work to be better.
In your own words, how do you measure success beyond profit, in terms of legacy, influence, or cultural impact?
We’re here to leave the world in a better state than we found it. B Corp helps us – as we publish our annual People, Purpose, Planet report which is a warts and all assessment of our purposeful impact.
We’re also different from other companies in that happiness is one of our KPIs. I’ve already mentioned our Hive Happiness survey but we back this up with extensive individual professional and personal development plans, our innovative 40+1 leave entitlement, month’s paid sabbatical after five years of service, generous maternity and paternity provision and so much more.
I want our people to love their time at Milk & Honey and take the values of energy, passion, respect, collaboration, bravery and loyalty with them as they forge careers across the industry.
How do you deal with failure?
Failure is essential to success. The trick is to fail forward – to understand and learn from your mistakes and constantly apply those lessons as you move forward. I started this business on my own from a kitchen in a London house and failing forward has helped me to build it into the global, multi-award-winning agency it is today.
We don’t dwell on our failures – but we never forget and always learn from them.
What’s a daily or weekly ritual that keeps you grounded and in touch with your brand’s mission, even when business gets chaotic?
I draw strength from the people around me, so our Monday morning team meetings bring me pure energy. With a highly flexible working offer – with hybrid and remote workers – this is one of the main ways I get to see everyone’s faces and understand what they’re doing, hear their challenges and revel in their intelligence and passion in what they do for each other and our clients.
How do you approach innovation in a way that makes your brand both trend-aware and timeless?
Innovation drives us – but always responsibly. Our ‘NU’ AI and Emerging Technology Division, for example, was born from team curiosity back in 2021 (pre ChatGPT) about the potential economic, industrial and social impacts of technological change. It led to an AI Working Group which in turn led to the creation of NU and one of the first Ethical AI Playbooks in PR.
Since then, NU has grown to co-develop new AI technologies and support clients as they transition to a new way of working. Yet, everything we do is informed by our timeless values, so our technologies and counsel embed human oversight and strong ethical guardrails. It has taken us, for example, to a place where we’re now exploring how AI can break down barriers to job access and opportunity for neurodiverse people.
If you could pass down only one piece of wisdom to the next generation of entrepreneurs, what would it be and why?
I’m going to have to give two pieces of advice: firstly, build your business around meaningful values – they should and must inform every decision you make; secondly (and this is linked to the first), take people with you. You can’t do this alone, so share your passion, live your values, and people will take your vision, enhance it, make it their own – and make it infinitely better.
Winning recognition in your industry is no small feat — what behind-the-scenes decision or move do you believe made that possible?
Milk & Honey has been recognised in more than 200 awards in eight years. It makes me incredibly proud. At the risk of sounding like a scratched record, success has come from living our values and being authentic. People recognise it when they see it – and it’s priceless.
How have public recognition, awards, or media features shifted opportunities for your brand in unexpected ways?
The simple and short answer to that question is our portfolio list and internal talent.
We have been honoured to work with some of the most innovative and purpose focused organisations in the world that work to bring positive change – from genomic data platforms that are transforming global healthcare, to water innovators bringing hydration to millions, to ethical chocolate producers protecting farmers and the land they work. They come to us because they recognise a ‘fellow traveller’.
Further, I have been honoured to work with some of the most talented, committed, intelligent and kind colleagues in the PR industry and beyond – who have all come to Milk & Honey because they see this as a place where their talents can make a positive difference to people and the planet.
If someone hears your name or sees your work just once, what’s the one message or feeling you hope they leave with?
We partner with businesses that build a better world so they can be seen, be heard, and be good.
Where’s the best place for our audience to follow your journey and explore your work?
Obviously, through our website, where people can keep up to date with the great work we’re doing and look at our latest People, Purpose, Planet report, to follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for breaking news as it happens.
