Interview with Heidi Krupp, Founder & CEO of Krupp Agency

Heidi Krupp is celebrating 30 years running her agency which began in a studio apartment in Hoboken, NJ funded by selling her car for $5,000. Krupp reminisces about taking her first step, experience gained working in TV, ethos for her agency and how she views the modern media landscape:

John O’Dwyer: Heidi, congratulations on celebrating 30 years of independence with Krupp Agency. That is an incredible milestone in an industry where boutique firms are constantly being swallowed up by holding companies. Let's go back to the very beginning. You didn’t start with a massive war chest or an exhaustive corporate roadmap. How did Krupp Agency begin?

Heidi Krupp: Thank you, John. It’s hard to believe it’s been three decades. You’re right. I started without a traditional business plan, and I had zero prior PR firm experience. In 1995, my "office" was a studio apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey. I had about $5,000 from selling my car (but otherwise deeply in debt), no roadmap but with a lot of belief in what could be.

Before launching, I was an assistant publicist at ABC News 20/20, working for legends like Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs. That gave me a masterclass in human interest storytelling, but it didn't teach me how to run an agency. What I did have was an agenda-less mentor who chose to believe in me before I fully believed in myself. My father, who was a taxi driver, also taught me the value of listening and the skills of retelling every passenger's story. Armed with such amazing support, my philosophy from day one has always been: “You can do it, you can do anything.”

Heidi Krupp - then and now

O’Dwyer: Your background at 20/20 clearly instilled a specific newsroom DNA into your process. Today, publicists face an incredibly fractured landscape. How do you take an author, an expert, or a business and turn their core message into a sustainable brand? What is your framework?

Heidi Krupp: It all comes down to our core editorial process and having what I call a ‘media mindset.’ I challenge each client with three distinct questions: Who cares? So what? Why you? If you cannot answer those three questions with absolute, brutal honesty and ease, your narrative will get lost in the noise. We help to craft that into a story that can be told so it will have resonance, relevance, and reach. Newsrooms are shrinking, and corporate pitches clog inboxes. We don’t look at media relations as a transaction; we view it as a long-term relationship engagement.

When we work with authors, we are looking beyond media placements; we are looking to build a platform. We see a book as a vehicle to build a business. The goal is to take that book and morph it into a comprehensive brand - driving speaking engagements, media contributor roles, digital content ecosystems, cultural longevity and legacy! We help people transform their backstory into a tool for massive public connection. We believe there is a book in everyone, and we help people get from that genesis of an idea to execution.

O’Dwyer: Looking back across your history, your client roster reads like a cultural zeitgeist over the last thirty years. Who are some of the standout legacy clients that helped define the agency’s trajectory?

Heidi Krupp: We’ve been incredibly fortunate to work across multiple sectors from entertainment to wellness and beauty. In our earlier years, we launched the South Beach Diet, worked with Weight Watchers, spearheaded the launch of cryotherapy in New York City, and drove the phenomenon behind the book Go the F&$#k to Sleep. We’ve helped icons in thought leadership like Tony Robbins as he went from infomercial fame to billionaire life and business strategist. We’ve launched the likes of Tim Ferris, David Bach, and others global brands like Chicken Soup for the Soul. We partnered with visionaries including Dr. Aliza Pressman, to expand her global footprint in parenting and personal growth. From Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph to documentary filmmakers like Kelly Noonan Gores (HEAL) to fashion icon and philanthropist Donna Karan, our clients were (and are) people who live their purpose and define possibility for countless others. We have had impact on so many lives through our work with amazing organizations like The Eating Recovery Center, Everyday Health, Prelude Inception, Gateway for Cancer Research, and Edelman Financial Services whose business efforts literally save lives and change the potential of humanity.

O’Dwyer: Speaking of household names, you have a legendary story about working with Tony Robbins. How did that partnership come about, and what did it teach you about your own agency's horsepower?

Heidi Krupp: Working with Tony Robbins was an absolute turning point. Tony is the ultimate life and business strategist, operating at a level of intensity that few can match. When he brought us on, it wasn’t about standard PR maintenance; it was about executing complex, fast-moving strategies at the intersection of publishing, live events, and global media.

Tony famously called us "tenacious go-getters who won't stop until goals are a reality." He said we have "unmatched passion and horsepower." What that experience solidified for me is that purpose cannot just be a marketing line on your website; it must be your business filter. He has always taught that the leaders of their industries are those that figure out how to succeed while adding more value than their competition. We operate with deep, genuine passion for what really matters. Tony taught us to hone in on what truly impacts people - he would say that “the secret to living is giving.” And that same horsepower is what we bring to every client we take on today.

O’Dwyer: Let's pivot to the modern media landscape. On our recent call, you shared an amazing perspective on AI. I call it "Revenge of the Nerds" in reverse. How is Krupp Agency utilizing AI today?

Heidi Krupp: Yes! It really feels like a total reversal. For years, the pure programmers and software engineers looked down on the English majors, the British Lit students, and the communications folks. But now, with generative AI, software can write 80% of basic code. What AI cannot replicate is authentic human connection, nuance, and strategic communication. Suddenly, the world desperately needs deep, seasoned communicators more than ever to guide these systems.

At Krupp Agency, we view AI as the ultimate amplifier, not a human replacement. It’s the biggest technological shift I’ve seen since the birth of the internet. We use AI to sift through massive amounts of data, analyze client rosters, track macro-cultural trends, and optimize our workflow. But AI will never have relationships. It will never possess intuition. It can help start to write a pitch, but it can't earn trust over a 30-year friendship with a producer or editor. We use technology to accelerate our logistics so that we can spend more time focusing on our humanity.

O’Dwyer: Beyond AI, where do you see the future of media heading, particularly regarding platforms like Podcasts and Substack?

Heidi Krupp: The traditional boundaries between PR, brand strategy, publishing, and digital content are completely dissolving. The next decade belongs to deep-dive, intimate content ecosystems. Podcasts and Substack have fundamentally changed how people consume information.

Take a platform like Substack - it allows an expert or an author to possess unmediated, direct access to their community. It rewards depth, not clickbait. Podcasts do the same thing; people will listen to a two-hour interview with an expert because they want real substance, not a 30-second soundbite. Podcasts also give flexibility to content consumers that offers a fresh opportunity to consume content when they are ready in sessions that meet their schedule and needs.

What's fascinating to me is how these platforms uncover latent learning experiences. Often, we work with highly successful people who didn't even realize exactly how they became successful until we deconstruct their journey through long-form audio or newsletter strategies. We teach them to educate their audience, moving them from a transactional mindset to a legacy brand mindset.

O’Dwyer: To wrap things up, who is occupying the Krupp Agency ecosystem right now? Who are your current clients, and what is driving the agency forward as you look past this 30-year mark?

Heidi Krupp: Today, we have the privilege of partnering with some of the most influential voices shaping the future of health, wellness, business, and social impact. Our clients include longevity expert Dr. Stacie Stephenson, wellness entrepreneur Serena Poon, and Sue Hitzmann, creator of the MELT Method, alongside healthcare innovators such as reproductive health leader Inception and integrative surgeon Dr. Jason Snibbe.

Beyond healthcare, we work with mission-driven organizations creating meaningful change, including charity: water and Gateway for Cancer Research, as well as cultural and lifestyle leaders such as Vanessa Cornell and NBC correspondent Chloe Melas. In the business and leadership space, we help amplify the voices of executives, thought leaders, and authors including Shelton Mercer III, Melissa Dawn Simkins, Matthew Abrams, and Eric Becker.

What connects these diverse clients is a shared commitment to making a meaningful impact. Our role is to uncover the story behind that mission and transform it into visibility, influence, and lasting connection.

Thirty years is not the finish line for us; it’s just proof that the foundation we built was worth it. Our 30th anniversary is the moment we turn forward with everything we’ve learned and dive into the next 30 years with even more intention, uncovering stories and helping to build businesses and brands that will continue to change the world.