By Kathleen Sarpy
For H5, the turn of the new year marked a significant milestone in our story: our 25th anniversary!
In 2001, I was at one of those personal and professional crossroads that you know will change the trajectory of your life. I was a senior leader at a top PR firm with a huge opportunity in front of me to continue running global accounts for several household brands. Yet, in January 2001, I resigned from my SVP position while seven months pregnant with my first son and with an energetic 12-month-old daughter at home.
I made a bold, big, and, let’s be honest, risky decision that was for the betterment of my family and my soul. I was going out on my own with just a simple Ikea desk, a dash of self-confidence and a sizable Rolodex (do you remember those?) filled with nearly a decade’s worth of contacts. I told every prospective new client that I would offer great value, work hard to earn their business and gain their trust if they understood that I had little ones at home that were my greatest joy – and highest priority.
At first, the business leads were sporadic, but my humility told me I'd do anything in my power to be successful. I was working out of my suburban basement and was embracing my new humble beginnings - whether that be stuffing press kits down my hallway with toddlers in tow, planning a press conference in between bottles or crafting a strategic approach to launch a client’s new product into the wee hours of the night.
Over the years, my client roster grew with brands big and small, as did my confidence in adding to my team. I found great joy in employing other busy moms as well as talented professionals who had perhaps burnt out at the pace of the big firms. My once-tiny firm (at one point it was just me) grew to several dozen excellent communications leaders and emerging PR + marketing rock stars who embodied every one of the core values that make up the foundation of my firm.
Now, over two decades later, I marvel at how it all turned out. I never set out to achieve this wonderful benchmark of 25 years, nor to be the force that Agency H5 has built its reputation on. But I couldn’t be prouder of what H5 achieved.
Our journey has included four downtown offices, hundreds of talented employees, one name change to better align with our values, and countless projects with the biggest and best brands, nonprofits and corporations in our city and nationally. Our work has won awards, our agency has been lauded for its warm and happy culture, and the H5 team has had the joy of working with some of the truly nicest and smartest people you could meet on earth. We have pivoted, as needed, with the changing times and remain successful today.
To our clients, past and present – thank you for trusting H5 with your business, inviting us in as a true partner and building something meaningful with us over the last 25 years.
So, what’s next for H5? We will always be focused on making ideas come to life, delivering unconventional thinking and breakthrough results for our clients. I’m proud that for 25 years we have remained a full-service, independent agency that holds true to our principles. But as PR, marketing and communications continue to evolve, we will keep evolving with them, connecting the dots for brands who need smart and scrappy solutions without the red tape and bureaucracy of big agencies.
I fully believe that our greatest achievements are yet to come, but the heart of who we are, from those humble beginnings, will never waver.
Here's to the bright future ahead.