Sue Kruskopf is the founder and long-time CEO of KC Truth, an advertising agency founded on cutting through the BS and getting to the truths about clients brands. She's also the founder of MyWonderfulLife.com, a free site where you can plan and personalize your own funeral.
On this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Sue joins us to discuss why #WorkplaceCulture has been so important for 30+ years of success, relying on using truth in advertising, the great resignation, and much more.
Listen to the audio version here, or watch the video at the bottom of the page:
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Here's a breakdown of the conversation:
Sue shares how culture has been one of the main reasons her agency has been so successful. The principles of their positive and productive culture are not complicated - treat others how you want to be treated, generosity, kindness, and so on. Because of the culture, her people have long tenures and they enjoy their work. And at the end of the day, it's the people that Sue attributes their success to. She also talks about the network her agency is part of, consisting of agencies around the world. The group helps her agency stay current and ahead of the curve.
These days, companies are having a difficult time find talent to hire. Many people still haven't returned to work, and many have found work elsewhere. Sue believes that the pandemic lockdowns gave people time to think about their work prospects. They had time to search for jobs, update their resumes, and ask themselves 'Could I do better?'. So when the world began to open up again, people decided to look around for new opportunities.
Sue shares how from day 1, her agency has been dedicated to finding the truth about their clients' businesses. And while the truth isn't always nice to hear, it's valuable for both the client and the agency to get the truth out on the table. When we're siloed, a lot of business jargon is produced, so Sue and her agency try to encourage their clients to say what they really feel. Her agency hosts 'Truth Workshops', gathering employees from various departments of the business to share what they think about the business and the direction they're taking. Sue says these have been super valuable for the clients, and are responsible for much of the agency's success.
Sue says advertising agencies like hers can focus on what businesses stand for in terms of social justice. The younger generation wants to be involved with companies that are advocating and investing in social justice, environmental sustainability, volunteering, and so on. People want their brand to be associated with a company that believes in the same things as them.