Continuing our series on female leaders in advance of the Ad 2 Women’s Leadership Panel event on January 21, we’re highlighting Sue Kruskopf, CEO of Kruskopf & Company—a Gold Sponsor for this year’s #Ad2WLP. Learn more about Sue and what KC Truth is all about.
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Tell us about Kruskopf & Company. What are the goals and values? What makes Kruskopf & Company different from others?
Our goal is to rid the world of BS by finding the Truth about their brands. We define BS as politics, unnecessary meetings, business “jargon” and everything that gets in the way of success. Our values:
We’re passionate: We are in this business because it is our passion. We care about doing the right thing, making our clients successful, and learning new things to be better at what we do. We believe in challenging each other and having a point-of-view.
We’re collaborative: Great ideas come from contributions of all. This means being respectful of differing points of view, being confident yet humble enough to say we don’t know the answer when we don’t. And coming to the table with an opinion.
We’re curious: We ask lots of questions, and we learn by being good listeners. We are self motivated to try and do things we may not have thought of before which means we are resourceful about finding out new and better ways to do things.
We have integrity: We are professional in everything we do, and we believe it’s better to be honest above anything else. We treat everyone with respect, and when we say or promise something, we stand behind it.
We are no BS: We’re straight talkers, and speak the truth with clients and Kcees alike. We believe simple is always better than complicated, and strive for simplicity in everything we do.
How are we different from other agencies? We have a supportive and empowering culture with very low turnover.
Tell us a little about yourself. What is your history with Kruskopf & Company?
I started the company in 1988 while at Campbell Mithun because I wanted to freelance and build my portfolio to get a job at Fallon. Instead I ended up building a business. We took the best things from a big agency and left the rest behind, which is usually BS.
How has your career journey led you to your current position?
Twenty-seven years later, I’m very happy that I am still in this business and having fun at 58. You don’t see many women my age survive this long at any agency. You need to have a thick skin.
Why do you love to go to work every day?
It’s inspiring, and keeps me young. Even on the bad days.
As the year comes to a close, what is the one project, campaign or accomplishment that you are most proud of?
When growth at KC meant there was a need for more space this year, we had a choice: build another conference room or do something a smarter and bolder.
And the Truth Bar was born.
The Truth Bar is:
- a shared space where members — clients, employees and guests of Kruskopf & Company (KC) — are invited to meet and work and have truthful conversations
- an open forum where people are encouraged do their best thinking, challenge each other’s assumptions and uncover truth
- a place where members can step outside traditional office spaces and business practices and cut through the BS
- an extension of KC’s core belief that collaboration isn’t something you talk about, it should be engrained in your culture
- available for select organizations and media looking to host events aimed at uncovering truth or cutting through the BS
What would be your advice to young women and men in the ad community just starting their careers with eyes on leadership positions down the road?
It’s hard work and don’t take no for an answer. Be prepared to fail—it makes you stronger.
Why is women’s leadership important?
It is a non-issue. Leadership should be gender-neutral.
How has women’s leadership changed over the years?
In the 80’s when I started, you still felt vulnerable to be judged in work situations if you were pregnant. There wasn’t as much equality in the household believe it or not back then so we did have to do it all.
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