Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Krugh.
Hi Kristy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The “Wicked” in my company name is a love letter to the Boston area where I was born, raised, educated and worked for 30 years. I had a storied career working with purpose-driven organizations for over a decade in the non-profit sector in Boston, Hawaii and Oregon. I still work with charitable companies when their needs align with my service offerings.
I started my coachsultancy in 2017 working exclusively with small business owners helping them grow their audiences and capture more business. Many of the businesses I work with are women-owned.
I have a home in beautiful Bend, Oregon and work with clients here locally as well as across the United States and Canada with a high concentration of clients across New England where I travel often to connect with them and family.
I have two rescue Bulldogs, Dunkin and Kleo and have volunteered for their rescue (Pacific Northwest Bulldog Rescue) since adopting Dunkin 9 years ago.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I moved as far as I could West without a passport landing in Hawaii in 2007 after 100-hour work weeks wiped me out in Boston.
That journey eventually brought me to Bend.
The decision to step away from the career I’d built in the public sector to work for myself was made on the heels of a few life-changing events and kind of fell into my path.
Working for myself as a solopreneur has required me to build my own community of colleagues and clients, get really good at self-discipline and find a level of comfort with the ebb and flow of work an income that’s just typical of this line of work.
Moving to Oregon – to Bend specifically was a great choice for my quality of life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m a marketing strategist and coach who’s been working across media, marketing and sales for 25 years. I started my business in 2017, and today I work with small business owners across industries and at different stages of growth.
My methodology is pretty simple: grow the right audience, improve conversions and build on what’s already working using timeless, practical marketing tactics. I’m much less interested in chasing trends or handing someone a cookie-cutter formula than I am in understanding the reality of their business, setting achievable goals and making sure the time and money they invest actually compounds over time.
A big part of my work is education and empowerment. I don’t gatekeep the marketing “secret sauce.” I simplify it and teach clients what they actually need to know so they can have real agency over their strategy and results.
That doesn’t mean I expect business owners to become marketers or do everything themselves. Quite the opposite. I’ve found that the more you understand about your own marketing ecosystem, the better you’re able to delegate, collaborate with specialists and get more from the experts you hire. Blindly outsourcing while barely understanding what’s happening is one of the fastest ways to waste a lot of hard-earned profit.
Even when I’m doing the work for a client, I build in education, tools and resources so they aren’t completely dependent on me when the engagement ends. My clients often talk about feeling “held” in our work together, and that’s important to me too. Business ownership can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming and lonely. So alongside strategy, there’s a lot of truth-telling, accountability, problem-solving and the occasional very necessary pep talk.
I support businesses in a few different ways depending on what they need, from DIY resources to done-with-you and done-for-you support, including focused Power Hours and longer-term fractional Chief Marketing Officer engagements.
Ultimately, I want business owners to understand what their business is telling them, know what’s working and what isn’t, and feel confident making smart marketing decisions instead of constantly wondering whether they’re doing it “right.”
What are your plans for the future?
I’m looking forward to educating and empowering more small business owners by expanding the 1:1 coaching work I do – impacting more businesses and by virtue, the people and the communities they serve.
Planning to keep expanding my business’ YouTube channel.
I’m looking forward to more travel and roadtrips to enjoy all the PNW has to offer!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wickedtacticalmarketing.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-krugh/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@itswickedtactical
