Hidden Gems: Meet Hannah Cranston

Hi Hannah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you so much for having me! I’m Hannah Cranston and I am the founder and CEO of Hannah Cranston Media (HCM), a PR and communications agency devoted to amplifying the voices of impact-driven leaders and brands.

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.

My career path has been anything but ordinary. I’ve gone from YouTuber to TV host to PR and communications agency owner all in the past ten years!

After graduating from Duke University, I joined the online news network, The Young Turks, where I guest-anchored the flagship political show that boasts over 5 million subscribers and hosted and executive produced my own YouTube channel, ThinkTank. During my tenure at ThinkTank, I grew the show to 1.5 million, predominantly millennial subscribers, making it the 24th largest News & Politics show in the world at the time.

My success covering news and politics on YouTube led to incredible opportunities in the media world from hosting segments on ABC’s Good Morning America to hosting my own show on FOX TV, “Top 30.”

Along the way, people from all different industries would ask me for coffee to “pick my brain” on how they too could build a successful brand online and beyond. I would tell them my story, but, more often than not, I found myself spending the entire meeting giving them tangible advice on how to achieve their own social media and media goals. I LOVED dissecting and analyzing their brands and building strategies to achieve their long-term business objectives. I felt an immense sense of joy and fulfillment when I’d get a screenshot of their social media analytics or media placement URL, accompanied with the inevitable “IT WORKED!” text.

In 2018, one of these coffee meetings took an unexpected turn– my advisee turned the tables and gave me some advice. After going through his Twitter and making adjustments to increase engagement and build a large following, he turned to me and said, “You know, you really should be charging me for this.”

And in that moment, Hannah Cranston Media was born!

Since then, Hannah Cranston Media (HCM) has grown from a communications strategy consultancy, drawing on my experience and expertise on the other side of the media relationship, to a full-service PR and communications agency. We have assembled a mighty team who are true experts in building brands and creating leaders.

Our clients have run for President of the United States, developed a TV series with Hollywood’s top talent, created a YouTube channel with millions of followers, interviewed the greatest business leaders in the world, and yes, gone viral. We’ve secured our client’s press in Newsweek, TIME, ABC, ELLE, HuffPost, and more.

And we’re just getting started…

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I believe that if it’s a “smooth road” to build your business, you’re not pushing the envelope enough. You have to take risks and expect some of those risks will not pan out, but know that what does work will be the magic behind what you’re building.

When I first began my business, I had so much to learn. I realized really early on that humility is the most important trait of an entrepreneur and frankly, any leader.

Knowing what you DON’T know is a lot more important than knowing what you do know. I know my strengths— strategy and big-picture thinking— but know that I need a team of smart and talented individuals around me to bring it to life. Over the years, I’ve made a habit of hiring individuals who are innovative and ingenious. Plain and simple. So many leaders try to be the leading expert in every aspect of their business, but that’s impossible. Building a powerhouse team of individuals who are true maestros in their domain is the key to overcoming any obstacle that comes your way.

I’m so grateful for my A team of creative, courageous, and predominantly female

 media geniuses who make miracles happen for our clients every single day.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Hannah Cranston Media (HCM) is where ambitious leaders, CEOs, and pioneers come to ditch the ordinary and become extraordinary.

We are a Los Angeles-based PR & communications agency that helps changemakers share their story with the world. We are passionate about creating impact through the power of media.

At HCM, we create leaders. Some say that leaders are born. We believe that leaders are built. Through our proprietary strategies, branding, communication, and PR we create leaders in our clients’ respective fields to achieve our clients’ wildest dreams.

Clients who come to us prefer the path less traveled. Us too. Forget one-size-fits-all communication strategies, Canva templates, outdated PR strategies, and aimless social media creation. Our clients don’t do things like everyone else, and we don’t either.

Our approach is to powerfully embrace our client’s unique story to reach their goals and build a loyal and engaged community around their vision. With an emphasis on a 360-degree strategy, we design and execute on holistic marketing and communication plans to reach our clients’ short-, mid-, and long-term goals. If they can dream it, we can achieve it.

Our experienced team offers comprehensive services that are tailored to the unique needs of each of our clients. We understand the importance of long-term strategic planning and execution to make an impact and stand out in today’s competitive landscape.

We offer everything from Public Relations and Communications, 1:1 Strategy Consulting and Coaching, Social Media Content Creation and Management, Thought Leadership and Writing, to Media and Public Speaking Training.

Are you a leader who needs help amplifying your voice and message? Are you struggling to build your brand or maybe you don’t even know what your brand is yet? Are you feeling overwhelmed creating content and trying to grow your social media presence? Do you have expertise to share but don’t know how to get published in the media? Let’s talk