Meet Cara Kleinhaut of AGENC Experiential + Digital Marketing

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cara Kleinhaut.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Cara. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started AGENC in a room in my home in 2001, after 8 years in house at Sony Music in NYC. There I learned how to produce large scale events, from Grammy parties to worldwide conferences, so while I had no idea about how to run a business, I knew my craft, and could produce some fantastic events. And I also knew I am willing to pick up the phone and call just about anyone, and love meeting in person. So I launched Caravents in the spring of 2001. I also worked for Mariah Carey right after college for 2 years. And I learned right away that 1) celebrities at the top of their game work very hard and 2) they do not have a life of their own. It was a whirlwind experience, and everything seemed easy after that!

I opened the business as being both LA and NYC based from the start, as most of my client/relationships were in NY, but I lived in LA. So I spend 1 week of each month in NYC, and home base is LA. Delta is my cross country shuttle! I often joke that LA is my NY suburb of choice. Being bi-coastal allowed me to grow our business, servicing our clients events on both coasts. My partner today is also my partner in life. While I never planned on working with my husband, it evolved as his skills as a documentary and TV producer allowed us to take on some very large scale projects without outsourcing. Again, allowing us to grow and flourish. And he does everything I don’t love to do, and vice versa! So it’s a great match in all ways.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Every business has challenges and struggles. I think managing growth is one of the biggest ones. Sure the projects and clients can be a challenge sometimes, but running a business, managing people and growing – hiring great talent, being competitive with salaries, offering great benefits, creating an environment where both women and men can achieve leadership, providing a path to promotion and success for each person. All of this takes a tremendous amount of time and effort, and not something I had any formal training or schooling in. I could have used that MBA my mom wanted me to get after all! But then again, to quote Bumble, I also became the CEO my mom always wanted me to marry 🙂 At every new height we reach, new stage of the business we get, there is something new to learn, the territory we have not been in before. So I can certainly say as an entrepreneur, no two days are ever the same and every day is a learning. So the circumstances may change – the company is bigger, projects are more high profile and bigger, more employees, but the FEELINGS are the same since I first started. That self-doubt can easily creep in, but I have great support and mentors I speak to that keep me on point, and allow me to be a mentor and positive example to others. At least that is my goal!

AGENC Experiential + Digital Marketing – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
AGENC is an award-winning Experiential + Digital Marketing agency. We have disrupted the traditional PR model by putting live experience and digital storytelling at the forefront of how to change culture, shape ideas and motivate people to act. We create breeding grounds for content creation and social amplification, with our signature #DesignForDigital strategy on how we approach producing and designing live experiences. We have our own AGENC influencer network and have married Experiential + Digital Marketing together, to deliver incredible results to our clients. With offices in LA and NY, our service is worldwide. At the end of 2017 we just wrapped a worldwide tour with Amazon for a series of premiere launches. With NY, Sydney, Mexico City and Sao Paolo all activating on the same day – across the globe!

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Determination and Grit. You can have the most amazing ideas and creative in the world. At the end of the day fierce determination and a thick skin to push through the natural ups and downs of business ownership is essential.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.agen-c.com
• Phone: 310-855-9595
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @weareagenc
• Facebook: AGENC Experiential + Digital
• Twitter: @weareagenc
• Yelp: AGENC
• Other: Linked -In: AGENC Experiential + Digital Marketing

Image Credit:
@bossladiesmag CK Headshot 2016.jpg

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