Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucy Rendler-Kaplan.
Lucy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It’s funny how I started my company – I was working in-h0use at a brand, and Pepsi came in to buy the brand. I had never been part of a buy-out before, and I had just signed a new lease, so I got panicked that I wouldn’t have a job or be able to pay my rent, so I opened my company, Arkay Marketing & PR. Then Pepsi took another year to purchase the brand I was at, AND of course, I was paid for the buy-out, so really I had nothing to worry about….I’m happy it worked out though, because that was definitely the push I needed to finally open the doors to my own agency!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not—and I’m not sure I’d want it to have been. Some of the biggest growth in my career has come from the times when things didn’t go according to plan.
Running my own business meant learning very quickly that being good at PR and marketing is only part of the job. I also had to learn how to sell myself, manage clients and expectations, deal with unpredictable income, and accept that sometimes you can do everything right and still not get the outcome you hoped for. PR in particular teaches you resilience. You hear “no” a lot—or, even more often, you hear nothing at all—and you have to keep finding a new angle, a new opportunity, or a different way forward.
There have also been times when I’ve had to reinvent myself professionally. I’ve learned that what worked five or ten years ago may not work today, especially in an industry that has changed so dramatically with social media, digital marketing and now AI. Staying relevant means being willing to learn, adapt and occasionally admit that the way you’ve always done something isn’t necessarily the best way anymore.
One of the biggest lessons for me has been not to become so attached to the path I thought I was supposed to be on that I miss a better one.
So no, it hasn’t always been a smooth road. But the difficult parts have made me more resourceful, more comfortable with change, and much better at what I do. I’ve learned that you don’t need to have everything figured out—you just need to be willing to keep moving forward and be open to where the next opportunity might take you.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Arkay Marketing & PR is really an extension of me and the way I’ve always believed PR and marketing should be done. I work with brands, businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals to figure out what makes their story interesting—and then find the right way to get people to care about it.
My background is in public relations, but over the years my work has expanded far beyond traditional PR. I handle media relations, brand strategy, messaging, product launches, events, influencer and celebrity outreach, content strategy and overall marketing direction. In many cases, I essentially become a fractional marketing and PR director for my clients.
I’ve also never wanted to limit myself to one industry. I’ve worked with everyone from consumer brands and restaurants to musicians, technology companies, lifestyle brands, tourism organizations and startups. I think that variety has actually made me better at what I do because I’m constantly looking at industries from a different perspective instead of relying on the same formula over and over again.
What sets Arkay apart is how personal the work is. When someone hires me, they get me. Their account isn’t handed off to a junior employee after the initial meeting. I learn their business, understand what they’re trying to accomplish, and become genuinely invested in figuring out how to get them there. I’m also very honest with clients. If I don’t think something is newsworthy, I’ll tell them—and then I’ll work with them to find the story that is.
I’m probably most proud of the fact that I’ve built a business largely through relationships and reputation. PR is a relationship business, and those relationships—with clients, journalists, producers, editors and other people I’ve met throughout my career—are incredibly important to me.
I also love the challenge of taking something that might not immediately seem like a story and finding the angle that makes someone stop and pay attention. There is nothing better than seeing a client get that first major piece of coverage, land an interview they never thought they could get, or suddenly see their brand differently because we figured out what makes them special.
At the end of the day, Arkay isn’t about sending out press releases and hoping someone responds. It’s about storytelling, relationships, creativity and persistence. The media landscape is constantly changing, but those things still matter—and I think they always will.
Any big plans?
professionally, I’m excited to keep doing what I love while expanding the kinds of brands, people and projects I get to work with. Austin is such an interesting place to be in PR and marketing because entertainment, lifestyle, technology, consumer brands, media and culture all intersect here. There are opportunities to create partnerships and tell stories in ways that simply weren’t available to me before.
I’m also looking forward to continuing to evolve. One thing I’ve learned throughout my career is that I never want to become the person who says, “This is how we’ve always done it.” PR and marketing are changing incredibly quickly, and I want to keep learning, experimenting and figuring out how traditional media relations, social media, influencers, events, AI and new technology can all work together without losing the human relationships that are still at the heart of great PR.
As far as a five- or ten-year master plan, I honestly don’t have one—and I’m okay with that. Some of the best things that have happened in my career weren’t things I could have planned. Right now, I’m excited about being in a new city, meeting new people, taking on bigger challenges and saying yes to opportunities that scare me a little.
Sometimes the biggest changes start with being willing to take a chance on yourself. I’m really looking forward to seeing where this one takes me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.arkaymarketing.com
- Instagram: @arkaymarketing
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkaymarketing
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucyrendlerkaplan
