6 questions with: BLASTmedia’s Lindsey Groepper

As President of BLASTmedia, Lindsey Groepper directs the strategic vision, manages B2B SaaS PR agency operations, and spearheads client acquisition. With over 15 years at BLASTmedia, she has successfully overseen PR campaigns, led account teams, and attracted clients ranging from startups to publicly traded enterprises. 

The expert storyteller has shared insights on topics such as AI’s influence on PR and PR strategies for brand-building with published contributions in Forbes, Inc., and MarketingProfs.

We caught up with Groepper to get her thoughts on the future of the communications industry.

What book, podcast or other media do you recommend to other comms pros?

There isn’t a single source of truth I would recommend as a catch-all for communications pros, as everyone works within the unique operating system of their organization. We work in different markets and roles with distinct expectations. 

I recommend being an intentional and consistent consumer of news, which includes national and global headlines, your employer’s industry, and that of your comms profession. While how and where we get “news” is fundamentally different than 20 years ago when we started BLASTmedia, the importance of understanding the leading conversations and trends hasn’t changed. News still drives perspective and, today affects decisions and behavior more than ever. So comms pros, whether you are on TikTok or LinkedIn, please be avid news consumers in some form or another!

What’s your favorite tool you use regularly for work?  

Time to tell you how old I am. When we started BLASTmedia nearly 20 years ago, there wasn’t even an online media database…we were using hard-copy books with editor info (LOL). It’s been cool to see how we’ve digitally transformed our agency to keep up with the data-driven technology marketing leaders we serve. We’ve invested heavily in technology at BLASTmedia to help us execute, measure, and report more efficiently and effectively. 

My favorite tool currently is Propel, which is a CRM for PR (or, as they call it, a PRM tool – public relations management.) Through it, we can provide our clients with a real-time dashboard of results and activity, allowing a level of transparency they appreciate. In addition, we use the Propel platform data to analyze the overall performance of our agency and teams, allowing for more data-driven decisions. 

What excites you most about the future of communications?

The one constant in this industry is change…which I love! It is never stagnant and I’m one of those people who finds fun in the chaos. What excites me the most about the future is the heightened role of communications, which has evolved from a strictly marketing function to a more corporate strategy level. 

As the line between internal and external comms has been erased, comms pros are being looked at to help shape overall corporate perception – being tapped for executive commentary oversight, supporting employer brand, and ensuring internal messaging (which we all know can end up public in a millisecond) is on point. Comms has hit true baller status, and it’s awesome. 

What communications challenge keeps you up at night?      

Truthfully, I sleep really well at night. Once my head hits the pillow and my body recognizes it’s time to shut off, I have no problem falling or staying asleep – which I know is a gift. What does weigh on my mind is staying relevant in a rapidly evolving media space. From an agency management standpoint, we’re constantly looking at whether we’re offering the right mix of services, is what we do today going to be relevant in two years, and how can we add more value to our clients. It’s a good challenge to have and one that we examine every year during agency planning.                                                                                                 

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in your career?

Finding the balance between the demands of motherhood and work. I had twins my first go around, which was an interesting challenge in and of itself, and then another son nearly nine years later. What I’ve learned is that you 100% can have it all, but it is impossible to do it all well 100% of the time…and that’s OK! Once I accepted that there would be weeks where I was an A+ mom, but a B player at work and vice versa the next week, my mental and emotional capacity was more manageable and I performed higher on all levels. 

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

It’s from my dad, which is “don’t panic.” This mantra allows me to stay calm in stressful situations or times of sudden change, focus on what I can control, and look forward versus backward. I’ve been told it’s one of my superpowers, and I’m proud of that. 

Isis Simpson-Mersha is a conference producer/ reporter for Ragan. Follow her on LinkedIn.