PR Pros: Anna Kreynes Of Conscious Living PR On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro
…Empathy. I think empathy is the foundation of everything good in the world. If everyone could just be a little more empathetic, it would make such a difference. It’s okay to empathize with one group and also extend that empathy to another. What I mean is, discounting one group of people just because you’ve discovered empathy for another group more quickly doesn’t benefit the greater good. It actually limits us as a society. If I could sprinkle a bit more empathy across the world, I think it would be the greatest tool we have to create a better society — whether it’s within the entertainment industry or the world at large…
I had the pleasure of talking with Anna Kreynes. Anna is a seasoned public relations professional with nearly two decades of experience in media strategy, communications, and branding. Currently serving as Head of Talent at Conscious Living PR, she has developed a reputation for crafting innovative campaigns and guiding clients through the complexities of traditional, digital, and social media landscapes. Her expertise spans entertainment, business, and lifestyle sectors, with a focus on building authentic public profiles and robust digital footprints for her clients.
Born in Russia, Kreynes immigrated to the United States in the 1990s with her family, settling in Los Angeles. Growing up in the city where she currently resides, she attended San Francisco State University, where she majored in Communications. The energy and passion of the faculty in the communications department solidified her career aspirations in public relations. Early influences, including a fascination with celebrity culture and media, coupled with inspiration from fictional characters like Samantha Jones of Sex and the City, helped shape her professional trajectory.
Kreynes began her career as an intern at Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis (known then simply as Sunshine Sachs), a prominent PR firm, where she gained firsthand experience working on high-profile events such as the Golden Globes. Her responsibilities as a runner on the red carpet exposed her to the intricate coordination required to execute large-scale events, an experience she describes as pivotal in her early career. This entry point into PR led to a series of opportunities, including a position at Much and House PR, where she quickly advanced from intern to assistant. At the firm, she managed campaigns and events for a variety of clients, refining her skills in media relations, event logistics, and talent coordination.
Throughout her career, Kreynes has cultivated a results-driven approach, balancing creativity with meticulous attention to detail. She emphasizes the importance of clear communication and organizational skills in her work, recognizing the high stakes of managing press tours, red carpets, and media campaigns. Kreynes has successfully supported talent across entertainment, including Carrie Preston of CBS’s Elsbeth and Wendi McLendon-Covey of NBC’s St. Denis Medical, coordinating press appearances and securing coverage for talent in major outlets such as The New York Times and Good Morning America.
A proponent of relationship-building, Kreynes believes respect and empathy are critical in the public relations industry. She values fostering strong connections with clients, journalists, and colleagues, understanding the long-term benefits of nurturing professional networks. Reflecting on her journey, Kreynes often mentors junior publicists, sharing lessons learned from her own early missteps, such as the importance of time zone accuracy in scheduling — a detail that she insists is crucial in avoiding costly errors.
Kreynes also takes pride in her work with socially conscious initiatives, such as her collaboration with The Thirst Project, a nonprofit dedicated to providing clean water to communities in need. Her involvement in such projects underscores her commitment to aligning her professional efforts with meaningful causes.
As Head of Talent at Conscious Living PR, Kreynes oversees a diverse portfolio of clients, leveraging her background to elevate their visibility and craft compelling narratives. Her dual focus on strategic thinking and personal connection allows her to navigate the evolving media landscape with a balance of innovation and reliability.
It’s amazing to meet you again. Before we dive in, I’d love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you share the story of your childhood and how you grew up?
I was born in Russia, and I moved here with my family in the ’90s when the “gates” opened for mass emigration. We embarked on this journey to Los Angeles. We already had family here and in New York, so it was just a matter of choosing between the two coasts.
Long story short, because I was five years old and don’t remember too much, we ended up in Los Angeles. I grew up here, had all my formal education here, and I’m still here. I love Los Angeles. I’m happy to be here with my family, my work, and all my friends.
So tell us the story of what brought you to this career as a public relations professional?
That’s a great question. I get asked that a lot, and my answer has evolved over time. As I reflect on my journey through high school, college, my interests, passions, and the conversations I had with my friends, I realized that my earliest inclination towards this career probably came from my obsession with weekly magazines and Perez Hilton. I spent so much time reading celebrity news and keeping up with what was going on, without really understanding how those stories were created or what it took for them to get published. I didn’t know the difference between how story coverage worked in magazines like the weeklies for celebrity news and The New York Times.
Looking back, that was probably my first hint of interest in this side of the industry. And honestly, I have to admit that Samantha Jones from Sex and the City was a big influence on me. That show came out during a formative time in my life, and I was deeply impacted by what I watched, read, and how I consumed media. Samantha was one of those characters who, on some subconscious level, shaped how I saw women in business — what it meant to be strong, independent, and influential in your career, your friendships, and your family life.
As fans of the series know, Samantha is a publicist who works on events in New York and represents celebrities. So, on some level, young me was probably influenced by her without even realizing it at the time!
So can you tell us the story of how that developed? We know what influenced you, but how did it evolve? Did you get training as a publicist? What was your first job, and how did you get from there to where you are now?
I studied Communications in college at San Francisco State University, and I really fell in love with the communications department there. I had tried various courses — geology was almost my major at one point because I really enjoyed Geology 101. I also took business classes, math classes, and explored a lot of different fields. But the passion and energy I felt from the professors in the communications department were unmatched by any other department.
I ended up really enjoying the classes I took, like public speaking and everything else related to the major. So, I decided to pursue communications and very early on knew I wanted to work in publicity.
I got really lucky right out of college. One of my college roommate’s high school friends was an assistant at a company in Los Angeles called Sunshine Sachs. At the time, they had just opened their LA office and were looking for interns. Through that connection, I landed an internship there. It was such a fortunate break for me.
While I was there, I made sure to take full advantage of the opportunity. I was told: You’re here for three months, so use this time to figure out your next step. Use our resources to research companies, clients, and the culture of the industry. Sunshine Sachs, as many know, is a very influential company. They had just hired new assistants, and I knew I wasn’t experienced enough to step into a full-time assistant role there.
So, after my internship ended, I took a proactive approach. I was fresh out of college and still in that “presentation mode” mentality, so I printed out my resume, placed it in clear folders with my name and a cover sheet on the front, and spent a full day going door-to-door. I had compiled a list of every entertainment and fashion PR company in Los Angeles and visited each one in person to drop off my resume.
There were a couple of exceptions — like two companies at the Pacific Design Center which had more strict security to gain access to their offices directly. But for most places, I showed up face-to-face and handed in my resume.
One of the companies I stopped by was Much and House Public Relations. At the time, they had two divisions: entertainment and lifestyle and the breakout-talent department needed an intern.
I started as an intern there, and soon after, the assistant in that department quit. That opened the door for me to take on a part-time assistant role, and from there, everything started to fall into place. It all grew from that moment.
So you have some amazing stories from all the different people you’ve worked with in your career in entertainment PR. Can you share with the readers one or two stories that stand out in your mind?
The first one would have to be the biggest thing I had ever done at the time, fresh on the PR scene interning at Sunshine Sachs during the Golden Globes. The entire company came together to help with this massive red carpet event.
As an intern, I was assigned to be a runner for one of the photographers on the carpet. My job was to grab memory cards, take them backstage to their editor, and then bring back fresh memory cards so they could load more images from the red carpet. Watching the entire event and process unfold from start to finish was fascinating, especially as someone who was brand new to the field. I had no idea how any of it worked — what it took to create such an event or how to get all that content out to the world.
It was incredible to see the flow of the carpet, the movement, and all the intricate pieces that had to come together to make sure everything was executed at the highest level.
Being backstage, watching the winners in the press room, and then going back to the office on Monday to pull all the media clips and create the EPK (Electronic Press Kit) was an eye-opening experience. I still remember seeing myself in the background of Colin Firth’s photo in the LA Times. He had just won for his role in The King’s Speech. I actually bought that edition of the paper because I’m right there in the background of the photo!
It was such a cool memory — being brand new to the field and experiencing something so huge for the first time. It’s definitely a story that has stayed with me.
Another memory that stands out — and one that really shaped my understanding of the job as I continued to grow in it — was the first time I was given the responsibility of running a red carpet and an event all by myself.
This was when I was at Much and House PR, and we were working with an organization called The Thirst Project, run by Seth Maxwell. The Thirst Project is dedicated to bringing clean water to developing countries, and they were hosting a fundraiser-type event on the Santa Monica Pier.
There was a small red carpet, a step-and-repeat, and everything you’d expect for an event like that. At that company, when we worked on events, we really handled them from start to finish. We figured out the budgeting for our clients, the sizing of the step-and-repeat, the logistics of the carpet, the press outreach, and the celebrity invites. It was a serious, full-service operation — which, to be honest, was a lot to take on.
But this particular event was relatively small, and I was essentially told, “Run with it.” So to have that kind of responsibility, especially for my first solo event, was an exciting (and slightly nerve-wracking) challenge. It was also an unconventional location — the Santa Monica Pier isn’t exactly a common place for events.
When you do something there, you have to account for permits, figure out where everything is going to be set up, consider safety concerns, and even plan around the tourists who will be on the pier at the same time. Questions like, “Does this time of day make sense for the event?” or “Is this the right day of the week?” all come into play.
That experience stands out because it was the first time someone handed me an event and said, “This is all you. Enjoy, have fun, and figure it out.” And it went really well!
I still have the behind-the-scenes photos, and I can picture everything so clearly. If I walked onto the Santa Monica Pier today, I could point out exactly where the step-and-repeat was, where the tables were set up, and where the stage was.
That event made a huge impact on me as someone who was just starting out in the industry. It was a moment that proved to me that I could handle the responsibility and pull something off successfully.
It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a humorous mistake you made when you were first starting in PR and the lesson you learned from it?
You don’t really stop making mistakes. I think anyone who claims they’re perfect or that they’ve stopped making mistakes because they’ve reached a certain level in PR is lying. The reality is, as you move up, the mistakes just fall on the people below you.
I can’t think of one specific mistake that stands out, but I’d say mistakes overall are our greatest teachers because they show us exactly what not to do next time. It’s interesting now to oversee junior publicists or assistants because I’ll see them making the same mistakes I once made. And I’m able to guide them because I’ve been there.
One example that comes to mind is something as simple as remembering to include the correct time zone in your emails when you’re scheduling something. It sounds small, but it’s such a big deal in PR, especially these days. You don’t always know where people are — everyone’s traveling, working remotely, or moving between cities. Forgetting to specify PST versus EST can completely derail an entire press day.
I vividly remember making that mistake early on. I didn’t include a time zone in an email, and it threw off an entire schedule. After that, I promised myself I’d never forget to add the time zone again. And now, when I’m mentoring junior staff, I always emphasize this.
I’ll tell them, “Even if you think you know where someone is — like, you’re sure they’re in Los Angeles or New York — just add the time zone. Every single time.” It’s such a simple thing, but it can save you from so many headaches. Depending on the client, some might not care as much, but others can be very particular, and something as small as a scheduling error can create unnecessary stress.
Avoiding those avoidable mistakes, like a time zone misstep, can really set you up for success — especially on a high-stakes press day. It’s a small detail, but it makes a huge difference.
You have such great work. Can you share with our readers some of the exciting projects that you’re working on now?
Yes, there are quite a few, actually! I work with a lot of wonderful entertainment and celebrity clients, and this year has been especially exciting.
For example, we kicked off 2024 in a really beautiful way by working with Carrie Preston from CBS’s Elsbeth. She’s been playing this character for over a decade, and now, for the first time, she’s the lead of her own show — and the series is even named after her character! It’s been such a thrill to help her bring this press campaign to life. We worked on promoting the series in the spring when it launched, and then again this fall as season two premiered. It’s been such a quick transition, but that’s what makes it exciting. You get to experience the joy alongside the client as this beloved character is brought front and center, and it’s incredibly gratifying to be a part of that journey.
Another project I’m really excited about is working with Wendi McLendon-Covey for fall and winter 2024, which will carry into 2025 as well. Wendi is such an iconic comedy actress. She was on The Goldbergs for a decade and has become a staple in the world of comedy, both on television and in film. Now that she’s landed St. Denis Medical on NBC so quickly, it’s been amazing to work with her from the very beginning stages of the press tour for this show.
With the internet constantly growing and print media evolving (or, let’s be honest, fading), it’s amazing to see how much of an impact these two women, in particular, have on the entertainment industry. Watching their stories unfold through the media we secure for them is not just rewarding — it’s a lot of fun. Seeing the buzz build and knowing you’ve played a role in shaping how their work is presented to the world is a special kind of thrill.
So let’s now get into the main part of our interview. I think when most people think of PR, they imagine shows like Scandal, which focus on crisis PR. But for the benefit of our readers, can you explain the different types of PR?
Yeah, absolutely. It’s interesting because working for a boutique company versus a corporation really shapes your experience. At an independent agency, you’re often doing a lot more for clients, and you don’t always break it down into categories like, “This is media relations,” or “This is front-of-house versus back-of-house.” You end up wearing a lot of hats. Sometimes you deal with crisis PR.
There is also “events PR.” Larger companies sometimes divide this into subcategories. It really depends on the client’s budget and specific needs. Events PR involves things like talent wrangling, figuring out which celebrity talent will attend, and coordinating all the logistics around that. Then there’s the press component, which breaks down into three stages:
- Pre-event coverage: You work on press outreach to promote the event before it happens.
- Day-of coverage: This involves coordinating with press attending the event — like who will be on the red carpet, taking photos, and conducting interviews.
- Post-event coverage: After the event, you focus on getting press to pick up photos and any interesting stories or moments from the event.
A lot of this depends on timing. For instance, weekend editors at magazines or websites often pick up content from Friday to Sunday events.
Then there’s network PR versus personal publicists, which are quite different. Some companies separate tasks like press outreach and talent relations. Network publicists, for example, might be responsible for emailing journalists to gauge their interest in covering a celebrity or show. Meanwhile, other publicists focus entirely on working with talent — managing opportunities, budgets, press tours, and schedules.
At boutique companies, personal publicists tend to do all of this. You’re responsible for press coverage, outreach, scheduling, account maintenance, crisis management, and coordinating with networks and studios.
There’s also lifestyle PR, which covers a huge range of industries. Think travel, hospitality, food, authors, or anything else. Some companies specialize in these niches, and depending on their size, they might divide responsibilities into subcategories. For example, does one publicist handle everything for a client, or does a larger team cover different aspects of the campaign? That division of labor often depends on the budget.
Big brands like Nintendo might hire large corporations with 10–15 publicists to manage all aspects of their campaigns. They need a big team because they’re a huge company with massive campaigns. In contrast, a smaller, newer company with a limited product line might benefit more from working with a boutique agency. Smaller agencies can provide more personal attention, guiding clients who may not be familiar with how PR works or how to get press coverage.
These are just some examples of the different types of PR and how they can vary depending on the company, client, and budget. Personally, I’ve always worked with smaller, boutique agencies. It’s a unique skill set because you’re more hands-on and involved in all aspects of the campaign. That’s very different from working at a large corporation, where campaigns are broken down into multiple subcategories, with each publicist focusing on one specific part of the process.
So, this is the main part of our interview. You’ve had so much success. For someone looking to build a highly successful career in PR like you, can you share the five things they need and why?
First, strong organizational skills. You’re constantly balancing a lot of information — managing people, content, and schedules. Organization is critical to staying on top of everything.
Second, you need to be detail-oriented. This is huge. For example, something as seemingly small as mixing up time zones — EST versus PST — can derail everything. Imagine you’ve spent a month scheduling an interview, and you mess up a single detail in their schedule. It could throw everything off and, honestly, might cost you the client. It can be the difference between them hiring you for another campaign or deciding to look elsewhere.
Third, you need to be open and understanding of different personalities. This is essential because, in PR, you’ll encounter a wide variety of people with different opinions, styles, and needs. Clients come in all shapes and sizes, and if you’re not flexible and empathetic, you won’t be able to succeed in working with them or managing campaigns effectively.
Fourth, strong communication skills are key. You need to be able to clearly articulate what you mean in a way that’s easy for others to understand. Miscommunication can cause issues, so you have to ensure that your message is clear, concise, and digestible.
Fifth, honesty. This is so important. Everything you say and do in this industry has a way of coming back full circle. Being upfront, transparent, and mindful of how you communicate builds trust. Honesty also fosters stronger relationships within the team.
I think this also ties into having a team mentality. PR involves working with a lot of different people — clients, managers, publicists, journalists, editors — and they all play a role in the campaign’s success. Whether someone has five years of experience or twenty, they’re all valuable to your work.
Finally, respect and relationship building are crucial. You never know where someone will end up. That journalist you’re working with today might be the editor of Entertainment Weekly tomorrow. Building respectful, authentic relationships with everyone you meet is what keeps doors open. I’ve seen this throughout my career, and it’s something Mona Loring exemplifies really well. Over two decades, she’s consistently built and maintained relationships — with network publicists, studio publicists, journalists, managers, and more. People respect her, and they’re excited to work with her because of how she nurtures those connections. She’s a great example of how strong relationship building can take you far in this industry.
So, Anna, because of your great work and the platform you’ve built — and by the nature of your job — you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would it be?
Empathy. I think empathy is the foundation of everything good in the world. If everyone could just be a little more empathetic, it would make such a difference. It’s okay to empathize with one group and also extend that empathy to another.
What I mean is, discounting one group of people just because you’ve discovered empathy for another group more quickly doesn’t benefit the greater good. It actually limits us as a society.
If I could sprinkle a bit more empathy across the world, I think it would be the greatest tool we have to create a better society — whether it’s within the entertainment industry or the world at large.
So, how can our readers continue to follow your work? How can they engage with you, engage your services, and support you in any way?
We have our Instagram, which is the best place to stay up to date with the latest and greatest news from all of our clients.
Our company is called Conscious Living PR; that’s the main hub and represents the majority of the lifestyle clients. You can find us on Instagram at @ConsciousLivingPR. Then, we have our Talent division, which is called Conscious Hollywood, and its Instagram is @ConsciousHollywoodPR.
Those are the two best ways to stay in the know about everything we’re working on. You can also message us directly through the company pages if someone is interested in our services.
Personally, I have a fun little Instagram that I update from time to time with highlights of my PR experiences. It’s @AnnaKrnsPR.
Those are the best ways to follow along and connect!
Amazing. It’s been so great to get to know you, and I hope we can do this again sometime.
Thank you, thank you!
PR Pros: Anna Kreynes Of Conscious Living PR On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.