Jen Luecht is the co-founder of Narrative Northwest, a boutique communications agency based in Portland, Oregon. After working in traditional agencies, she decided to take the plunge and launch a new kind of agency with two other quirky, influential, intuitive women. Together, they help businesses and nonprofits in the food and beverage, travel and tourism, and conservation spaces tell their stories through words, images, video, branding, social media, business strategy, and digital marketing. We caught up with Jen to learn a little more about her childhood dreams, the risk-takers who inspire her, and how she likes to unwind after a crazy week.

Tell us a little about why you launched Narrative Northwest and what you do there today.

I decided to leave the traditional agency world and go out on my own to have a bigger impact on clients’ businesses. I also craved more room to be adaptive, and even scrappy when needed, to creatively get the job done. Although we don’t claim to know everything, it’s a powerful thing to be able to define what boundaries exist and create a world of your own making.

At Narrative Northwest, I manage our shop’s operations and business strategy, and execute work in the day-to-day at a strategic level with our clients. My goal is to be a strategic partner to the clients we serve and to support other females in the industry to reshape our communities and refine our craft.

What’s something most people don’t understand about communications and public relations?

It’s one of the most difficult, yet highly authentic ways to connect with someone. Many people believe there’s a magic PR wand out there that will solve every problem and make it rain media coverage. I wish this was true! Instead a successful PR program takes an intense level of trust between the client and agency, and patience in a strategy that will take time (and lots of effort) to complete.

When you were ten, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A scuba diver or run for office! I believe the ship has sailed on the former, although there’s still time for the latter…I currently do spend a lot of time behind the scenes with clients working to inform and educate the public on specific issues. This perspective is one I love and it’s a place where there’s a chance to have a lot of impact in people’s lives.

Can you tell us about an inflection point in your career – a moment that may or may not have seemed important at the time, but ended up changing the trajectory of your life?

There was a time – just before I decided to go back to graduate school – that I realized I don’t have to be, or professionally pursue, just one thing. Through life, I’ve had so many different dreams and ideas about who I want to be. But, I now know a healthy and lasting career is a fluid thing.

When it comes to professional pursuits, don’t be afraid to take risks or explore new endeavors, even if you’re unsure of where it will take you. Happiness and satisfaction means growing, evolving and adapting not only to opportunities that arise, but more importantly using your own interests and desires. There is immense beauty in being comfortable with the uncomfortable. I’ve learned to follow the tasty pieces that inspire me to create a life of my own making.

Who inspires you?

I’m inspired by the countless female entrepreneurs that we’ve encountered after starting Narrative Northwest. There is an incredible and vibrant community of fearless women in Portland who’ve decided to re-define what it means to be a business owner and leader in our city. These are women who take risks and aren’t swayed by naysayers or fear. These women lift each other up and encourage each other to never settle on old ways of doing things or on anything that doesn’t feel right.

After a really stressful week, how do you like to unwind?

Ah, it is the business owner’s constant quest to find ways to unwind and de-stress. One of my current favorite ways to unwind is in a hot bubble bath (clawfoot tub required) or outside (walking, running, sitting and gazing). The key to surviving a stressful week is remembering to set aside time for yourself – time to process the week and do something that YOU want to do.