Kristen Pucci faced obstacles in male dominated industry; grew to success

Kristen Pucci started a brand management company after losing her job during COVID.

She quickly found herself in a male dominated world.

“I started with a niche in construction because that’s what I knew,” she said of her first customer base.

Pucci, 30, who graduated from York College with a degree in marketing, did her senior project with a large construction firm in York.

Aftef graduation, she landed a job in marketing with a construction company and found herself drawn to the industry.

“I loved the people and the grit,” she said.

When she started Krae Consulting in January 2021, Pucci said naturally her first clients were in construction, architecture and related fields.

“As a woman, I faced a lot of hurdles,” Pucci said. “Women tend to be emotional but in a male dominated world, I had to learn to be logical.”

That was an important lesson for Pucci who said she had a string of bad managers who made her feel they weren’t safe.

“Young females deal with sexual harassment and part of me felt men were not safe,” Pucci said. “I have two brothers and they didn’t have the same experience.”

Pucci said it took her working for good managers that made her realize men can be supportive.

“It was a huge hurdle and through therapy to work through it, I realized what was holding me back,” she said.

“I believe my resilience and ability to adapt has helped me face every challenge that has come my way in business ownership,” she said.

That resilience has led Pucci to grow Krae Consulting, which specializes in branding, websites and marketing for high profile companies, to a successful operation with 35 consistent clients and numerous one-time projects.

Her success has led her to partner with other companies to complete tasks. Just last month, after working with Dane Fahnestock, founder of Recruiting Caddies, she became a partner in his firm.

Pucci explained that Krae Consulting did recruiting for a while until the business got so busy, she started turning to Fahnestock for that task.

“I know the people who have positions and he has the recruiters, so it is a Yin Yang relationship,” she said.

Pucci, who has three employees and numerous relationships with other area businesses, defines Krae Consulting as a brand management firm.

“We do branding, websites and marketing,” she said. “We help represent a company anywhere their logo is.”

Pucci said her company revamps or even restarts a company’s image.

“A lot goes into it. It’s about how you make people feel. Our slogan is ‘We build connections,’” she said.

Those connections are both with the clients and with her industry partners.

“We’ve created an ecosystem of clients that help each other. It’s not about making something look pretty, but how to grow your business, how you look in the community and how to win,” she said.

In addition to her new partnership with Fahnestock, Pucci is branching out into the talent industry.

“I’ve started working with mid-sized celebrities that have talent but don’t know what to do with it,” she said. “I have the business mind to grow their business so they can be creative.”

Her first client, Rae Ripple, a Texas welder and artist, reached out to Pucci because she needed a brand.

“She is one of the world’s top metal artists,” she said. “It was a natural fit because it is construction. Instead of building structures, she creates sculptures.”

Pucci said working with Ripple taught her how to navigate the entertainment industry, booking engagements and promoting their talent.

Ripple has been on Metal Shop Masters on Netflix and Discovery Channel’s Monster Garage, both competition shows.

“I have a passion for business and am excited for a life that is honest and ethical,” Pucci said of her business today. “I want feedback so I know how I can support you.”

To that end, Pucci said Krae Consulting focuses on strategies that grow companies and talent in a meaningful way.

“There is a difference in what we do and a reason behind what we do. We draw very clear lines about what you are getting with consulting, marketing, branding and promotion,” she said. “The ‘consultant’ word is important because you get feedback”

Pucci said she can do that by learning about the company’s world, values and story.

“I write the story and push it into the world and make people see it.”