Krystin Olinski, 34

Sept. 7, Labor Day, was not only a holiday for Krystin Olinski, but it was also the 10-year anniversary of the date she joined PRESS PR + Marketing. A decade with the same firm is not unheard of in the fast-paced world of public relations, marketing and advertising, but it takes a certain personality to keep from seeking what might seem to be greener grass on the other side of the fence. 

“I’m a loyalist,” Olinski says, “one of the few in the marketing department who sticks around.” 

Olinski says there are good reasons for why she hasn’t pursued other opportunities or even left to start her own firm, using the term “intrapreneur” to describe her approach to her role at PRESS. The company, with Olinski's decade-long colleague Holly Clifford Corral, the firm president, leading the way, handles a wide variety of clients, from entertainment to development.  

“What’s fascinating about where I work, and I think one of the reasons why I've been here so long — and it's a testament to this agency — is I have the autonomy, flexibility and freedom to be able to pursue the things that get me excited and unleash my passion. So as much as I could say, ‘Oh, it would have been fun to do X, Y or Z,’ I have that capability here, and so does everybody else I work with.”

The PRESS approach, she adds, means that “if you're passionate about, you know, digital content strategy, then by all means, let's explore that and see if it’s something that we can offer our clients. And so I think that that level of being able to call something your own and explore what you like has kept me here for so long.”

Being an intrapreneur, Olinski says, also means she feels less pressure and can concentrate on meeting goals she finds most fulfilling. “They say that when you own your own place, you do twice the work for half the money,” she says. 

Pandemic aside, 2020 has been a net-positive year for Olinski. She bought a house and a week later got engaged, but like a lot of plans made this year, a wedding isn’t in the cards just yet. 

“If this year has taught me anything,” she says, “it's that you can try as much as you want, but you just never know what's going to happen. I mean, I am happy where I'm at, but who knows where the world will take us.”

Name: Krystin Olinski

Age: 34

City of residence: Tampa

Employer: PRESS PR + Marketing

Title: Director

Birthplace: Tampa

Years on the Gulf Coast: 31

Marital status/children: Single

Alma mater/degree: Florida State University/bachelor of arts in communication; Florida State University/master of science in integrated marketing communication

What community group or organization are you most involved with? University of Tampa

What's the weirdest job you've ever had? Laying tile with my uncle

What's your top tip for being productive? My top tip for productivity is to have a clean and organized workspace. My work area has zero clutter and shows off items that bring me joy (like art or family photos). From there, I listen to instrumental music typically house or coffee shop style music to help get me in the zone. Oh, and a lot of caffeine ;)

If you could have a side hustle, what would it be? I currently have a side hustle as an adjunct at the University of Tampa, but I would love to become a beekeeper.

What's your favorite off-hours activity? My hobby is trying out new restaurants. I have a running list of restaurants divided by neighborhood. I love trying out new places and returning to old favorites!

What's your favorite board game, game show or video game? Jeopardy!

What’s your go-to delivery service (DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub, Bite Squad, etc.)? I never order from delivery services because of all the fees. I'll usually pick it up or scrounge through the fridge.

What do you use most — Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams or Google Meetings? Zoom

What’s the best binge-worthy show you have enjoyed during the pandemic? I'm not a huge TV watcher, but I love all of the documentaries on NatGeo

What’s the longest virtual meeting you’ve been on since mid-March? Two hours but it was with my coworkers and it was so great to see them and catch up.

How many times had you used video for a work meeting prior to the pandemic? I never used video before the pandemic, but now I love it!

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned during the pandemic? To roll with the punches. The pandemic showed me that you can make plans all you want, but there are so many factors you can't account for including a worldwide pandemic! All you can do is what you can do. If one thing doesn't work out, it's on to the next. So many trips, weddings and baby showers were canceled, but you try to make the best of it.

Another thing that became so much more prevalent post-pandemic, is that everyone is having to make hard decisions and we are all making choices we feel are the best decisions for our families, careers and lives.

What do you miss most about the world pre-pandemic? Traveling! Normally, we would travel to explore new cities and countries or to visit family and friends. Obviously, this year that's out of the question. We have been exploring nearby parks and natural places. We even took up Stand Up Paddleboarding. It's been nice to rediscover my home state.

What have you been spending more time doing during the pandemic? I have spent more time working out and exercising than pre-pandemic. Before the gyms reopened, I started running again. Once the gyms reopened, I take a cycle or HIIT class 4-5 times per week. It's been a really great stress reliever.

Do you prefer working from home or working from an office? Both have their perks. I love how productive I am working from home, but you can't beat the ease of communication while working in an office. 

How have you kept up camaraderie with colleagues during the pandemic? During the Safer At Home order, we would have Zoom calls two to three times per week with the whole office. This would let us collaborate better and also give us an opportunity to reconnect. We even had a few Zoom happy hours and virtual birthdays.

What’s the first thing you’ll do after the pandemic? Take a trip to literally anywhere. We had trips planned during the year that were canceled that we would like to actually take.