"Referrals Are the Byproduct of Doing Excellent Work": Jen Rogers and Lori Jung on Co-Founding Hudson West, Getting Clients on The Today Show and The New York Times, and Building a Bicoastal Agency on Reputation Alone

Jen Rogers and Lori Jung co-founded Hudson West in 2012 - not in a boardroom, but at their daughters' swim lessons. Both had just relocated from New York City to Scottsdale, Arizona, and once they realized they were in the same industry, the idea came quickly. What followed was over a decade of building one of the rare female-owned PR agencies operating entirely on reputation-based referrals, with a 100% female team and a bicoastal presence spanning Scottsdale and Brooklyn.

Jen brings a background in entertainment and broadcast PR, having worked at Sony Pictures Television on shows like "Seinfeld" and "Breaking Bad," and becoming an Emmy-nominated producer along the way. Lori is a veteran consumer and lifestyle publicist with 20+ years of experience placing clients in outlets including The Today Show, The New York Times, Food Network, GQ, Sports Illustrated, and Better Homes & Gardens.

Together, they've built Hudson West into an agency known for its reporter-first approach, deep media relationships, and a philosophy that great PR amplifies a story - it doesn't manufacture one. In this conversation, Jen and Lori share how they grew a business entirely through referrals, what actually gets clients national media coverage, and how their yin-and-yang partnership has been the foundation of it all.

Building Hudson West on Referrals Only Since 2012 - Why You Don't Do Outbound Sales and How That Actually Works

Q: You've operated solely on reputation-based referrals since 2012 - no outbound sales, no cold pitching for clients. For female founders building service businesses, how did you get to the point where you could rely entirely on referrals? What did the early days look like before you had that reputation built? What's your advice for entrepreneurs who want to build referral-based businesses but need clients now?

A: When we started Hudson West in 2012, the idea wasn’t that we would only grow through referrals. The reality was simply that the first opportunities came from the relationships we had built over the years working in the industry. Former colleagues, past clients, and people who had seen our work were the ones who trusted us first.

Those early years were about proving ourselves all over again, but this time as founders. We took on projects that allowed us to demonstrate how we worked, how we thought about brand storytelling, and how seriously we took the responsibility of representing someone’s business or brand.

Over time, something interesting happened. Instead of spending energy chasing new business, the work itself started generating introductions. Clients would finish a launch or campaign and say, “You should talk to Hudson West.” Those introductions carried far more credibility than any outbound sales effort ever could.

At a certain point, we made a conscious decision not to build the agency through cold outreach. Public relations is fundamentally a relationship business. If someone is trusting you with their brand and reputation, the strongest starting point is often a trusted introduction.

Today, almost every new conversation begins with someone saying they were referred to us by a client, founder, or publicist who has worked with us before.

For founders building service businesses, our advice is that referrals are the byproduct of doing excellent work consistently. In the early days, you still have to earn that reputation one project at a time. Focus on delivering results people talk about when you’re not in the room. If you take care of the work and the relationships, referrals tend to follow.

The Honest Truth About What Gets Clients on Today Show, Food Network, and NYT (and What Doesn't)

Q: Between you, you've placed clients on The Today Show, Food Network, in The New York Times, GQ, Sports Illustrated, Better Homes & Gardens, and across major outlets. For female founders trying to get national media coverage, what do most people get wrong about pitching to major outlets? What actually makes a pitch land with producers and editors versus get ignored? How should founders know if their business is actually ready for national press versus still too early?

A: One of the biggest misconceptions founders have is that national media coverage is about how exciting their company is.

Editors and producers are not looking for businesses. They are looking for stories that serve their audience.

When a producer at the TODAY show reviews a pitch, they are asking whether the segment will resonate with millions of viewers that morning. A reporter at The New York Times is thinking about the broader cultural or industry conversation their readers care about. The brand itself is likely only one part of that story.

The pitches that land usually have three things in common.

First, they are timely. There is a clear reason the story matters right now.

Second, they are audience-driven. The pitch explains what the reader or viewer gains from the story.

Third, they are credible. Founders often reach out to national media before they’ve built enough traction or proof points. Media wants to see momentum, expertise, or a clear point of view within a larger trend.

Where founders struggle most is pitching too early or making the story entirely about their company. National media is rarely interested in a product alone. They are interested in the broader narrative the product represents.

In our experience, the brands that secure national coverage usually have something larger happening around them:  a compelling perspective, cultural relevance such as a launch or newsworthy story, or a role in a trend that journalists are already covering.

Public relations doesn’t create a story out of nothing. It helps amplify the story when it’s ready.

Co-Founding a Bicoastal Agency While Splitting Time Between Scottsdale and Brooklyn - How You Actually Make It Work

Q: You run a bicoastal operation with Jen between Scottsdale and New York, and Lori based in Brooklyn. For female founders considering co-founding businesses or working with remote partners, what makes a co-founder partnership actually work versus fall apart? How do you divide responsibilities, handle difficult decisions, and maintain the relationship when you're not in the same city? What's your advice for women considering going into business with a partner?

A: When we started Hudson West, we were both navigating the realities of raising young families while building careers in an industry that rarely runs on a traditional schedule. The agency grew at the same time our lives were evolving, which is part of why flexibility became central to how we operate.

Our partnership works because we share the same values about how we want to build the business and how we want to treat the people we work with. That alignment matters far more than geography.

We also have complementary strengths. We don’t approach every decision the same way, and that’s been an advantage. It allows us to divide responsibilities naturally while still staying closely aligned on strategy and major client relationships.

Running a bicoastal agency between Scottsdale and New York has actually strengthened the business. Being in different time zones helps tremendously. Our clients operate across the country and internationally, with some as much as twelve hours ahead, so the ability to think and work across different time zones is a real advantage.

It also means we can stay incredibly responsive. Whether it’s the right moment to pitch a producer, follow up with a journalist, or jump on an opportunity that moves quickly, someone from our team is always available. Public relations often moves in real time, and that kind of coverage window doesn’t always fall neatly into one workday.

What keeps it all working is constant communication. We talk frequently about client work, strategy, team dynamics, and the long-term direction of the agency. That communication keeps decisions aligned even when we’re not physically in the same place.

For women considering going into business with a partner, our advice is to focus first on values and trust. Skills can complement each other, but the underlying philosophy about how you run a company has to match. You need the confidence that each person can operate independently while still building the same vision together.

When that foundation is there, distance becomes much less important.

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