From Fast Food to PR Firm Owner at 26: What Whitney Lee Teaches Us About Hospitality PR, Agency Ownership & Betting on Yourself
If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to build a successful PR agency from the ground up — with no big-city advantage, no corporate safety net, and no blueprint — Whitney Lee’s story is the one you need to hear.
Whitney is the founder of True Story PR, an award-winning hospitality and travel PR agency based in Destin, Florida. She holds both the APR and CPRC designations — the highest credentials in the public relations industry — and has been named Woman of the Year in PR four consecutive years by Scarlett Magazine. With 13 years of agency ownership under her belt, she is one of the most recognized voices in hospitality PR and a sought-after keynote speaker on earned media, brand visibility, and what it means to lead as a woman in communications.
In her recent appearance on the Brandinc PR Podcast, Whitney broke down the journey, the strategy, and the mindset that built it all.
How Hospitality PR Is Different — And Why It Demands a Specialist
Hospitality and travel PR is one of the most relationship-driven, experience-dependent niches in the communications industry. Earned media in this space isn’t just about press releases and pitches — it’s about understanding how travelers make decisions, how hotel and restaurant brands build loyalty, and how to position a property or destination in a way that converts curiosity into bookings.
Whitney built her expertise from the inside out, starting her career in hospitality operations at 16 and working her way up to Director of Marketing for the number one revenue-generating Hilton franchise in the world — where she managed a $500,000 marketing budget before the age of 26. That operational foundation is what separates her approach to hospitality PR from agencies that work in the space without ever having lived it.
What It Really Takes to Start a PR Agency From Scratch
One of the most searched questions in the communications industry is some version of “how do I start my own PR agency” — and Whitney’s answer is more honest than most people are ready for.
She walked away from a high-level corporate role at 26 and launched True Story PR in Destin, Florida — not a major media market, not a hub for agency culture, but a beach town where she had to build her reputation, her client base, and her systems entirely from the ground up. Thirteen years later, her firm is nationally recognized and her client roster spans some of the most compelling brands in hospitality and travel.
Her key insight for aspiring agency owners: sustainability comes from strategy, not speed. The PR firms that last are the ones built on repeatable processes, clear positioning, and a willingness to tell clients what they need to hear — not just what keeps them happy in the short term.
Women in PR: Leading With Credentials and Conviction
Women make up the majority of the public relations workforce, yet leadership at the agency and executive level still skews heavily toward men. Whitney Lee is a counterpoint to that reality — and an increasingly visible one.
Holding both the APR and CPRC is rare. Holding both while running a thriving independent agency, earning national recognition, and building a platform as a keynote speaker and podcast host is rarer still. Whitney’s career is a case study in what happens when women in PR decide to lead not just with talent but with credentials, conviction, and the courage to build something entirely their own.
For women navigating careers in communications — whether inside agencies, in-house teams, or building their own firms — her story offers both inspiration and a practical framework for what sustainable, recognized leadership actually looks like.
PR That Gets Brands Discovered and Keeps Them Unforgettable
Whitney’s agency philosophy centers on one core promise: helping brands get discovered and stay unforgettable. In a media landscape that is more fragmented than ever — spanning traditional earned media, digital platforms, and increasingly AI-driven search — that promise requires a communications strategy that goes deeper than press hits and social impressions.
Her approach blends earned media expertise with a clear understanding of how modern consumers and travelers discover brands, and what it takes to build the kind of trust and visibility that drives long-term growth.
About Whitney Lee
Whitney Lee, APR, CPRC, is the founder of True Story PR, an award-winning hospitality and travel PR agency based in Destin, Florida. She has been named Woman of the Year in PR four years running by Scarlett Magazine, one of 50 Women to Know in Florida, one of the Five Most Dynamic Women Leaders in the PR Industry, and a United Way 40 Under 40 honoree.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Resources and links below.