Meet Your Growth Team 

We’re an expert, finely-tuned team of authority-builders.

GROWTH MODE is more than our name—it’s our purpose.

As a Thought Leadership Agency, we are experts at defining, establishing, and nurturing leaders’ voices to expand their influence, elevate their industries, and propel company growth. We believe that when the right voices rise, businesses thrive, industries evolve, and the world benefits.

We deliver thought leadership fueled by executive brand clarity, alignment, and media savvy.

What Sets Us Apart

A PR Approach to Thought Leadership: Our strategic, done-for-you process that transforms executives into recognized thought leaders by positioning their expertise, planning high-impact content and visibility strategies, and producing consistent timely thought leadership that drives influence, credibility, and business growth.

The Emergent Authority Framework

The GROWTH MODE Ethos

Our Ethos: We grow influence by turning real wisdom into resonant strategy—rooted in relevance and originality, built on trust, and powered by timely news, cultural moments, and the conversations that matter most.

The GROWTH Experience

Our Experience: A white-glove, collaborative service rooted in integrity—designed to elevate your unique perspective through intentional strategy, specialized expertise, and a deep respect for your knowledge.

Meet Your Thought Leader Architects

When PR expert Lexie Smith and brand strategist Hilary Hartling joined forces, they brought together decades of experience amplifying leaders and building influential brands. With Lexie’s earned media expertise and Hilary’s brand clarity and positioning prowess, they saw an opportunity to serve executives in a deeper way—by helping them turn their insights into industry influence.

Together with a team of skilled copywriters, strategists, and social media pros, GROWTH MODE delivers a streamlined, strategic approach to thought leadership—helping leaders clarify their message, elevate their voice, and grow their impact.

Because in today’s world, thought leadership isn’t just a buzzword — it’s the key to growth. And at GROWTH MODE, you don’t just join the conversation — you lead it.

  • Chief Brand Officer

    Hilary Hartling is a brand strategist, messaging expert, and 2x business owner with a career spanning Disney, entrepreneurship, and thought leadership. As the Chief Brand Officer of GROWTH MODE, she helps define, establish, and amplify corporate leaders’ voices to drive company growth. She is also the Founder and CEO of her own brand strategy consultancy, where she has spent the past eight years helping entrepreneurs craft clear, cohesive brands that attract their dream clients.

    Before launching her own business, Hilary spent 15+ years at The Walt Disney Company, leading integrated marketing & synergy initiatives for the film studio and contributing to 70 #1 opening weekend box office wins for world-renowned entertainment brands Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Touchstone, and DreamWorks while helping launch and grow multi-million and billion-dollar franchises like Toy Story, Cars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Frozen.

    In addition to consulting, she created Brandpolish Academy, an online course for entrepreneurs, is a board member of The Untold Project - a nonprofit documenting untold stories that can make a difference, and her expertise has been sought by organizations like Mattel Adventure Park, Epic Resort Destinations, HGTV, Goldman Sachs, and WICT and featured in Forbes, Thrive Global, Medium, and more. A trusted voice in brand strategy, Hilary is a frequent podcast guest, sharing her insights on some of the top 1% of podcasts in the world.

  • Chief Executive Officer

    Lexie Smith is a PR strategist, thought leadership expert, and 3x entrepreneur with a career spanning agency leadership, in-house PR, and executive roles. As the Founder and CEO of GROWTH MODE, she leads the agency’s evolution from a top-tier PR & Communications firm to a premier Thought Leadership Agency, helping leaders establish and amplify their voices to drive business growth.

    Over her 15+ year career, Lexie has held senior and executive roles at PR agencies, built and led in-house PR and marketing departments, and served as VP at one of Inc. Magazine and Financial Times’ ‘Fastest Growing Companies in America.’ Her expertise has been sought after by global organizations, and she has spoken at conferences and universities worldwide, coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives on leveraging PR and thought leadership for impact.

    Under her leadership, GROWTH MODE has helped clients secure features in Forbes, GMA, TechCrunch, Wired, Goop, Vogue, Refinery29, Travel & Leisure, Morning Brew, Elle, and Oprah, among many others. Her insights have been featured in Entrepreneur, Business Insider, NASDAQ, Crunchbase, Create & Cultivate, and more, she’s the Host of the top-ranked Pitchin' and Sippin' Podcast, and a board member for Every Day Action - a nonprofit that reallocates Hollywood's excess food to the unhoused and hungry.

Our culture is designed for us and you. 

01. Be Original

We champion original voices and authentic wisdom—never generic, never copy-paste. We believe our best work happens when we show up as our true, unfiltered selves. Creativity thrives when everyone brings their unique perspective, bold ideas, and A-game to the table.

04. Go-Getters

We bring energy, persistence, and a proactive spirit to everything we do. As a collective force, we push for excellence, take bold action, and drive rapid growth—for our clients and ourselves.

02. Hakuna Matata

We don’t dwell on problems—we focus on possibilities. With a positive, solution-oriented mindset, we embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, creativity, and innovation.

05. Thrive Inside & Out

We do our best work when we live well. By prioritizing work-life balance, we bring fresh energy, creativity, and focus to our team and clients.

03. Radical Caring

We show up for each other—with trust, honesty, and a commitment to clear communication and high-performance teamwork. We care just as deeply about our clients, supporting their growth with the same passion and dedication we bring to our own work.

06. Joy in the Journey

We take our work seriously—but never ourselves. We celebrate wins, laugh often, and create an environment where fun fuels creativity and collaboration.

Check Out Some of the Companies
Our Team has Worked With

Let’s Talk About the “Robot” in the Room

We believe AI is an incredible tool that empowers us to do what we do best. While we use technology to automate efficiencies, we rely on our decades of experience and refined expertise to deliver a premium service that no algorithm can duplicate. A robot can’t replace your unique value—and it can’t replace ours either (yet!) 🤖

A PR & Thought Leadership Agency dedicated to building executive profiles that drive real company growth through strategy, PR, social, and thought leadership content.