Founder Interview With Caitlin Copple, Full Swing Public Relations
Photo credit: Full Swing Public Relations
Caitlin Copple is the Founder of Full Swing Public Relations, a rapidly growing PR firm dedicated to elevating underrepresented voices and shifting who holds wealth and power in the United States. Launched in 2019, the company has scaled past seven figures in under four years and now includes a team of seven employees and several contractors, with clients nationwide. Caitlin, a longtime communications professional and activist, founded the business with the mission of amplifying the stories of women, LGBTQ+ leaders, and other communities that have been historically excluded from mainstream narratives. Today, alongside her business partner and co-owner, Holly Conti, Caitlin leads Full Swing with a focus on impact, equity, and authenticity.
During our interview, Caitlin shared the inspiring story of launching Full Swing in a single weekend, while being the mother of a two-year-old, and how her feminist mission fueled the company’s rapid growth. She spoke candidly about the challenges of building a business in Idaho, a state with openly hostile policies toward women and LGBTQ+ people, and why she and her team are committed to standing up for equity. Caitlin also offered powerful advice for LGBTQ+ service providers on how to build relationships and speak up, and even shared a fun fact about her personal journey.
Check out the interview below!
Can you walk us through your personal and professional journey?
I started Full Swing Public Relations in 2019 on a weekend. I had just quit my previous job at a branding agency, and as the mom of a then-two-year-old, I knew I had to make something happen quickly to support my family. I’d been in the communications field for a decade and had a strong network. Thanks to that, many friends helped me get my website, photos, and infrastructure up and running quickly. By the end of my second week, I already had three clients, and within five months, I’d made back my old salary.
“I learned that only 2% of women-owned businesses ever scale past seven figures (and they don’t even track LGBTQ+ owned businesses), so I decided to make it my feminist mission to do the damn thing.”
I recruited my dear friend and former colleague, Holly Conti, to join as our first employee a year later, and she is now a 50% owner of the company. We scaled past $1 million in under four years while raising our children and building our lives and business on our own terms. We have a team of seven employees and several contractors, serving clients who do incredible work all over the country. We're proud to have made the Inc. Regionals list for 193% growth in 2024 and 159% growth in 2025.
What inspired you to offer the services Full Swing provides?
We need to change who holds wealth and power in the United States, and that starts by changing whose story counts, and who gets to be seen as an industry expert or a leader. My work in nonprofits, activism, and philanthropy in my 20s, as well as becoming the first openly queer person elected to the Missoula, MT, City Council, informs how I see the world. I strive to elevate those who have historically been left out of the public conversation.
“I believe that when more queer business owners get out of their own way and step into visibility, we have a better shot at creating a brighter future for the next generation.”
A major reason I started my business was to have control over my schedule and spend more quality time with my child. I initially envisioned myself as a freelancer or solopreneur, aiming for the flexibility to work during what are now our school hours so I could be present the rest of the day. Luckily, I have a lot of family in Boise, Idaho, which is partly why I chose to live here, and the grandmas have been incredibly helpful with childcare. My goal was always to work during those hours so I could truly be there for her when it mattered most. That’s the beauty of building this on my own terms: I was able to show up as a parent exactly how I wanted, thanks to the freedom my business affords.
What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your journey as a service provider, and what did you do to overcome this?
I am a fourth-generation Idahoan. I live in Boise, ID, a blue dot in one of the reddest states in the country. The Idaho Legislature and our federal delegation support anti-LBGTQ legislation, and we have one of the worst trigger bans in the nation that criminalizes abortion in almost all cases. The "mainstream" business community or chambers of commerce rarely support anything related to LGBTQ+ civil rights.
I love Idaho's mountains, rivers, and the high desert, but I hate the extremist politics, which have gotten much worse in the past 20 years. Idaho's laws are forcing queer people and their families to flee; women needing lifesaving abortion care have been airlifted to Utah. I wouldn't say I am overcoming this challenge, but I speak out often, including about our policy to pay for women and trans people who work for us to leave their state to get medically necessary care.
Full Swing also frequently takes on advocacy clients who are helping make our state a less harmful place for women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community. I’m proud of our PR work supporting a young survivor who spoke out about sexual assault by a public official. Our efforts helped ensure her story was told responsibly and that justice was ultimately served.
How does being openly queer inspire or impact your business?
I started this business so I could be who I am where I am. That's why Full Swing doesn't target clients in Idaho. Those who want to work with us find us, but we aren't economically tied to this state that is openly hostile to people like me. Our employees are based in NY, LA, and Seattle. Our clients are also located all over. This gives me the freedom to travel often, which I love. It also reminds me that the vast majority of people don't think like the Christian nationalists who control Idaho's state government and want to criminalize and erase queer people.
Photo Credit: Full Swing PR
If you could give one piece of advice to future LGBTQ+ service providers within your field, what would it be?
Let people know you. That's the only way we change hearts and minds. I have many conversations with people who don't have close relationships with members of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly those who are trans and non-binary.
“If it's safe to come out and share your story, do it, because that's what moves people to vote better and be better.”
Relationship-building isn’t just about community engagement—it’s a strategic tool for advocacy and change. I’ve found that letting people know who you are and sharing your story is what truly moves hearts and minds, especially among those who don’t have close relationships with LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly those who are trans and non-binary.
For example, when I was on the Missoula City Council at 27, I befriended the two Republicans out of 12 councilmembers. It was around 2012, when no city in the Rocky Mountain West had a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index. I made it my mission to get to know them, especially Dick Haines. We would go to the shooting range, talk about everything, and slowly build trust. Those relationships were instrumental in convincing them to support policies beyond just the nondiscrimination ordinance.
As a publicist, I’ve seen the same principles hold true when working with reporters and editors. If something impacting the queer community happens in Montana or Idaho, I’m often the person they call—because I’ve consistently shown up in that space. It’s always been natural for me to connect people, help solve problems, and be a resource. I genuinely enjoy it. Whether it benefits me, someone else, or no one in particular, I believe it’s just the right thing to do.
”My networking also stems from decades of volunteering and activism in my 20s and 30s. If someone asks to grab coffee or pick my brain, I always try to say yes. Those conversations and opportunities often lead to doors I never expected, because I believe in being open and supportive, even when it’s just about helping others.”
I want to challenge those of us in the professional space who hold privilege, those with the platform and voice but who haven’t yet taken significant risks for the queer community to step up more. Yes, it can be intimidating or scary, but this is the moment. No one else is coming to save us.
What brands or services by LGBTQ+ founders are your go-to's and why?
I love Wildfang's jumpsuits and vests. My friend Mel Brittner Wells in Missoula has a rad swimwear brand called Beefcake. My sweetheart, Allison Bryan, is the owner of a badass architecture and design firm in Bozeman, MT, called Physical Space.
Who is your favorite LGBTQ+ celebrity?
I admire Janelle Monae a lot and love her music. It's been amazing to see musicians like Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish be open about who they are in a way that is loud, fun, and happy – that was not really happening when I was growing up.
Can you share one fun fact about yourself?
I’m currently studying to become a private pilot. I've gotten past my solo with flying now so am getting closer to getting my private pilot license. I can report landing is not so hard now! I flew from Boise to Bozeman. Flying doesn’t make me nervous and I have a healthy respect for it.
