Astrsk PR is in the business of making startups succeed. By working to craft the right image through media relations, partnership development and more, this boutique agency helps fledgling companies flourish into not-so-fledgling industry disruptors.

The man behind the curtain is 29-year-old founder and CEO of Astrsk, Elliot Tomaeno. An entrepreneur himself, Tomaeno has a solid grasp on what fellow founders need to succeed: Since its 2012 inception, Astrsk, with Tomaeno at the helm, has helped launch over 230 companies. Now-big-name clients like Squarespace, ClassPass and Trello can attribute their success in part to Astrsk’s guidance.

Astrsk is experiencing some serious growth in tandem with the success of its clientele. The now-17-person team has nearly doubled in size over the past year and has been branching out to work with brands beyond the startup realm; feature film Ex Machina and Steve Jobs documentary The Man in the Machine are some of Astrsk’s newer clients. Oh, and did we mention Astrsk donates 10% of its time to pro-bono work? Tomaeno and crew clearly have a lot of good things happening, and the industry has caught on. This year, Tomaeno landed a spot on Adweek's '30 Under 30' list.

We spent a day with Tomaeno, delving into why establishing a cohesive image from the get-go is vital for entrepreneurs ... and why weird is good.

At home

Image: PHOTO BY NATHAN PERKEL/ STYLED BY MERCEDES PSL BASS/ POLO ($39.50), JOGGER ($59.50) VIA MACY’S INC MENS

Tomaeno begins the day at his Tribeca abode. As he prepares to head to the office, we talk image and perception. "It's really about the intersection of personal branding and style, and how you tell your own story, right? So many people forget that they have control over their own narrative. And so many people forget that their actions determine their perception," says Tomaeno.

"It's very important to be cognizant of every first impression, every interaction that you have with someone — someone who can do a lot for you, but also the people who can do nothing for you."

Image: PHOTO BY NATHAN PERKEL/ STYLED BY MERCEDES PSL BASS/ CREW-NECK SWEATER ($55.00), JOGGER ($59.50) VIA MACY’S INC MENS

He continues: "I don't do traditional PR; I'm not a traditional businessman. So, I couldn't look like a traditional PR guy or a traditional businessman, nor did I want to. But strategically, I think it was important to walk the walk, talk the talk — and be weird. I'm not talking about, like, the corporate business suit. I'm talking about a tailored suit and having a little bit of fun with your outfits. That's always just been me. And I've managed to be able to build a job for myself where I can wear whatever I want."

On the go

Image: PHOTO BY NATHAN PERKEL/ STYLED BY MERCEDES PSL BASS/ QUILTED JACKET ($69.50), SLIM FIT PANTS ($39.98) VIA MACY’S INC MENS

Tomaeno lives within walking distance of Astrsk HQ. As we hit the streets of downtown Manhattan, he recounts how it all came to be. On founding a company with primarily startup clientele, he says, "I’m constantly inspired by entrepreneurs — that's why I got into this business. Seeing them pushing their industry forward really inspires me to push my industry forward. I really wanted to build something for these types of companies, a new type of PR agency."

"When I first started in 2012, the word 'disrupted' was not so cliché yet,” he laughs. "And so at the beginning, I wanted to be as disruptive as the companies that we represented."

"One of our first articles said, 'We're a no-BS agency,'" says Tomaeno. "And I think that authenticity comes not only from what we say about ourselves externally — what we look like — but also what the people who work here say about us. It's really important for you to have some kind of weird to fit into the Astrsk crew."

At work

Image: PHOTO BY NATHAN PERKEL/ STYLED BY MERCEDES PSL BASS/ BLAZER ($79.98), LONG-SLEEVE CREW-NECK SWEATSHIRT ($55.00), SLIM FIT PANTS ($39.98) VIA MACY’S INC MENS

Astrsk's third-floor offices are tucked away in a small building on a boutique-lined street in SoHo. The interior is lively and sunny; staffers chat with each other freely in the open-concept space.

"We've done probably the bulk of our growth in the last year," says Tomaeno as he gestures around the office. "We're always trying to work in the intersection of tech and fashion, tech and art and tech and music. So, as we've grown as a company, some of the companies that we're dealing with are larger as well. But I definitely want to always be a place for launching companies."

"I think my favorite companies to work on are still the companies that are just launching," he continues. "We get to be such a big part of their ethos from the beginning and help them define their messaging and make the best first impression they possibly can."

Image: PHOTO BY NATHAN PERKEL/ STYLED BY MERCEDES PSL BASS/ SLIM-FIT BLAZER ($79.98), LONG-SLEEVE SHIRT ($79.50), KNIT DRESS PANTS ($59.50) VIA MACY’S INC MENS

And how to make that first impression and craft that killer image?

"For every different company, for every startup, there needs to be a different approach," Tomaeno advises. "You know, every client wants something different, and we're really focused on the bottom-line business goals of a company. It's really important to understand first what those bottom-line business goals are. Is it about getting a new type of customer? Is it attracting more customers? Is it about changing your relationship with VCs or financial press? Are you trying to raise another round? Are you trying to position yourself as one of the most forward with labor policies?"

The trick to crafting the right image and narrative for a company, Tomaeno says, comes down to spot-on intuition, dedication to understanding each client and building rapport. "I think it's key to understand the client, and not just understand what the company does and why they do it. Those are the really important first two steps. But I think the third is to know who is behind [a company] and what led them to do this personally — really understanding the human element," he says.