PAULETTE HURDLIK
paulette@zehno.com
Managing Partner, Creative Director
& Principal Strategist

Paulette Hurdlik is the co-founder and managing partner of Zehno Cross Media Communications, a national leader in creating Web and print marketing communications for educational organizations.

She brings to Zehno — and its clients — an unusual combination of entrepreneurial vision, business sophistication, and creative approaches to marketing communications strategies and tools. Based on her experience as art director/graphic designer at Tulane and the University of Wisconsin, Paulette and her partner Kathy Cain founded a new kind of firm in 1984, focused on addressing the communications opportunities of clients — particularly in the education and not-for-profit sectors — while emphasizing design excellence. The thriving business enjoyed steady and impressive growth.

As a devoted trend-watcher, Paulette was early to spot the advantages of synergism between print and Web applied to the communications needs of higher education. In 2000, she reimagined and renamed the business; Zehno Cross Media Communications was born. The Zehno is a cross between a zebra and a rhinoceros; a cross-breed animal serving as an apt mascot for a firm engaged in cross media communications. Zehno was the first full-service national boutique firm specializing in higher education communication to completely integrate cross-media services.

Paulette, whose background also includes interior design, also created the Zehno’s habitat — a studio space in New Orleans whose design has drawn the attention of HOW magazine, among others. She found the building (which was not then for sale), negotiated the sales agreement, worked with the architects, and oversaw the buildout. She also contributed her mid-life Miata to become the Zehnomobile, acclaimed on the streets of New Orleans.

Paulette enjoys putting her business savvy and creative outlook to work supporting the arts and causes that benefit young people. She’s particularly aware of the importance of encouraging the talent of developing artists from underserved populations and is currently serving as Board President of YA/YA (Young Aspirations/Young Artists). At her initiation, Zehno supports (and outfits with dramatic black-and-yellow uniforms) a children’s soccer team near Antigua, Guatemala. In recognition of her entrepreneurial success and her community spirit, she was chosen Woman of the Year by New Orleans CityBusiness in 2001.

Paulette’s Hot List:

Sites:
The site that inspired the
naming of Zehno:
Make new creatures
at this surrealistic virtual zoo
www.switcheroozoo.com

I have actually visited
“The grooviest motel
in Wisconsin”
www.lileks.com

I want to be one of these…
See epitaph, below
www.pbs.org/adventuredivas

Magazines:
Business 2.0
Saveur
New Yorker
Harpers
I.D.
Print
National Geographic Traveler
NY Times Magazine

Hero Worship:
Julie Taymor
(theater, sets and puppets)

Santiago Calatrava
(bridges and buildings)

Claude Garamond
(type)

Tibor Kalman
(designer and change agent)

Eiko Ishioka (costumes)

Next Vacation:
Vietnam, Guatemala, Buenos Aires

Last Vacation:
Barcelona, Bilbao, Czech Republic

Epitaph
“It seemed like a good idea at the time.”