This July marks ten years since I became an entrepreneur.

As I reflect on the journey, people often ask how I went from being a cancer researcher to leading a website, digital marketing and advertising agency in Washington DC.

The truth is, it wasn’t a straight line and it wasn’t a perfect plan. The economy shifted, things got cut throat and my priorities had changed. I wanted stability and better hours.

That’s when I pivoted into healthcare sales. While my role was to represent innovative products, what I found myself doing most often was helping people solve problems.

I visited physician practices every day and saw an interesting pattern.

When Being a Talented Professional Doesn’t Always Translate to Business Success

The best clinicians weren’t always running the strongest businesses.

These were incredibly talented professionals who had dedicated years to mastering their craft, yet many struggled with marketing, growth, and the day-to-day challenges of operating a successful practice. Their expertise and their business results didn’t always match.

It was something I’d seen long before my sales career.

Growing up, I watched my engineer Father (and his Father and my Uncle) navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship. I knew firsthand that being exceptional at your profession doesn’t automatically prepare you to build and grow a business.

Those experiences shaped my path to ultimately finding my true passion and calling as a Washington DC advertising agency owner.

Building Something More Than a Website and Advertising Agency

I’ve always been a helper.

In sales, I found my greatest satisfaction wasn’t closing deals, it was sharing ideas between practices, introducing physician-owners to strategies that had worked elsewhere, and helping great professionals learn from one another. Sometimes I was helping solve marketing challenges. Other times I was connecting people with experts who could improve their operations or leadership.

But I also reached a point where I realized I wanted to do more. With over 133 sales clients I could spend only a small fraction of my time with each of them and I still had to hit sales goals first.

I didn’t want to simply identify problems. I wanted to help solve them.

There was a long drive to Key West and a phone call that changed my life. We discussed how we could start a website and advertising agency in Washington DC that would break the mold. Do everything opposite of the terrible things we saw in the industry and be a force for change.

I absolutely could not have become an agency owner without my two business partners. They not only give me the confidence as a single Mother to make the leap into becoming an entrepreneur, but they challenged me to dust off & up level the technical skills needed to beat out others on the internet.

Building BlueHuki with Purpose

BlueHuki is my second business and it was built with much greater clarity. I had had talented team members, I had loyal customers, but I wanted to improve the humanity and performance of our business. From experiments to tease out winning online to improving how we treat our clients and our legacy as a member of a larger community.

I knew exactly who I wanted continue to help: talented business owners who were exceptional at what they do but needed a strategic partner to help them grow.

Not just another marketing vendor.

A partner who understands that websites, SEO, AI search, advertising, branding, analytics, and reputation all work together to help businesses earn trust.

Tackling AI with More Research, Humanity and Authenticity

As artificial intelligence continues to transform how customers discover and evaluate businesses, our original mission has become even more important.

Today, I’m fortunate to share what we’ve learned not only through our client work, but also through speaking engagements with business organizations, healthcare groups, and professional associations. Last year, my research on AI advertising was published in the Journal of Advertising Research, reinforcing something I’ve believed for years: technology changes, but trust remains at the center of every buying decision.

Celebrating More Than Awards

This month has been especially meaningful.

BlueHuki is celebrating four years in business, and I’m celebrating ten years as an entrepreneur.

Along the way, we’ve been honored to receive recognition that reflects the trust our clients and community have placed in us, including:

• Best of DC Creative & Marketing Agency for the third consecutive year
• Recognition as one of Inc.’s 2026 Best Workplaces
• My commitment as a NAWBO Greater DC Lifetime Legacy Member
• Reaching the top 2% of women owned businesses with NAWBO Circle
• Recognition as a Best of Falls Church finalist

Those honors mean a great deal, but what made this celebration special wasn’t the awards themselves.

We intentionally partnered with women-owned businesses, including fellow military spouse entrepreneurs, to bring the event to life. Together with our clients, partners, and friends, we assembled 80 children’s dental care kits for the MCCP Foundation to support uninsured children attending free dental screenings in Fairfax County.

That felt like the perfect reflection of what I hoped entrepreneurship would become.

Not simply building a successful business, but using that business to help other people succeed in our communities.

Looking Ahead – Building the Future-Proof, Best Advertising Agency in DC

Ten years later, the mission hasn’t changed even if the internet and AI has sped ahead!

BlueHuki continues to grow, serving organizations across the country from New York to Nashville, Seattle, San Diego, and beyond.

The technology will continue to evolve. AI will continue to reshape marketing.

But my goal remains the same as it was when I first stepped into healthcare sales all those years ago:

Help exceptional professionals become equally successful business owners.

If BlueHuki has accomplished anything over the past four years, I hope it’s that we’ve helped make that journey a little easier.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of these first ten years. I’m excited for what we’ll build together in the next ten.

An Open Invitation to Connect

Has it been a while since we connected or we haven’t connected yet? Let’s not make it another 10 years! Schedule a quick connect today and let’s see how we can grow together.