Celebrating 10 Years of CEOship

Last month was for HUGE for me.

Why? My brain baby, The Content Factory, turned 10 years old.

They grow up so fast!

I've been overwhelmed by the messages of support and congratulations. My boyfriend and bestie teamed up and had 20+ people who have impacted me and the company over the years send video messages.

I haven't snot-cried so much since my grandpa died. This time, they were tears of accomplishment.

It's been a very long rough road to get here, and in that time a lot of amazing things have happened.

The team has grown to include some truly unparalleled talent. I've been fortunate enough to foster that talent, and help launch careers of former employees who continue to level up (I see you all, and am so proud of you!).

Glamour magazine referred to me as a "digital nomad role model." NBC News called me a "CEO who takes job perks to the max." Thrive named me a "limit-breaking female founder."

Last year, SERPstat titled me one of the Top 3 women in SEO.

I had a second brain baby a few years ago, and named it Workationing. That baby came out with a podcast and series of international adventures, which have introduced me to some of the most interesting people (and lifelong friends) I've met in the 33-ish years I've spinning on this rock.

If I hadn't founded TCF as a remote-first digital agency, brain baby #2 would never have been possible. The two babies combined are the reason I'm able to live in Amsterdam.

Last year, Samantha Pennington and I co-founded Sisters in SEO, which at over 7,000 members has become the largest network of women in a VERY male-dominated industry.

I do my best to mentor the next generation of badass femmes in digital marketing, which gives me an immense sense of satisfaction on an ongoing basis.

One of the biggest wins was when we signed Astroglide – our first national account. Fairtrade America and other big brands soon followed.

My work has been featured everywhere from The Wall Street Journal to Fast Company and Cosmo, plus every 3-letter news network you can think of.

Millions of people read my content each year. Tens of millions of people read TCF's content every year – you've probably seen our work!

I've had, and continue to have, the benefit and pleasure of working with THE BEST people. People who make me better professionally, as well as personally.

But there have also been a lot of challenges, which never get shared on social media.

You hear that a lot, but rarely get the details – allow me to pull back the curtain a bit.

For those of you who think it's all travel, glamour and cash, here's a peek at some of the challenges I've overcome – and sometimes continue to endure:

I stress puke anywhere from once a month to three times a week (still).

I have a Xanax prescription, but it makes me slow on calls so unless the anxiety is at a level 10 I don't take it when I'm working...which is pretty much all the time.

When I first started the company, I went for literal years without taking a single day off – including weekends. I worked while sick, traveling, going through a divorce and whatever else life threw my way.

Experts don't recommend this, but I didn't feel like I had an option.

To this day, people constantly tell me that I "work too much." If I'm being honest, it likely contributed to my divorce.

I've missed birthdays, vacations with family, weddings, anniversaries and a whole lot of other milestone events in the lives of people I truly love and care about.

Five years ago, I bought out the friend and business partner I founded the company with – a massive and expensive gamble. The stress puking was an everyday occurrence back then. Our friendship never recovered.

I've been sued, or threatened with a lawsuit, more times than I can count. Once I got sued so hard it landed me in Success magazine.

(Side note: thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for business insurance – though that $5,000 deductible can be a real beast.)

I've also been put in a position to sue people, or threaten them with lawsuits. Somehow, in the vast majority of cases, I've learned that it feels worse to bring the lawyer game than to have the lawyer game brought to you.

Whenever I have to fire somebody, I also have to accept the responsibility of the mistakes I made in hiring or managing them. Ditto when a client drops. The weight of this responsibility can be almost unbearable at times.

Learning how to effectively manage a remote team of diverse individuals has been a constantly evolving process. I've face-planted some epic failures on this front.

All of that said, has it been worth it?

I wish I could definitively say yes, but the truth is I'm not sure yet.

I do know, however, that the life path I chose and built is uniquely mine...and I'm proud of it.

It's impossible for me to name check and thank all of the people who have helped me, and The Content Factory, make it this far.

Know that I'm so grateful and appreciative of you all (even those of you who taught me lessons the hard way).

Here's to 10 more years – I've still got a lot more left in me.