I’m officially five years into a ten-year plan.
Last year, I wrote the strategy, then the business plan…and then hit a wall. Too drained to do the work once written. And only then did I start on the “vision board.” This year, I flipped that order. I started with what I wanted my year to look like (the vision board). Then distilled it into a one-page plan, and then aligned it with the larger strategy. It’s a rhythm that finally feels right.
When I look across my service suite (market research and assessments, brand identity and design, fractional CMO work, instructional design, and workshops) one thing has become unmistakably clear. Workshops and business therapy are my special sauce.
The Journey So Far
I started Aducate Digital in April 2021 with a simple question: Can I do this on my own? And do I like it enough to keep doing it on my own?
That first year was about proof of concept. I ended it hungry for more.
In year two, I streamlined everything to accommodate a growing client base. My focus was still deeply exploratory. I spent the time learning everything I could about my clients’ pain points. I used this information to build custom solutions that address the root issue.
Year three (2023) was a milestone. I self-published my findings in a book that became the foundation of my signature business therapy concept. The book had two halves: The Why (business therapy) and The How (actionable strategies). Writing it clarified my UVP and ideal client so clearly that I could finally say no to the wrong ones without hesitation.
By 2024, I started thinking bigger. I saw how these services could benefit entire communities. And that meant I needed to narrow my focus even further to expand sustainably. That year was all about testing my message in the real world through workshops and webinars. I honed in on small business owners who were overwhelmed and overextended.
That’s also when I relocated to Ohio. Partnerships with Bounce Innovation Hub, Summit Artspace, and Art Therapy Studio aligned far better with this refined direction. I won’t deny that the cost of living also made faster growth possible.
2025: Turning Services into Systems
This year, the business entered Phase Two. I’m productizing my services into a scalable IP: MarkED4.
In many ways, 2025 felt like Year 1 again. It’s another proof-of-concept phase. Fewer large workshops, more one-on-one case studies. I partnered with a third-party assessor to collect data for a forthcoming white paper. The goal is to focus on clarity, consistency, and measurable outcomes.
My north star has shifted from “betting on myself” to something much larger. It’s now become building an enterprise-level entrepreneurial training academy. I see its first hub in Akron, and eventually, expanding nationwide.
I still imagine selling Aducate Digital by 2031. Maybe I license the curriculum to business support organizations or a local university. Whatever path I take (selling, licensing, or partnering) they let me focus on what I love most.
- Having real conversations with business owners
- Turning their nebulous anxiety into actionable game plans
- Finding the common thread to support scalable learning experiences for others.
The ten-year plan was always visible, and each year it becomes clearer. The edges are still fuzzy because I can’t predict the future. But the vision is clear enough to keep me on course.
And for 2026, the mission is simple: Hold Space. For people’s ideas, for community in Akron, and for myself as I build a physical home base for this work.
By the end of next year, I’ll have a packaged curriculum. 12 interactive labs, 12 modules, and a published white paper proving efficacy. That’s the path forward.
2025 Wins and Milestones
The Educate Pillar
The monthly workshop series didn’t survive past Q1. Collaborating with others introduced too many moving parts. But even so, I hosted three workshops, co-hosted two, and participated in a speed coaching event:
- Beginner’s Guide to Websites – SCORE, January 8
- How to Sell Without Selling Out – Bounce Innovation Hub, June 18
- Artist Mix & Meet Speed Coach – Summit Artspace, October 25
- Designing a Business That Doesn’t Burn You Out – Bounce Innovation Hub, October 29
- Creative Placemaking Conference – WorkStudio LTD, December 4
- Portage Lakes Career Center – December 9
That “Sell Without Selling Out” workshop was the moment I realized: my workshops kick ass.
Running events through partner organizations limits access to participant data. But for this one, I got the numbers:
- Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): 98.2%
- Net Promoter Score (NPS): +86
Compared to 2024 average:
- CSAT increased from 86% → 98%
- NPS improved from 71.4 → 86%
Beyond the numbers, partnerships deepened. Bounce keeps inviting me back to lead workshops, expanding my role each time. I now rent office space there (with a 10% discount as part of a collaborative arrangement). These are signs of embedded trust.
The Innovate Pillar
This year, innovation meant investing in my own learning and applying it directly to real-world prototypes.
I was awarded an ArtsNOW grant to complete Adobe Captivate training and certification. This opened up a new layer of instructional design possibilities for Aducate Digital. I developed interactive learning prototypes tested through one-on-one case studies. The feedback refining both user experience and comprehension for a broader audience.
Those case studies became essential to how I now approach the MarkED4 curriculum. It’s a system rooted in behavior. It aims to teach others how to build habits of creative problem solving.
It’s working. Here’s just one of many client reflections that captured the essence of this new approach:
“THANK YOU! Reading these notes was the biggest aha moment — taking the jumble of words in my head and organizing them into actual strategic sentences I can use. I was raving to everyone about how amazing of a therapy session I had in the morning and they were all, ‘I thought you had a marketing meeting?’ I said it was so much more than that and so much more impactful to my job and leadership. I will be in touch — I’m determined to add your guidance to Q2 for us.”
Through this pillar, 2025 became the year that innovation found form. The prototypes, systems, and case studies built a bridge between concept and application. Proof that creativity and structure can, in fact, coexist beautifully.
The Collaborate Pillar
This one surprised me. My Texas relationships faded faster than expected. A quiet but painful confirmation that my intuition was right to move. When I looked back midyear, only about 5% of those contacts were still running businesses. So many had failed to find footing. It reinforced my shift toward Ohio and the sincerity of local partnerships here.
This year I:
- Hired a design assistant.
- Began collaborating with a research assistant and videographer.
- Joined the CYOP board, contributing over 90 hours of community service.
The Generate Pillar
This was another intentional pivot. While I did generate more than last year, I fell just short of my revenue goal. But I cut loose the low-value, high-drain clients and got my time (and energy) back. So, I’ll give myself some grace.
2025 was a volatile year. Tariff threats, nonprofit funding cuts, everyone pulling back. That volatility reinforced the need for a low-cost, high-value model. One designed for wide adoption rather than chasing big-ticket projects.
The focus now a broader sense of Generate. My goal is to generate a specific financial limit, sure. But 2026 will include generating interest as well.
- SEO strategy refresh.
- YouTube content development.
Closing Reflection
2025 was an in-between year. The bridge between early experimentation and true structure.
It was quieter in some ways, but more foundational. I built the systems that will carry me through the next phase. I traded exhaustion for intention and reconnected to what makes this work matter.
Five years down, five to go. Or maybe more.
Until next year.
Stay silly and give a darn.