the blaze strategy

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

A woman I knew from college told me about an advertising agency that was opening in San Francisco. At the time, I didn’t really understand what media buying and planning were — but advertising sounded very glamorous. She mentioned that many people on the team would be from New York (where I’m from originally), and that the head of the department — a woman — was someone I’d admire. She was right. I didn’t realize how lucky I was then, but that experience shaped my early career. The women I worked with taught me so much and gave me the confidence to make bold moves. A few years in, I became a freelancer to gain more flexibility — and it paid off. I doubled my salary, managed my own retirement and health insurance, and most importantly, I proved to myself I could take risks. That mindset led me to co-found AXM years later.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

My business partner and I had our first children just five weeks apart. This was not planned! At the time, we were a few years into building our company. We were still doing the majority of the work ourselves, but also pitching — and winning — new business. We both worked up until the very last minute, and because of the timing, we were each able to take only five weeks of maternity leave. Would I recommend that? Absolutely not. But it’s a powerful example of what it takes to sustain a business with a true partnership. We had each other’s backs, and that mutual trust has been at the core of AXM for nearly 20 years.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

One of the most embarrassing moments was not realizing a client was still on speakerphone after a pitch — we started celebrating how well we thought it went… while they were still listening. Another time, we were chatting in the restroom about a recent pitch — only to discover the client was in the stall next to us. Rookie moves, but excellent reminders to always stay professional until you’re in a truly private space.