Ashley Kent: Balancing Life and Business

Ashley Kent - Founder & CEO of Clear Star Creative, a boutique marketing growth agency specializing in venture-backed health tech companiesKey Topics DiscussedBuilding a Sustainable Business and Life BalanceManaging a 15-employee company while raising two young children (ages 4 and 6)Finding joy in simple pleasures: working out, good food, and family timeThe reality of being a working mom in a small community where she's often in the minorityWhat Clear Star Creative DoesBoutique marketing/growth agency focused on venture-backed health tech startupsTwo main service phases:"Crawl Phase": Helping companies validate their target audience and go-to-market strategy"Walk Phase": Building scalable marketing and sales systems beyond founder-led salesThe Evolution of Venture CapitalShift from investing in "dreams and ideas" (2015-2020) to requiring tangible resultsVCs now demand sustainable, repeatable business models rather than relying on individual foundersImportance of building "moats" and differentiation in crowded marketsMarketing PhilosophyThree ways CEOs typically view marketing:Core revenue driverSales enablement ("make things look pretty")Brand awareness generatorFocus on impacting business outcomes, not just creating contentTaking a whole customer lifecycle approach from acquisition to renewalAI's Role in MarketingUsing AI as an efficiency tool, not a replacement for human relationshipsCurrent tech stack includes ChatGPT for ideation and image generation, AI note-taking toolsEmphasis on maintaining human oversight and the relationship-driven nature of businessThe Transition from Founder-Led SalesCommon challenge for companies in the $10-50M rangeDifference between lifestyle businesses and venture-scalable companiesBuilding repeatable systems that don't depend on the founder's personal relationshipsProduct-Led Growth in HealthcareHealthcare traditionally being sales-led but slowly adopting PLG approachesThe complexity of implementing PLG - requires buttoned-up systems and user experienceWarning about pulling product resources away from core developmentRecent Business Challenges Ashley candidly shared experiencing her "hardest six months ever":Lost entire core team within two weeksLost major clients within two monthsHad to rebuild while maintaining operations and caring for familyLearning to balance investment in clients' success with her own company's needsHiring and Team ManagementFocus on behavioral interviews and work ethic assessment90-day probationary period to ensure good fitEmphasis on preventing burnout in high-paced startup/agency environmentImportance of setting clear expectations and boundariesParenting and BusinessExposing her daughter to the business world and strong working womenBalancing being present for family while running a demanding businessTeaching children about the value of hard work and financial independenceKey Quotes "I'm in the people business. We are in the services business where we are building relationships." "If we turned [marketing] off tomorrow, would it really impact our business? Probably not... We have to make sure that we are impacting the business in every single thing we're doing." "The strategic person climbs to the top of the ladder, looks over the trees and says, 'guys, we're in the wrong forest.'" "Don't let the facade fool you. It is hard as hell to do this and it will push you in every single capacity."Resources MentionedClay (AI-enabled sales outreach tool)Apollo (sales outreach platform)ChatGPT (AI for ideation and content)Clear Star Creative websiteEpisode TakeawaysFocus over busy work: Strategic thinking means identifying the one thing that will truly move the needleRelationships drive business: Especially in B2B services, human connections remain irreplaceableTransparency builds trust: Being honest about capabilities and limitations creates stronger client relationshipsSystems enable scale: Moving beyond founder-dependent operations requires intentional system buildingResilience through adversity: Even successful entrepreneurs face major setbacks - persistence and support systems are crucial Fortune's Path podcast helps service and technology businesses address root causes that prevent rapid growth. Music and editing by Ted Noser.