Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Holly Reardon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Holly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success isn’t about talent, luck, or waiting for the perfect moment. It’s about taking action, even when you don’t feel ready. It’s about choosing growth over comfort, again and again, until confidence catches up to you.

When I was younger, I had big dreams but no blueprint. I didn’t grow up around powerful, career-driven women. I rarely saw a woman owning a business or leading with authority, so for a long time, I assumed that success was for other people— not for me. The only way I thought I’d get to live a full and wealthy life was by finding a man who already had it. It sounds ridiculous now, but when you don’t see anyone like you doing what you want to do, you assume it’s impossible.

That limiting mindset stayed with me for years until I made a choice to put myself in new rooms. I moved away from my small town in Maine to St. Louis and surrounded myself with people who weren’t just dreaming big, but actually *doing* big things.

And I realized: The only thing separating me from the life I wanted was action.

I’ve learned that every successful person was once a beginner— someone who was nervous, uncertain, and unqualified. They didn’t wait to feel ready. They just started. Confidence isn’t a prerequisite; it’s a byproduct of doing the hard things anyway.

I see this in my own journey. When I first started Hapacity, I didn’t know how to write a client proposal. I had never networked. I didn’t know how to build a website. I had zero team management training. But I didn’t let “I don’t know how” stop me. I figured it out. Now, I’ve spoken at more events than I can count, closed deals with amazing clients, and built a company I’m proud of. And I did it one scary, uncomfortable, imperfect step at a time.

But, I’ve also learned that success isn’t about delaying gratification and avoiding fun because that can trap you in a cycle of doing, doing, doing. The goal isn’t just to build a thriving business— it’s to build a thriving life. One that gives you joy, freedom, and energy.

That’s what success takes. A willingness to start before you’re ready. A commitment to learning as you go. And the focus to create a life that you love.

If you’re willing to do that, you’re already ahead of most people.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve always been a storyteller. Even as a kid, I preferred writing stories in a journal over playing outside. I didn’t know what career I wanted, but I knew I was capable of something big.

After high school, I took a job at a paper mill, where I created my own role— shooting safety videos, managing my own schedule, and learning how to build something from scratch. That skill set— seeing opportunities where none existed before— became the foundation for my career.

In college, I pursued a film degree, further immersing myself in storytelling. I worked at a sleep technology company, where I once again built a role that hadn’t existed before— filming promotional content while covering the front desk.

After graduation, I had opportunities in New York and LA, but something about an unpaid internship in St. Louis stood out to me. It gave me hands-on experience in commercial and reality TV production, and when my supervisor was laid off, I unexpectedly found myself stepping into leadership, managing interns, and proving I was capable of more.

This led me to my first marketing role at an agency, where I managed social media for dozens of brands. I got to design, write, and film content— while strategically fitting it into the bigger picture of business growth. Eventually, I was promoted to Marketing Strategist, overseeing client strategies, leading a team, and driving high-level execution.

But burnout hit hard. I was exhausted and knew I wanted more control over my career. I took a role in brand marketing, which gave me valuable experience working directly with sales teams and focusing on long-term marketing efforts. But the slower pace wasn’t for me.

So, I pitched the company on hiring me as a contractor instead of keeping me on as an employee. They said no, so I left anyway.

Two and a half weeks later, they came back and changed their mind.

That was four years ago.

I initially set out to freelance, but Hapacity quickly grew into a small business with a full team.

Were made up of marketing generalists who are good at a lot of things and specialize in a few— because we believe that storytelling and strategy are at the core of every successful marketing effort.

We provide:
– Marketing Strategy
– Personal Branding & Thought Leadership
– Social Media Management
– SEO
– Copywriting
– Email Marketing & Automation
– Videography & Photography

We don’t limit ourselves to a niche industry. Instead, we work with value-driven businesses— many of them women-owned— who want to leave a legacy and build something meaningful.

Who We Work With

– Small businesses with at least one marketing team member who needs more support.
– Mid-sized businesses that need specialized help (like social media management).
– Entrepreneurs who want to build personal brands and establish thought leadership.

What Makes Hapacity Different?

We believe that marketing should be a catalyst for impact. Standing out requires more than just doing what everyone else is doing. Our goal isn’t just to manage marketing; it’s to help businesses show up with confidence, clarity, and a brand that truly represents them.

What We Solve

We work with businesses that know they need a stronger strategy, better storytelling, and more consistency but don’t know how to get there. Here’s what we typically hear from clients when they initially come to us:

✔ You’re putting in effort, but the results feel random. You post on social, send emails, create content, but nothing feels connected. We bring it all together into a clear, strategic marketing plan.

✔ You know your business inside and out but struggle to communicate it. You’re great at what you do, but marketing yourself feels impossible. We turn your expertise into compelling messaging that resonates.

✔ You’ve grown, but your marketing hasn’t grown with you. Maybe you’ve relied on word-of-mouth, or your brand hasn’t been updated in years. We help you step into the next level of your business with a marketing strategy that matches your growth.

✔ You’re stretched thin and need a team you can trust. Whether you have an in-house marketing person who needs support, have outgrown a past agency, or are doing everything yourself, we bring expertise, organization, and execution— so you don’t have to do it all.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

For as long as I can remember, I tied so much of my identity to my career— what I did, how hard I worked, how much money I earned. I wore my hustle like a badge of honor.

I come from a long line of hard workers. My dad ran his own business, constantly traveling. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, always busy— just with a different kind of work. No matter what, work was the centerpiece of life. And in my world, rest wasn’t just given; it felt like something you had to earn.

So I worked. I skipped breaks. I squeezed in one more task before stepping away for the night. I stayed up late, consumed by my job, then woke up the next day and did it all over again.

And yet, no matter how much I got done, it never felt like enough. I wasn’t enough.

At first, I thought I was just doing what needed to be done to be successful. That’s the beauty of entrepreneurship, right? Then, I realized— I wasn’t actually living. I was just managing. Managing my time, managing my workload, managing the stress of running a business. And in the process, I stopped doing the things I loved.

And I had to ask myself: What’s the point of building something great if I never take a second to enjoy it?

So I started redefining my relationship with work. I set boundaries. I built better systems. I hired help. Not because I wanted to work less, but because I wanted to work better.

And honestly, it’s still a work in progress. I’m still learning how to separate who I am from what I do. But what I know for sure is this:

Growth shouldn’t come at the cost of your wellness. Yes, we all strive for more leads, more revenue, more success.

But, above all, we crave more time— time to enjoy life, to spend with loved ones, to pursue what lights us up. Freedom is what entrepreneurship is about.

I didn’t start a business to spend every waking moment in it. I started it to build something meaningful— something that not only supports my life but actually makes my life better.

And if that’s what you want too, you don’t have to wait until you hit a breaking point to make a change. :)

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Something I rarely talk about is that I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which basically means my brain is constantly scanning for threats that aren’t there. It’s exhausting.

For years, I let fear run my life. I avoided things that made me uncomfortable. I counted myself out before I even tried. I convinced myself that blending in was safer. That failure would be humiliating. That standing out in any way would put me in danger.

Then, in 2021, I decided to test myself.

My first-ever speaking event was at STL Startup Week, the same year I opened my business. I was 25 years old, standing in front of seasoned business owners, speaking on personal branding— a topic I had helped countless thought leaders with in my corporate career and now in my own business.

But on my way to the venue, I stepped in dog crap.

Literal dog crap. Right before going on stage.

I had to scrub it off in a Starbucks bathroom, trying not to panic. And when I finally got up there, I ditched my script entirely. I told the audience what had just happened, made them laugh, and dove straight into my talk. I felt good until I finished 15 minutes early.

I looked out at the audience, opened the floor for questions… and got nothing.

No one raised their hand. No one asked anything.

In that moment, I was mortified. My brain spiraled. They didn’t care. I wasn’t good enough. I just embarrassed myself in front of a room full of people who actually know what they’re doing.

I walked away feeling like I completely failed. I thought, Maybe I’m just not meant for this.

But I didn’t quit.

Two years later, I signed up again.

This time, I prepared even more. I memorized my script. I got feedback beforehand. I printed workbooks for the audience so they could take something tangible home with them.

And then, I killed it.

The room was packed. People engaged, asked questions, and handed me business cards afterward. It was a complete 180 from my first experience.

That’s the thing about resilience. It’s never about not failing. It’s about showing up again and again until confidence finds you.

I’ve realized that the best way to fight anxiety isn’t to avoid the things that scare me— it’s to do them anyway. Even when I feel sick about it. Even when I convince myself I’m not ready.

And that’s the story of me. I don’t let fear win. I let it fuel me.

I still sign up for things that scare me. I take creative writing classes just for fun. I meet up with strangers for dinner. I try hobbies I suck at.

Because anxiety will never win. It might knock me down, but I will always get back up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hapacity.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hapacitymarketing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hapacity/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hapacity/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HapacityMktg
• Youtube: https://www.facebook.com/Hapacity/

Image Credits

Lily Notz
Miles Minnaar
Rachel Fischer