The Power Of Showing Up

Allison Ditmer didn’t leave her corporate job with a perfect plan.

She left because she couldn’t ignore the feeling any longer — that tug that maybe life wasn’t supposed to feel this misaligned. The back-to-back meetings, the frantic daycare pickups, the “mad dash” between dinner, dishes, and trying to soak up even five minutes with her kids before bed. It wasn’t sustainable. And it wasn’t the life she wanted.

“I don’t know exactly what this next chapter will be,” she told herself in 2021. “But I know it has to be different.”

For 15 years, Allison had built a successful career in digital marketing at a Fortune 100 CPG company. She knew how to read analytics. She knew how to build campaigns. She knew how to move cross-functional projects forward and communicate with everyone from IT partners to brand managers. But when the pandemic hit, it threw everything into sharp focus.

She and her husband — both working for the same company — were trying to take meetings while juggling two young kids. Lunch breaks became tag-team shifts. Living room floors became office space. And that was the moment.

“It was finally the stake in the ground,” she says. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”

She didn’t know exactly what she’d build. But she started writing anyway — publishing on Medium, testing her voice, exploring ideas around parenting, personal development, and career growth. There was no monetization strategy. No roadmap. Just consistency.

Then she stumbled onto a post by Tim Denning encouraging writers to publish on LinkedIn. And something clicked.

She gave herself 60 days. Just 60 days of telling her story, showing up, and seeing what might happen if she brought her real experience to the platform. Two clients came from it. And everything changed.

That was the validation she needed. Allison officially launched her business — combining SEO writing, LinkedIn content strategy, and digital marketing services for B2B clients and founders. But over time, it became more than that. It became a platform for connection, confidence, and creativity. And it became the thing that finally aligned her work with her life.

What sets Allison apart isn’t just the marketing skills. It’s how she shows up — consistently, honestly, and with a grounded voice that clients trust.

“I work with a lot of female CEOs and founders,” she says. “And I think it’s because we share a certain energy. We’re driven. We’re passionate. We know there’s limited time in the day. But we keep getting up and doing the work.”

That “biz chemistry,” as she calls it, has become a key part of how she evaluates fit. The goal isn’t just delivering great content. It’s building something real — a presence that reflects the depth of the founder behind the brand.

Her favorite part? Watching people come into their own.

So many of her clients are at the tipping point. They’ve done the work. They’ve built something real. But they’re still figuring out how to talk about it. That’s where Allison thrives: helping them put language to their value and show up in a way that feels both clear and authentic.

“I tell people this all the time — especially friends who are still in nine-to-five roles,” she says. “You need to start sharing what you’ve learned. Don’t wait. LinkedIn is the platform. Even if you’re not running your own business yet, you never know who’s going to read your story and reach out.”

It’s advice that comes from lived experience. Because that’s exactly what happened to her.

And while she still brings in client work and teaches digital marketing, speaking engagements have become a surprise love. She didn’t see it coming, but sharing her journey with others has become one of the most fulfilling parts of the job — especially for those still in the corporate world, wondering if something else might be possible.

The truth is, Allison’s always had an entrepreneurial streak.

Back in elementary school, she was making beaded earrings and selling them at school. Boys would buy them for their moms for Christmas. She loved the creativity of it — and the moment when she realized: Wait, I can make something and people will actually pay me for it?

Her son is doing the same thing now — reselling bags of chips on the school bus for a dollar each. His overhead? Mom’s pantry. She can’t help but laugh.

“That’s how it starts,” she says. “Wanting money for something your parents won’t buy — and figuring out a way to earn it.”

But what she’s building now is bigger than snacks or side hustles. It’s a life she designed for herself — one rooted in autonomy, creativity, and the privilege of getting to do what she loves.

“I’m just at a point in my life where I truly believe nothing’s out of the question,” she says. “If I’m willing to put in the work, I can make it happen.”

No boss. No ladder. No five-year plan. Just the quiet power of showing up — and knowing that where she’s headed is fully in her hands.

Want to hear more stories about founders like you? Subscribe to our newsletter.