Meet Hillary Applegate | Founder & CEO of Digital HQ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hillary Applegate and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hillary, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
From the time I graduated college, I spent my career focusing on continually refining my own skill sets. When I started Digital HQ, I made an intentional decision to not limit the company to just my capabilities. The only way for the agency to become what I envisioned it to be was to embrace bringing in a network of contractors that would offer entirely new expertises to best serve clients. The choice to do that not only helped the agency grow into a strong community that delivers scalable solutions in an ever-evolving digital space, but has allowed me to focus on being an effective leader for my team as well as the brands and agencies we represent.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Digital HQ is a digital marketing agency that helps brands find scalable solutions that will amplify their awareness and accelerate growth. We represent a wide range of industries from healthcare to technology to Fortune 500 brands. Digital HQ also partners with nationally recognized ad agencies, aligning as a true digital arm by delivering sales support and white labeling services. We have a dedicated network of specialized contractors who all have distinct expertise and niche experiences across industries that help take client’s to the next level. .
What I’m most proud of is that we’re an agency that truly embraces flex work schedules and prioritizes a more productive work-life balance for creatives. Our focus on building highly effective remote teams has empowered a company culture made up of mostly women. Currently, 88 percent of our contractors are women, and of those women, close to 30 percent are mothers. There is undeniably a “motherhood pay gap” in our culture. In a study reported by the World Economic Forum, the spousal earnings gap doubles between two years before the birth of the first child and the year after that child is born, with women’s earnings generally going down. Mothers tend to turn towards part-time jobs or positions that are more favorable to raising children. At Digital HQ, women and mothers can pursue their professional passions while doing so with flexibility.

It was not easy! When I graduated college in 2012, social media wasn’t considered a career let alone be a profitable marketing channel. As I grew into a more managerial position I started to see the gaps in the market, especially in digital and social media. I realized that instead of always needing to be one step ahead of digital trends for a brand to be successful in the digital space, they needed scalable solutions that allowed them to connect with their audiences in a medium that is continuously evolving. Which is how Digital HQ came to be what it is today.

I learned pretty early on that in order to be successful in the digital space you need to be okay with the fact that the industry is extremely dynamic and always changing. There is no such thing as a “digital guru” or a “social media ninja”. You will always be a student of this medium, and you need to be comfortable with that. The second you start thinking overwise, is the second you get complacent.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It may sound a bit cliche for things to do in Arizona, but I love hiking. Our first stop would be to one of my favorite peaks, either Camelback or Tom’s Thumb. We’d obviously be hungry after, so hitting up Fàme Caffe for chicken pesto sandwich followed by a chocolate chip sea salt cookie at LGO would be a non negotiable. In the evening, I would love to take them for a cocktail at AZ 88 followed by a Suns game downtown. Phoenix is an incredible place, so the options are endless!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a multi-passionate person who always had the ‘I can do it all’ mentality. And while it can be a great mindset in theory, it has the ability to stretch you too thin and ultimately cause burnout. A few years ago I read the book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown, which truly opened my perspective to the art of doing less. The book inspired me to reevaluate things I thought were productive and helped me zero in on what actually are. I started limiting distractions in my life and focusing on being better at what’s most important to me. The lessons have had an incredibly positive influence in my life both personally and professionally, and I still refer back to the book quite often.

Website: www.dgtlhq.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dgtl.hq/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dgtlhq

Twitter: twitter.com/dgtlhq