Meet Holly Reardon

We recently connected with Holly Reardon and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Holly, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

In elementary school, I was confident. I tried new sports, went on amusement park rides, met new people, and climbed trees. But things shifted once I hit middle school. I became much more focused on performance and people-pleasing. I didn’t want to let anyone down or stand out too much.

By high school, and even in college, I had really learned how to play it safe. I protected myself by staying in the middle of the pack. I tried to be who I thought others expected me to be.

After graduation, I moved halfway across the country to St. Louis for an unpaid internship. It was a fresh start, and something shifted within me. I began leaning in. I worked really hard at that internship and took on more responsibility than the other interns. Slowly but surely, I started believing in myself. But confidence still wasn’t automatic. I questioned myself constantly.

I worked in corporate for over three years before starting my business. That was the real turning point. I stopped waiting for permission and stepped into the person I was always meant to be. Something in me said, “You have more to give. Playing small isn’t serving anyone, especially you.”

Launching Hapacity Marketing forced me to grow in every possible direction. I had to learn things I’d never done before. And every time I did something that scared me, I proved to myself I could… How capable I was.

That’s what built my confidence back. Not a moment, but a series of small choices. (And yes, a lot of therapy, too.)

Four years into my biz, I think about confidence differently. Despite what many of us believe, it’s not about already knowing how to do everything. Confidence is about the willingness to try. It’s about giving yourself the permission to explore and not needing to be perfect, but knowing you’ll be okay no matter what happens. It’s exposure therapy to your own fears. It’s trying something simply because you *want* to try— not because you’re guaranteed to succeed.

As someone who grew up being measured by performance (hello, former athlete), this mindset shift has taken real work. But I’ve come to believe this:

At some point, you have to stop letting the world tell you who you are and start telling the world instead. Be willing to raise your hand, show up, and try. Even if the result is imperfect.

The ones who write the messy book, start the awkward podcast, or pitch the never-heard-before idea are way ahead of the ones still waiting for conditions to be perfect. (BTW, the conditions will *never* be perfect.)

So these days, I focus on exploring. On tuning back into my inner child, who was curious and fearless. And I think we’d all benefit from doing more of that.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Hapacity Marketing was born in 2021 to help businesses grow through storytelling and strategic content. We focus solely on organic marketing— things like strategy, social media, personal branding, SEO, copywriting, video, and email.

I serve as the lead strategist and main point of contact for our clients, and I’m supported by a team of brilliant creatives and specialists, such as designers, copywriters, SEO pros, videographers, developers, and editors. We are small, and we care deeply about the work and the people behind it.

Our values guide everything we do: fun, curiosity, dependability, and storytelling. We also embrace the latest tools and technology, including AI, which we use to increase efficiency without losing the human element.

We primarily work with:

– Women-led businesses building something meaningful while balancing it all.
– Small businesses with lean marketing teams who need strategic direction and hands-on execution.
– Mid-sized companies ready to clarify their message and scale their impact.
– Entrepreneurs and thought leaders who want to grow a personal brand rooted in purpose.

What I love most about this work is that marketing can actually change lives.

One message, shared at the right time in the right way, can shift the trajectory of a business or a business owner’s life. Storytelling has a way of reigniting passion, creating momentum, and helping people remember why they started.

And it’s not just about the business. The ripple effect matters. When marketing is done with intention, it has the power to genuinely help people. It becomes less about “promotion” and more about purpose.

That belief is at the root of everything we do, and it shows up in every strategy, piece of content, and relationship we build.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

These are the things I believe matter most if you want to build something meaningful and sustainable:

1. Project management

Not just a skill, but a mindset.

You’ll see it buried in job descriptions under phrases like “self-starter,” “entrepreneurial,” or “able to manage competing priorities.” What they really mean is: Can you break a big goal into clear steps? Can you manage your own time without constant hand-holding? Can you get something across the finish line and bring others with you if needed?

Project management is about knowing how to reverse-engineer outcomes. Start with the end goal and work backward. Tackle the hardest and most important tasks first. Plus, those are usually the ones you’ll try to avoid, and they often involve moving pieces or people that take more time than expected. Learn how to plan early, follow through, and keep the whole moving puzzle in view.

2. Taking action

Ideas are great. Execution is everything, and where people fall off.

You can’t ruminate all day and expect progress. Everyone wants to be great at something the second they start, but that’s not reality. You have to be okay with starting messy and improving from there.

I journal and reflect a lot, and I still have moments where I feel scared, lazy, or overwhelmed. But I’ve learned to work through it. If something matters to you, you’ll take the next step, even if it’s a small one.

You also need emotional resilience. Launching anything will bring unexpected challenges. You need stamina and belief in yourself, even when no one else sees it yet. The people who win aren’t the ones who wait until everything’s perfect. They’re the ones who move fast, make calculated decisions, and learn as they go.

3. Dependability

Be the person people can count on. Always.

In any career— and honestly, in life— dependability is what builds relationships and reputation. Deliver your work on time. Communicate clearly. Don’t turn in something half-baked just to meet a deadline, and don’t deliver perfection if you’re constantly late. Strive to be the person who does excellent work and delivers it reliably.

People remember how you show up. Go the extra mile. If someone in your circle is giving a talk or launching something, show up and be engaged. Not because you expect anything back, but because that’s the kind of person you want in your corner, too. It’s good business, yes. But more importantly, it’s good character.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

That kind of question really forces you to look at what matters. Growing a business isn’t just about making money… At least not at the core. It’s about what that business allows you to do and who you get to become in the process.

For me, entrepreneurship has always felt like the more meaningful path. It’s definitely not the easiest one, but it’s given me the chance to support others and create real impact on the world around me.

If I only had 10 years left, I’d double down on that impact, especially helping women and underdogs own their brilliance and go after what they really want. Not just dreaming. Doing.

I’ve always felt connected to people who feel stuck or underestimated because I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to feel unsupported, to shrink yourself just to fit in. And I know how heavy that becomes over time.

So many of us hold back out of fear, and in the process, we lose touch with who we are. But I’ve also seen what happens when someone finally takes that first step. And I want more of that.

I’d want to create spaces where people feel seen, supported, and challenged. Because I know there’s a domino effect; when one person steps into their full potential, it lifts more than just them. It inspires others to do the same. That’s the kind of legacy I want to leave.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hapacity.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hapacitymarketing
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/hapacity
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/hapacity/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hapacitymarketing