Year 1 of ACMC: learnings, wins, and a whole lot of toddler snugs
One year ago, I decided to leave my role as a Director of Marketing for a well-known assessment technology company. I wanted more time with my daughter (who is 19 months old now). Like many professionals, I was struggling to balance the weight of a career with the needs of my family. I felt a constant tug between ambition and motherhood, yet I knew instinctively that the two could coexist. Taking the leap to start ACMC ranks high on the “best professional decision I’ve ever made” list, and seeing the impact of this first year makes the anniversary even sweeter.
Vulnerable share: my greatest challenge over this past year hasn't been the work itself, but the act of promoting it. If you know me, you know that shouting about my own wins doesn't really align with my personality. Proactive marketing for ACMC has been nearly non-existent (oh, the irony). Instead, I’ve been fortunate to build a roster of wonderful clients purely through word-of-mouth and professional referrals (thank you, thank you!!).
In this first year, ACMC has delivered real results for the organizations we’ve served. While I have immense respect for many peers in the agency world, I’ve found that there is no substitute for over a decade of experience within the testing and credentialing industry. That specialized knowledge allows me provide immediate value without a learning curve.
To mark this milestone, I’m using this space to highlight some of the work completed during year one. Before I jump into that, I want to share some lessons I’ve learned:
Freelance isn’t a dirty word. For a moment, I thought I had to promote myself as a consultant or strategist to get respect. This isn’t true. In fact, for this stage of life, freelance work (retainer or project-based) has provided the most flexibility because I don’t have to commit to constant Zoom calls. I love advisory work, mostly because I have pretty strong marketing opinions and understand the challenges of not having a full-blown marketing department. But, freelancing is fun. Doing the work can be fun.
Clarity ≠ Action. It’s actually the other way around. You can’t sit around and wait to understand every single process before getting started. I’ve learned there is no perfect moment, and learning through trial and error has been the best path for me. Clarity comes while you are doing the work.
Motherhood is leadership. My leadership skills are constantly tested (pun, intended). I know for a fact that when I enter back into the workforce, I’ll be a better leader because of my experiences with my daughter. She may be my mini boss, but my skills are sharper than ever.
“I know, for a fact, that I’m a better leader because of my experiences with my daughter. Motherhood is leadership.”
Client spotlight
Meet AHTA (American Horticultural Therapy Association). Our collaboration began with a primary goal: increasing awareness of the horticultural therapy profession. Using the B.L.O.O.M. framework I created, I developed a comprehensive annual marketing strategy followed by month-to-month support to watch that strategy take root and grow (more puns). Our efforts are concentrated on four key pillars: certification (including product marketing for a new launch), the annual conference, sponsorship, and membership.
One particular highlight evolved outside of our original scope: the AHTA website. As our awareness campaigns successfully drove traffic, it became clear that the digital experience needed to evolve alongside the strategy. While some updates were first handled by dedicated volunteers, we identified a need for a more cohesive brand narrative.
We spent dedicated time refining AHTA’s identity, defining who they are, why they represent the gold standard in their field, and how to position that authority effectively. By aligning the storytelling across our four focus areas, we ensured the layouts, visuals, and brand identity now accurately reflect how the organization wants to be perceived. This strategic alignment resulted in an almost immediate lift for the organization, and we are so proud of the progress we’ve made together. A peek at the before and after of the homepage is below.
Other wins and projects
Some of my clients are under NDA, so I can only share a few high-level details, but these milestones are worth celebrating:
Successfully executed a product-led growth strategy that increased product demos by 2,000% in under six months, resulting in new business.
Launched a product marketing plan/strategy for a new recertification pathway in the medical credentialing space.
Delivered website audits focused on messaging, positioning, and trust signals, which unlocked stronger form submissions and higher-quality inbound interest.
Celebrated a major community win by growing a membership organization’s LinkedIn followers by 57% and event attendance by over 30% for both virtual and in-person sessions.
What’s next
My mind has wandered into the world of Customer Experience (CX) and its critical role in the user journey. I’ve been diving deep into learning about user-journey mapping, as I believe it is an impactful part for improving the lifecycle of a testing program and investing in candidate growth and retention. I’ve started to share some of my thoughts; you can read them in Part 1 of my recent feature for I.C.E. Credentialing Insights.
Outside of that, I’m looking forward to connecting with the community in the coming months:
CNG Events: I’m proud to sponsor two Certification Network Group events this year: the virtual session in June and the in-person meeting in Chicago this August. If you’re in Chicago, I’d love to meet.
I.C.E. Exchange: I’ll be be attending the annual conference again this year and look forward to potentially sharing more on user-journey mapping through presentation(s).
As I move into Year 2, I have transitioned more toward freelance-based support. While strategic consulting remains a pillar of ACMC, project-based work allows for the day-to-day flexibility that makes this business model thrive. If any of the challenges or projects mentioned here resonate with your current goals, I have openings for 1-2 retainer-based clients or new project-based work. Please feel free to reach out directly at amanda@helloacmc.com. I enjoy and thrive in marketing projects that include product marketing and go-to-market strategies (yes, your credential is a product), website audits, communication plans, and more.
Thank you, clients & community
If you’ve made it this far, thank you. And to my wonderful, smart, incredibly fascinating clients: thank you. Your support is felt in every conversation, and I feel incredibly fortunate to do this work. Year 1 proved that you don't have to choose between work and being present for the big (and small) family moments. I'm heading into Year 2 with more momentum than ever, and I’m forever grateful that you make it possible for me to thrive as both a consultant and a mom.