Ly is the Founder/Marketing Strategist at 7Thirty Creative. Read our interview with Ly about her experiences with Xcelerate Business Advising and Peer Mentor Groups.

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What sparked the idea for your business–and what vision or purpose drives the work you do today?

The idea for my business came from something I’ve always been drawn to: helping women tell their stories and show up with confidence. My work is centered on supporting female business owners in marketing themselves, promoting their message, and taking full ownership of who they are. 

I’ve been in the marketing world for over 15 years, and an entrepreneur for a decade, and this mission of storytelling and empowering women has taken a lot of different forms along the way. But the purpose has always stayed the same: to help women feel confident and powerful.

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When you first connected with Xcelerate, where were you in your business journey? What challenges or aspirations brought you to us?

When I first found Xcelerate, my business wasn’t failing, but it was just stuck. I was running in circles and making the same decisions because I only had myself to bounce ideas off of. 

As a solo entrepreneur, it felt like I was building in a vacuum with no real sense of what was “normal” in our local entrepreneur community, and no structure to help me think bigger.

I realized I needed to be around people who were actively working through the same challenges I was, people who actually talked about the realities of business and didn’t make it look effortless. I needed a space where I could grow and not do it all alone.

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What goals did you focus on with Xcelerate this year, and what progress are you most proud of?

This year, my biggest focus with Xcelerate was shifting my energy back toward the parts of my business that actually generate revenue and create stability. I’d been pouring so much into community work and impact, which I love, but the balance was completely off. My business growth had stalled because I was giving everything away to everyone else.

I needed to figure out how to show up for the female business community and still run a healthy, predictable business of my own. So my priority became intentionality: holding myself to revenue-building actions, tightening my structure, and rebuilding the foundation so my impact didn’t come at the cost of my livelihood."

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Can you share a moment this year when something clicked for you as a business owner–something that changed the way you think or lead?

This year, the biggest shift for me as a business owner was recognizing an identity change. As life as a single mom became less chaotic, I finally had the space to reconnect with the version of myself I loved before motherhood–a more grounded, confident, professional, and intentional version of me.

I noticed that as I elevated and felt more at home in my own identity, the clients I attracted elevated too. That’s when it clicked: my business structure and pricing needed to match who I was becoming. That shift helped me rebuild my offers, create more stability and revenue, and open up space to hire and support more women.

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What were some of the biggest challenges you navigated this year, and how did Xcelerate’s support help you move through them?

The biggest challenge I navigated this year was hitting burnout. My business wasn’t set up to support me at all, instead it was draining me. I was dropping balls everywhere: with contractors, with my family, and with my own health. My mental health took the hardest hit, and that was the wake-up call.

I realized my business model didn't match the reality of my life or the capacity I actually had. The Xcelerate coaches helped me work through that. They helped me break down what wasn’t working, rethink my offers and structure, and rebuild things in a way that supported my life. 

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If you’ve been part of Xcelerate for multiple years, how would you describe the ongoing impact of that support over time? And if you’re newer to the community, what early changes or wins have you already noticed?

My time with Xcelerate has been a huge part of why I’ve stayed passionate about being a business owner in the last couple of years. What’s stood out to me over the years is how grounding it is to have a community you can lean on.

This ongoing support from the Xcelerate community has kept me from losing my drive, even in the hard seasons. The community inside Xcelerate is one of the most valuable things a business owner can have.

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What milestones or wins have felt especially meaningful along the way–whether in growth, confidence, or community impact? Please be as specific as possible.

A win that was really meaningful to me this year was being invited to step into more leadership and subject matter expert roles. I got to teach workshops for businesses around Portland that I really admire, speak on panels specifically for other business owners, be a part of committees for the women in business space, and was invited to leadership groups in the BIPOC community.

I was really proud of this milestone because it showed me that all the consistent work I’d put into my brand and my community wasn’t just for nothing, and all that behind-the-scenes effort finally translated into real, tangible opportunities.

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What about Xcelerate’s approach feels uniquely impactful or aligned with the way you do business?

What really makes Xcelerate’s approach impactful to me is their focus on transparency. They’re not just giving you a highlight reel of business success; they encourage real conversations about what’s actually going on.

I also love that Xcelerate is all about building a real community. That’s a huge part of my own business mission, and it’s refreshing to be part of a place that puts in the effort to make that happen for everyone.

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How has your identity–as a woman and through your intersecting experiences–shaped the way you lead, make decisions, or build community through your business?

My identity as a woman shapes every part of how I lead and run my business. My entire business model is designed around supporting women: from how I structure my client load and schedule as a mother, and extending to the women I hire and pay in a way that genuinely elevates their lives. Most of my clients are women, and the work I do is centered around helping them build brands that stand out, own their voice, and take up space.

Every major decision I make comes back to one question: Does this create more opportunity, more money, more freedom, or more resources for women?

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How do you personally define success–for yourself and your business? Has that definition evolved since joining Xcelerate?

I feel successful when my life isn’t demanding 100% of me in every direction at once. It’s when there’s actual breathing room. When my business has momentum without taking away from how I show up as a mom, when my family obligations don’t pull me under, and when my finances feel stable enough that I can think about my health.

When I was younger, success used to look like a revenue number, team size, or checking boxes of what a “good mother” was supposed to be. Now I know that I feel best when I’ve got a little of something in each bucket of my life and that there's enough for this season, without being overwhelmed by any one area.

The women I’ve met in Xcelerate helped me realize that success doesn't have to look a certain way, and that, in fact, it doesn't need to be big or flashy. They gave me permission to define it based on what actually sustains me.

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Looking ahead, what are you most excited to create or grow next–and how has Xcelerate helped prepare you for that next chapter?

Being part of the Xcelerate community and taking part in their mentorship groups, events, and community forums has given me confidence. It's given me the space to practice showing up as a business owner in a real, consistent way. By meeting other entrepreneurs, going to events, speaking up, and representing business owners, I’ve been pushed to take myself more seriously, to confidently introduce myself, talk about my work, and own the role I’m in. That kind of confidence comes from repetition, and that confidence is exactly what’s going to carry me into this next level of growth.

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Is there anything else you'd like to share about your Xcelerate experience?

Becoming part of the Xcelerate community did as much for my life as it did for my business.

During the pandemic, I went through a few years of feeling incredibly isolated, both personally and professionally. When I joined Xcelerate, I knew I had to actively put myself out there, make friends, and rebuild my sense of community. And that’s exactly what started to happen.

Beyond helping me refocus on my business, Xcelerate helped me build real friendships, deepen my ties to Portland, and feel more connected to the entrepreneurial world here. It’s been a resource, a support system that’s made a difference in every part of my life.