How This Mom Built a $1M Agency While Working 4 AM Mornings

Startups With Stu

"I magically carve out hours for my day. So some days I have to start at 4 a.m." This is how Akvile DeFazio, who fled Lithuania during the Cold War with just a wooden crate, manages to run a thriving social media advertising agency while raising a kindergartner. In a decade of business, she's achieved something almost unheard of: she's never been fired by a single client. Starting with zero sales experience and crippling stage fright, Akvile transformed herself from a timid freelancer into a confident agency owner who keynotes major conferences. Her secret? A revolutionary approach that shifted her business model during COVID, turning consulting into 60% of her revenue stream while working fewer hours than traditional account management. After shadowing a mentor who handed over half her clients, Akvile discovered that building genuine relationships trumps aggressive sales tactics every time. She reveals her exact blueprint for creating a lifestyle business that generates serious revenue without requiring a large team, plus the unconventional parental coverage program that allowed her to take real maternity leave as a founder. This episode is a goldmine for anyone wanting to build a sustainable, profitable business while maintaining work-life balance and never compromising on family time.