Do you dream of starting your own business but find yourself stuck in the safety of a regular paycheck? Many talented professionals stay in jobs that no longer fulfill them because breaking away seems too risky. Katy Lucey faced this exact situation after ten years at digital marketing agencies, where she built teams and advised clients while feeling increasingly pulled toward something of her own.

The daily reality of corporate life had started to wear on Katy. With two young children at home and financial responsibilities piling up, the idea of leaving stable employment seemed impossible. Yet the gap she spotted in the market—companies lacking proper marketing training—kept calling to her. Something had to change.

“I honestly just decided to take a leap and see where I landed,” says Katy about her choice to start Metric Impact, a business offering specialized marketing training and workshops. Her story shows that with specific expertise, identified market needs, and the courage to begin, you too can build a business that matches your values. The path won’t be perfect, but as you’ll see, waiting for perfect conditions might mean waiting forever.

Spotting a Market Gap

Katy’s years in the industry revealed a pattern: many organizations struggle with marketing training. They simply don’t have the time or resources to invest in properly equipping their teams.

“After a decade in the industry, I have realized that a lot of organizations don’t have the time or resources to spend on training. I have a workable solution for them.”

This insight came from direct observation. As she built and led teams throughout her career, she saw firsthand how proper training could improve marketing effectiveness. More importantly, she noticed how often this training was overlooked or undervalued.

Her solution? Custom workshops that help marketing teams work more efficiently – saving companies money while improving results.

Creating Personalized Training

Katy designs her workshops to build confidence in marketing teams. “I really want to empower people through training to help them gain confidence in their day-to-day work,” she explains.

Her training sessions combine teaching with hands-on practice. “I like to break it up so it’s a mix of teaching and then working through applicable scenarios,” Katy says. She also provides takeaway materials so teams can refer back to what they learned.

What makes her approach different is the customization. Before creating a workshop, Katy holds a discovery call to understand the specific problems a team faces. She then builds training that addresses their unique business needs.

This approach has already shown impressive results. In her first year, a smaller Atlanta agency hired Katy to audit their clients’ paid media campaigns and provide recommendations. After implementing her suggestions, their client saw twice as many leads coming in.

Facing Challenges

Starting a business wasn’t a decision Katy made lightly. With two young children – one in full-time childcare – and a mortgage to pay, the financial risks weighed heavily on her mind.

“My biggest fears were all financial. I have two young kids, one of whom is in full-time childcare. We have a mortgage.”

Despite these very real concerns, Katy recognized that the short-term sacrifice might lead to long-term benefits. “The time investment in building this out now will help our lives look completely different in a few years.”

Finding support was crucial for Katy’s confidence. She connected with a business program called the Brave Start during her early stages. “Gabby and the Brave Start have been monumental in helping me gain confidence and realize this is something I can actually be successful at,” Katy shares.

“I think the thing I am working on the most is my confidence and trying to combat my impostor syndrome.”

This outside perspective proved valuable as she worked to overcome what she describes as her biggest ongoing challenge: impostor syndrome. Despite her experience, the shift from employee to owner brought new insecurities.

When it came to finding her first paying client, Katy turned to networking. “I am in a marketing and communications Facebook group for Atlanta, and someone reached out asking for paid media support,” she shares. This connection turned into her longest-standing client relationship, evolving from media execution to team operations and enablement.

Prioritizing Life Balance

Perhaps the most profound change for Katy hasn’t been the nature of her work, but how it fits into her life. After years of adjusting her personal schedule to meet job demands, she’s flipping the script.

“For my entire career, I tried to make my life fit around my job. Now I am working to make my job fit in with my life. And it’s very empowering.”

This shift represents more than just flexible hours – it’s a complete rethinking of work’s place in her world. By creating a business that serves her life goals, Katy has found a new sense of control and purpose.

Unlike many business owners, Katy isn’t focused on rapid expansion. “I don’t necessarily want to grow this to be some huge thing,” she explains. “I started the company so that I could do more work that I wanted to do while having the flexibility to be a mom to my two young kids.”

Her vision for the next 2-3 years is straightforward: create sustainable work that allows her to maintain balance between work and family, while focusing on projects and people that excite and fulfill her.

Currently, Katy measures her success through client feedback about how teams feel after her training. While she hopes to add more data-based measurements in the future, these real human responses guide her work today.

Advice for New Entrepreneurs

Looking back on her path, Katy’s advice to others is straightforward: don’t wait.

“I would have told myself to do it sooner.”

She views challenges not as failures but as chances to learn. This mindset has allowed her to adapt her business model as she learns, without being derailed by setbacks.

“I don’t look at anything as a mistake, but more as a place to learn and grow from.”

While she acknowledges she’s “still not there yet” in terms of reaching all her business goals, her story shows how taking that initial leap – even without perfect clarity about the destination – can lead to positive change.

Turn Knowledge Into Action

What can you take away from Katy’s story? First, use your existing skills to spot gaps in the market. Katy turned her decade of marketing agency work into a business helping others improve their skills.

Second, don’t try to do everything alone. Finding support networks, whether professional connections or community groups, can make a significant difference during the startup phase.

Third, prepare for the unexpected ups and downs. Katy notes that the unpredictability of client work was a big adjustment after years of steady employment. Having some savings and realistic expectations about the first months can help you weather this transition period.

Perhaps most importantly, Katy shows that you don’t need to follow anyone else’s definition of success. She built a business to fit her family priorities rather than chasing endless expansion. This clarity of purpose helps keep her focused when challenges arise.

Visit metricimpact.com to learn more about Katy’s marketing training workshops.