What happens when a Gen X president and a millennial account director decide to run a marketing agency—and start a podcast—together? In episode 270 of Joy Found Here, Deanna Dolecki and Ashley Ruggeri of Blue Duck Agency share what it's like building a boutique, fully virtual agency across two life stages—from Deanna's empty-nest reinvention at 50 to Ashley's whirlwind days as a hockey mom. They trade honest, funny stories about hiring each other, disagreeing without taking it personally, and turning their podcast, Ducks Unplugged, into an unexpected creative lifeline.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(04:16) Meet Deanna and Ashley: Blue Duck Agency's Dynamic Duo
(04:57) Deanna's Path: From Undecided Grad to Agency President
(09:12) Ashley's Journey: From Banking to Marketing Motherhood
(13:38) The Hiring Story: Why Deanna Almost Didn't Hire Ashley
(15:30) Building Trust: How They Make Their Working Relationship Work
(18:02) The Podcast Origin Story: How Ducks Unplugged Was Born
(25:06) Inside Blue Duck Agency: What Makes Their Boutique Approach Different
(29:25) Deanna's Road to 50: Learning to Put Herself First
(37:12) Generational Differences: TV Guides, YouTube, and Everything Between
(40:49) Ashley on Parenting Differently Than Her Own Mother
Deanna Dolecki and Ashley Ruggeri are President and Account Director at Blue Duck Agency, a boutique, virtual marketing agency near Boston. Deanna has led agency strategy for 11 years in account management; Ashley brings 15+ years in customer acquisition via banking and energy before finding marketing. Deanna, a mother of two, recently turned 50 and launched a \"Road to 50\" self-prioritization project; Ashley, an elder millennial and Bentley grad, raises her 7-year-old son while working. Together they co-host Ducks Unplugged, marking its first anniversary.
In this episode, Deanna and Ashley reflect on navigating different life stages as colleagues and friends. Deanna opens up about turning 50, becoming an empty-nester, and learning to put herself first, touching on her divorce, dating again, and buying her first home alone. Ashley shares life as a young mother raising a 7-year-old while helping run the agency, and parenting differently than her own mother did. Both discuss the trust behind their partnership and how their podcast became a fulfilling creative outlet.
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Ducks Unplugged Podcast
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