Worcester Business Journal “40 Under 40” Awards 2022 names our she-OO and long-time Worcester ally, Billie Kenyon.
According to the Worcester Business Journal, this award celebrates “outstanding young leaders who are shaking up the Central Mass business community and leading us into the future.”
Billie says, she has long aspired to be among this group. “It sounds corny, but for me, it’s a dream come true.”
We know that Billie is a rising star, not just at Ladybugz, but also in her local community of Worcester—a hotbed of growth just 50 miles west of Boston. Billie has deep roots in Worcester, having moved there as a new college student at Clark University, worked at Worcester-area companies that support the city, and now living there with her husband, Cory, and young daughter, Devyn.
Billie and Lysa Join Forces at Ladybugz for a Stronger Digital Agency
The Ladybugz team knows Billie well and she deserves to be among Worcester’s elite, selected from over 200 nominations. In her community and at Ladybugz, Billie is a force for growth and positivity.
The story of Billie and Ladybugz is one of natural symmetry. It starts with COVID devastating hotel and hospitality businesses, which meant the end of her job and longtime work in that industry. At the same time, Ladybugz Founder and CEO Lysa Miller was working on reimagining Ladybugz as a digital branding consultancy for biotech companies.
As the business started to expand, Lysa realized that she needed a partner to help her transform Ladybugz so she could focus on other growth areas. This person would be a leader who could run operations more efficiently, integrate our gig-focused team, and build client relationships. It so happened that Lysa and Billie had met several times in the past at business functions. Billie reached out to Lysa, and the rest is history. They realized they had synergy and a winning formula.
Ladybugz Interactive Keeps Getting Better and Better
Billie’s efforts are paying off. We are happy that in the past year, we have worked with twenty biotech companies across the country, along with other verticals. “In the beginning, so many people said we would not be able to grow and scale with our model,” said Lysa, “but we created a system that helped us skyrocket to a seven-figure agency in just one year. Billie has been crucial to that success.”
We all know that making big changes is never easy, but Billie’s ability to embrace change and support innovation has made Ladybugz stand out among its competitors. She’s the first one to stand up and say, “We can make this happen”!
Billie’s Secret Sauce for Success
What’s Billie’s secret? Her special sauce has many ingredients, but the recipe includes a healthy portion of personal commitment. From the moment she came on board, Billie was infused with Lysa’s vision of a woman-owned company in the male-dominated world of biotech marketing. Now Billie regularly works with biotech companies around the world, connecting them with Ladybugz’s website design, social media strategy, and online branding.
Billie’s commitment goes deeper, making sure that our group hums. We work with a dispersed network of top-level experts in web design and related areas. It’s not always easy to herd a group of creatives with flexible schedules and in different locations. Billie somehow manages to do it.
Lysa was right that Billie would be the glue that holds the team together, reinforcing a culture of creativity, equity, and work-life balance. While performing her role as COO, she helps everyone bring their very best to our clients while having fun and understanding that we all have meaningful lives beyond our work.
Advice to Young People Who Want Their Careers to Grow
Billie has good advice for young people looking to move forward in their work lives. First, she recommends that they should take every possible professional development opportunity to help them keep growing, learning, and adapting to change. Second, as you consider work opportunities, look at more than the title, responsibilities, and compensation. Equally important is how teams work together and support each other.
Having won the 40 Under 40 Award, it’s not surprising that Billie also recommends being involved in your community. “Sharing and giving back to my home base has strengthened both my business and personal connections,” says Billie. “It’s enriched my life in ways I never could have imagined.”
Keep Evolving
We really can’t say enough about Billie, but we’ll close with a few brief comments. First, Billie’s ability to embrace Ladybugz’s fresh approach speaks volumes to our clients, motivates our team, and addresses the continuous challenges that all businesses face. Lysa provides the final note, adding simply, “Billie is one of the most incredible people I have met, and I can’t wait to see what her future brings!”
Please call us at (978) 376-7878 or fill out our contact form to learn more about our digital agency solutions for biotech, education, B2B, non-profit and Boston legacy brands.
