Hayden Van Hulzen is the CEO and founder of HVH Media & Marketing, a full-service modern marketing agency rooted in results. “We specialize in social media, influencer marketing, digital strategy, and brand development — with a focus on elevating high-end service-based businesses in the aesthetic, dental, and luxury lifestyle industries.” Learn about Hayden Van Hulzen…
Follow at: @hvhmarketing; @hayd3nm3rryn
Hometown: I am originally from Gurnee, IL, but I’ve lived in beautiful North Scottsdale since 2011.
First job: Working at the Warren Special Recreation Center. I began volunteering at a young age with individuals with special needs. They offered me my first official position when I was old enough to work.
Favorite ways to spend your free time in AZ: Spending time with my family, traveling, watching a great series, reading, and trying new highly-rated restaurants.
Your biggest accomplishment and why: My greatest accomplishment will always be my children. But a close second is building HVH Media & Marketing from the ground up while balancing motherhood and other businesses.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: Losing everything (all at once) and coming back from it without the experience or roadmap to guide me.
There was a time when I had a limited employee mindset. I was navigating a divorce, living paycheck to paycheck, working through a strained relationship with my estranged mother, and then suddenly lost both my boss and assistant in a plane crash. My closest work friends turned on me. I lost my job while trying to rebuild my life. Around the same time, my mother — who had been in and out of my life — cut ties completely. I was in debt, alone, heartbroken, and betrayed. It was an absolute low. But I rose — like a phoenix from the ashes.
I often look back on that time, especially on hard days, as a reminder of how far I’ve come. I will never forget where I came from and take the life I’ve built for granted.
Someone who inspires you and why: My mastermind circle of women CEOs. Being surrounded by other driven, compassionate, and wildly capable women keeps me grounded and motivated. We hold each other accountable not just to succeed — but to do so with integrity and joy. This includes the owner of Fabulous Media Group, Cynthia Sassi.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: This is a tough industry, and the only way to stand out is to get results. Don’t focus on what you should be doing — do whatever it takes to help your clients succeed.
Favorite quote: “Done is better than perfect.” –Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. Perfectionism is one of the first thieves of success. So much of what we’re raised to believe has to be unlearned and recoded when we step into entrepreneurship.