Hilary Hartling shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hilary, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Joy lately has come from honoring small rituals that make me feel alive. Things like writing early in the morning before anyone else is awake, starting the day with gratitude journaling, or even pausing to ask myself: “What would make me wake up excited tomorrow?”
Those little practices feel small in the moment, but they create momentum. They help me live in alignment with the very philosophy I’m writing about in my book, Wake Up Excited. It’s not about chasing big, shiny milestones. It’s about weaving joy and excitement into the everyday. And outside of my brand strategy development and personal brand building work, this practice has brought me so much joy.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I often say I’ve lived two professional lives that now come together in the work I do.
The first was 15 years as a marketing executive at Disney, where I helped launch blockbuster films and franchises from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Touchstone. That experience taught me the power of story to move audiences, build loyalty, and create cultural moments.
The second is the past decade, where I’ve taken everything I learned in the entertainment industry and applied it to entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders who want to grow their own brands. Through my company, Hilary Hartling HQ, I help entrepreneurs gain brand clarity and messaging that resonates deeply with their audience. And as Chief Brand Officer of GROWTH MODE Personal Brand Agency I now also work with executives and modern leaders to build personal brands that increase visibility, credibility, and influence.
What makes my approach unique is that I don’t just create strategies, I capture the soul of a brand. Whether I’m working with a solo founder or a C-suite leader, my goal is to help them feel more aligned, confident, and magnetic so that the right opportunities flow naturally.
And right now, I’m pouring that same philosophy into my first book, Wake Up Excited: The Rebel’s Guide to Reclaim Joy, Trust Your Gut, and Live an Unapologetic Life That Lights You Up. It’s both a personal philosophy and a toolkit for anyone who’s ready to stop settling and start creating a life and work that feels fully aligned.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I had to be perfect to be valuable. I thought success meant getting the gold star, meeting every expectation, and proving myself through constant achievement. That belief carried me for a long time…it got me through school, helped me climb the ladder at Disney, and shaped my work ethic.
But over time, I realized perfection isn’t what makes us magnetic. In fact, perfection usually creates distance. People don’t connect to flawless. They connect to real. They connect to the moments of vulnerability, the messy middle, and the stories that reveal both resilience and humanity.
I can’t lie. I’m still a recovering perfectionist and am learning the differences still between perfectionism and simply having high standards. However, letting go of perfection has been one of the most freeing shifts of my life. Today, I believe my value, and the value of the leaders and entrepreneurs I work with, comes from authenticity, alignment, and the courage to show up unapologetically. That’s what I mean when I say “Wake Up Excited.” It’s not about doing everything right. It’s about creating a life and brand that feels deeply aligned, so you can step into the day with joy instead of pressure.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Adopting my daughter Ruby was the most joyful chapter of my life… a dream I’d waited years to live. But as any new parent knows, joy and challenge often arrive together. As a single mom, my energy shifted completely to her, and that meant I had far less time to devote to my business.
For a while, things slowed down more than I wanted. I wasn’t out networking or marketing like I used to, and my business reflected that pause. At first, it was hard to accept. But in hindsight, that season gave me something invaluable: clarity.
It forced me to look at what was working, what wasn’t, and what no longer felt aligned. That pause became a catalyst for the evolution of my business; an evolution I’m still moving through today.
What I learned is that success isn’t always about acceleration. Sometimes, it’s the pause that shows you the path forward.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
One important truth I hold that not everyone in the marketing world agrees with is that building a brand isn’t about standing out by being louder.
Most of the advice out there pushes tactics: post more often, chase trends, hack the algorithm. And while those things might get you temporary visibility, they don’t build lasting resonance.
I believe the most magnetic brands are built from the inside out. You start by going inward: getting clear on your purpose, your unique value, your message, and the audience you’re truly meant to serve. When you’re aligned at that level, your brand naturally resonates. You don’t have to shout to stand out. The right people will feel it and find you.
For me, branding isn’t about adding more noise to the world. It’s about creating clarity that cuts through the noise.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Excitement has always been my compass. I learned early on that if something doesn’t light me up, it’s not for me. My very first job was in print media at an ad agency, and I was bored to tears. That experience taught me a lesson I’ve carried throughout my career: I can’t fake energy for work that doesn’t spark something inside me.
When I moved into film marketing at Disney, it was like plugging into electricity. I’ll never forget walking onto my first film set while they were shooting, or later, stepping onto the massive soundstage where they built the Pirates of the Caribbean sets in meticulous detail. I stood in awe at the spectacle of Pearl Harbor being shot on location in Mexico. And then there were the moments where I got to present film marketing plans to legends like Jerry Bruckheimer, Bob Iger, Steve Jobs, and Steven Spielberg. That era of my career had me tap dancing to work every day.
But excitement didn’t stop there. When I pivoted from corporate executive to entrepreneur, I built my own business serving female founders and entrepreneurs who were creating brands — and lives — that aligned with their dreams. That was (and still is) a different kind of thrill: the joy of helping someone step into clarity and resonance with their authentic brand voice.
And today? What excites me most is putting my own framework onto the page, writing my book, Wake Up Excited. It’s not just a book; it’s my life philosophy. I want people to feel that same spark when they wake up, to know they’re building work and a life that truly lights them up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hilaryhartling.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hilaryhartling
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/hilaryhartling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HilaryHartlingHQ
Image Credits
Girl Squad Media
