At a time in life when many people start looking toward retirement, I chose a different path and launched Elyon Marketing, a Manchester, NH-based company specializing in brand strategy and content creation for small businesses.
But my journey to entrepreneurship didn’t begin in midlife — it was decades in the making, shaped by an eclectic career spanning the military, 20 years as an executive assistant, and a full-time corporate writing role.
My passion for storytelling started in the U.S. military, where I served as a photojournalist, writing human-interest stories for the Fort Bragg Paraglide. I had always loved writing, and that newspaper gave me my first opportunity to be published.
Over the years, my expertise expanded across corporate and freelance marketing roles, producing content for online and print publications, running a movie review site, authoring two books, and now, maintaining a business blog. Along the way, my marketing skills evolved to include brand positioning, outbound marketing, design and content management.
My background is as diverse as my professional career. I was born in London, England, into a Jamaican family, and I’m a U.S. citizen. The mixed upbringing provided me with a unique mixture of influences, reflected in my accent, often prompting questions about my origin. I will jokingly respond, “I’m a bit of a Heinz 57 sauce.” Added to a diverse background is the fact that I’ve always been a late bloomer, such as entering the first beauty pageant and authoring my first book at 42 years old.
Yet, behind the layers of a nuanced work history was the unfinished chapter of entrepreneurship. Two decades earlier, I launched an event planning business that ultimately failed. But I realized failure was a lesson, not an end.
Fast-forward to 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed my career trajectory. After being laid off from a staff writing position, I took on marketing management roles for two companies. But by early 2022, I felt the pull of a long-held dream: owning a business. For years, I had immersed myself in entrepreneurial podcasts but had never taken the leap. That realization sparked action.
With years of experience working under corporate executives, stepping into the leadership role myself felt both exhilarating and daunting. I started Elyon Marketing as a side hustle while maintaining a full-time job. My days were packed — corporate work from 9 to 5, then business development from 7 to 10 p.m. I invested in my skill set by enrolling in additional online marketing courses, spending hours combing through YouTube tutorials, and refining my approach through trial and error.
My first clients were close friends who trusted me with brand strategy and content creation. When the time came to transition into full-time entrepreneurship, my employer not only supported my decision but became my first official client. By then, I had already laid the groundwork — establishing my LLC, securing legal documentation and launching a website. “It felt like I was doing me, version 3.0,” I confessed.
I was intentional about measured growth. Unlike my first business attempt, I prioritized sustainability over speed. Over the next couple of years, I channeled all my efforts into the Elyon Marketing brand, carefully managing clients while ensuring high-quality results. Now, nearly three years into the business owner journey, I am ready to scale my enterprise and/or explore new growth strategies.
Beyond business, I am a wife, grandmother of four, and a dog mom who embraces the joys of family, faith and a strong cup of tea, mixed with plenty of laughter. All in all, for this middle-aged, come-lately woman, starting a business wasn’t just a career move — it was the fulfillment of a lifelong journey of reinvention.
Carol Duhart is the owner of Elyon Marketing, a Manchester, NH-based company specializing in brand strategies and content creation for small businesses. For more information, contact cduhart@elyonmarketing.com, or follow Elyon Marketing on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.
