For over a decade, Gwen Beren has been lighting the path for businesses ready to shine online. As the founder of Illuminous Marketing, Gwen has built a digital marketing agency that blends strategic insight with heart, helping clients cut through the noise and connect meaningfully with their audiences.

But as any seasoned entrepreneur knows, success isn’t a straight line—it’s a journey filled with experiments, evolutions, and unexpected lessons. Gwen’s story is no exception.

Resilience Over Perfection

When asked what advice she would give to fellow women business owners, Gwen doesn’t hesitate: embrace failure.

“Failure is part of the process, and you have to be willing to be resilient in order to be successful,” she says. “Over the last 12 years I’ve tried so many different things to grow my business—some worked fantastically, and some failed just as fantastically.”

Rather than fearing misteps, Gwen encourages women to view them as hidden opportunities. It took about five years for her to realize that a “failure” often contains the seeds of future success. The key? Learning the lesson and applying it.

“You will continue to become more and more resilient as your business grows and thrives,” she adds.

What She Wishes She Knew

If she could go back to her early days in business, Gwen would give herself one piece of advice: get help sooner—especially in the areas where you’re not the expert.

“I’m not great at keeping books,” she laughs. “So a bookkeeper was one of my first hires—but that didn’t happen until 18 months in. If I had sought that help earlier, I could have saved a lot of money in taxes… that was a $10,000 lesson I could’ve done without!”

She also emphasizes the importance of talking to professionals like lawyers or business mentors early on. Starting as a sole proprietor, Gwen later transitioned her company to a corporation—a move that dramatically improved her tax planning.

The Joy of Agility

One of Gwen’s fondest memories as a business owner isn’t a single moment—it’s a recurring feeling: the freedom to act.

“I love being able to quickly make changes that benefit my clients,” she shares. “When I worked in corporate, there were so many levels of hierarchy. Now, if I see an opportunity, I can make a decision and move. That’s incredibly empowering.”

How Hera Hub Has Helped

A longtime member of Hera Hub, Gwen is quick to credit the community with playing a key role in her entrepreneurial journey.

“Hera Hub has connected me with so many brilliant, like-minded women from all kinds of industries,” she says. “I’ve hired other businesses through these connections, and I’ve also found some of my closest friends here.”

Learn More

To learn more about Gwen Beren and Illuminous Marketing, visit illuminousmarketing.com. You’ll find details about her services, client success stories, and links to her social media platforms.