Marketing was not part of Mihae Ahn’s original career plan. In fact, she did not have a clear roadmap at all. She was anything but certain about her path forward. She did not map out a trajectory toward becoming Vice President of Marketing at a B Corp certified technology company. She did not strategize her way into becoming the author of three books.
Some milestones in her career were intentional. Many others emerged because she chose to step into opportunities despite uncertainty and self-doubt. What she could not see at the beginning, but recognizes clearly now, is that there has always been a consistent thread woven through her work. Whether in marketing, leadership, or authorship, she has been driven by the same internal pull: the desire to bring something meaningful into being and to create human connection through it.
In a world that increasingly prizes certainty, automation, and acceleration, Mihae has built her career around something slower, deeper, and more enduring: human connection.
Discovering Marketing Through Design Thinking
Mihae studied business at Parsons School of Design in New York City, an institution widely known for fashion design rather than business degrees. Her program blended classical business education with design thinking, an approach that emphasizes empathy, experimentation, and user experience. That intersection shaped the way she approaches both strategy and leadership.
Design thinking begins not with execution, but with understanding. It asks you to step into someone else’s experience before building solutions. It embraces iteration and acknowledges that clarity often emerges through experimentation rather than preceding it. Without fully realizing it at the time, this framework prepared her for marketing.
Her entry into marketing was not carefully plotted. Small and mid-sized businesses needed generalists, people who could wear many hats and operate across functions. She wrote copy, built campaigns, managed events, handled communications, analyzed results, and filled gaps wherever necessary. There was no defined lane. There was simply work to be done. No work was too insignificant or too difficult. She did whatever needed to be done.
While her entry into marketing was unintentional, her commitment to growing in the field was deliberate. She was energized by the act of creating something that did not exist the day before and sharing it with the world. The act of building, refining, launching, and watching something take shape gave her energy.
“Marketing fulfills that desire of mine to bring something into being and create deep human connections,” she reflects. “I later discovered that leadership fulfills it too.”
As her ambition expanded, she pursued a Master of Business Administration at the University of Toronto. Yet she often notes that while formal education sharpened her thinking, lived leadership experience transformed it. Through years of navigating teams, pressure, and growth, she came to understand that leadership is not about control or authority. It is about creating environments where others can thrive.
When individuals are placed in roles aligned with their strengths, and when they are given space to stretch and collaborate, something powerful happens. The connection formed in that shared creation amplifies both the effort and the outcome.
“The joy of creating together, and sharing what we create with the world, still wakes me up every morning,” she says.
Building Something That Matters at ProServeIT
Ten years ago, Mihae joined ProServeIT at a pivotal moment. The company was looking for someone to build and elevate its marketing function from the ground up. They needed a leader who could craft strategy but also execute. Someone who could envision the long-term narrative of the brand while remaining willing to roll up her sleeves and do the work required.
It was a strong fit.
Since 2016, both she and the organization have grown significantly. Today, she leads a sizable marketing team whose influence extends far beyond traditional demand generation. Her team touches customer experience, employee experience, executive events, brand storytelling, and community engagement. Marketing, in her view, is not confined to campaigns. It shapes how people feel at every touchpoint.
ProServeIT, founded in 2002, is a Microsoft Solutions Partner and B Corp certified technology consulting organization. Its mission is to empower organizations to unlock their digital future and create meaningful impact using technology as a force for good. For Mihae, that phrase carries weight: technology as a force for good. Business as a force for good. Those are not slogans but commitments, and Mihae takes them seriously.
Under her leadership, marketing is not about louder messaging. It is about deeper connection and trust. It is about designing experiences where customers feel supported and employees feel proud of what they are building.
Recently, her team launched twin bear mascots, Hope and Hugo, as co-ambassadors of the company’s purpose. While mascots may seem whimsical in a technology environment, the symbolism is intentional.
“Hope and Hugo symbolize the fusion of technical excellence, extraordinary experiences, and human connection,” Mihae explains. “They embody the belief that even in a digital world, people remain at the center of everything we do.”
These initiatives are expressions of belief. They are visible manifestations of values that might otherwise remain abstract.
Success Beyond Metrics
In the technology and marketing space, success is often defined by growth curves, revenue targets, and performance metrics. While those matter, Mihae defines success differently.
Success, for her, is sharing authentic, real stories.
She believes more women need to see themselves reflected in leadership. Representation matters. It expands what feels possible. But the stories that inspire cannot be polished narratives that place leaders on pedestals. They must reflect the full human experience.
“We are all human,” she says. “We experience triumphs and challenges. We doubt ourselves. We stretch. We fail. We try again. Authenticity is what moves people.”
This conviction led her to write three books: Perfectly Incomplete, The Stories We Tell, and Stories from the In-Between.
Each book reflects a chapter of her internal and professional evolution. She writes about shared human experiences, particularly the agonizing and uncomfortable moments that often catalyze growth. She shares her own stories vulnerably and authentically because she believes the reality behind professional titles is what creates connection.
Perfectly Incomplete explores embracing imperfection in achievement-driven cultures.
The Stories We Tell examines how internal narratives shape behavior and identity.
Stories from the In-Between reflects on navigating ambiguity in a world that craves and rewards clarity.
Publishing these books stands out as one of the most meaningful achievements of her life. They represent proof that she can move forward even while self-doubt is present. They represent the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. They represent ownership of her voice.
“Every book I’ve written is proof that I can create even while self-doubt screams in the background,” says Mihae.
They are something no organization or title can take away. They were created from lived experience. They are hers.
Living Alongside Imposter Syndrome
Despite visible success, one defining challenge has shaped her journey: imposter syndrome.
She has not overcome it. She continues to work on it.
For years, she placed rigid pressure on herself. If she did not meet certain milestones, she felt inadequate. If she did not perform flawlessly, she felt exposed. Her mind craved certainty. When the world failed to offer it, she filled the gaps with harsh self-criticism.
Developing self-awareness around this pattern did not come easily. Recognizing imposter syndrome was the first step. Learning to live alongside it without letting it dictate her decisions has been ongoing work.
“My imposter syndrome comes from both external and internal sources,” she says. “It is still a journey.”
Rather than waiting to feel fully confident before acting, she has learned to move forward despite discomfort. This shift has deeply influenced her leadership philosophy. Leaders do not need to eliminate uncertainty. They need to anchor themselves within it. They need courage to act, learn from failure, and iterate.
Embracing the Grey Space
One of the most transformative realizations in her life has been this: life is rarely black and white.
Much of her earlier anxiety stemmed from binary thinking. If I do not achieve this, I have failed. If I do not meet that standard, I am not enough.
Our minds crave clarity. They seek clean categories and definitive answers. But reality is nuanced. The tension between certainty and ambiguity became the foundation for Stories from the In-Between.
“Seeing success and life through a wider, more open lens is liberating,” she says. “It makes us gentler with ourselves and with others, and it makes us more creative in how we approach challenges.”
This philosophy shapes how she mentors young women aspiring to leadership roles. She resists prescribing formulas. Each journey is different. But she encourages them to widen their lens and resist rigid definitions of success.
Certainty feels safe. Growth often happens outside of it.
Co-Elevation and Culture
Early in her career, Mihae was told to find a mentor. The advice felt transactional and overwhelming. Over time, she realized meaningful mentorship develops organically through genuine connection.
Her mentors challenged her to think bigger, especially when she downplayed her own potential. Today, she extends that philosophy outward.
If she could define the impact of women leaders in one phrase, it would be co-elevation.
Leadership does not have to operate from scarcity. One person’s success is not another’s loss. Co-elevation means rising together. It means strengthening each other rather than competing.
“I choose to co elevate — not by diminishing myself or anyone else, but by rising together,” says Mihae.
Within her team, she fosters psychological safety and encourages experimentation. She believes creativity cannot be forced. It emerges where people feel safe enough to fail and try again.
“I love seeing the people I mentor and coach shine in their domain,” she says. “Through this work, I get to live my values and my purpose.”
Balancing Ambition and Humanity
The demands of leadership are significant. For much of her career, her default response to pressure was to sleep less and push harder. The consequences were predictable.
She is learning to recalibrate.
Saying no does not come easily. But she is practicing reminding herself that capability does not equal obligation.
As a mother, wife, executive, and author, she navigates multiple roles. Balance is not a final achievement. It is an ongoing adjustment. Gentleness with herself has become part of her growth.
The Future of Marketing
AI and automation do not intimidate her. They excite and inspire her. She sees AI as a powerful tool for eliminating repetitive tasks and improving efficiency. Leaders have a responsibility to explore it thoughtfully and ethically.
But she is clear about something else.
As automation increases, human connection becomes more important, not less.
Across every customer journey, there are moments to deepen belonging and trust. That is where marketing remains irreplaceable.
At ProServeIT, this belief is lived out through intentionally curated events, community initiatives, and partnerships. One example is the annual International Women’s Day clothing drive supporting Dress for Success, which helps women return to work and gain financial independence. The event brings together women leaders and younger generations, including high school and university students, to learn, be inspired, and foster meaningful connection.
Technology evolves rapidly and will continue to do so. What remains constant is the human need for belonging.
The Thread That Remains
Mihae shows up authentically even when self-doubt suggests she is too much or not enough.
“Authenticity has gained so much attention and the word has been overused,” says Mihae. “Showing up as an authentic self does not mean ignoring impact. It requires intention, situational awareness, and integrity.”
She hopes her work creates a ripple effect. If others see her navigating uncertainty openly, building with integrity, and sharing real stories, they may feel permission to do the same.
Across marketing, leadership, authorship, and mentorship, the thread remains consistent.
Bring something meaningful into being.
Create connection through it.
Rise together.
In a world accelerating toward digitization and automation, in a world that rewards certainty, what we humans crave and what remains important for our well-being is human connection.
And Mihae Ahn has built her career on protecting and deepening it.
