Yasmine Robles of Rebel Marketing on Building a Strategy Driven Marketing Agency

Yasmine Robles of Rebel Marketing on Building a Marketing Agency That Turns Strategy Into Measurable Growth

Yasmine Robles is the Founder and Chief Sparkle Strategist of Rebel Marketing, a Columbus, Ohio based marketing agency that helps organizations turn their brand and digital presence into real revenue drivers. With a background in corporate marketing and communications, Yasmine launched Rebel Marketing to bring clarity, strategy, and measurable results to businesses and organizations that are tired of guessing when it comes to their marketing.

Rebel Marketing partners with nonprofits, municipalities, chambers of commerce, and service based businesses to develop strategic marketing systems that drive growth. Known for simplifying complex marketing strategies, the agency focuses on clear positioning, data driven decisions, and execution that produces tangible results rather than surface level visibility.

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

I’m Yasmine Robles, founder of Rebel Marketing, a Columbus, Ohio based marketing agency built for organizations that are done guessing.

‍

We help established nonprofits, municipalities, chambers, and service based businesses turn their brand and website into actual revenue drivers. Not just pretty platforms. Not just social noise. Real strategy. Real traction.

‍

We are known for making marketing make sense. No jargon. No mystery. No chasing your vendor down for updates. Just clarity, execution, and measurable growth.

Do you have a co-founder?

Yes. I brought Izzy Dadosky on as a business partner after years of working together.

‍

The right partnership is built on shared values, complementary strengths, and radical transparency. We communicate directly. We make decisions based on the long term vision. And we respect each other’s lanes.

‍

My best tip is this: do not partner out of convenience. Partner out of alignment.

Are you a mamaprenista?

Yes.

My advice is to release perfection.

‍

There will be days when the business gets more energy. There will be days when your family does. The goal is not flawless execution. It is alignment and communication.

‍

Build support systems. Delegate at work and at home. And remember that your children are watching you build something bold. That example matters tremendously.

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

In the beginning, it was relationships and referrals. I networked constantly. I showed up in the rooms. I spoke at events. I built trust one conversation at a time.

‍

It did not go exactly as planned because I underestimated the importance of positioning and recurring revenue. I said yes to too much early on.

‍

Once we refined our niche and built retainer based services, everything shifted. Stability increased. Messaging sharpened. Growth became more predictable.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Not. At. All. But I have always been wired to challenge the status quo and look for better systems. Entrepreneurship became the natural next step once I realized I could design the culture, the standards, and the impact I wanted to see. Now it feels less like a choice and more like who I am.

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

I am proud of the trust we have built. We have long term partnerships with organizations who see us as part of their team. They know where their projects stand. They know their budget is respected. They know we are thinking ahead. That reputation matters more to me than any single campaign.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

Positioning is everything.

‍

Early on, I thought saying yes created opportunity. In reality, clarity creates opportunity. The tighter you define who you serve and what you do best, the easier marketing, hiring, and growth become.

‍

You do not need to be everything to everyone. You need to be essential to the right people.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

I ask: Tell me about a time you took ownership of something that was not technically your responsibility.

‍

I am looking for initiative, accountability, and how they think under pressure.

‍

Hiring tip: skill can be taught. Ownership and curiosity cannot. I hire for character first, then capability.

What did you do before starting your own business?

Before Rebel Marketing, I worked in corporate marketing and communications. I saw how powerful cohesive branding and strong positioning could be when it was done well.

‍

I also saw how quickly marketing becomes reactive when there is no clear strategy behind it.

‍

That experience shaped everything. I built this agency to bring structure to the chaos and confidence back to business leaders who should not have to decide what their marketing team is doing.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I wanted to build something that felt aligned with how I think and how I lead.

‍

I wanted to create an agency where clients felt educated instead of confused. Where creativity and data were not competing forces. Where strategy came first.

‍

The leap was uncomfortable. Walking away from a steady paycheck always is. But I knew I could build something more intentional, more transparent, and more effective.

Do you have any recent wins?

This past year has been a big one for us.

‍

I officially brought Izzy Dadosky on as a business partner, which has been a defining move for Rebel Marketing. Expanding leadership has allowed us to grow smarter, serve clients at a higher level, and think bigger about where we are headed.

Izzy was honored with the Trailblazer Award from the Tri Village Chamber Partnership and was also nominated for the Spark Award through the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio. Seeing her recognized for innovation and impact has been incredible.

On my end, I serve on the board of NAWBO Columbus, continuing to support women business owners in our region. I was also honored with the Chamber Champion Award from the Tri Village Chamber Partnership.

‍

Internally, we strengthened our recurring revenue model, deepened our nonprofit and community partnerships, and continued growing our podcast, Market Like It’s Hot, where we share practical marketing strategies for founders who want clarity and traction.

‍

It has been a year of leadership expansion, community recognition, and sharper focus.

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

Slack. It keeps our agency moving. It holds timelines, ownership, and accountability in one place. Team communication helps the business move forward.

Who are your customers?

Our clients are growing organizations with real goals and real responsibility.

‍

They often have a small team or one marketing coordinator trying to hold everything together. They need a strategic partner who can bring structure, data, and execution without making their job harder.

‍

They care about impact. They care about results. They want marketing that works while they sleep, not marketing that creates more meetings.

What's your top productivity tip?

Clarity before activity. Every quarter I get extremely clear on three priorities. Not ten. Not a long wishlist. Three.

If something does not move one of those forward, it gets deprioritized. That discipline protects my time and my team’s focus.

Second tip: build systems early. We use project management tools, documented processes, and recurring checklists for everything. Creativity thrives inside structure.

Third: Accountability. Get people on your team to hold you accountable for staying with a short priority list, continuing to check in on systems, and to guide you when you start getting shiny object syndrome.

What's your favorite business tool?

Our project management tool and reporting dashboards.

Data removes emotion from decision making. When you can see what is working, what is converting, and where leads are coming from, you make smarter moves.

Marketing should not feel mysterious. It should feel measurable.

What's your approach to work-life balance?

I think of it as integration, not balance.

‍

There are seasons where the business needs more from me. There are seasons where family does. I no longer chase a perfect split.

‍

What matters is presence. When I am working, I am focused. When I am with my family, I am not half scrolling through emails.

Clear boundaries create freedom.

How do you avoid burn-out?

I’ve started protecting decision fatigue.

Not everything deserves my emotional energy. I delegate earlier now. I say no faster. I try hard to build breathing room into our schedule.

I also get to remind myself that growth is long term. Urgency is often manufactured (and all in my head). Sustainable leadership requires pacing.

Burnout usually shows up when clarity disappears. So when I feel overwhelmed, I simplify.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Do not build a business that depends entirely on you.

‍

Build systems. Build leadership. Build recurring revenue. Build a brand that stands for something specific.

‍

And surround yourself with women who are building boldly. Proximity changes trajectory.

You do not need to be the loudest in the room. You need to be clear, consistent, and courageous.

From relationship driven beginnings to building a structured, retainer based agency model, Yasmine Robles has grown Rebel Marketing into a trusted strategic partner for organizations seeking clarity and measurable marketing outcomes. By focusing on positioning, systems, and long term partnerships, she continues to help organizations transform their marketing into a powerful tool for growth.

If you are a woman founder looking to grow your business while connecting with a powerful network of female entrepreneurs, Entreprenista provides the community and resources to help you scale with confidence. Learn more about joining Entreprenista League.