Mary Ann Smilovitis

Mary brings warm, grounded energy to entrepreneurship, marketing strategy, and women-in-business leadership. With over 15 years alongside startups, scale-ups, and growing brands, she channels a deep passion for helping women transform half-formed ideas into clear plans, sustainable growth, and actions that feel as good inside as they shine outside.

As co-founder of Digital Online Ventures, a marketing and consulting agency, Mary blends founder empathy, commercial savvy, and plenty of heart. She stands as a close confidant, guiding women through the highs, lows, and "what on earth am I doing?" moments of building a business, all while raising three sons alongside it.

Marketing Guru, Mother, Mentor, and Coach

Early foundations and first ventures

Mary's story began at 18 with a university semester that sparked her love for marketing, she dropped out soon after to jump into the real world, where passion meets action. In her 20s, amid the explosion of digital platforms, she sharpened her skills in copywriting, social media optimization, and lead generation. She handled marketing for Mitchell's first building maintenance venture and other family businesses, all while welcoming and raising their three young sons. These hands-on years turned raw ideas into thriving brands, blending professional hustle with the beautiful chaos of motherhood.

From there, her 30s kicked into high gear: three years in India, masterminding over two dozen buzzing expat networking events and revamping marketing for hospitality brands. She touched down in Australia days before COVID slammed the brakes on the world, then helped her clients weather the storm. When doors finally reopened, she and Mitchell launched a liquor brand, running it strong for over two years and sharpening her superpowers in audience hooks, smart scaling, and unbreakable bounce-back.

Entrepreneurship across sectors and lifestyles

For over 15 years, Mary's been in the trenches shaping brands, from hospitality and property to events and liquor. She and Mitchell just wrapped their liquor venture to hit pause and slow-travel Southeast Asia these past two years, teens in tow from their digital nomad life. Out of that came Digital Online Ventures, their marketing and consulting agency, fuelling full-cycle growth for clients with her battle-tested toolkit: social media management, email campaigns, pitch decks, and more. Cross-border know-how from the road powers expansion, partnerships, and global reach, while juggling teen chaos reminds her it's always a work-in-progress.

Marketing philosophy and activity

Mary practices a data-driven, creator-centric marketing philosophy, blending modern tools with human insight for authentic brand stories. She loves to consult as a Fractional CMO, refining messaging, optimizing funnels, and driving lead gen for startups and scale-ups. Her approach emphasizes:

Precision audience research and personalized content strategies to boost conversions
Integrated campaigns across LinkedIn, Instagram, and email that align with business fundamentals
AI-powered copy refinement for pitches, outreach, and thought leadership
Holistic growth plans that preserve brand voice while pursuing aggressive targets

Leadership, consulting, and coaching

Mentorship is at Mary's core, drawing from her journey as a mother, wife of an entrepreneur and a woman in business to support founders in:

Developing compelling personal brands, pitch decks, and lead-gen systems
Balancing ambitious careers with family, travel, and personal passions
Optimizing social media, email marketing, and content for sustainable scaling
Building resilient teams through clear messaging and collaborative cultures
Navigating global markets, nomad lifestyles, and life-stage transitions

Family, health, and personal philosophy

Mary is a devoted wife of 16 years to her husband and business partner, Mitchell, and proud mum to three teenage sons. Motherhood sharpens her resilience, time management, and empathy every day, feeding straight into her consulting on real work-family integration. She fuels her well-being with daily sourdough baking, a slow fermentation ritual for patience and growth, home cooking from scratch, solid fitness routines, and sinking into a good book with a glass of wine. These simple anchors keep her clear-headed, creative, and locked into purposeful living amid the juggle.

Global lifestyle and communication

Embracing a digital nomad life (for now) Mary thrives on exploration, food culture, and networking. She prioritizes transparent, collaborative communication, fostering authentic connections that spark innovation and shared success.

What makes Mary distinctive

Over 15 years of marketing leadership, co-founding a thriving agency with her husband
A mother-entrepreneur's holistic view, integrating family wisdom into business strategy
A nurturing consultant who blends practical tactics with personal growth guidance