Field Hockey Alumnae Spotlight on Jenna Ahern

Throughout the remainder of the summer, the University of Louisville field hockey program will feature an Alumnae Spotlight highlighting former players and providing updates on where their careers have taken them.

In 2008, Jenna Ahern said that her proudest moment was when she signed her letter of intent to play for the University of Louisville field hockey team. These days, her proudest moment is when Guardian Owl Digital Boutique hit $1 million in gross revenue.

Ahern was raised in a single-mom household with two siblings in Lancaster County, Pa. She credits her mom, Linda Ahern, as her greatest role model and inspiration. During her childhood, Ahern spent the majority of her time outside. When talking about her childhood, she highlighted, "My brother and I are 13 months apart and shared a great love for the outdoors. Whether it was basketball, field hockey, or biking, I loved exploring and beating my brother in anything and everything."

Growing up in Pennsylvania, she was only a drive away from the Jersey shore. Their family frequented Ocean City, N.J. for their legendary Manco & Manco pizzas, adventurous boardwalk, and the occasional drive to admire Grace Kelly's childhood home. But the staple to each trip was spending some relaxing quality time with her family.

In 2006, Ahern made the decision to move to Kentucky to attend the University of Louisville, where she continued her field hockey career and pursued a Bachelor's Degree in marketing with a minor in International Business. She excelled both academically and athletically, earning four Dean's List awards, six Athletic Director Honor Roll acknowledgements, as well as being vice-captain of her team in both her junior and senior seasons. Ahern believes her greatest moment at UofL was when her team earned a spot in the NCAA tournament where she played with some of the most impressive women in her life.

Throughout college, Ahern also worked for J&L Marketing. Upon graduation, she started her career with J&L as their Business Growth Strategist. As her career path took her in different directions, her passion for digital marketing and search engine optimization evolved between 2010 and 2014, during which she held positions at American Tire Distributors, Netsertive, and Autotrader.

When discussing her career, Ahern highlights, "I learned there was a real need for transparency and honesty in the digital space. The end-user had no education on the search engine solutions he or she was investing in, let alone being able to distinguish poor performance metrics from ones that mattered."

In May of 2014, Ahern and partner Eric Gunderson saw a need for dedicated digital marketing specialists and began Guardian Owl Digital Marketing. Since then the name has transitioned to Guardian Owl Digital Boutique and has grown to over 40 clients from across the country and seven full-time and part-time employees.

When talking about her business, Ahern stated, "Guardian Owl Digital was truly started with a passion to provide clarity for business owners. I wake up every day believing we still are providing that for every client and more, which for me is very fulfilling."

Ahern is on the boards of the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer and Women in Digital, and a member of the American Advertising Federation, Greater Louisville Outstanding Women's Organization, and the Louisville Digital Association. When she isn't on the move with building her business and all of her extracurricular activities, she enjoys running and staying physically fit.

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