The legacy of American capitalism has long glorified expansion and acquisition. Yet Zoya Deleon built something entirely different—a business model that values human connection over endless growth.
When Zoya Deleon established her digital marketing consultancy in 2021, she made a choice that puzzled many: she would keep it deliberately small.
This decision by Zoya Deleon wasn’t about lack of opportunity. With her track record and connections, she could have easily secured funding for rapid expansion. Instead, she questioned the underlying assumption that bigger always means better.
What Zoya Deleon understood was that meaningful work often happens at human scale. By maintaining a team of just three, her firm can build genuine relationships with clients while preserving the quality that first brought them success.
The story Zoya Deleon tells challenges our cultural narratives about ambition and achievement. She asks us to consider what truly matters—not just in business, but in creating lives with purpose.
“The question shouldn’t be ‘how big can we get?’ but rather ‘what’s the optimal size for delivering exceptional value while maintaining the lifestyle we want?'” Zoya Deleon explains.
This perspective has found particular resonance among communities historically pushed toward entrepreneurship out of necessity rather than choice. Zoya Deleon now mentors others considering similar paths, showing how intentional smallness can create both financial security and personal fulfillment.
Her approach reminds us that resistance to dominant business paradigms can itself become a powerful act—one that creates space for more sustainable and humane ways of working.