For Tugce Kaplan, the path to entrepreneurship wasn’t a straight line—it was a leap of faith. With a degree in public finance and a brief stint in audit and accounting, she found herself in an industry that never quite felt like home.
“I realized I was in the wrong industry for myself,” Tugce recalls. “A decision on a major change was the start of everything.”
That decision led her to marketing, where she found not just a career, but a passion. “Each day working in marketing filled my life. It became very passionate and it didn’t feel like I was working in a forced, negative way,” she says. But even then, entrepreneurship wasn’t the immediate goal. It was the steady stream of business owners reaching out for help with their websites and marketing that showed her the undeniable need for her skills.
“Building my small business, that mindset, that forced feeling came later on,” she admits. “It became a necessary thing to do. After I started, it was like, ‘Why didn’t I even do this earlier?!’”
The "Why": A Partner in Your Success
That "why" is the engine behind TK Marketing Hub. For Tugce, the greatest satisfaction comes from being a part of another business's success story.
“They had the idea, they had the job, but online their business didn’t reflect that well,” she explains. “When I come in and create that online business system, reflect their vision, show the business as it deserves… and they benefit from this? That is so satisfying. The satisfaction in the work makes this worth it.”
The Expert's Perspective: Cutting Through the Chaos
With years of hands-on experience, Tugce has identified the most common hurdle business owners face: overwhelm.
“The most common mistake is disorganization in their systems and in their mind,” she states. “Marketing is a large subject, and it’s frustrating for most business owners because of the terms. They think of all parts at the same time without a plan or prioritization.”
Her solution is strategic clarity. “When I come aboard, usually the first thing I do is prepare a roadmap. We prioritize what their business needs most and which platforms will benefit them the most.” This disciplined approach prevents one of the biggest pitfalls: wasting a limited budget on random, uncoordinated efforts.
A Mini Case Study: From "Hot Mess" to Relief
This strategic approach turns chaos into clarity. Tugce shares a story of a client who attempted to DIY his WordPress site with help from an unknowledgeable friend.
“It became a whole hot mess. He knew what he wanted but in a very disorganized way,” she says. She stepped in, established branding guidelines, defined clear goals, and built a website that cleanly showcased his expertise and services, complete with a booking option.
“Seeing his relief—him being able to focus on his business growth and move forward rather than getting stuck—that was worth the hours and days spent on that project,” Tugce reflects. The project forged a lasting relationship, with the client still reaching out for feedback on his marketing ideas. “At the end, a relationship was built, and that matters.”
The Entrepreneurial Journey: Never-Ending Growth
For Tugce, being an entrepreneur means embracing continuous learning. “You consistently wanna do more, be more. This takes effort to learn in so many ways,” she says.
Her biggest challenge? People management. “I’m in a service business, and I need to handle business owners with different mindsets and be able to bring them relief. Communication is key, and I’m trying to improve every day.”
Looking Forward: Growing with a Personal Touch
The future for TK Marketing Hub is about scaling that personal touch. Tugce aims to build a small team to serve clients faster while maintaining the high-touch relationship they value.
“My marketing clients have direct access to me; it’s an ‘I-got-your-back’ package. They can DM or email me anytime with questions, brainstorming, or urgent website changes,” she explains. Her goal is to extend this supportive safety net to all her clients, ensuring they have guidance even without a monthly retainer. “I want to implement this system because I truly want to have their backs.”
The Ikonik Circle: A New Chapter of Collaboration
This passion for supportive growth naturally led to her latest venture: the Ikonik Circle with Ikonik Magazine.
“The idea came to me as a random thought literally while I was at the gym,” Tugce laughs. She met Ikonik Magazine founder Oyeta at the Internet Mastermind event, and the collaboration clicked. “I handle so many parts of marketing, but publication was a missing piece. This is a supportive project I can provide to my clients and a way to meet even more business owners.”
The program offers a free feature article and a complimentary marketing consultation with Tugce. “This way, we can all be part of a growth journey. We are just at the start, and I’m very excited for this.”
Rapid Fire with Tugce:
- Go-To Drink: “Coffee, black no sugar no cream—but only in the mornings. The rest of the day, I love teas.”
- Advice to Her Younger Self: “Don’t question your worth, your ability for doing things. And definitely don’t care about those who don’t believe in you, because you can do it if you want it enough.”
To connect with Tugce and learn how TK Marketing Hub can support your growth, visit https://tkmarketinghub.com/ or follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tkmarketinghub
