I Made the Top 50 Most Influential PPCers List. So Why Does It Feel Like We’re Losing?

13 out of 50: Why This Year’s Top PPC List Hits Differently

I just found out I was named a Top 50 PPC Influencer for 2026.

I’m proud. I’m really, really proud. I’ve spent my life learning this craft, and being recognized by my peers is something I don’t take lightly. But if I’m being completely freaking honest with you, and I’m dictating this right now because I’ve got a broken fingernail that hurts too much to type, and frankly, I’m just tired…this year’s list feels... different.

In 2025, there were 24 women on this list. This year? Thirteen.

From 24 down to 13 in a single year. We are moving backward, and we need to talk about why.

The Cost of Showing Up

I am a mom of three. My kids come first. Period. This year, that meant turning down speaking engagements because of a dance recital. It meant skipping HERO Conf because my kids were starting school and they needed their mom more than a PPC event needed another PPC expert.

In this industry, there is a "tax" on being a caretaker.

We are the ones gluing the humans together. We are the ones taking the "quick" consulting calls for free, volunteering our time to educate the community, and nurturing the next generation of talent.

We play the role of the industry's emotional and intellectual glue, but then we watch as that nurturing nature actually costs us.

It can be demoralizing to see women take on these vital, uncompensated roles only to suffer financially or see their visibility drop because they chose a family milestone over a plane ticket.

More Than Just a "Paid Search Expert"

When people hire me, I want them to understand exactly what they are getting.

You aren’t just hiring someone who knows how to navigate an algorithm or optimize a bid.

You are hiring someone who has dedicated her life to protecting her clients from the let’s call it what it is predatory nature of this industry.

I don’t sugarcoat things. I don’t lie to my clients. I see the "boys' network" for what it is. It’s systemic. It’s business owners and leaders who naturally gravitate toward other men, bringing them to the table while women are left to "nurture" from the sidelines.

When you hire me, you are hiring that fire.

You’re hiring the person who spends her "extra" time educating the industry and lifting others up, even when it doesn’t come with a paycheck.

You’re hiring someone who cares about the integrity of the whole industry, not just the ROI on a single campaign for my bottomline.

The Reality of the 13

I’m one of the 13 women left on that list of 50. I’m honored to be there, but I’m also looking around and wondering where my sisters went.

We have to stop penalizing women for having lives outside of a spreadsheet. We have to stop assuming that because a woman is a "caretaker" or an "educator," she isn’t also a shark when it comes to her craft.

I’m going to keep showing up. I’m going to keep putting my kids first. And I’m going to keep calling out the "boys' club" until that number 13 starts looking a lot more like 25, 30, and 50.

Because we aren't just part of the industry.

We are the ones holding it together.