Digital Women Awards 2025 Winner: Thuha Wright

Introducing Digital Women Award 2025 Winner

Thuha Wright: Freelancer of the Year 2025

The freelance landscape has never been more dynamic, and 2025’s Freelancer of the Year award shines a light on the independent professionals who’ve pushed its boundaries. We’re proud to reveal this year’s winner, Thuha Wright.

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I'm Thuha Wright, a paid search specialist who has been freelancing since 2018 mainly in the travel industry, helping marketing teams upskill, manage their digital agencies or building digital marketing teams. My career in Digital Marketing started in 2006 as an Account Manager at Jellyfish based in Reigate before it became the global company that it is now. I am always proud to share that I was the 12th member of the team during its early beginnings.

Moving to an in-house role in Specialist Holidays Group – which was part of the TUI group – was a bold move as I essentially took a pay cut. However, this quickly paid off as during my 6 years tenure as part of the Digital Marketing team I was promoted into several roles, until eventually I was Head of Biddable Media. My role allowed me to work with brands such as Crystal Ski, Hayes and Jarvis, Sovereign Holidays and Le Boat, and build a good support network which I draw upon still today for my freelance contracts.

Those who work with me quickly learn that I have an in-depth scientific approach to paid search strategy, which can often bring a fresh perspective to how paid search campaigns should be managed. As a self-professed data nerd who often proclaims "I love spreadsheets!", my decision to upskill in Google Analytics proved fortuitous when Google Analytics 4 was introduced. With many marketing managers suddenly requiring training in this new version, I leveraged my freshly acquired expertise to train others and guide businesses through the GA4 transition.

A dedicated mother of two, I earned recognition as 2024 Digital Women 'Highly Commended' Freelancer of the Year and was previously shortlisted for Digital Women's Mother of the Year award. My commitment to championing others in the industry led to me being named an Optmyzr Top 10 Digital Marketing Sheroe Finalist in 2023. Throughout 2024, I served on prestigious judging panels including the Global Digital Excellence Awards and European Search Awards.

I recently joined the Performance MCR advisory board, organising a performance marketing conference in Manchester designed for paid advertising professionals who wants to be better at their job. Why Manchester? Because most events are based in London or Brighton which means it is a lot harder for those in the North of England to attend. The Performance MCR team has recognised this gap and pooling their skills and knowledge to create an event on par with those in London, but more accessible by those based in the North of England.

What does winning this award mean to you?

Winning the 2025 Digital Women Freelancer of the Year award has been more validating than any recognition could be, as during 2024, I saw myself living out one of my values. I am keen to see more people who look like me being recognised and represented. I had a few opportunities where I faced my fears and put myself out there motivated by the need to add diversity.

After I won the award, a friend and fellow freelancer reached out to me, not only to congratulate me but also tell how my win meant a lot to her as she has similar challenges and achievements to me and she now feels seen. This filled me with joy and warmth in my heart as I truly believe there are so many of us doing great work even through challenging times and this win is for you too! Also, if you have followed my journey and are now reading this then know that “you are enough”.

What career achievement are you most proud of? 

The career achievement I'm most proud of is one that's still unfolding: building a thriving freelance career in Paid Search after redundancy forced my hand in 2018.

I didn't choose freelancing from a position of strength – my role was made redundant, and suddenly I was on my own. Working in an industry that didn't even exist when I left school, wondering if I could actually make this work. My biggest fear? The dreaded feast-or-famine cycle. Those deep, endless dips with no work and no income. I know so many of us have felt that same knot of anxiety.

But here's the thing: seven years later, in 2025, I'm still here. Still self-employed. Still learning, which is what keeps me passionate about this industry.

My real turning point came in Q4 2024, when my contract at Kuoni was ending with no new contract lined up, no plan for what came next. I genuinely thought: This is it. This is going to be my famine. Instead, it turned into my busiest H1 to date. That moment taught me that I'd built something real – a reputation, a network, skills that people valued enough to seek me out.

The life I've built isn't just about financial survival – it's about flexibility and presence. I spend school holidays with my children, making memories instead of negotiating time off. I'm continuously learning in a rapidly evolving field, which is exactly why I love digital.

But let's be honest about the challenge so many of us navigate in silence: the mental load of being a mother while freelancing. When the kids are sick, we're the ones home with them – and rearranging client deadlines. When the washing machine breaks or the roof leaks, we're sourcing the repair person. The shopping, the laundry, the endless logistics of keeping a home running – that's the second job so many of us are working. Freelancing gives us flexibility, but it doesn't erase the reality that women still carry the bulk of domestic responsibility, and that invisible labour is exhausting.

What I'm most proud of isn't just that I survived going solo – it's that we keep showing up. We build sustainable careers while managing all of this. We prove, again and again, that we're capable of extraordinary resilience, even when the odds feel stacked against us. My story isn't unique – it's echoed across a workforce of women doing remarkable things while carrying invisible weight. That shared experience – that's what truly inspires me.

What impact have you seen from your work?

The impact I'm most proud of is the one that outlasts me: building in-house digital marketing teams that don't just survive after I leave – they thrive.

My specialty is helping brands – primarily in travel – either rebuild depleted teams or bring their digital marketing in-house. I typically work with a team for up to a year, helping them grow and strengthen their digital capabilities. But the real measure of success isn't what happens while I'm there – it's what happens after I'm gone.

And that's where it gets heartwarming.

Teams I've worked with have gone on to win industry awards, lead rebranding projects, and build relationships that matter. I see their LinkedIn posts celebrating work that makes them genuinely proud. That sustained success tells me I didn't just fill roles – I helped build something that works.

My approach isn't complicated: I focus on understanding the skills gap and identifying what will genuinely propel a team to the next level. Digital marketing requires a broad skillset, and it's rarely possible to find an all-rounder. The key is knowing which capabilities will make the biggest impact and finding people who fit the culture. It's not just about hiring talent – it's about hiring the right talent, then training, structuring, and setting teams up for long-term independence.

But here's what truly measures impact: it's not just about marketing metrics. One person I worked with at Kuoni wrote to me: "What you do makes a big impact to people's lives. Because of you, I can finally go on a nice long holiday (which I haven't since 2019!)"

That stopped me in my tracks. The work we do – building teams, creating stability, enabling people to grow in their roles – it changes lives. It gives people security, confidence, and opportunities they didn't have before. When the teams I've helped build go on to do work that makes them proud, when they feel supported and valued, when they can finally take that holiday – that's the impact that matters most.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve had to learn, and how did you grow from it?

The biggest lesson I've had to learn is one I'm still learning: you can't please everyone, and that's okay.

I've been trolled online. I've had clients complain about training I delivered – even when they never implemented a single recommendation. I've had people question my value outright, asking what exactly I have to offer to the team. It stings every time. And here's the uncomfortable truth: no matter how many clients I help succeed, no matter how many teams I build that go on to win awards, it's that one negative voice that plays on repeat in my head at 3am.

But I've grown in how I handle it. Not perfectly, but better.

I've learned to remind myself that for every grain of criticism, there are thousands of moments of good work – teams thriving, people growing, careers changing. I can't let one bitter note drown out an entire symphony. It takes practice. I have to talk to myself the way I'd talk to a friend: with compassion, perspective, and a reminder that I'm allowed to be imperfect.

And if you're reading this and nodding along – please hear this: be kind to yourself. I have to remind myself of this constantly, multiple times a day sometimes. That negative voice that tells you you're not good enough? It's lying. You deserve the same grace and compassion you'd extend to anyone else. This isn't something you master once and move on from – it's a daily practice, and some days are harder than others. But it matters. You matter.

The growth isn't that I've developed thick skin – I haven't, and I'm not sure I want to. The growth is that I've learned to sit with discomfort without letting it define my worth. I've learned that being kind to myself isn't indulgent; it's essential. And I've learned that the people who truly matter – the ones whose lives I've genuinely impacted – those voices matter more than the noise.

Am I still learning this lesson? Absolutely. But that's the point. Growth isn't a destination; it's showing up, doing the work, and choosing self-compassion even when it's hard.

What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?

People are surprised when they find out I do aerial hoop. Between my skinny, non-muscular arms and my fear of heights, I'm not exactly the poster child for aerial sports. And yet, here I am – three years in and addicted.

I took it up as an act of self-care and boundary-pushing, and now I'm completely addicted. The irony isn't lost on me. There have absolutely been classes over the years where I've found myself stuck very high on a hoop, having a little cry, questioning every life choice that led me to that moment.

But here's the thing: I kept showing up. And now? You'll find me happily spinning upside down, dropping to the latest Benson Boone tune, doing things I never imagined my body – or my fear – would let me do.

The catch? I still won't walk on the glass floor at the CN Tower in Toronto. That gives me the heebie-jeebies in a way aerial hoop somehow doesn't. Apparently my brain has decided that being upside down 12 feet in the air is fine, but transparent flooring is where it draws the line.

Turns out you can be terrified of something and do it anyway. Who knew?

What advice would you give to the next wave of Digital Women? 

I’ve now entered the Digital Women awards during three different years now. Each time, I got a little closer. Last year, I received ‘Highly Commended’. This year, winner!!! So I guess what I am saying is, if at first you don’t succeed, keep, keep on trying”.

You can’t get better unless you take that first step.