Charleston agency named Stevie Awards finalist after rapid growth

Custom Digital Solutions has been named a finalist for Fastest Growing Women-Owned or -Led Company of the Year in the 23rd annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. The Charleston agency says revenue rose 49.5% in 2025 and it beat its full-year 2025 revenue in the first eight months of 2026 without outside funding.

Why it matters: - Custom Digital Solutions is showing that a bootstrapped, woman-owned agency can scale quickly without outside capital. - The finalist nod puts a Charleston-based firm into a national women-in-business competition with global reach. - The agency's growth matters to small businesses and larger brands because it points to demand for flexible, customized digital marketing support.

What happened: - Custom Digital Solutions was named a finalist in the Fastest Growing Women-Owned or -Led Company of the Year category in the 23rd annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. - Founder and CEO Audrey Bakhach started the agency in 2018 as a side business in South Carolina. - The company began with no startup capital or outside investment. - Bakhach initially served a handful of small businesses while keeping a full-time job. - The agency is based in Charleston, South Carolina.

The details: - Custom Digital Solutions said revenue grew 49.5% year over year in 2025. - The agency said it surpassed its full-year 2025 revenue in the first eight months of 2026. - The core team has expanded 92% since 2024. - Client retention has held at about 90% year over year. - The company has grown without outside investors or external funding. - CDS has reinvested in its team, technology and capabilities as client needs expanded. - The agency now supports owner-operated businesses, national brands, multi-location companies and enterprise clients. - CDS works both directly with clients and through white-label agency partnerships. - Service lines include search engine optimization, local search, paid media, social media, email and SMS marketing, analytics, website strategy and development, programmatic advertising and emerging digital channels. - The agency continues to work with small and mid-sized businesses while expanding into larger national engagements. - Audrey Bakhach said, “Growth was never about becoming the biggest agency. It was about building a team capable of solving increasingly complex problems without losing the flexibility and personal attention that made clients want to work with us in the first place.”

Between the lines: - The growth story is as much about operational discipline as it is about revenue. - High retention and bootstrapped expansion suggest CDS has been growing without sacrificing client relationships. - The finalist recognition also raises the profile of women-led agencies that are scaling outside major coastal marketing hubs. - The Stevie Awards process was competitive: more than 1,500 nominations from 56 nations and territories were submitted across more than 300 categories, and finalists were chosen from scores by more than 200 business professionals on seven judging juries. - Maggie Miller, president of the Stevie Awards, said the organization continues to be impressed by the accomplishments reflected in this year's nominations and will announce winners on Nov. 16.

What's next: - Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie placements will be announced at a ceremony in New York City on Nov. 16, 2026. - More than 400 women and guests are expected to attend, and the event will be broadcast live. - Custom Digital Solutions plans to keep investing in its team, capabilities and emerging digital channels as it moves into 2027. - The agency says it will keep its hands-on, customized approach while pursuing further growth.

The bottom line: - Custom Digital Solutions has turned a side business into a fast-growing, bootstrapped agency now being recognized on a national stage.