More lessons from a 15 year old startup...

Still Learning After 15 Years: Our Recent Wake-Up Call

Even after 15 years in business, we’re still learning hard lessons—sometimes the ones we thought we’d mastered. One of the biggest wake-up calls we’ve had recently is about talent. For too long, we thought we could fill key roles with entry-level hires and "train them up." But as our business evolved, it became painfully clear that more bodies don’t necessarily equal more progress. In fact, it often does the opposite.

Entry-Level vs. Expertise: A Costly Misstep

In our world—where services like website design, digital marketing, and photography require serious technical know-how and strategic thinking—we’ve learned the hard way that bringing in entry-level talent to save on upfront costs is actually way more expensive in the long run. We’ve been caught in cycles of endless training, heavy oversight, and, quite frankly, patching up mistakes. All the while, projects lagged and clients became restless.

With recent hires, we shifted our focus to top-tier, seasoned talent, and the difference has been night and day. We’ve realized that recruiting people with industry expertise, who are self-starters and leaders in their fields, is the key to scaling our business efficiently and effectively. Instead of focusing on getting more people in the door, we’re now focusing on getting the right people in the door.

The Financial and Operational Impact

Let’s be transparent—we’ve seen firsthand how bringing in top-tier talent has not only made us more productive, but it’s also been a financial game changer. The operational cost savings have also been significant. With experienced hires, there’s little need for micromanagement, which means our leadership team can focus on growing the business rather than constantly firefighting or handling training sessions. The overhead related to HR and management has dropped, and we 100% expect our productivity to skyrocket.

Data-Driven Upselling and Cross-Selling: Real Expertise Pays Off

A recent example is with our website design services. By having a senior-level designer who fully understands UX/UI design and web development, we’ve been able to cross-sell additional services like content strategy and conversion optimization—all while delivering websites that are not only visually stunning but technically sound. This has boosted our revenue per client and established us as a trusted partner in our clients' long-term digital strategies.

Decentralization: The Next Chapter

Another crucial lesson we’ve learned is the importance of data hygiene and how it plays into client success. In today's world, where people change companies and positions frequently, keeping track of points of contact is becoming nearly impossible. Having a skilled team member who knows how to manage CRM data, automate touchpoints, and handle this complexity is critical.

We’re also moving towards a decentralized model for account management. With top-tier talent, each team member takes full ownership of their clients, from strategy to execution. No bottlenecks, no middle managers—just direct, high-level service and support. This is where the Flywheel methodology really comes into play. It keeps the momentum going across all facets of our business while reducing the operational drag that comes from layers of management.

The Hard-Learned Truth: Quality Over Quantity

At the end of the day, the hard-earned lesson we’ve walked away with is this: it’s not about having more bodies on the team; it’s about having the right bodies. Recruiting top-tier talent allows us to scale the business, reduce operational headaches, and boost revenue through smart upselling and cross-selling. And while it took us longer than it should have to learn that, we’re better for it now.

We’re sharing these learnings because, like all of you, we’re still figuring it out as we go. Scaling a business is a journey, and we’re learning new lessons every day. But one thing is clear—top-tier talent is the foundation for getting where we want to go.

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