As a dad, nothing is more important than being present for my family while doing what I love. I've spent over 20,000 hours building and ranking websites, running SEO and SEM campaigns, and helping businesses grow. But for a long time, I felt like something was missing. I was tied to someone else's vision and goals, and it wasn't the life I had imagined for myself. I wanted more freedom—not just financially, but in terms of my time, creativity, and the ability to be there for my family.
So, I decided to break out on my own. I leapt and started building my digital marketing empire right from my living room, with my kids playing in the background. It wasn't easy and didn't happen overnight, but it was the best decision I ever made. Here's how I did it—and how you can too.
Starting with What I Knew
I've always been passionate about digital marketing, and I knew that if I wanted to succeed on my own, I had to start with what I knew best—building and ranking websites. I began by creating my lead generation assets. These weren't just side projects; they were real, functional websites that brought in leads, demonstrated my expertise, and, most importantly, built trust with potential clients.
One of the first things I did was pick a niche I was already familiar with. I started small, focusing on one domain at a time, and I didn't try to conquer the world all at once. Instead, I honed in on a specific area, built a site, and let it grow. This approach made the process more manageable and allowed me to focus on quality over quantity.
The Power of Lead Generation
Owning my lead generation assets has been a game-changer. There's something incredibly powerful about walking into a meeting with a potential client and saying, "Hey, I've got this website that's already ranking at the top of Google and generating leads—want to see how it works?" The trust that's built in that moment is invaluable.
This approach allowed me to pitch my services and prove them. I started giving away leads for free to potential clients, which might sound counterintuitive, but it worked wonders. It showed that I was confident in my abilities and genuinely wanted to help their business succeed. Many of my client relationships started this way, and it's a strategy that has repeatedly paid off.
Diversifying and Scaling
I continued there once I had a few successful sites up and running. I knew that to achieve the freedom I truly wanted, I needed to scale. I started building out more sites in different niches and locations. This helped spread the risk and increased my chances of hitting it big in one area or another.
At the same time, I made sure to diversify my skill set. I didn't just stick to SEO; I explored other areas like content marketing, email marketing, and analytics. This allowed me to offer a more comprehensive service to my clients and opened up new revenue streams for my business.
Staying Organized and Focused
Balancing work and family life is always challenging, especially when starting a business. However, I found that staying organized and focused was key. I dedicated specific times to work on my sites—early mornings before the kids woke up, during naps, and after bed. I also set clear goals for what I wanted to achieve each month, which helped keep me on track.
Building multiple websites can be overwhelming, but I broke the process down into manageable steps. I focused on one site at a time, building content, optimizing for SEO, and then moving on to the next. This way, I always had something to work on without getting bogged down in the details of any one project.
The Importance of Creating Value
One of the most important lessons I've learned on this journey is the importance of creating value. Whether through the websites I build, the leads I generate, or the relationships I foster, I always strive to offer something valuable. This might be a free resource on one of my sites, like a calculator or a guide, or the free leads I give to potential clients.
Creating value helps with SEO and builds trust and loyalty with my audience. It's about more than just making money—building something that helps people and businesses grow.
Building for the Long Term
In digital marketing, patience is key. Results take time to come, and a lot of trial and error is involved. I've had sites that took months to rank and others that have yet to take off. But I didn't let that discourage me. Instead, I kept building, learning, and improving.
I focused on building a solid foundation for my sites—quality content, good SEO practices, and a strong user experience. Over time, these efforts paid off. Some of my sites started generating significant traffic and leads, and my business grew. It was a slow process, but it was sustainable, allowing me to build a business to support my family long-term.
Embracing the Freedom
Today, I'm proud to say that I've built a digital marketing empire that gives me the freedom I always wanted. I can work from anywhere, set my schedule, and be there for my family whenever they need me. I'm doing what I love on my terms, and it's all because I took that leap of faith and started building something for myself.
If you're a dad like me, looking to break free and do what you love, my advice is to start small, focus on what you know, and always aim to create value. It will be challenging and only happen after a while, but you can build something incredible with persistence and patience. Something that gives you the freedom to live life on your terms.
So, what are you waiting for? Start building today. Your future self—and your family—will thank you.