Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joshua Maddux. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Joshua, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

Corporate America tends to treat websites like digital billboards. Static. Pretty. Pointless. It’s the same mentality I’ve seen with big-budget teams—they throw money at branding, but forget the site is supposed to sell, not just exist.

I’ve seen multi-million-dollar companies hire flashy design agencies that hand them a gorgeous website… with zero strategy behind it. No lead funnels. No calls to action. Just a homepage that’s basically a monument to themselves. Then they wonder why it doesn’t convert.

Let me tell you about a conversation I had with a client who used to work with a large corporate vendor. They were spending $3–4K a month on Google Ads… for five years. No one ever set a geo-location filter. They were a local, in-person business in Southern California, showing ads to people in New York and Europe. Total waste—nearly $100K gone because no one asked the right questions. We restructured their spend, redirected a chunk into SEO, and they started showing up organically in their actual service area within a month.

The problem is scale. When companies get too big, they start treating every client the same. Same “package,” same template, same funnel—even if it doesn’t fit. I’ve had small business clients come to us burned out because they’d spent thousands with a corporate agency and got handed a pretty site that functioned like a pet rock.

We flipped that by building systems that prioritize clarity, strategy, and real user intent. Not fluff. Because when you stop chasing flash and start chasing alignment—between who you are and what your customers actually need—that’s where growth happens.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hey, I’m Joshua Maddux, founder of 95Visual. I didn’t set out to build a web and marketing agency—it actually started as a side hustle in college. I was studying something completely different, and I ended up helping someone fix a broken project that their web developer abandoned. I didn’t know it then, but that one fix opened the door to a dozen new projects—just from word of mouth.

Turns out, there was a massive gap in the market: a lot of web companies were great at selling but terrible at delivering. Missed deadlines, templated sites, no follow-through. I built 95Visual to be the opposite. We’re a custom web design and marketing strategy firm that actually listens. We focus on helping service-based businesses—especially B2B companies—build websites that act like their best salesperson, not just a digital brochure.

Our team handles the whole ecosystem: custom design, development, content strategy, SEO, and marketing. But the real work starts before any of that—with understanding the business and the client they’re trying to reach. That’s why we go through a 7-page assessment form with our clients. We don’t guess. We’re aligning strategy, goals, and client fit from day one. This allows up to build based on data, goals, and ideal client profiles.

What makes us different? We don’t do cookie-cutter anything. We approach every project like a partnership. And we won’t work with you unless we believe we can help you grow. Period.

I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve helped small business owners go from barely getting leads to doubling their revenue. One company, for example, had been in business 30 years and still didn’t know who their real customer was. In 20 minutes, we helped them realize they were marketing to the wrong crowd entirely. That kind of clarity changes everything.

I want people to know this: your website is not a pet rock. If it’s not generating leads, educating customers, or positioning your brand as a leader, it’s costing you money. My team’s mission is to fix that—one well-built, strategy-driven site at a time.

If you’re tired of feeling like your online presence is a black hole, let’s talk. We build systems that help real businesses grow, and we do it with integrity, clarity, and zero fluff.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

“Just because you can do it all, doesn’t mean you should.”

Back in the early days of 95Visual, I was wearing every hat—designer, developer, content writer, project manager, even part-time therapist for stressed-out clients. And honestly? I took pride in that. I thought doing everything myself meant I was saving money and staying agile. But all it really did was quietly cap our growth.

The turning point came during a project that should’ve taken a few weeks. It dragged on for months. Why? Because I was bottlenecking it. I was so deep in the weeds—reworking pages, answering client emails at 11 p.m.—that I lost sight of the bigger picture.

That’s when I started building a real team. Designers who are better than me. Developers who can execute faster and cleaner. A content strategist who keeps projects aligned. Letting go was tough at first—it felt like I was giving up control. But what I gained was far more valuable: perspective, speed, and scalability.

Now, I spend my time where it counts—talking to clients, solving problems, building strategy. I still jump in when needed, but I no longer believe that doing everything myself is a badge of honor. It’s a business limiter.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

“Start With Why” by Simon Sinek
This book didn’t just shift how I market—it changed how I lead. I used to focus heavily on what we do: websites, SEO, design. But what people actually connect with is why we do it. Sinek’s framework helped me clarify that our mission is to help small businesses punch above their weight online. That clarity trickles down into how we write copy, onboard clients, and even how we structure internal meetings. When the “why” is strong, the “how” becomes obvious.

“Never Split The Difference” by Chris Voss
This one’s been critical—not just for negotiations, but for communication in general. It taught me that empathy isn’t soft, it’s strategic. I’ve used Voss’s techniques in sales calls, client troubleshooting, even team discussions. Mirroring, tactical silence, calibrated questions—they all help uncover the real issue behind someone’s words. Whether we’re closing a five-figure deal or trying to fix a misalignment in a project, this book’s tactics have helped me get to the truth faster—without burning bridges.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://joshuamaddux.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuamaddux
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/95Visual/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuakmaddux/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@95Visual
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/95visual-santa-clarita-2
• Other: https://www.95visual.com/