We recently connected with Paige Wiese and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Paige thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

The key to success is persistence. You have to be willing to make sacrifices, but if you love what you do then you’ll never feel like you’re giving up what matters to you. There have been times that I wanted to give up and perhaps didn’t think that the hard work was worth it, but then I get to hear about a client who has met a goal or I see an “ah-ha!” moment as an employee is learning something new and I feel like my work matters. I think that success is measurable to the standard of each individual, but success to me means that I’ve been able to work through adversity and overcome challenges while remaining authentic to myself and my mission. I could have walked away at any point but I remained persistent, and through that, I have been able to grow a business that I am proud to lead.

Paige , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Tree Ring Digital is a top-ranking, Denver-based digital marketing agency and I am the Founder and CEO. At Tree Ring, we specialize in WordPress website design and development, website editing and maintenance, search engine optimization, social media management, geofencing services, and reputation marketing. We also offer our clients a variety of services that support their brand messaging and business growth including graphic design services, collateral development and printing, as well as content writing.

I entered the industry on a fluke as developing a marketing agency was not my initial plan. It was 2008 and we were in the middle of the great financial recession. I was fresh out of college with an educational emphasis in architecture. I had been recently diagnosed with epilepsy, however, and was looking for work that I could do from home (this was before working remotely was as prominent as it is now). I decided to learn how to design websites and I taught myself the ins and outs of the processes, applications, and components.

I was doing a lot of freelance work just to make ends meet and quickly found steady success in utilizing all of the tools that I had mastered. The workload began to grow into more than I could manage by myself and so I hired one employee, and then another. I watched the company grow and the business more or less found me.

I believe what sets Tree Ring Digital apart in the marketing industry as a whole is our ability to adapt, not only to the ever-changing market trends and the shifting platforms in which audiences are reached but also to the changing needs of the businesses we serve. Our clients hire us and stay with us because we’re driven to find solutions right for their business by helping them establish roots through brand development, grow through unique marketing strategies, and reach their full potential through the implementation of our layered approach.

I love what I do and our multifaceted team of experts is passionate and dedicated to building long-term relationships with our clients. There is no project too small and no organization too big, and I’m proud that we consistently create beautiful websites that are accompanied by strong marketing strategies that yield results.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

When it comes to managing, I have heard from a lot of my team members that they appreciate the way in which I pay attention to how everyone approaches the work differently. Portions of my business model have been reshaped around the individual strengths of the team at any given point in time. As people transition in and out of the various roles, I keep in mind that every dynamic is unique and I try to adapt to the way someone learns, what their communication style is, what motivates them and what kind of values they hold, and I ask about their long-term career aspirations. Many internal promotions happen within Tree Ring Digital and it’s because I truly want to support people in finding what the best role is for their skill set in addition to their personality. If I know someone is not task-oriented yet tasks need to be accomplished, are there small ways that I can improve my systems to ensure the work gets done in a manner that is optimal for all involved? If I understand that a team member has a learning disability or has an aversion to speaking to clients, what are ways that I can adjust certain responsibilities within the team to support them? For me, it’s not about micromanaging the individual wants and needs of my team but more about listening to what they are, and sometimes aren’t, saying.

While I know that not everyone feels comfortable sharing their hopes and dreams with their boss, I really try and instill a sense of approachability within the team. Our culture very much values individual contributions and so with open communication I am able to identify the areas that I can modify and make everyone feel appreciated. In addition to prioritizing an adaptable business model, I like to instill a sense of camaraderie among the team members and I believe that bringing fun into the workplace uplifts the morale of the group. We have monthly team outings that are non-work related that put an emphasis on getting to know one another. From playing laser tag and miniature golf to wandering holiday art markets and taking museum tours, we are able to establish internal trust and reliance that shows in the work that we produce.

Overall, I guess my advice would be to listen to your employees, adjust what you can to show them that you value their contributions, and have some activities that people can look forward to. That makes for a successful business model.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

In the beginning, it was very much a money-in-money-out type of concept. I didn’t necessarily have a plan of starting a business so it wasn’t something that I had to raise capital or establish credit for initially. When I first started working as a web designer, all I really needed was a computer and a strong internet connection, and my only goal was to simply make a living. It was 2008 and we had just hit a recession so being able to support myself was of the utmost importance. I didn’t begin with a leg up financially, I didn’t take out business loans or receive funding from an investor, and I didn’t have an educational foundation in web design with access to top-of-the-line equipment. What I did have, though, was time. With that time, I was able to simultaneously invest in growing my skills, adding to my book of business, and developing my brand footprint. At the onset, I had all the time in the world to give. Now, after more than 12 years of investing resources in my business, I’ve learned that time is the most valuable one.

As my brand identity become more deliberate, I started thinking about future potential and business growth aspirations. Over the course of a couple of years, I took on more challenging projects and the stakes became higher, which meant I had less time to give. It was at that point that I knew I needed to invest in areas that would help me be more efficient.

I think one thing that a lot of small business owners wring their hands over is taking a chance with money. Whether it’s through paid advertising, hiring employees, renting office space, etc., I find that there is fear around investing in yourself and your business. I wasn’t afraid of spending the money that was coming in on people, places, and things that would help operations run smoother because I knew it would allow me the opportunity to extend my bandwidth. I hired employees who specialized in areas where I needed additional support; I paid for a CRM so that I could easily track projects and leads; I upgraded hardware and software so that I could optimize my output.

Now, I recognize that my time is the most valuable asset because it is the rarest. Through trial (and sometimes error), I have found the most beneficial ways to channel the increased revenue toward the tools that give me time back. With the support of my team and the systems we have in place, I have the freedom to invest my energy into the areas of the business that I enjoy while continuing to impact the future direction of the company.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.treeringdigital.com
• Instagram: @treeringdigital
• Facebook: @treeringdigital