Best Startup
A QUICK INTRODUCTION ABOUT WHAT YOUR COMPANY DOES/YOUR VALUES/MISSION.
At Rise, we’re a team of ambitious, passionate people who love to think creatively about the digital experience. We believe that the best websites are built with a deep understanding of your business and your customers. And with our expertise in design, strategy, development, marketing and copywriting, we can bring that unique perspective to every project we take on.
We believe in building sites that are both beautiful and functional, with a focus on helping you meet your goals—whether that means more traffic or more conversions. We want to ensure your customers get the most out of their experience when they visit your website.
We work with some of the world’s leading brands—and emerging ones—to build experiences that look amazing and perform at an incredible level.
We love what we do because we believe in positively impacting people’s lives through technology and innovation. Our work is not just about creating beautiful websites; it’s about building better experiences that connect people with brands they love.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?
I’ve been fascinated by the web since I was young and how it enables us to connect with anyone on the planet. I taught myself programming and started several websites in grade school.
I won multiple international coding competitions in high school, and in college, I enrolled in Computer Science as my major. But it wasn’t what I expected—I had already taught myself so much of what was being taught in class, and I felt like I wasn’t learning anything new. So I dropped out.
Shortly after that, I got a job soldering circuit boards for an electronics manufacturer. When my manager noticed that I enjoyed building websites in my free time, she introduced me to the company president, who gave me my first website project. I knocked it out of the park, which led to me developing hundreds of additional company websites for them and their franchise owners and an internet and Bluetooth-connected mobile app.
When I realized I could develop any digital experience imaginable, connecting people in new and valuable ways, I began freelancing on the side. When that income overshadowed that of my full-time job, I left the company to do it full-time. My previous employer was happy to sign up as one of my first freelance clients and is still a client and mentor to this day. Things continued to snowball, and before long, I became fully booked and still had more prospects that wanted to hire me.
I started a company called Hotleads with my first business partner and eventually rebranded when we parted ways. Thus, Rise was born.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME A YEAR OR TWO, WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOURSELF?
Balance is important. The grind is necessary and moves you forward, but you have to be mindful of burnout. The to-do list will always be there, but having boundaries between work and life is how you stay in it for the long haul.
WHAT PROBLEM DOES YOUR BUSINESS SOLVE?
The best part about Rise is that we love helping people. We have a lot of clients who are small businesses and startups, and they need help with their websites. They’re trying to get their brand out there in a way that’s accessible and easy for customers to find them.
Websites are beautiful things, but sometimes, even the most well-meaning design can end up being confusing or overwhelming for your audience—and that’s not what you want when you’re trying to build a relationship with your customers!
That’s where we come in: we ensure your website is beautiful and user-friendly so that customers can find what they need without any stress or confusion. People don’t like feeling overwhelmed when they’re looking for something, especially on the internet! It’s one of our biggest priorities when we work with our clients: making sure their sites are easy enough for anyone who visits them to know exactly what they need without having to spend too much time figuring it out themselves.
We also specialize in SEO. We believe that every business deserves to be found online, and we work hard to make that happen for you.
We’ve helped so many companies reach new heights by optimizing their website for search engines and ensuring their digital presence is as strong as possible. When you choose Rise, you’ll get a team of experts who will work with your budget to create an SEO strategy tailored specifically for your brand.
We’re ready to help you take flight!
WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR BUSINESS?
Well, I mentioned that I’ve had a lifelong love for the web and its power of connectivity, but I really started the business to do what I love while working for myself. I can’t actually imagine a life where I am not a business owner. I love building my own team, being fully responsible and being in charge of my own destiny.
WHAT IS YOUR MAGIC SAUCE?
My team! I’m a big believer in hiring people who have grit. Grit is the ability to keep going, even when the results aren’t what you expected or hoped for. It’s about learning from your mistakes and being able to adapt as quickly as possible in any situation—and it’s definitely something that I look for when hiring new team members.
I try to find people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to help the team and company succeed. I look for people who thrive in a fast-paced environment, are radically honest, enjoy solving problems and can easily adapt to any situation or circumstance.
There are always new challenges and opportunities on the horizon, and I love having people on my team who can adapt quickly and thrive with uncertainty.
I also try to stay as productive as I can throughout the day by just doing one thing at a time. You can’t think about everything that has to be done all at once; that’s how you burn out. I make commitments to others so that I am held accountable. I set deadlines and treat them like a client project with a hard due date. I constantly push myself because no one else will.
And obviously, coffee! A lot of it.
WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE?
I’m a man with a lot of vision. I usually have ten ideas brewing before I’m even out of the shower in the morning. I love building things and always want to be doing that.
We’re really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish in the next five years. We’ve built a SaaS platform and are excited to launch it soon. We’re also branching out into media and publishing, so keep an eye out for that!
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED SO FAR?
I mentioned that I parted ways with my first partner. We had a great run. He is a California-based SEO expert. With both of our expertise, we were able to generate high-volume sales leads and build our client portfolio. We learned how to hire, manage, and build teams together while also establishing best practices to ensure quality and consistency when delegating. I cut my teeth in business building Hotleads, and the experience was invaluable. Eventually, my partner got burnt out, and I got all of the existing clients.
I felt like Hotleads needed a fresh start, so I rebranded. The name Rise comes from that old idiom, ‘rise to the occasion,’ which I felt like I was doing as I pivoted my whole business in a new direction.
HOW DO PEOPLE GET INVOLVED/BUY INTO YOUR VISION?
We have an array of interesting clients, and that is where our focus lies. We consider ourselves a direct extension of every client we work with and have a singular obsession with building things. We want to help everyone who comes to us grow their companies and build the best brands in the world.
We work with businesses, no matter the size, who are looking to take things to the next level with our digital marketing expertise.
You can find us at Rise.co.
