When Digital Neighbor first opened its doors in 2016, we had a clear vision, a whole lot of drive, but not many resources. No massive team. No sprawling client list. Just a belief that we could help businesses thrive online by doing digital better: with clarity, transparency, and a human-first approach.
Nine years later, we’ve grown into a full-service agency supporting brands across the country with SEO, paid search, content strategy, and more. But growth didn’t come from hacks or shortcuts. It came from learning—sometimes the easy way, sometimes the hard way.
Here are nine lessons that have helped shape who we are today.
1. Culture Comes First
At Digital Neighbor, we don’t just talk about values. We integrate them into how we work, lead, and grow.
Skills can be taught. A shared willingness to solve problems, pride in doing great work, and a strong sense of community can’t.
From day one, our culture has been rooted in kindness, curiosity, and a solutions-first mindset. Every team member takes ownership of their work, communicates clearly, and brings thoughtfulness to every client interaction. That’s not just about being nice; it’s how we deliver reliably, even when things get messy or uncertain.
We trust our team to figure things out when there’s no playbook, ask better questions, raise issues early, and support each other without ego. Whether it’s updating an SOP, responding on Slack, or jumping into a client call, we show up like the trusted neighbor we promise to be.
That mindset—collaborative, proactive, and grounded in respect—is the secret sauce that’s kept us growing strong for nine years and earned us recognition as a small business in Tampa.
Whether it’s a team member in Tampa or one of our fully remote, global employees, everyone knows what we stand for, and that “code” shows up in our work.
2. Invest in Your People
A team that grows together, stays together.
We strongly believe in helping our team members expand their skills, because when one person levels up, the entire team benefits. That means funding training courses, sending people to conferences, or giving them the space to explore new interests. It’s not about demanding our team learn; it’s about creating an environment where people feel trusted to grow.
Some of our best ideas came from a certification someone took on their own time or a conversation sparked at a conference or team dinner halfway across the country. Walking the walk when it comes to professional development that your team will actually use shows them you’re invested in them as much as they are in the company, and people do their best work when they know you’re in their corner.
3. Build Team Culture Through Fun
If you’re not enjoying it, what’s the point?
In a remote-first world, connection takes intention. So we make time for it. Weekly happy hours, a casual Slack banter channel, volunteering together, and team lunches when folks are in Tampa—we make sure we’re not just coworkers, but humans who genuinely enjoy being on Zoom together. (Including the guest appearances from furriends and twin toddlers who throw some zest [or shade—meow!] into internal virtual meetings.)
Fun keeps us grounded. It keeps burnout at bay. And it reminds us that, even when we’re deep in the weeds of SEO audits or content calendars, we’re building something meaningful together.
4. Experiment Often, Even If It Fails
Not every experiment ends in success. But every experiment teaches you something.
Sometimes you do A Thing and realize The Original Thing was doing just fine.
Case in point: that time we switched from Google Workspace to Microsoft and quickly realized… yeah, that wasn’t it. (Whoops.) We stepped back. It was messy, full of “ding” notifications we’ll never un-hear, but it taught us a lot about what we needed from our tools, and it helped us appreciate the systems that already worked.
The real win? The team didn’t flinch. We treated it like a test, not a failure. That mindset—try, reflect, adjust—is what keeps us agile and ahead.
5. Start Small. Say Yes. Then Grow.
When clients started asking if we could handle their email campaigns, we hadn’t done that before. But we said yes, and we figured it out.
Then we got good at it. Then it became a service.
That’s been the pattern: start with what we know, take on new challenges when they make sense, and build intelligent systems to support them. We didn’t rush into being “full service.” We earned it, piece by piece, organically.
Growth isn’t about adding everything at once. It’s about being curious, stretching responsibly, and delivering with passion.
6. Communicate Early and Often
The #1 reason clients thank us? Clear communication.
We don’t disappear between campaign launches. We send weekly updates, share transparent performance reports, and hold monthly check-ins where we look at what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. And we’re open to the feedback our clients give us.
That kind of visibility builds trust. It helps clients feel like they’re in the loop, not in the dark. And when problems arise (because they inevitably will), communication keeps things collaborative, not reactive, and helps our clients feel heard.
7. It’s OK to Say No
Not every lead becomes a valuable client. And that’s a good thing.
We’ve learned how to recognize when a project isn’t the right fit, whether it’s a misalignment in goals, expectations, or working style. And saying “no” isn’t about being nitpicky, either; it’s about protecting the integrity of our team and the quality of our work while being transparent about what we can do for someone’s businesses.
We’ve parted ways with clients here and there, and both sides were better for it. There’s power in knowing your strengths and sticking to them.
8. Honesty > Perfection
Pretending everything’s fine doesn’t solve problems. Being honest does.
If something we’re doing isn’t delivering the results we expected, we say so. Then, we pivot. We explain what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what we’re going to do about it. That honesty turns potential friction into deeper trust.
In our experience, clients don’t expect perfection. They expect accountability. And when we bring that to the table, we strengthen the partnership, even during challenging conversations.
9. Stay Curious
Digital moves fast. Algorithms shift. Platforms rise (and fall). New tools launch daily. The only way to stay relevant is to stay curious.
That’s why we read, test, explore, and keep challenging what we know. We don’t fall in love with tactics; we fall in love with learning. That’s what keeps our work fresh, our clients happy, and our team growing.
Curiosity and kindness are what got us here. Those values are what will carry us forward.
Won’t You Be Our Neighbor?
Year 10 is Already Looking Pretty Bright!
We didn’t plan to write a guidebook for building a digital agency. We just wanted to do good work with good people. Nine years in, we’re still showing up with curiosity, kindness, and a commitment to doing right by our clients—and each other. That’s what being a good neighbor means to us.
Thanks to every teammate, client, and collaborator who’s been part of the ride so far.
If you’re looking for a digital partner who knows how to get your business visible online and does it by leading with heart, thinking proactively, and communicating with kindness, we’ve got a guy (spoiler: it’s us!). We’d love to connect!