Kaha Solutions just turned 9 years old!
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot—through successes, mistakes, and everything in between. Growing a business comes with plenty of challenges, but also valuable lessons. I wanted to share some of my biggest takeaways with fellow business owners in the hopes that they might help you on your own journey.
Word of mouth = the superior marketing channel?
I’ve made a lot of contacts over the years.
Referrals continue to be a great source of new leads for me—proof that strong relationships and a job well done will always be the best marketing strategy. Networking has also been a great way for me to meet new contacts and clients, and it’s doubly important to network if you’re a solopreneur or a founder running your own ship. Otherwise, things can really lonely.
Although word-of-mouth is powerful, it’s not scalable. That’s where digital ads, SEO, and content marketing come in.
The power of delegation
Let’s be real—success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes a lot of work. It also takes a team. You can’t run a digital marketing agency (or any growing business) on your own.
One of the biggest shifts I’ve made over the past few years is learning to delegate more. I used to think I had to do everything myself—strategy, execution, client communication, backend operations—but that only led to burnout. I unfortunately had to learn this the hard way, because I’m a bit hardheaded.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve focused on hiring the right people, trusting their strengths, and building a team that can deliver the best value and service possible for our clients.
That shift has made us stronger, more efficient, and better equipped to scale.
Adapting to change in digital marketing
If there’s one thing I’ve learned again and again, it’s this: The only constant is change. It’s a cliche for a reason!
It is a blessing to still be in business, especially in an environment where only 45% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years. The digital marketing landscape changes fast, and staying ahead of trends while maintaining quality service is no small feat.
Some of the biggest changes I’ve witnessed have been in the realm of social media:
- I’ve watched Facebook evolve from a purely social network to a P2P sales and advertising powerhouse which is now part of Meta along with Instagram.
- I’ve seen Twitter/X rise, dominate, change hands (and names), and now struggle for relevance in a politically charged climate.
- I’ve watched TikTok shift from a platform for kids to share dances into a top social media network raking in an estimated $17 billion per year in revenue, which now faces potential bans and regulatory challenges.
Trends come and go, but the fundamentals of business remain: Know your audience, provide value, and be ready to pivot.
For small business owners, the lesson is clear—adaptability is everything. What worked last year might not work today. Your website, your marketing, and your customer engagement strategies need to evolve constantly.
Learning to say no and focusing on your strengths
Early on, I said yes to almost everything—every project, every client, every request that came my way. I thought that was the way to grow. But over time, I realized that saying yes to everything meant stretching myself too thin and diluting the quality of my work.
The real growth came when I started saying no to things that weren’t the right fit.
- Not every client is the right client. If a prospect doesn’t align with our values or needs services we don’t specialize in, it’s better to refer them elsewhere.
- Not every opportunity is worth the time. Just because something sounds exciting doesn’t mean it serves my long-term vision.
- Focusing on what we do best has made us better. We don’t try to be a jack-of-all-trades agency—we focus on high-impact digital marketing strategies that actually move the needle.
By narrowing our focus, we’ve been able to deliver stronger results, build better client relationships, and create a more sustainable business.
What’s next?
As I look ahead, I’m excited to keep learning, growing, and refining what we do. Whether it’s testing new AI tools, doubling down on referral-based growth, or expanding our team, our focus remains on providing the best possible results for our clients.
To my fellow business owners—keep pushing, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to delegate. Your growth depends on it.
