What We Learned in Our First Year of Digital Advertising

Our first year as a company was something we never could have imagined.

It’s been an absolute roller coaster. 

From meeting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at our first client’s event, to our brand new camera breaking down days before our most important shoots, we have certainly experienced the highs and lows of starting a digital advertising company in 2025.

Here are the 5 most important things we learned in our first year of starting a business in 2025. 

1. Show, don’t tell.

Like the narrative technique suggests, simply telling business owners why they should sign with you is not enough for most to take that next step. 

Show them your talents to make it unthinkable for them to sign with anyone other than you.

2. Make the most out of everything you create.

Maximize every piece of work by finding multiple ways to repurposed its value.

Turn that blog post into video scripts for social media. Film a behind the scenes video at your next client shoot. Post that walk-through on how you made that cool transition in your latest video.

You’ve already put in the work, make sure nothing goes to waste.

3. Don’t work for free just to gain experience

Taking on non-paying clients is a staple in the formative months of every company trying to build up their portfolio. 

But just because a client is non-paying doesn’t mean you need to work for free. 

Ask them to recommend your services on social media. Have them write a testimonial to advertise on your website. See if they can advertise your logo at the event you’re filming.

Value lies in many places outside of monetary gain. You just need to find it.

4. Not every lead will turn into a client

You will hear “no” more often than “yes.” That is not a reflection of your work, self, or skill set, that is a part of starting your business. 

Don’t take it personally. 

Make that next call. Move onto the next lead. Go to that next event. 

Don’t let today’s “we’re not interested” keep you from tomorrow’s “let’s go for it”.

5. Adapt. Adapt. Adapt. 

Learning how to adapt on the fly is the single most important skill to have when starting a business. 

Things will not go the way you expect them to. You will experience roadblocks and obstacles you never thought to account for. 

But that’s okay. 

Take a step back, reassess, and adapt.

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That’s just from our experience. 

What’s the biggest lesson you learned when you started your business?

Let us know in the comments down below!