Ryan Shelley
Key takeaways
- 2:02Ryan launched SMA Marketing in 2008 during the financial crisis by accident—starting with video work and pivoting to SEO when a client paid him to figure out local law firm marketing through his MySpace booking experience.
- 9:09A foundational client from 2010 who is still with the agency today became a confidence builder because Ryan positioned himself as a partner with a win-win solution rather than as a desperate vendor seeking business.
- 12:12Instead of fixing his weaknesses, Ryan hired specialists for areas he wasn't strong in (like HR and content management), allowing the team to excel in their strengths rather than being mediocre across multiple areas.
- 14:14SMA Marketing intentionally stays small and nimble, specializing in SEO, content, and inbound strategy rather than offering every service, using a hummingbird logo to represent quick, strategic, agile movements on high-impact tasks.
- 20:19Ryan's faith-driven values—viewing all humans as inherently valuable and created in God's image—fundamentally shape his business decisions, client partnerships, team protection, and charitable giving through interest-free microloans to small businesses globally.
Questions Ryan Shelley answered
Ryan worked at a church and took on video work starting in 2008, but pivoted to SEO when a client requested website marketing for his law firm. He ran this as a side gig while traveling as a musician, building case studies and local clients until 2015 when he went full-time to gain independence from traditional employment.
The SEO Agency Rollercoaster with Ryan Shelley of SMA Marketing1:27
Ryan faced challenges with content marketing consistency when engagement felt low, struggled with underpricing retainers (selling hours for less than $5/hour), dealt with imposter syndrome transitioning from video to technical skills, and had to learn new markets and multilingual approaches. He invested in personal and business coaching to overcome these obstacles and gain humility about learning from others.
The SEO Agency Rollercoaster with Ryan Shelley of SMA Marketing5:02
A local Florida business operating across multiple locations became a foundational client in 2010 and remains with the agency today. Approaching this client with confidence in a win-win partnership solution—rather than desperation—built Ryan's belief that he could grow the business, which led to hiring within a year and establishing long-term client relationships based on partnership rather than vendor relationships.
The SEO Agency Rollercoaster with Ryan Shelley of SMA Marketing8:34
Ryan started without a clear vision, instead making the next right move at each stage. He realized he didn't enjoy all services he offered, so he contracted to focus on SEO, content, and consulting—the areas he was passionate about. He hired specialists for his weaknesses and eventually narrowed to serve government defense, SaaS, and specialized local businesses, keeping the agency small and nimble like a hummingbird.
The SEO Agency Rollercoaster with Ryan Shelley of SMA Marketing9:59
Ryan views all humans as inherently valuable because they are created in God's image, which creates compassion, empathy, and desire to see the best in others rather than viewing relationships as transactions. This extends to sponsoring client family activities, pausing payments during hardship, protecting his team by firing misaligned clients, and donating to interest-free microloans for small businesses globally through organizations like Kiva.
The SEO Agency Rollercoaster with Ryan Shelley of SMA Marketing14:55
In Ryan Shelley's words
“He basically paid for me to figure out how to do this stuff. I wasn't very high, but you know, and just started playing around and testing things.”
The SEO Agency Rollercoaster with Ryan Shelley of SMA Marketing2:02
“I didn't come into the discovery calls with 'please hire me, please just hire me.' I came in like, 'no, I have a solution that I know works and I know you're really going to benefit from it.'”
The SEO Agency Rollercoaster with Ryan Shelley of SMA Marketing9:09
“I realized what people were really coming to me for is not even as much so my SEO like the stuff we did, but more the consulting and the outside the box thinking.”
The SEO Agency Rollercoaster with Ryan Shelley of SMA Marketing11:11
“At the other end of that screen is a human being. It's not an analytic, it's not a number, it's not a session, it's a person who is looking for an answer.”
The SEO Agency Rollercoaster with Ryan Shelley of SMA Marketing17:17
“I've been watching you for about two hours. You don't seem like you're somebody that's just going to sell me a product and screw me over and take my money.”
The SEO Agency Rollercoaster with Ryan Shelley of SMA Marketing25:24