With over 13 years of experience in marketing and digital marketing, Joel is passionate about helping businesses grow online through effective and innovative strategies. He has worked with hundreds of clients across various industries and niches, managing tens of millions of dollars in ad spend and generating hundreds of thousands of leads.
As the founder of JBE Digital, a boutique digital agency based in Melbourne, Joel leads a team of talented marketers, developers, and designers who deliver customized solutions for clients worldwide. They offer a full range of online marketing services, including PPC, SEO, social media, direct marketing, and web design.
For more details, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Joel to get more insights about his journey as an entrepreneur.
Q: What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Joel: I always had a drive for business for as long as I can remember, from the age of 8 I used to pick plums at my grandparents over the holidays and sell them to people driving by. It’s always been an interest of mine and I have tried many different things before I started JBE Digital.
Q: How did you get started?
Joel: The business came about organically, I had built up a good base of freelancing clients while working full-time. Eventually, it got to a point where I was working 8 hours at my job and then another 6-8 on the business, so it was time to work on the business full time.
Q: What was your biggest startup challenge? What steps did you take to overcome it? What did you learn?
Joel: Covid – I started the business in November 2019, 4 months into running the business we were locked down. Being in Melbourne and being hit the hardest, I had to adapt my way of Business Development to bring on new clients and keep current ones up-to-date and happy.
Q: What is the most memorable thing you’ve done since you started your business?
Joel: Countless clients with good results, and seeing small businesses turned around after poor results from previous agencies are always our biggest success. Helping clients win is our number one focus and each time we do so it’s memorable. For example, a client of ours just had their best lead month ever in November 2023.
Q: What is one book you recommend, and why?
Joel: Influence by Robert B. Caldini. It helped me learn how to influence people in positive ways, which is imperative in business (and life).
Q: What are your top 3 favourite online apps, tools or resources and what do you love about them?
Joel: First, I use Google Analytics. It’s something we rely on every day for our clients. Second, Slack for client and staff communications is a must. And third, we use Google Search Console for our SEO clients. This is one of the most important tools as it tells us directly from Google how they see clients’ websites.
Q: In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?
Joel: A good, happy, and healthy family.
Q: In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?
Joel: If you think it’s easy, it’s not. Be prepared to work harder than you ever have. It’s not linear, so take the ups with the downs and don’t be disheartened by the downs… They will pass.
To keep up to date with Joel and his journey, connect with him on LinkedIn.
