I began my professional career at Savvy Rest, a natural mattress manufacturer. Three months into the job we hired a search engine optimization (SEO) company to grow our online influence. A few months later we let them go and I took over, finding myself at the helm of a new career for a multi-million dollar company.

Up until then, Google had merely been a tool I used to find Thai food and gawk at motorcycles. All of a sudden I was thrust into the realm of search engines and SEO. I was tasked with expanding Savvy Rest’s internet presence.

Fresh out of college with a BS in Environmental Policy & Planning, I knew little about marketing, and like most people, faced growing pains with SEO jargon. I wasn’t sure if I was a good fit.

But I had a knack for statistics, and loved discovering the invisible traits of Google’s algorithm. I closely examined keyword rankings, successful content, and statistics. I did anything to better understand the SEO puzzle.

Over time, my strategies began generating website clicks and conversions. I was pleased with my first taste of success, but we still had a problem: most of our content didn’t properly target keywords.

At first, I struggled to convince my coworkers, but my ability to articulate SEO strategies and concepts improved and my ideas gained influence within our marketing department. Before long, we modified our blog—a staple as old as the company itself—and our entire approach to content marketing. We began targeting keywords to reach our goals, ultimately driving conversions for keywords we’d never ranked for. In 2015 Savvy Rest’s website traffic grew 33%.

I was pleased with the impact, but wanted more freedom to explore life and confront new challenges. So I started my own business and launched a website.

After a trip to Southeast Asia to savor Thai food and ride motorcycles, I’m excited to be back in Virginia, and committed to helping companies find digital marketing success.