This post was originally on the PushFire site, which now no longer has a blog. ;-)
I’m super excited to finally be writing this blog post! Today, we publicly launch PushFire – an online marketing agency that offers SEO, PPC management, and promotional (link building) services.
PushFire (formerly Ascendgence) is a combined effort between myself, Rae Hoffman, aka “Sugarrae”, and my husband and now business partner, Sean Dolan.
The Background
Many of you likely already know that for almost the past decade, I’ve done a limited amount of consulting via the Sugarrae brand. You may also know that my husband owned his own online marketing firm before we even met. It occurred to me that we were both in separate canoes, paddling upstream to the same destination and that it might make more sense if we got into the same canoe and combined our efforts. I approached Sean with the idea and he said, “True, providing we don’t beat each other to death with the paddles!”
That was definitely something to be considered. I’m a strong personality, as is Sean, and both of us like to have control of our domain. But Sean and I also have very different strengths. While I am awesome with business development, managing the business, and developing client strategies and services, I am not awesome with managing operations and being super organized. Sean however thrives in both of those areas, in addition to being great with client strategies and fantastic with viral link building strategies and PPC management.
So we decided to give it a go, first behind closed doors, to ensure we could successfully work together before making anything public or official. After nearly three months, it became clear that not only could we work together without killing each other, but also that together, we work better overall than we did as individuals. Our differing strengths make it possible for each of us to focus on the aspect of the business we love and entrust the aspects we’d rather not deal with to the other.
So today? We’re making it official.
Our Services
In addition to offering the SEO Audits and Link Building Services that I’ve become known for, PushFire will also be providing PPC management services thanks to the additional knowledge and talent that Sean brings to the table in this area. I’m excited to put my name (and PushFire’s name) behind them.
Our Team
We have a fantastic team behind us. This team is a combination of the teams that were working at Sean’s agency and at my agency prior to us combining forces, so you might recognize a few of the names and faces. They are a talented group and we feel very lucky to have them.
(Also, we’re hiring, so if you’re looking for a great gig or know someone who is, check out our current openings.)
And in case you’re interested… our kick ass Thesis design? Was done by Equity Marketing Solutions – can’t recommend them enough.
The PushFire Blog
From this point forward, I will no longer be blogging about generic SEO or Internet marketing on the Sugarrae blog (though I will continue to post about affiliate marketing there). All future posts will now be posted here on the PushFire blog, so be sure to subscribe to the feed and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to ensure you don’t miss out on anything. Sean will also be blogging when the time permits, in addition to other members of our team. We’re also looking for guest posters—if you’re interested, let us know.
Over the next few weeks, you’ll specifically get to know our Senior Content Editor, Anna Fleet, who has been working in the online marketing arena for almost 8 years now—having worked for PPC companies, website publishing companies, SEO companies, and technical writing companies once she made the move from traditional print journalism to its online counterpart. She’ll be blogging on the PushFire blog and sharing her vast wealth of experience on a regular basis.
The Future
With a rock solid demand for our services, I’m really excited about the future of PushFire. As a serial entrepreneur and marketer, I love being able to build another brand from the ground up. The support I’ve received over the years from the community has always been awesome and I hope you’ll come along for the ride with us.
About Rae Hoffman
Congrats on the new venture! Dig the logo btw. I look forward to seeing what kind of stuff your combined efforts produce.
Thanks… we tried to figure out something that would fit us both. :)
Congrats Rae!
You and Sean will play well together. Your skills compliment each other like my Operations Director and I. I wish you two the very best and I am overwhelmingly happy for you. I know your clients will be happy too! You two are SEO rockstars!
Thanks – we think so and so far, we’ve been proven right. I am just so glad we’re finally public. :)
Congratulations guys! I know it’s going to be a huge success for you all, and it looks like you’ve rounded up a great team. Best wishes going forward!
Thanks Taylor!! You should come down for a visit sometime soon now that you’re back in the big A.
Grats on the launch, Rae! Onwards and upwards!!
Thank you!
Congrats guys! Stoked to see what is next. :)
Us too – and we have a lot that we know is coming – so it should be exciting to also see what ends up happening that we didn’t already see coming. :)
Congrats guys, very nice work!
Thank you Brad!
Love the new brand and the new site. Looking forward to following your exploits.
Thanks… as I said in the post, EMS did a fantastic job with the site design… I nearly drooled when I saw the first mock. ;-)
I’m thinking this is gonna be awesome! :)
Smart man! ;-) Also Jon, keep the awesome new features coming… we absolutely depend on Raven to be able to keep everything organized. :)
Grats Rae! only good things can come of this. Cheers!
Thank you Chuck!
Congrats folks! You’ll do awesomely.
Thanks David, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon!
Congrats to you both – great things will surely come from this. :)
Thank you… I feel very thankful to have someone as talented as Sean as the person in charge of operations. Being able to delegate and know it will get done right is vital to making an agency work. :)
Congrats Rae! Read your stuff quite a bit at Outspoken, and hope good things come of your new venture.
Thanks Jacob :)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! This is exciting. What a fun blend of the life that matters the the life that pays for that life :)
Also apparently I suck at commenting on blogs. no0b.
Haha… I thought about deleting your mistake comment, but then saw this one so I had to let it ride. ;-) Yeah… one key to making it work on the personal front in addition to the business front is having that hard stop time when we move from our business roles to our personal roles. I plan on doing some behind the scenes posts in the future to let people in on how we’re getting this all to run smoothly. :)
I like the name and the logo, and your work over the years speaks for itself – Congratulations, nicely done!
Thanks Scott! I’m looking forward to building PushFire… I’m so stoked!
Many congrats! If I’ve learned anything following you, it’s that whatever you put your energy toward will be awesome.
Ha! Thanks for the vote of confidence! :)
Blessings and peace. Exciting times.
I’m kind of slow, and don’t really like reading blogs that often :) Congrats on the new digs.
Haha, no worries… you know I’m the same way. ;-)
Big Canuck smile here, Sugarrae!
You go girl!
:-)}
Jim
Thanks Jim! I will always, always be a Canuck at heart :D
Apparently I’m a bit late to the party here and have some catching up to do!
Great news Rae, couldn’t happen to more deserving folks. Lookin good on ya so far and looking forward to hearing and seeing more.
Thank you very much Paul… I’m always late to all the news, so I understand. I’ll let it slide… this time. ;-) haha