Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Martinez
Hi Andrew, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
It all started in 2012 when I came across an online course about affiliate marketing which talked about how to make money selling other people’s products and services. The whole premise of the course was to create an email marketing funnel, create a blog, and then strategically insert your affiliate links within all your blog content and email content. This course also walked me through the steps in setting up a website. As I was completing each step (registering the domain, setting up hosting, etc.), I became very fascinated by how websites worked on the back end.
After I finished this course, I looked for other online courses about website development, website design, and digital marketing. I eventually learned that WordPress (WP) was one of the top content management systems (CMSs) in the world and decided to specialize in creating WordPress websites. I love how WP gives you the ability to create and manage a website without having to touch any code.
It was around 2015 when I got my very first paying client who was a local freelance makeup artist. When she asked if I could help build her website, I was initially hesitant since I didn’t have any official credentials. She assured me that since she wasn’t tech-savvy and didn’t know anything about building a website, she was still happy to hire me. This is when I realized: it’s ok if you don’t have any official credentials. As long as I’m at least a few steps ahead of the client and can help them achieve the outcome they’re looking for, this is what matters.
As time went on, I started building more WordPress websites for other paying clients. I treated this as a side hustle while working full-time as a lead security officer. Then on October 12, 2017, I took my side hustle full time when I resigned from my full-time job as a lead security officer. Being a full-time entrepreneur has had its ups and downs, but I’m grateful for the ability to run a location-independent online business and to build my own brand.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Ever since I became self-employed in October 2017, it has not always been a smooth road. The first few years were a learning experience for me as I was making the transition from employee to entrepreneur. For instance, I eventually learned that creating websites and selling websites were actually two different skill sets. In addition to honing my craft with website design and digital marketing, I also had to make time to educate myself on the business side of things such as how to prepare for tax time.
The self-employed life can also feel like a roller coaster ride in that you have up weeks and down weeks, up months and down months, etc. Some months I’m swamped with client work, and other months I’m wondering where my next project will come from.
I also experienced a small decline in business when artificial intelligence (AI) became a hot topic and started to infiltrate our businesses and lives. However, I eventually learned how to make AI my ally rather than my enemy.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Many solopreneurs and small business owners struggle to achieve a professional website that drives leads and revenue (especially amid the rise of AI). At Powerful Digital Solutions, we offer a range of services for both creating new websites and optimizing existing ones. With our help, clients will have a powerful online presence that stands the test of time and generates leads and revenue.
My team and I specialize in creating professional WordPress websites. While some freelancers or agencies might focus on how proficient they are in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and/or other related programming languages, my team and I know that the majority of clients aren’t that concerned with all the technical details. Since clients are more interested in results, my team and I like to focus more on how a professional website can be an income-producing asset (rather than just another business expense) when everything is properly set up and configured. On another note, while some agencies might focus on the number of their client relationships to the point of treating them like names and numbers on a spreadsheet, my team and I focus more on the quality of our client relationships. In fact, we typically work on a maximum of three client projects per month.
Very few other freelancers or agencies can say that they wrote and published a book. In addition to being the CEO of Powerful Digital Solutions, I’m also the author of a new book titled “From Idea to Blueprint.” In a nutshell, it’s about how both startups and more established business owners can use the power of AI to plan the details of their business website and create a website blueprint. I am very proud of the fact that I can say I am a published author as of November 25, 2024. It is currently available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback versions.
At Powerful Digital Solutions, we’re all about helping clients create new websites and also optimize existing ones. For those who need a new website, we offer our book “From Idea to Blueprint” which teaches readers how to use AI to plan out the details of their website and create their website blueprint, our online course for those who want more comprehensive help with the “do it yourself” (DIY) route, our “website in a day” workshop for those who want to meet with me online or offline to build their website within a day, and our signature system – TotalPower Web Success System – which is our ultimate “done for you” (D4Y) offer for creating effective and future-proof business websites.
For clients who already have a business website but need help optimizing it, we offer website performance reviews, WordPress website coaching sessions, website optimization plans, and AI chatbot creation. If a client’s business website is underperforming, we’ll provide the right guidance and recommendations to turn it into an income-producing asset.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I could go in multiple different directions with this question. Within the context of my professional life, relationships matter the most to me because I feel that a business won’t succeed if the owner doesn’t have healthy relationships with current customers, prospective customers, referral partners, vendors, and/or other stakeholders. While some digital agencies might focus more on the quantity of their client relationships, my team and I at Powerful Digital Solutions prefer to focus more on the quality of our client relationships. When we fully take care of our clients and help them achieve the results they’re looking for, the revenue and other metrics will take care of themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://powerfuldigitalsolutions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerfuldigitalsolutions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PowerfulDigitalSolutions/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-m-55903b161/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@powerfuldigitalsolutions
- Other: https://websitebpbook.com
