How Surfing Florida’s Space Coast Has Shaped My Inbound Marketing Agency

One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned is “everything communicates”. The problem is most of the time we are too busy to stop and observe what is being communicated. Living in Melbourne FL most of my life, surfing is more than something you do, it’s part of who you are.

Every summer we look at the ocean and watch expectantly for a storm to make its way up the coast and pump in a few days of great surf. Surfing can teach us a lot about our surroundings and ourselves. As I sat here daydreaming about the next swell, I realized it has also a lot to teach the digital marketing community.

#1. Research your spot

Finding the best wave in town doesn’t happen by accident. You have to do the research. Everything matters. The way a wave breaks at different tides and how the beach is formed are just 2 things that play a huge role. The same is true in digital marketing. Finding your sweet spot takes time and effort. Too many marketers just throw anything and everything at a client’s problem hoping that something sticks. Slow down, research, and find your flow.

#2. Wait For A Good Set

Patience is key. I can’t even count the number of times I took the first wave in the set only to realize that if I had been patient I may have had the ride of my life. Too many marketers and SEO specialists are looking for quick fixes, but let me ask you this. Would you rather have a piece of content go viral for a week and then you drop off into nothing, or steady consistent growth that continually produces results over time?

#3. Wipe Outs Happen

Taking calculated risks is all part of the fun. The truth is sometimes you just get slammed. Realizing that even the best-laid plans sometimes don’t work is a great lesson to learn early. If you took a risk in your digital marketing efforts and wiped out, don’t quit. Learn from your mistakes and paddle back out.

With all the noise and pressure business owners and other agencies feel from our over-saturated and high-speed world, it’s important to take some time and look around. Everything is communicating to us, but in order to learn the lessons we have to listen. I have seen firsthand how the lessons I learned while surfing here in Melbourne, FL have shaped how I run my digital marketing agency. Research has helped me make better decisions, patience has helped me get great results over time and wipeouts have taught me the power of paddling back out after getting slammed hard!

We’d love to hear your thoughts and the lessons you’ve learned along your journey. Comment below and let’s start a conversation.