Your SEO agency does not care about you

I’m currently boarding a flight to Miami for the Formula 1 Grand Prix. 

It’ll be my first F1 race that I get to see in person. 

Even better, I don’t have to wake up at some godforsaken hour just to watch Max Verstappen win. 

Again…

I’m sitting here watching everyone on my flight crowd around the gate to board, even though they’re in Group E. 

Ridiculous behavior, truly. 

We have assigned seats - we’re all going to the same place. 

And while they frantically worry about someone cutting in front of them in a nonexistent line, I’m worried about my MRR. 

Typical, honestly. 

That number used to consume me; I tied my self-worth to it. 

Even now, at a number I’m proud of, it’s all I think about. 

But for awhile, it got so bad that I went to see a therapist. 

Originally, it was for another issue I was dealing with. 

One that I’d essentially ignored for 3ish years.

Funny enough, as we explored this, we started to draw parallels to the whole MRR & self-worth conversation. 

I’m in a much better place now. 

Anyways.

The first benchmark for agencies is $10k/mo. 

It took me 6+ months to hit that. 

I’ve done a handful of recreational drugs in my life - none of them compared to looking at that Stripe dashboard that day. 

Not even close. 

I thought I’d made it. 

How naive I was. 

Less than 24 hours later, I felt like a failure because I wasn’t at $20k/mo. 

Then I hit $20k/mo. 

“How the f*ck am I not at $30k/mo yet?”

Hit $30k/mo. 

“How the f-“

The cycle continues. 

As an entrepreneur, my business is my most prized possession. 

It’s my child. 

I’ve poured thousands of hours into this - it’s a direct reflection of who I am as a person, just like the friends & relationships I hold. 

MRR is the quickest way to measure how well (or poorly) it’s doing. 

And my singular function as the creator of this company is to increase that number every single day, week, and month. 

My employees depend on me to grow the business so that they can pay rent, feed their families, and peacefully live their lives. 

More MRR means higher salaries & better quality of life. 

My clients depend on me to grow the business so that they can get better results. 

More MRR means better delivery systems that hold up at scale and in turn, better operational efficiency & constantly increasing organic search revenue for clients.

So when I say that I’m focused on my MRR, that’s true - but it’s not for selfish reasons. 

I’m not flexing my MRR with rental Lamborghinis or fake private planes. 

I focus on the number because, the way I run my business, a bigger number means better results for everyone. 

Employees, clients, and yes, myself. 

Case in point, I’m spending the next 5 hours on this flight with a pen, a notebook, and some house music. 

I have one goal: find a solution to an ops issue I’m dealing with. 

If I fix it, I’ll unlock the new revenue target I have my sights set on. 

Also, it’ll enable us to push more content out for brands, meaning better results. 

One more thing, once I solve it, my Head of Content can take on more work - which will come with a raise. 

And I, well I hope to go to another Formula 1 race once I crack this code.

Wins for everyone. 

See you in Miami. 

Kai

P.S. If you’ve ever considered therapy for anything you’re dealing with, I’m happy to answer questions you may have about it. I am aware that it may not be for everyone, but it remains one of the top 5 decisions I’ve ever made in my life. I’m a much better person for it.