Founder’s Friday featuring Curtis Hays @ collideascope

Please provide a brief description about your company.

Collideascope is a full-service digital marketing agency specializing in making sure websites are found online. With a primary focus in search engine optimization, we help our clients generate leads and sales online through organic and paid search channels, social media advertising, and email marketing.

Two hashtags that best describe you (i.e.: #driven, #fierce, #mom, #dad, #roadblockcrusher, etc.)

#seoguru #bassfishing

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Within the first 3 years of collideascope, we were doing well enough to allow my wife to quit her job. We’ve been growing revenue by at least 50% year over year for 6 straight years.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

My best days are out on the boat with friends and family, fishing or pulling the kids on the tube or skis.

What is your greatest fear?

Letting my wife and my two girls down.

Whom do you most admire?

My dad, he was a hard worker. He spent 36 years at the same company working a very dangerous job. He taught me work ethic but also the joy of work and taking breaks to enjoy a warm cup of coffee and good company. He was well-liked by his peers. He passed away in 2013, his death inspired me to leave the company I was working for and start my own.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I’ve been a procrastinator my whole life. I like work given to me and I’m able to thrive in those types of situations. I struggle picking up proactive work that can get me ahead. I spend too much time every day working out of my email box responding to customer requests and while I enjoy that work it puts me behind in other tasks.

What are your top tips for balancing work and life?

Everyone’s different, you have to find our own balance. Some people are filled with energy and joy while working, others get drained and need to recharge through other activities. Find work and hobbies that bring you joy and pursue those and success should follow.

What is something new that you learned about running a business this year?

I read Profit First by Mike Machalowicz and learned a lot more about small business finances. I’ve been doing a lot of things right so far with our accounting but realizing I’m not putting enough profit aside in the business, so that’s been a goal this year, setting aside profit I can use to grow the business when the opportunity presents itself.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Oakley Half-Jacket sunglasses & an OOLA hat, Loyal

What is your greatest regret?

Hard to say I have any, all my choices have led me where I am today and I’m very content with where I am.

What is your motto?

Work Smarter, Not Harder. It’s a reminder to me to lift my head up once in a while and look for innovative ways to do things or remember I can give work to my team.

What is a legal mistake you wish someone warned you about?

Get your terms worked out early. When you start out in business it’s easy to skip over some of the T’s & C’s but that can get you in trouble later. Get your contracts in good legal order as soon as possible and it’ll make for better relationships with your clients and employees/contractors for when issues arise you’ll have terms to work through.

When running your business, what do you struggle with most?

Delegating work to others.

What advice would you give to yourself at 25 years old?

Believe in yourself.