From Freelance to 16-Person Team: Paige Wiese of Tree Ring Digital on doubling growth during COVID, bouncing back from setbacks, and scaling an industry-agnostic digital marketing firm with resilience and smart strategy. (Episode 732 - Paige Wiese)

In this episode of Grow a Small Business, host Troy Trewin interviews Paige Wiese, founder of Tree Ring Digital, shares her journey from freelancing after the GFC to building a 16-person digital marketing team. She reveals how the company doubled during COVID, overcame recent dips, and stayed resilient through challenges. Paige explains the importance of prioritization, transparency, and smart financial management in scaling a business. She highlights why being industry-agnostic has given Tree Ring Digital a competitive edge. Her story is a blend of perseverance, adaptability, and strategic growth every small business owner can learn from.

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Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice.

And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions:

1. What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business?
   
   Paige Wiese said the hardest thing in growing a small business is having the confidence and resilience to stick with it through the ups and downs. She emphasized that challenges and setbacks are inevitable, but staying committed and pushing forward makes all the difference.
   
   

2. What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most?
   
   Paige Wiese shared that one of her favorite business books is “Do Less”, which helped her understand the importance of not saying yes to everything and focusing on what truly matters by getting unnecessary tasks off her plate.
   
   

3. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business?
   
   Paige Wiese emphasizes learning through mentors, self-teaching, and real conversations over traditional study. She’s been featured on Mission Matters (digital asset control), Building the Business (slowing down to speed up growth), and Grow My Accounting Practice (scaling with marketing). Paige highlights the value of extracting small, actionable insights from books, podcasts, and networking. She also recommends shows like Masters of Scale for growth strategies and Manager Tools for leadership and team development.
   
   

4. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business?
   
   Paige Wiese recommends using practical tools and systems to support business growth, starting with digital asset management to secure domains, websites, and brand accounts. She highlights the value of QuickBooks for financial tracking and project management tools like Asana or Trello to streamline workflows. To grow smarter, she suggests leveraging Google Analytics and Search Console for data-driven decisions, while also emphasizing the importance of continuous learning, mentorship, and checklists to stay resilient and adaptable.
   
   

5. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business?
   
   Paige Wiese said the advice she would give herself on day one of starting out is: “You can do it. It’s going to come with some challenges, but you’ve got this.”

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Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest:

Prioritization is the key to delivering real value, not just checking off tasks – Paige Wiese

Know your numbers—without metrics, you can’t measure true growth – Paige Wiese

Success is producing quality work while building long-term relationships – Paige Wiese