Originally published January 2017. Rewritten October 2026.
In January 2017 someone on our team asked me where I hoped Seafoam would be in 2027. I said this:
“In 2027, Seafoam will be the leader in digital marketing in the St. Louis metro area. By then, digital marketing will be synonymous with marketing in general. As a result, we’ll be working with our clients at a very core level on their business objectives.”
It’s almost 2027, so it seems fair to grade it.
What I got right
Digital marketing became marketing. Nobody says “digital marketing” in a planning meeting anymore. It’s just marketing. That part was easy to call.
We work with clients at the level of their business. This is the part I’m proudest of. Our work starts with revenue, customers, and the numbers behind them, not with a list of channels. We diagnose before we prescribe, and our reports are in dollars.
What I got wrong
“Leader in digital marketing” was the wrong goal. It’s a goal about us. It measures Seafoam against other agencies. The goal that matters is whether our clients grow, and whether the work is measurably part of why.
The 2017 version of me was still thinking like a vendor. The company I run now thinks like a partner who owns a number.
Why I started it
I’ve always liked building things. As a kid it was Legos and Lincoln Logs. In first grade I sold the stickers and stamps my parents got in the mail. In fifth grade I ran a yo-yo repair shop. In middle school I built a content website for teenagers. In college I freelanced in web design and development.
After college I started the company I wanted to work for, because I didn’t see it anywhere else.
The name came from a beach. Right after college, my now-wife told me to stop thinking about what the company would do and think about how clients should feel working with us. Seafoam was the answer.
How I built the team
I know what I’m good at: logic, spreadsheets, and implementation. I also know what I’m not good at, and I hired people who are. Seafoam today is six senior practitioners, and most of what we’re good at comes from them, not me.
Three things I said in 2017 that I still believe
- Nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems at the time. Sixteen years in, this one has held up best.
- You can’t dream a goal into reality. Put your head down and work on the right things. Every time you look up, you’ll be surprised how far you’ve come.
- All we have is the now. Enjoy it.
I’ll add a fourth: pick goals that are about the people you serve, not about you.
Nikki Bisel, Founder & CEO
For the longer story, read about Seafoam turning fifteen. Or see how we work and what makes us different.