Web Four

Kevin Getch was working at a large corporate digital marketing agency making $120,000 per year (base salary of $60,000+ commission), but he was deeply unhappy. He watched the company deliver what he saw as little to no value to clients—they were a sales organization first, actually implementing good work second. In 2009, at the height of the financial crisis, with a wife, two kids, and two mortgages, Kevin made the leap. He was willing to make half as much money if it meant doing work he believed in. "I was willing to make half as much and just enjoy what I was doing and be happy," he explained.

But confidence didn't come from nowhere. Kevin had been a serial entrepreneur with previous business experience—some successes, some failures. He credits those early mistakes as making him "the perfect weapon" for what he was about to build.

Web Four launched as a creative and digital strategy agency offering everything from logo design and branding to website development and digital marketing (SEO, social media, paid search). Kevin started lean. In the first year of 2009, amid economic collapse, the agency generated just $30,000 in revenue. His wife's reaction was exactly what you'd expect.

But Kevin had a clear strategy from day one: build a sustainable, recurring revenue model. Unlike his previous employer who subcontracted everything out to other agencies and contractors (often low-quality work), Kevin hired real full-time employees and delivered client work in-house. This became his competitive advantage.

The transcript doesn't detail how he acquired those first clients, but the revenue model tells the story: Kevin built Web Four on a foundation of recurring retainer relationships rather than one-off projects. By March 2016, he was working with 50-70 customers at any given time—roughly 50 on retainer (averaging $2,000-$5,000 per month) and the rest on project-based web design work ($10,000 average per project).

The retainer model wasn't just good for Web Four's cash flow; Kevin emphasizes it's "a great thing not only for us, but for our clients" because both parties are aligned on long-term success.

The retainer-focused strategy worked extraordinarily well. By 2015—just six years after launching—Web Four hit $1.3 million in annual revenue. Kevin revealed that the agency has maintained nearly consistent 30-50% year-over-year growth, with 2014 being the only year that fell short of that benchmark.

The math behind growth is partly formulaic: Kevin tracks average client value on both the retainer and project sides, and knows exactly how many salespeople and fulfillment staff he needs to hire to hit targets. But the art matters too. Early 2016 saw a setback when they lost a larger client who was bringing work in-house. Rather than panic, Kevin helped transition the work and viewed it philosophically—it freed up capacity but required making up the revenue elsewhere.

The firm's 13-person team (mostly in-house, one remote) became a badge of honor compared to his previous employer's model. Real talent, real accountability, real results.

In early 2016, Web Four was targeting $1.7 million in revenue—a $400,000 increase year-over-year. Kevin was confident in the number because he could break down the business drivers: average client value, number of clients needed, team capacity. The agency had moved beyond survival mode into predictable, scalable growth.

At 40 years old, Kevin also credited getting eight hours of sleep every night as part of his operating model—unusual for a bootstrapped business owner. His advice to his 20-year-old self: "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable" and remember that "the only person that can stop you from being successful is yourself."