Meet BJ Bowen

BJ Bowen’s path into web design and SEO has been anything but linear. From her early days freelancing design projects in her teens, to cycling between music, jobs, and freelancing in Asheville, to ultimately building Visibull Local SEO, BJ has always found a way to create. What started as survival during tough seasons turned into a business that now fuels her passion for helping small businesses get found online.

In our conversation, BJ reflects on the lessons she’s learned over nearly four decades in design; from stubborn grit that keeps her pushing forward, to the shift from being a hands-on “doer” to stepping into leadership. She shares the quotes and principles that guide her work (“begin with the end in mind,” “yes, and”), the joy of watching a client’s phone ring because the SEO worked, and the challenges of building something that runs smoothly without her.

What got you into WordPress and how long have you been using it?

I had dabbled a little with WordPress with a couple of small business websites in maybe 2009 or 2010 before this project, but my first real challenge was creating a blog to document my project “Faces of God: Our Elders” (https://facesofgod.wordpress.com/). In that project, I travelled the country interviewing elders about their lives and processed my own grief over losing my parents. It’s complicated when I say that because biologically, they were my grandparents, but they adopted me when I was 9 weeks old, so they were my parents and the grief I felt was that of losing a parent. (It always feels like I’m overexplaining when I explain it.)

It’s a WordPress.com website. It looks terrible. When I look at it now, I worry that anyone will see it and because of my love for that project, that no one will. At least it’s solid evidence of how far I’ve come. That was in 2012.

What motivated you to start your own business, and what keeps you going when things get tough?

I never drafted a formal business plan. At 19 living in Greenville, NC, I was lead designer at a commercial printer and took design projects on the side. Freelancing drifted in one gig at a time, and before long I was learning invoicing, taxes and contracts on the fly. I experienced my first design-and-dash where a food delivery client skipped out on paying for an elaborate “double-truck” newspaper ad. I’ll never forget that. Fortunately, over the past 38 years of providing design services, I’ve only had three clients ghost me when it came time to cough up the dough.

After settling down in Asheville in 1995, I started freelancing again. During my years in Asheville, I would freelance, run out of money, get a job, then rinse and repeat – that was the cycle. I poured way more energy into a music career that never paid the rent, while graphic design quietly kept the lights on. Oh regrets – I have a few. I often wonder where my business would be had I chosen to pursue graphic design in earnest all those years I focused on music.

The plot twist came in Williamston, N.C., where the rent was “family discount” and the job market was “nope.” At that time, psoriatic arthritis made clock-punching impossible, so freelancing became survival. (Luckily PsA has been in remission for years now.)

I was only looking at this work as a means to an end at the time. I needed money. And, that was that. 

I worked hard at building a solid foundation and client list while enduring severe PsA attacks. I know there are a lot of people who have built their businesses faster, but I’m really proud of what I went through and how successful I am now. 

Joining The Admin Bar’s Mastermind, TABLE, was the best business decision I’ve made. I’ve learned so much from all the great minds and wonderful souls in TABLE 01 (shout out TABLE 01!)

What keeps me going when things get tough? Hmm. 

As I think through this question, I have several possible answers. Maybe together, all of them paint a picture, I can’t quite see. 

It’s lame, but when things are at their worst, I *know* I have to make money. Someone has to pay the bills. 

But I also love knowing a client’s phone rang because the SEO worked, or seeing sales light up after a site launch. Those “we did it” moments hit. I hold on to them. 

Also, those “Getting To Know You” conversations with prospects light a fire in me. I’m prone to letting those meetings run long because I genuinely enjoy listening to people talk about their goals and dreams. 

But here’s the other thing: When I wake up, I want to work. I wouldn’t say that’s the healthiest way to live a life, but whether the business is running smoothly or things are tough, I wake up and I want to work. And it doesn’t feel like money is the primary driver for that. It’s a habit. Maybe not a great one. But, it’s just what I do. 

And lastly, for better or worse, I don’t let go of anything easily. So, even on my worst days — maybe especially on my worst days — by default, I go into troubleshooting mode. I rarely walk away from anything, even mistakes — long after it’s clear that I failed. 

Maybe that’s grit? Maybe the answer to your question is that simple: I am too stubborn to let go.

What’s a hard lesson you learned running your business that’s changed the way you operate?

I am learning that as my clients have grown and need more, I can no longer do everything myself and it’s time to shift from being a “doer” to a leader. I’ve always been a “doer” and I love it. It’s been hard to recognize that it’s time to let that go so my business can grow. 

I haven’t finished the shift from hands-on “doer” to team leader; I’m right in the middle of it, working every day to keep projects moving and decide what truly needs my touch.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten and how has it affected your business?

There are a few…

“What are you willing to sacrifice?“

There was a quote I heard long ago and when I Googled it, I only saw someone named “Mike Tomlin” credited, but I know the person I heard speak on it years ago was a woman. The quote was something like, “When you have a goal in mind, don’t ask yourself what you’re willing to DO to achieve that goal. Ask yourself, what you’re willing to give up. What are you willing to sacrifice?” Winning at anything takes sacrifice. If you’re going to run a marathon, you have to train. So, what are you NOT doing while you’re training? You always have to abandon something to make time to achieve your goal. It takes real dedication and determination to make sure those sacrifices pay off.

“Begin with the end in mind”

The 2nd quote that I probably repeat more than any other is Stephen Covey’s, “Begin with the end in mind.” This quote applies to everything. In the big picture sense of your life, he specifically talks about the process of thinking through what you want people to say at your funeral and let that decide how you live your life. Boom. But, it absolutely applies to websites or any other problem – micro or macro. 

Approaching a website build with “the end in mind” is how you move from just building websites to being a consultant and creating websites that actually help the client meet their goals.

“What problem are you trying to solve?” is a question I ask my clients, prospects, and even myself. 

“Be a Goldfish”

Another good one recently is Ted Lasso’s “Be a goldfish.” That requires you to exercise your emotional agility muscles and keep moving forward. Forget about it. Wonderful and terrible things happen all the time. Forget about it. Keep moving. Next. 

“Hire before you need to”

I don’t know who said that in the All Table group, but I’m pretty sure it was someone there that passed this advice along. I’m living the downside of not doing that. I’m so busy that I don’t have time to calmly onboard contractors and get SOPs into place. This is very stressful. I’m working all the time. And I’d like everyone to avoid it. 

“Yes, and…”

Lastly, I can’t say enough about the “Yes, and” principle of improv. I wrote it on a post-it note and stuck it on my computer screen for a long time to remind myself during meetings to “yes, and” my clients, potential clients, friends, etc. I still find myself saying “no, but” occasionally – I’m still working on it. 

In a business meeting, saying “yes, and” lets your client feel heard. It keeps the momentum positive. Especially when you disagree with the client’s request. Hear them out. Say “yes.” Repeat their request, then say “and” followed by the magic where you turn this conversation into a problem-solving partnership. Saying “No, but” shuts down collaboration and mostly makes people double-down to justify their position. 

“Don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a long time making it”

When I read that quote by Aubrey de Gray years ago, I finally had permission to let go of music. It’s true for ill-suited clients, design work, subscriptions, etc. Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter how much time or money you’ve poured into a thing. If it’s not working, let it go.