Marcus started out designing band flyers and coding websites in Notepad — and turned that DIY spirit into a thriving agency. As the founder of Perfect Evolution, he’s built a team, a business, and a work-life rhythm that lets him show up for his clients and his family.
In this profile, Marcus shares what keeps him grounded, how becoming a dad reshaped his priorities, and why asking “why?” might be the most important move you can make in your business.
What kind of work did you do before your current business and what did you bring with you into this career?
Since I was a senior in high school, I was always freelancing. Doing design work for bands, friends, family, etc. I was always the “business guy” in my band(s), so naturally it led me to designing our logo, flyers, building our websites in Angelfire, Geocities and hand-coding it HTML in Notepad (lol).
What’s a hard lesson you learned running your business that’s changed the way you operate?
You are going to lose money and fail, that’s ok. Learn from the experience, process it, build on it, and move onward and upward.
What motivated you to start your own business, and what keeps you going when things get tough?
I wanted to earn extra income but the freedom and flexibility also came with it, which is an extra perk.
Now that I have an 8-month old daughter, owning my own business allows me to have flexibility in my schedule allowing for more family time. I also am a creative by nature, so having control over the processes, templates, and workflow is more gratifying when it works, now with our broader team.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten and how has it affected your business?
“Why?”
Zoom out and try to ask yourself “why am I even working on this?” “Will this move the needle in my business?” “Am I working IN the business or ON the business?” I find myself sometimes getting hung up in the small details that sometimes don’t matter, just to accomplish the task. I have to stop and ask myself “is this the best use of my time and also is this even worth working on in the first place?”
As an entrepreneur, what’s your proudest accomplishment?
Paying off credit card debt and putting a deposit down on a house, from the money from the business.
What’s a book every agency owner should read?
The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns
What’s your favorite podcast to listen to?
Whiskey Ginger – comedy, when I need a break from business talk
What’s a WordPress plugin more people should know about?
Redirection – an easy and simple way to set up 301 redirects
What’s your favorite tool, accessory, or gadget on your desk?
Audioengine A2+ Bluetooth speakers
What’s your favorite non-WordPress tool or software?
Things – To Do Task Manager
