My Journey to Founding Rivertech Digital®: How a Code Habit, a Caffeine Culture, and a Lakeside Awakening Led Me There
Every business owner's journey begins somewhere; perhaps in a boardroom, a garage, and mine?
In a small web development agency in Swindon, and a college room, no less. So, grab a coffee, sit down, and I’ll regale you with the story of caffeine-driven codfests, unplanned glitches, and an epiphany at a lake (yes, I mean it!).
So My Story Begins... Somewhere Between ‘This Will Be Fun’ and ‘What Have I Done?’
Flashback to August 2018. There I was, in my second-to-last year of college, expertly balancing a two-year L3 Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing, while tackling a BTEC National L3 in Information and Creative Technology, because apparently, I thought stress was a personality trait. (Multitasking level: cat trying to walk on a Roomba).
That’s when I took the plunge into the working world, landing an apprenticeship at a small but determined Digital Marketing Agency, hidden away in the prestigious (slightly industrial) Groundwell Industrial Estate amongst the magical land of… Swindon. Yes, Swindon. The land of roundabouts, unexpected life lessons, and, as I soon discovered, a LOT of caffeine. And by "a lot," I mean my bloodstream was roughly 60% espresso before lunchtime.
Five days a week, eight hours a day, I lived and breathed both web development and digital marketing, working with some fabulous companies such as:
Everett King Accounting - (Numbers? Not my strong point, but their websites? Absolute perfection.
Orion Holidays - (We took dream holidays and made them look even brighter in cyberspace.)
LPC Trull Town Planning Agency - (We built spaces for builders in cyberspace, too!)
Courtyard Clinic Mental Health and Wellbeing (We even brought mental wellbeing to cyberspace, because even the internet needs therapy!)
Timberpride - (And Timber, for that matter, well that definitely deserves an online presence!)
As one of four critical developers in a tight little crew, I honed my skills in coding, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), business planning, and design. By November 2019, I completed my apprenticeship, earned an A* qualification, and in earnest transitioned from "student" to "qualified Digital Marketer."
The Moment I Realised I Could Be the Boss (and Collect Certifications Like Pokémon)
A 2020 graduation harnessing an A* grade for my Information and Creative Technology, Cyber Security, Security of Database CRM Systems, and Microsoft Office Specialist Certs (yes, I finished my certs Pokémon collectible style, one at a time, over two years, no less!). And I saw big: I dreamed not of a career in digital marketing, but of making something to call my own.
I spent twelve long months neck-deep in business planning and reading not just about what makes a company successful, but how to keep it alive longer than a houseplant. Basically, a full year of figuring out how not to go bankrupt. Somewhere between caffeine-fuelled research sessions, and an existential crisis, I started sketching out a highly sophisticated (borderline illegible doodles on random scraps of paper) blueprint for what would one day become Rivertech Digital®.
From Code Gremlin to CEO (Sort Of)
October 2022 saw me diving headfirst into real work. Armed with my trusty sword, Visual Studio, I locked myself in virtual trenches, churning out code like a sleep-deprived wizard casting spells (except my spells were HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, and Angular).
The Great Naming Crisis (A Tragicomedy in Three Acts)
After countless sleepless nights (and an ungodly amount of snacks), my first glorious, seven-page website was born: ‘Webtech Media.’ Cue a dramatic fist pump! But just as I triumphantly reached for the paperwork to claim my place in the spotlight… I discovered the name was taken.
Did I cry? No. (Okay, maybe a little. But only for a reasonable, character-building amount of time.) Like bad Wi-Fi, business setbacks are frustrating, soul-crushing, and somehow still fixable. And so, my quest for the perfect name continued.
How Rivertech Digital Surfaced (Literally)
One fateful morning, I felt determined but slightly dead inside, I took a stroll by a lake near my apartment in Wichelstowe. The sun was shining, the birds were singing… and then, boom! Plot twist. The wind turned feral, the rain came pouring down, and I watched as the waves crashed into each other like an over-caffeinated brainstorming session. Then it hit me:
A river is strong, resilient, courageous, and unstoppable. Just like technology. Just like entrepreneurship. Just like me.
And with a blink of an eye, Rivertech Digital® was born.
Making Waves at Rivertech Digital®
With the name finally sorted, I legally incorporated and threw myself into bringing my business and its name to life. Suddenly, all-nighters turned into early mornings, wild ideas became actual strategies, and my dream morphed into a full-fledged digital agency.
Now, Rivertech Digital® isn’t just a business, it’s a caffeine-fuelled mission to help companies stay afloat, and not sink into the ever-changing ocean of cyberspace. So whether it’s web development, SEO, or digital wizardry, we don’t just make websites, we make a difference!
What I Learned While Trying Not to Lose My Mind
1. Success = Being as Stubborn as a River
A river carves through rocks by sheer persistence. Business? Same deal. Setbacks will happen, but the key is to keep moving forward (preferably without throwing your laptop out the window or driving your fist toward the screen a few times).
2. Flexibility is a Superpower
The web is like a software update, constantly changing. If you don’t adapt, you’ll be left behind.
3. Be Weird. Be You.
Work stops feeling like work when it’s fuelled by passion, purpose, and just the right amount of madness. The kind that makes you congratulate yourself out loud when your code finally runs, glare at error messages like they personally betrayed you, and whisper “I am a god” when a last-minute fix actually works. So embrace the chaos. As this is the secret ingredient to success (along with caffeine and occasional screaming into the void).
4. Community is Everything
Success isn’t built alone unless you’re trying to set a world record for stress. Clients, co-workers, and the occasional 2 am email chain (where everyone pretends this is totally normal) have helped me more than I can count. Seriously, shout out to the night owls keeping the business world running on sheer willpower, blind optimism, and an unholy amount of Coca-Cola. You’re the real MVPs.
The Future of Rivertech Digital (a.k.a. World Domination, But Friendly)
The internet keeps evolving faster than your Wi-Fi on a good day and so do we. My mission? Empower businesses, inspire entrepreneurs, and build digital experiences that don’t just exist, they strut onto the web like they own the place.
Let’s Build Something Awesome Together
If you’re ready to take your brand from ‘meh’ to magnificent (or at least stop it from looking like it was built in 2009), then drop me a message, follow me on social, and let’s make some serious waves. Because like a river, your company should never stand still. Get in Touch via the Contact Us form on our website or email: rivertechdigital2023@gmail.com. Please also subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the loop on when our next blog will be released.