![[Fully Managed] David Cuff from Local View Digital Marketing Ep. 111](https://penji.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BLOG-IMAGE-David-Cuff.jpg)
Introduction
Shannon Donnelly (SD): All righty. Hello everyone and welcome to the Fully Managed Podcast, where we discuss marketing and business tips to help assist you on your business journey. I’m your host, Shannon, Penji’s partnership coordinator, and I’m joined here today with a very special guest, David Cuff from Local View Digital Marketing. Thank you so much for coming on with me today.
David Cuff (DC): It’s my pleasure. Thanks for having me.
David’s Background and Mission
SD: Of course. I really appreciate that. Could you just start by telling us a little bit about yourself, how you got to this point in your career, and what you’re doing right now?
DC: It’s been a journey. I started Local View about 10 years ago. I was building websites and having fun meeting people, but I realized an online business card wasn’t enough for small local businesses. So I picked up SEO, got certified with Google Ads, and became more of a consultant—helping business owners get exposure, traffic, and leads. Over time, the agency grew, and I had to hire people. I instill in the team the mindset I started with: treat clients like they’re the center of the universe. We’re affordable, especially for small businesses, and unlike larger firms, we answer our phones, respond quickly, and even let clients schedule directly on our calendar.
SD: That’s a great foundation. I hear a lot of bad stories from business owners before they find the right agency. It’s unfortunate.
DC: One thing we do differently is we won’t work with direct local competitors. That builds trust—clients know we’re only focused on getting them to page one. It’s refreshing for them.
Transparent and Flexible Relationships
SD: That makes sense. Competing clients in the same area just doesn’t seem ethical.
DC: We also don’t lock people into long-term contracts. It’s 30 days’ notice. We believe we should be earning your business every month. If we’re not getting you ROI, you should be able to move on. Digital marketing agencies should be accountable.
SD: That really builds trust and shows confidence in your work. It’s also nice for clients to know they can walk away if it’s not a good fit.
DC: Exactly. And we’re always transparent. If your competitors are spending $3-4k a month on ads and your budget is $1k, we’ll tell you up front what to expect. And we meet with our advertising clients every 2-3 weeks. We ask about calls, leads, satisfaction, and budget adjustments. Communication is everything.
Client Communication and Tools
SD: So how do you balance that level of communication and still manage work-life balance?
DC: Organization is key. We use ClickUp for project management, track time, and keep everything documented. That way we know where we stand and when to scale the team. We also create screen recordings to answer questions or walk clients through data. It saves time, avoids unnecessary meetings, and empowers clients.
SD: That’s a smart system. It also seems helpful for clients who aren’t very tech-savvy.
DC: Absolutely. We walk clients through analytics—like bounce rate or cost-per-click—via video. Some clients are too busy to meet, so we send videos and follow up by email. It’s efficient and less stressful. Plus, it helps our team stay focused. Everyone knows their tasks, and we’ve integrated ClickUp with Everhour to manage billing easily.
Learning, Adaptation, and Client Styles
SD: You also emphasize training, right?
DC: Definitely. I encourage the team to take courses, read books—whatever they need to grow. Marketing evolves constantly. It’s vital to stay sharp.
SD: And you adapt your communication style to each client?
DC: Yes. Some clients want to be hands-on, others just want results. We offer DIY, do-it-with-you, and full-service options. The more a client understands, the more they trust. But some just want to know it’s working. We meet them where they are.
Passion for Small Business and Giving Back
DC: I love working with small businesses, even startups. I’ve taken on clients who were struggling or just getting started. One client started with one part-time employee. Now, nine years later, they have nine employees, two trucks, and two locations. We helped expose them to more clients, and it changed their business. That’s incredibly rewarding.
SD: That’s such a wonderful impact.
DC: We also support nonprofits—20% discount on all services. We sponsor 10 kids through Compassion International, covering schooling and meals. Every new hire picks a child to sponsor. We also support causes like digging wells in the Philippines and a fishing nonprofit for veterans. It’s fulfilling to use our business for more than just income.
SD: That’s beautiful. Penji also supports nonprofits and provides creative services for $1/month. I’ve always wanted to work for a cause, so it makes me happy to hear other agencies doing that too.
DC: Yeah, we don’t promote it much, but it’s core to who we are. We list the kids in ClickUp, share their letters, and let team members write back. It reminds us there’s more to life than work.
Living in Washington and Final Thoughts
SD: You mentioned you live in Washington?
DC: Yes, on an island. It’s amazing. We have bald eagle nests right on our property. I grew up in Southern California, so I miss surfing, but this place is beautiful. The water quality is fantastic.
SD: I visited Washington recently. It’s one of my favorite places now—so green and vibrant.
DC: It really is. My wife wanted to move here, so I followed her. No regrets.
Outro
SD: Well, that’s all the time we have for today. Thank you so much for joining me, David. This was a truly lovely conversation, and I’m glad we got to talk about your agency and your nonprofit work. You’re doing incredible things.
DC: It’s been a pleasure. Thanks for having me. I’ve done a few of these, and this one’s right up there as a favorite.
SD: For everyone listening or watching, don’t forget to like and subscribe for more wholesome content like this.
SD: You’ve been listening to Fully Managed, brought to you by Penji. Check out the show notes to learn more about today’s guest and Penji, the human-first creative subscription service. Head over to Penji.co. And by the way, if you’re still listening, it would mean the absolute world to us if you shared this podcast with a friend—and of course, subscribe.
