A bit more about me.
I grew up in Durban, South Africa. As a kid in the 90s I was into comics, skateboarding, and music — all things that were distinctly uncool to be into as a 13-year-old at the time, but now seem to be all the rage. Thank you, Seth Cohen.
I studied English at university in South Africa, earning a BA (Hons). Around the same time, I somehow ended up in a band called Sitter. We weren't exactly setting the world on fire, but we had a few singles played on 5fm and East Coast Radio. It was messy, but it was fun.
Sitter — the early days.
In the mid-2000s I made the move from South Africa to Australia, where I met my wife on my second day in the country. We’re now married with two kids and a kelpie cross cattle dog who is my best friend — but who is also coming up on 14 years old now, and that's something I still need to deal with.
The work side
I got my start in SEO in 2006, at a time when the discipline was still figuring itself out. I was lucky enough to land at Wotif.com — one of Australia’s biggest travel platforms — under the mentorship of Matt Varley, who remains the smartest SEO I’ve ever worked with. We competed with the international giants and won. I personally ranked our sites in the top spots for terms like “London Hotels,” “Bangkok Accommodation,” and “Cheap Flights to New York.”
From there I moved into broader digital marketing. I led SEO and performance media at Compare the Market, where we ranked in top positions across car insurance, health insurance, home loans, credit cards — you name it. I was eventually promoted to General Manager of Digital Marketing, reporting directly to the CEO and overseeing a team of eight across every digital channel.
I then moved to Destination Gold Coast, where I directed digital, brand, and content marketing — including managing the digital presence during the 2018 Commonwealth Games. After that, I joined The Motley Fool Australia, where I currently lead growth and acquisition.
Along the way, I’ve also run my own consultancy, Conversation Media, helping smaller businesses punch above their weight online.
The thread through all of it
I've always held a belief that marketing works best when you focus on the customer, not the algorithm. I’ve written about this at length: my philosophy has always been that if you build something genuinely useful and make it easy to find, the rest follows. I’ve never been one for chasing hacks or gaming systems. Build the brand. Meet people where they are. That’s it.
The music side
Music has always been part of who I am. Eventually my playing shifted from stages to church. I’ve been part of worship teams for years now, and it’s given me a deep appreciation for the unique challenges churches face… not just musically, but in how they communicate, coordinate, and reach their communities.
That intersection — marketing experience and church life — is what led me to build Ready for Sunday and to start helping churches with their digital outreach. It turns out that the same skills that help a subscription business acquire members are remarkably useful for helping a church connect with people who are searching for community. The language is different. The heart behind it is the same.