How Putting Transparency and Trust First Can Make You #1

What would you do if you saw something wrong happening right in front of your eyes, and your peers acted like it was okay? For George Copeland, founder of digital marketing agency Laborem Edge, the answer was simple: build something better. From the early days of his career, George saw unprofessional and unethical behavior that he couldn’t tolerate as a norm. He knew clients deserved something more - so he vowed to blaze a better trail in his field.

This pursuit of trust and positivity is at the heart of every decision George makes at the helm of Laborem Edge, a digital marketing agency that uses search engine marketing to seek out quality leads. George and his business partner shine a light for their clients as they explore the complex world of marketing, driven by a vision of offering an experience in which clients never have to compromise or feel misled.

George is proud to be building an honest and supportive path in the industry, but he wasn’t always so happy with the behavior he saw in his field. George’s first entrepreneurship experiences were in the worlds of entertainment and nightlife promotion. It was during this time that he landed a gig in radio that would serve as a disturbing wake-up call - and the lightbulb moment that would shape the rest of his career. George started his role eager to make a difference, only to discover that the company was regularly cutting corners and cheating their clients. Instead of using the knowledge gap between the business and its clients as a way to help them thrive, George saw his coworkers using it as an opportunity to abuse their trust.

Unfortunately, what George saw in that role was far from an anomaly.

While not every initiative he saw was intentionally harmful like his radio coworkers, others were just flat-out ineffective. Fellow entrepreneurs in George’s circle would frequently come across potential marketing methods that left them discouraged, disappointed, and with no new leads to show for their investment. He remembers noticing that the Yellow Pages sold contracts guaranteeing that clients would receive a set amount of clicks, with a promise of money back if they didn’t make the mark. George would watch as each of his friends would excitedly sign up before walking away frustrated with a lack of results.

George set out to create something better for his friends. He wanted a digital marketing software that was predictable, transparent, and reliable. More than anything, he wanted a system so well-run that a marketing client never felt taken advantage of again. George created a data system with a high standard so he could provide genuine expectations to any client who asked - no more smoke and mirrors. He wanted to build a trustworthy marketing experience that would help make up for some of his peers’ shady behavior. George believes that a company should produce real results that clients can count on, or the client shouldn’t pay - and his endeavors reflected that from day one.

As George honed his skills, he soon had upwards of 50 clients in digital marketing and web design. It was around this time that he dove into social media, SEO, and paid online advertising to become an expert at what he offered. George opted to build his skills into an agency with an ethically motivated foundation - something that’s shockingly rare. In 2018, he joined forces with John Marin, who he met at a One Million Cups event and he quickly brought him on as a business partner. Each saw in the other a superstar, and knew that if they put their heads together, they could create the kind of service-driven experience that clients deserve.

So where does George get his steadfast dedication to honesty in a not-so-honest world? He credits his grandfather, the man who served as a father figure in his life and became the cornerstone of his family’s values. George’s grandfather was a developer, and some of his earliest memories are of tagging along with him to work sites. There, George learned firsthand what it looked like to treat clients and employees with kindness and respect. His grandfather put a premium on transparency. He wouldn’t rest until he was sure his clients had everything they needed and were satisfied with the work they received. That sense of duty and decency shone through in his whole family’s approach to work. Most of George’s relatives were attorneys and doctors who strove to put service first in their work. George quickly learned to set a high bar in everything he did, and ethics were no exception.

Today, his grandfather’s sense of ethics lives on in every business decision George makes. As George and John focus on contributing to world-changing goals while guiding their clients to growth, they make sure they work from an honest foundation. From his grandfather’s work sites to the thriving offices of Laborem Edge, service always comes first.

George Grandis Copeland, CEO of Laborem Edge Digital Marketing Agency, helps contractors and attorneys get more clients through his exclusive proven marketing system. George has been featured on Yahoo! Finance and AP News. To learn more about his agency, click here.