Permission to fire:How an SEO Founder Keeps Clients for 16 Years | Do Small Business Like a Big Boss

Tired of marketers who overpromise? Pete Kleinjan, founder of Tiger29, explains why he tells clients to fire him if they're not getting results, and why that honesty keeps them around. Pete Kleinjan started in SEO in 2003 after his boss handed him a Wikipedia article, and founded Tiger29 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2009. Today the agency serves local service businesses across more than 20 states. In this episode he shares the sales tax letter that made his hands shake, why he waited seven years to make his first hire, how he turned "recipes" into SOPs, the $150 SEO Power Hour that proves value before anyone signs, and why he has worked with one client for 16 years without ever meeting in person. 💡 What You'll Learn Why owning a job and owning a business are not the same thing, and how Pete found the difference How to set client expectations so honesty wins you referrals instead of costing you sales Why "every molehill feels like a mountain until you've climbed it," and what that meant for his first hire How to turn what's in your head into SOPs your team can run without you Why the systems that get you to $500K a year break at $1M ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Cold open 00:47 – Meet Pete Kleinjan, founder of Tiger29 02:04 – The origin story: a sales guy and one Wikipedia article 02:58 – Why he left a good job in 2009: something better, not more 03:27 – What SEO is, and what AI changed 05:41 – Why the company is named Tiger29 07:28 – Owning a job vs. owning a business 09:07 – The coach, the book and the mindset shift 11:02 – Doubt, resilience and just another Tuesday 12:09 – The sales tax letter that made his hands shake 14:28 – Quick pause: like, follow and subscribe 14:56 – Seven years solo, then the first hire 18:05 – Why he waited so long to hire: fear 19:54 – SEO's bad reputation and the $150 SEO Power Hour 21:15 – Proof over promises: if you're not getting results, fire us 23:48 – Did honesty ever cost him a sale? 25:12 – Handling the no 28:05 – Systems: SOPs as recipes anyone can follow 31:38 – What gets you to $500K breaks at $1M 31:53 – The lottery-ticket file rule 33:55 – Letting go of email: it's handled 35:09 – Quick beat: your free Legal Risk Assessment 35:41 – From Sioux Falls to 20+ states 38:08 – Keeping up with the algorithms: masterminds, newsletters, NotebookLM 41:00 – The gem: surround yourself with good people 42:30 – What Do Small Business Like a Big Boss means to Pete 43:07 – Close: build the dream messy 🎤 About Our Guest Pete Kleinjan is the founder of Tiger29, an SEO and digital marketing agency in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that helps local service businesses compete online. He has worked in search engine optimization since 2003, founded Tiger29 in 2009, and is known for the SEO Power Hour, a live session where he makes visible improvements to a business's online presence before any contract is signed. Outside of work he serves as a church deacon and nonprofit board member in the Sioux Falls community. Connect with Pete: https://www.tiger29.com 👉 Stay Connected with Sedgwick Andrews: https://linktr.ee/Sedgwick_Andrews_LC https://smallbizzlegalguide.com https://TopBillingTrademarks.com 🎙️ Build the dream messy, build it scared, just don't build it small. If this episode helped you, don't forget to subscribe, download, and share with another boss who needs to hear it.