Meet Dan Howard

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dan Howard a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dan, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I still remember sitting in front of my laptop at 11 PM on a Tuesday night, staring at an email from my third potential client that month. Another “no, thanks.” My hands were shaking slightly as I closed the laptop—not from the rejection itself, but from the voice in my head whispering, “Maybe you’re not cut out for this.”
That was 2019. I had just left a stable job to start Bowling Green Web Designer, convinced I could help local businesses grow online. But knowing how to build a great website and having the confidence to sell my services? Those were two entirely different things.

The breakthrough came from an unexpected place. I was at a local Chamber of Commerce meeting in Bowling Green, feeling like I didn’t belong among all these established business owners. A contractor named Mike was complaining about how his previous web designer had ghosted him mid-project, leaving him with a half-finished site and no way to get leads online. Without thinking, I said, “I can fix that for you.”

The words just came out. And for the first time, I didn’t immediately follow them with qualifiers like “I think” or “maybe” or “if you want.”

Mike hired me. I poured everything into that project—not just building him a beautiful site, but making sure it actually generated leads. When he called me three weeks after launch to say he’d booked four new roofing jobs directly from the website, something shifted inside me. I had created tangible value. I had changed someone’s business trajectory.
But here’s what really built my confidence: I didn’t stop there. I asked Mike if I could use him as a case study. I asked for a testimonial. I asked for referrals. Each “ask” felt uncomfortable at first, but I realized that confidence isn’t about never feeling nervous—it’s about acting despite the nervousness.

I started documenting every win, no matter how small. A client’s website loading faster. A business showing up on the first page of Google. A retail shop owner telling me their online sales doubled. I kept a folder of these successes, and whenever doubt crept in, I’d review it.

I also made peace with the fact that I couldn’t serve everyone. When I stopped trying to be everything to everyone and instead focused on being the absolute best solution for ambitious Bowling Green business owners who wanted results, my confidence soared. I wasn’t competing with every web designer in the world—I was serving my community with expertise they could trust.

Today, when I email a potential client or stand up at a networking event, I don’t feel that same shake in my hands. I know the value I bring. I’ve seen it transform businesses across Bowling Green, Franklin, Scottsville, and beyond. My confidence didn’t come from never failing—it came from failing, learning, documenting my wins, and showing up consistently for my clients and my community.

The kid staring at rejection emails in 2019 would barely recognize me now. But I’m grateful for him, because his struggle taught me that confidence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build, one small win at a time.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m Dan Howard, and I run Bowling Green Web Designer, where I help local small businesses build powerful online presences that actually drive results—no gimmicks, no empty promises, just solid marketing strategies that work.
Before launching my own shop here in Bowling Green, I spent six years working at a digital agency in Chattanooga.

Those years taught me a lot about web development and digital marketing, but they also showed me something that didn’t sit right with me: I watched too many small business owners get sold overpriced, cookie-cutter solutions or flashy campaigns that looked great but didn’t move the needle for their bottom line.

When I moved to Bowling Green and started my own business, I made a commitment to do things differently. I wanted to be the web designer and digital strategist that small business owners could actually trust—someone who speaks plain English, delivers what they promise, and focuses on what really matters: getting you more customers and growing your revenue.

What makes my approach special is that I genuinely care about the small guy. I work with contractors, professionals, retailers, and service providers right here in Bowling Green and surrounding communities like Franklin, Scottsville, Glasgow, and Auburn. These aren’t faceless corporations—they’re real people pouring their hearts into their businesses, and they deserve a digital partner who’s just as invested in their success as they are.

I don’t believe in gimmicks or chasing every new marketing trend. Instead, I focus on what’s proven to work: beautiful, fast-loading websites that are optimized for conversions, local SEO strategies that put you in front of customers who are actively searching for your services, and ongoing support that keeps your digital presence performing at its best.

Being fairly new to running my own shop in the Bowling Green community has been incredible. I’m building relationships, learning what local businesses really need, and proving every day that smart, honest marketing can transform a business. When a client tells me their phone is ringing more or they’re booking more jobs because of the work we’ve done together, that’s what gets me excited.

If you’re a business owner in Bowling Green who’s tired of empty promises and wants a partner who’ll help you grow through solid, results-driven marketing, I’d love to talk. You can reach me at [email protected]—let’s build something great together.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back on my journey from working at an agency in Chattanooga to starting my own web design business in Bowling Green, three things have been absolutely critical to my success:

1. Technical Expertise Paired with Business Understanding

Knowing how to build a beautiful website is only half the battle. The real game-changer was learning to understand what drives business results. During my six years at the agency, I saw countless gorgeous websites that didn’t generate a single lead because they weren’t built with the client’s business goals in mind.

My advice: Don’t just learn your craft in isolation. If you’re a designer, learn about conversion optimization. If you’re a developer, understand SEO fundamentals. If you’re in marketing, learn how businesses actually make money. The professionals who can bridge the gap between technical skill and business outcomes are the ones clients will pay premium rates for and refer to everyone they know.

2. Genuine Care for the Client’s Success

This might sound soft, but it’s been the most powerful differentiator in my business. When I genuinely care whether a local contractor gets more leads or a retailer increases their online sales, it shows in everything I do—from how I communicate to how thoroughly I optimize their site.

My advice: Choose to work with people and businesses you actually want to see succeed. When you’re early in your journey, it’s tempting to take every client who comes along, but the quality of your work improves dramatically when you’re emotionally invested in the outcome. That authentic care also builds the kind of relationships that lead to referrals and long-term partnerships.

3. The Courage to Do Things Differently

The marketing industry is full of gimmicks, false promises, and agencies that prioritize their bottom line over client results. Having the courage to reject that model and commit to honest, results-driven marketing—even when it meant potentially slower growth early on—has been crucial.

My advice: Don’t be afraid to stand for something, even if it means standing alone at first. Figure out what you believe in and what you won’t compromise on, then build your business around those principles. The clients who align with your values will find you, and they’ll be your best clients. Early in your journey, it’s easy to conform to industry norms, but the businesses that break through are often the ones that had the courage to do things their own way.

Bonus insight: Being new to my own shop in the Bowling Green community taught me that you don’t have to have all the answers on day one. What matters is showing up consistently, delivering on your promises, and treating the “small guy” with the same level of care and professionalism that big agencies reserve for their enterprise clients. Build your reputation one satisfied client at a time, and the rest will follow.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

The biggest challenge I’m facing right now is something that probably keeps a lot of new business owners up at night: balancing the need to build awareness and attract new clients while also delivering exceptional work to the clients I already have. When you’re running your own shop, you’re not just the web developer—you’re also the salesperson, the project manager, the bookkeeper, and the customer service rep.

There have been weeks where I’m so deep in client work—building websites, optimizing SEO, troubleshooting technical issues—that I don’t have time to market my own business. Then when projects wrap up, I realize my pipeline is thin because I haven’t been networking or creating content. It’s a feast-or-famine cycle that a lot of solo entrepreneurs and small agencies struggle with.

Here’s what I’m doing to overcome it:

First, I’m being strategic about systems and efficiency. I’m documenting my processes so that tasks I do repeatedly—like site launches, SEO audits, or client onboarding—can be streamlined. This frees up mental energy and actual hours in my week. Templates, checklists, and standardized workflows might not sound exciting, but they’re giving me back precious time.

Second, I’m investing in relationships, not just transactions. Rather than constantly hustling for the next client, I’m focusing on delivering such exceptional results for my current clients that they become my best marketing tool. When a local business owner in Bowling Green sees real results—more leads, more revenue, better online visibility—they naturally tell other business owners. Those referrals are gold because they come pre-sold on what I can do.

Third, I’m being selective about who I work with. This might seem counterintuitive when you’re trying to grow, but I’ve learned that one difficult client who doesn’t value what I do can drain more time and energy than three great clients combined. By focusing on ambitious business owners who understand the value of solid marketing without gimmicks, I’m building a client base that’s easier to serve well.

Finally, I’m embracing the local community. Being fairly new to Bowling Green, I’m making it a point to show up—at Chamber events, networking groups, and local business gatherings. These aren’t just marketing opportunities; they’re chances to genuinely connect with other business owners, understand their challenges, and position myself as a resource. That visibility is gradually creating a steady stream of inbound interest without requiring constant active prospecting.

The truth is, this challenge probably won’t ever be completely “solved”—it’s part of running your own business. But I’m learning to see it less as an obstacle and more as a balancing act that gets easier with practice, better systems, and a reputation that starts doing some of the heavy lifting for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bowlinggreenwebdesigner.com/

Image Credits

Dan Howard and Jeff Green