Hey everyone! Caroline Crowder here. I’m so excited to be kicking off a new blog series for the Boyd Innovation Center (BIC) that will feature our members, deep diving into who they are, what they know, and the next milestone they’re focused on achieving—plus how they’re tackling the process.
To kick us off with a bang, we are featuring Jade Pruett, Founder & CEO of HelloSEO, who will share her best strategies on all things SEO and lead our member feature blogs in the future!
Jade is a standout to me because she’s someone who has lived the big city life in Atlanta yet opted to relocate to Cola. She remains candidly open about her struggles and fears of transitioning from a stable corporate job to being a full-time entrepreneur, and she goes all in for her clients, never settling for anything that’s short of pure excellence. Not to mention she still finds time to freely share her knowledge and give back to the community. To start us off, let’s dive into Jade’s journey!
Stay tuned for insights, inspiration, and practical tips from our incredible #GrowCola startup community. What topics are you most interested in exploring with our members? Let us know in the comments!
What is your story?
I’m Jade Pruett, founder of HelloSEO, a boutique SEO agency that’s all about empowering small businesses and startups to show up where it counts: in Google searches. My journey has taken me through some incredible experiences, from managing SEO for big names like CNN and Business Insider’s affiliate programs to now running HelloSEO full-time. I love connecting with founders who are as passionate about their businesses as I am about SEO, which makes places like the BIC feel like home.
What is your biggest win as of late?
Lately, it’s been all about growth and refinement. Business is booming, especially in Q4, and I’ve been onboarding new clients, streamlining my services, and building a stronger foundation for HelloSEO. I also recently accepted a position as Entrepreneur in Residence at the Darla Moore School of Business, which has been a huge milestone for me. After quite a few years of hustling, I love being recognized in my community and beyond as an expert in my field. Mid-20s Jade would be thrilled.
How do you #GiveFirst to the BIC community?
If you’re new here, we have a Community Pledge that we adopted based on Techstars’ #GiveFirst movement. It’s about giving our time, talent, and network to other founders without expecting anything in return. Read more here.
I have enjoyed being a mentor through the BIC for the past year. I’m always happy to help founders shape an SEO or marketing strategy that gets them to the next level, but as a founder myself, I have a lot of other insights to share as well. I often end up talking to other founders about bootstrapping, UX, how to find an accountant, what my tech stack looks like, who they should meet, and so much more.
I have also had the opportunity to speak and chime in during presentations over the past year, which is always fun. I especially enjoyed helping with Emily’s Paulsen’s branding workshop with the most recent ColaStarts cohort.
Share a core memory from an experience at the BIC.
One of my standout memories has to be watching Nick Broussard’s Lunch & Learn on meta ads. There’s just something about a good lunch, especially with Enzo’s sandwiches involved, that makes learning even more enjoyable. And, of course, pitching at TechBeans has been incredibly rewarding. Both times I’ve pitched have given me great feedback and positive momentum.
What is your biggest challenge right now?
One of my biggest challenges is getting in front of the right people. I’m looking to reach slightly larger businesses or those that are ready to invest in SEO on a deeper level. I would love to work with more venture-backed SaaS products that are ready to seriously scale. That is my sweet spot. Finding those connections and positioning HelloSEO for those next-level clients is my current focus.
Where are you finding success?
Right now, success is coming from my network and the connections I’ve built through places like the BIC, Entreprenista, USC, FemmeX, and other networking groups in Columbia. SEO is such a niche but high-impact field, so building relationships with founders who understand its value has been key..
What are you excited about?
The future of SEO! I’m particularly excited about what ChatGPT and other AI advancements mean for our field. These new tools and functions are creating fresh opportunities to optimize websites in unique ways, especially with ChatGPT’s search functionalities that just launched. I can’t wait to see how HelloSEO can leverage these changes and help clients make the most of what’s next in search.
How does the BIC help you?
The BIC opens doors for me, especially when it comes to meeting founders who could benefit from HelloSEO’s services. There are so many amazing businesses I just haven’t crossed paths with yet, and the BIC is the perfect place to bridge those gaps. So, if you ever meet someone who could use some SEO help, you know who to call!
Where can people learn more about you?
Check out www.helloseo.com for more info! You can also follow me on Linkedin and Instagram. The best way to get a taste for my services is to submit a free SEO Report Card on my site. I’ll make you a video going over your results and add in some extra insights!
