17 Years of Dream Local Digital: Still Evolving, Still Loving the Work, Still Just Getting Started

This month marks 17 years of Dream Local Digital, and honestly, it’s hard not to pause and reflect on just how much has changed — in our industry, in our work, and in me.

When we started in 2009, online marketing was still new territory for most businesses. Websites were basic. Social media was experimental and pre-revenue. Search was mysterious. Many of our early conversations were about what some of the platforms even were and why digital mattered at all.

Fast forward to today, the work looks completely different. And we love it.

Now we’re building sophisticated lead generation programs, refining messaging sequences, integrating paid, owned, and earned media, and helping clients understand how strategy, creativity, and data work together to drive real growth. We’re not just launching campaigns. We’re engineering systems that convert, nurture, and scale. We’ve launched the SkillsBuilder Marketing Coach Program, helping businesses that want to DIY their marketing and need some support, and have many big enhancements planned to that program in 2026. We’re bringing our AI practice out of beta and launching it nationwide in early 2026 to help businesses harness the power of AI for their marketing to save them time and money, while helping them execute consistently, ethically, and above all, effectively in a way that drives meaningful results.

Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside incredible media partners, helping them navigate digital transformation, expand their offerings, and better serve their advertisers. That chapter has been foundational to who we are and facilitated our national expansion. We’ve been so proud to support Newspapers, TV and Radio stations as they built their agencies, and work in the field with their sales teams to drive meaningful revenue growth and results for their clients.

And as the market has evolved, so have we.

Today, we’re working in a more hands-on, deeply strategic way with marketing and advertising agencies nationwide, helping them launch, scale, and strengthen their fulfillment without sacrificing quality or results. These partnerships mean the world to us, and I’m incredibly grateful for the trust agencies place in Dream Local Digital. We also have some exciting new partnerships launching in Q1, and I cannot wait to share more soon.

At the heart of everything we do are the businesses we serve. I started Dream Local Digital so that I could be more closely connected to businesses, and it’s been SO gratifying to help so many of them grow. We’ve now helped more than 90,000 businesses nationwide, and I genuinely mean it when I say we value every single client. Each one represents a leap of faith, a growth goal, and a story we’re honored to be part of. At Dream Local Digital, we call ourselves HoneyBadgers because they will do whatever it takes to get the job done, and we do that for our clients every single day with #HoneyBadgerPRIDE.

Looking ahead to 2026, I’m especially excited about what’s next.

We’ll be doubling down on serving and lifting up women entrepreneurs, helping them grow confidently, intentionally, and sustainably. This is deeply personal for me and very much tied to my own journey as an entrepreneur. Supporting women as they build businesses — and legacies — is not just a focus. It’s a mission.

And no, we’re not slowing down.

I have a book in the works, new programs launching, new partnerships forming, and a lot of energy for what’s ahead. The pace of change isn’t easing up, and neither are we. We absolutely have the Dream Team at Dream Local Digital, and I couldn’t be more proud to work with each and every one of them every day.

Seventeen years in, I’m still learning. Still building. Still excited by what’s possible. 2026, I’m coming for you.

Thank you to every client, partner, and HoneyBadger team member who has been part of this journey. The best chapters are still ahead.

Shannon Kinney

Founder & Client Success Officer

Dream Local Digital