Our Story
In 2017, Climbing Solo Inc. started in a small Erie, PA office with a bold goal: to help small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) “climb” past generic marketing noise and reach their audience with purpose. Our founder, Sarah Coleman, spent a decade in corporate marketing watching SMBs get overlooked by agencies—stuck with one-size-fits-all campaigns that wasted budgets and failed to tell their unique stories.
“We kept hearing the same frustration: ‘Agencies treat us like a checkbox, not a partner,’” Sarah says. “SMBs don’t need flashy tactics—they need focused strategies that tie directly to their goals, whether that’s filling a local shop or scaling an e-commerce brand.”
Our first client? A family-owned Erie café struggling to compete with national chains. We skipped the generic social media posts and instead built a campaign around their “grandma’s recipe” pies—using local food bloggers, targeted Facebook ads to nearby neighborhoods, and a “Pie of the Week” email series. Within 3 months, their weekend foot traffic doubled. That win wasn’t just about numbers—it was proof that when marketing honors a brand’s soul, it works.
Today, we’ve grown from a 2-person team to a 15-strong group of marketers, designers, and data analysts—still based in Erie, but serving clients across the U.S. We never outgrew our roots, though: every client, whether a Pittsburgh tech startup or a Florida boutique, gets the same personalized attention we gave that first café.
Our Mission
At Climbing Solo Inc., our mission is simple: Empower SMBs to thrive through marketing that’s strategic, transparent, and true to their brand.
We believe:
Marketing shouldn’t be a mystery—you deserve to understand how your budget is spent and why.
Small businesses don’t need “enterprise-level” prices to get enterprise-quality results.
Success isn’t just clicks or likes—it’s when your marketing moves the needle on what matters: sales, loyalty, and growth.
Every campaign we build, every report we send, and every conversation we have ties back to this mission. We’re not just your marketing agency—we’re your partner in climbing to the next level.
Why Choose Us
1. We Speak “SMB” Fluently
Unlike agencies that focus on big brands, we’ve built our entire process around SMB needs. We know you have limited time and budget, so we cut through the jargon, prioritize quick wins, and scale strategies as you grow.
2. Data Meets Heart
We’re numbers people—we track ROI, optimize campaigns, and measure every result—but we never let data overshadow your brand’s story. A great ad needs to perform and feel like “you.” For example, when we worked with a Maine outdoor gear shop, we used Google Ads data to target hikers searching for “winter boots,” but paired those ads with photos of local trails (not stock images) to feel authentic.
3. Transparency as a Promise
No hidden fees, no vague “strategy sessions” that cost extra. You’ll get a clear, written plan upfront, weekly check-ins (not just monthly reports), and access to our client portal to see real-time campaign data. If something isn’t working, we’ll tell you—and fix it fast.
4. We’re in It for the Long Haul
65% of our clients have worked with us for 2+ years. Why? Because we don’t just launch a campaign and disappear. When a client’s business changes—say, a bakery adds a catering line—we pivot their marketing to match. We grow with you, not just for you.