Community Highlights: Meet Jonathan Georger of BLKDG

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Georger.

Hi Jonathan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of creativity and technology. My journey into digital marketing wasn’t a straight line. Like many people in this industry, I found myself drawn to the web because it was this constantly evolving place where you could design something and get instant feedback.

What really shaped my approach was realizing early on that the best digital experiences were not about flashy tricks or following trends blindly. It was more about understanding human behavior and tinkering with it long enough to see results. In 2007, I landed my first job with a boutique digital marketing agency as a junior SEO specialist. I learned the basics of keyword research, search intent and how the algorithm’s worked. During that time, I was also exposed to the first versions of Urchin, later renamed Google Analytics and became obsessed with website data. My team and I poured our time into telling user behavior stories through the lense of website metrics and stats, eventually growing my skills with Google Analytics to a certified partner level.

Then in 2009, I moved to a new agency and took on a more social media focused role that opened up new opportunities to help optimize and grow brands on Facebook. It was a new dawn of online engagement with Facebook opening it’s platform to brands & businesses. I began coordinating and designing social media promotion campaigns & applications, resulting in huge growth for my clients. Around this same time, I reconnected with my close friend EJ Ulery, from my college days at St. Bonaventure – we began moonlighting Facebook app design & development, as well as custom website development.

In 2013 our moment came, and EJ & I chose to start BLKDG in Denver. We felt other agencies were overlooking the importance of multi-device and multi-channel user-experiences. Often times it felt like brands treated their websites and digital marketing as ‘place holders’ for the brand online. But I’d been on the agency side enough to know that’s not what businesses actually need. They needed partners like BLKDG who understood that a digital channels were increasingly connected, and that their digital strategy was quickly evolving based on real-time data.

The name BLKDG (pronounced Black Dog) came from EJ’s first Newfoundland. The agency name itself reflects our philosophy – it’s bold and memorable. We wanted to signal from day one that we don’t do cookie-cutter solutions.

Outside of growing BLKDG with an amazing team of folks, I’m fortunate to have an incredible lady by my side at home with two beautiful boys and a….. you guessed it, a black dog.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting a digital agency in Denver meant entering a crowded market, but our real challenge wasn’t competition, it was changing expectations. When we came in saying we are ‘outcome driven’ meant to align the clients objectives with our efforts, and don’t stress scope creep, there was skepticism. People thought it sounded too good to be true.

The other major challenge has been the pace of technological change. We’ve had to rebuild our entire approach multiple times – first with social, then mobile, then with API’s, and now with AI. Every few years, the playbook gets rewritten. What makes this particularly challenging is that you can’t just adopt new tech for its own sake. You have to evaluate what actually serves clients and what’s just hype.

Right now, we’re in the middle of the AI transformation, and it’s the biggest shift I’ve seen in my career. The challenge isn’t learning the tools, rather it’s helping clients understand that AI isn’t replacing strategy, it’s amplifying it. Human creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking are more valuable than ever, but only if you’re willing to let AI handle the repetitive work.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about BLKDG?
What sets BLKDG apart is our fundamental belief that the outcomes matter more than output. Most agencies measure success by deliverables – how many pages, how many hours, how many revisions. We measure success by outcomes. Did the website actually improve conversion rates? Did the eCommerce design reduce cart abandonment? Did the customer experience get better?

This philosophy extends to how we work. We give clients direct access to designers, developers, and strategists, not just account managers reading from a script. We’re a team that’s been in their shoes and we know the pain of working with agencies that hide behind expensive process and layers of staff. So we built something different.

We’re also deeply committed to the Denver community. Being in the Tennyson District of Berkeley isn’t just about having an office, it’s about being part of the fabric of this city. We love where we work, and that energy shows up in every project. We’re passionate for the outdoors and find ways to give back through supporting some of the most impactful organizations in the state.

Looking ahead, we’re particularly excited about how AI is transforming digital marketing. We’re not just implementing AI tools, we’re rethinking entire workflows. The agencies that will thrive in the next decade are the ones that use AI to scale work so humans can focus on the strategic, creative, and thoughtful parts of marketing that machines can’t do. That’s the future we’re building toward.

How do you think about luck?
I believe in positioning yourself where opportunity can find you. That said, timing has absolutely played a role in BLKDG’s story, and not all of it felt lucky in the moment. I think luck is mostly about being prepared when the moment arrives and being resilient enough to turn setbacks into learning opportunities.

Aside from having the best fortune of joining up with EJ to co-found the agency, we started specializing in modern web & eCommerce platforms before the pandemic fundamentally transformed online retail. Suddenly, businesses that had been dragging their feet on digital transformation had no choice. We had the expertise they needed exactly when they needed it most.

We also got lucky with our location in Denver’s tech scene as it was emerging right as we were establishing ourselves. Being in a city that’s attracting talent and investment, but isn’t as saturated or expensive as San Francisco or New York, gave us room to grow and experiment. And the Tennyson District specifically has been incredible, as we’re surrounded by small businesses and creative people who understand the value of good design and authentic relationships.

But here’s what I’ve learned: what looks like bad luck is usually just feedback. Every client we didn’t get to work with taught us something about positioning. Every team member who left helped us refine our culture. Every challenge forced us to get better.

Pricing:

• No minimum project budget pricing
• Comprehensive support options
• Outcome driven budget estimates
• Strategic thought partners always included

Contact Info:

• Website: https://blkdg.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blkdg_co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackdogdigital
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blkdg/
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathangeorger/

Image Credits
Image Credit: BLKDG