The push that changed everything
Sometimes the worst moments in our careers become the catalyst for our greatest achievements. For Brinard Sweeting, founder of Visionary Pro Digital, that moment came when his boss discovered he was freelancing on the side.
“Some people ask how you get into entrepreneurship,” Brinard reflects. “I just say that I was pushed into entrepreneurship.”
Eight years later, that push has resulted in a thriving web design and software development agency in the Bahamas, government contracts, projects scaling from $2,000 to $50,000, and enough operational freedom to pursue his passion project—building the island’s first movie theater in six years.
The evolution from web design to software development
Visionary Pro Digital didn’t start as the full-service software development agency it is today. Like many agencies, it began with WordPress websites and small business clients. But Brinard recognized early that sustainable growth required evolution.
“We still do work with a lot of smaller businesses,” he explains. “But we work a lot with the city’s government on a regular basis. And so they have more needs than just the sites that we manage for them.”
This expansion into enterprise software solutions didn’t happen overnight. It required a fundamental shift in thinking—from being a service provider to becoming a strategic partner. Government clients began asking Brinard to manage projects even when other vendors were involved, recognizing the unique value he brought to the table.
“I made the decision probably about a year and a half ago to say, why don’t we do this? We have the relationship. They’re asking us to manage the projects anyway. Let’s now take the business up a notch.”
The recurring revenue revolution
One of the most critical insights Brinard shares challenges conventional agency wisdom about recurring revenue.
“I think what they don’t understand is that recurring revenue, that where you get that from is not just sort of your website care plans and your website maintenance plans, but it’s how you consistently deliver results and value to your clients through retainers.”
This shift in perspective—from selling maintenance to delivering ongoing strategic value—has been fundamental to Visionary Pro Digital’s sustainability. Instead of competing on price for one-off projects, the agency focused on becoming indispensable to their clients’ success.
The $15K to $50K transformation
Perhaps no lesson has been more transformative than what Brinard learned from Chris Doe about pricing and client selection.
“The difference between getting that 15k and that 50K client isn’t necessarily that you’re adding more bells and whistles. It’s simply the quality of client that you’re going after.”
This insight led to a dramatic shift in the agency’s trajectory:
- 2019: First outsourced project, beginning of scaling
- Progression from $2,000 to $5,000 to $10,000 projects
- Eventually jumping from $15,000 to $50,000 projects
- All without significantly changing the core service offering
The key? Changing the target market and positioning, not the product.
The delegation breakthrough
Every entrepreneur faces the moment when they realize they can’t do everything themselves. For Brinard, that moment came in early 2023.
“I sat back in my chair at one point. I said, I am not doing this anymore. I just said to myself, I remember the day I’m not doing, I said, I’m going to give this to somebody else.”
This decision to delegate client support tickets might seem small, but it represented a fundamental shift from solopreneur to entrepreneur. It led to:
- Hiring fractional talent through Quickly Hire
- Implementing systematic processes in Slack and ClickUp
- Creating white-label partnerships for development work
- Building an organization that could run without him
Building culture in a remote world
Despite running a largely remote operation with fractional talent and white-label partners, Brinard has prioritized building a strong team culture. His approach is refreshingly human-centered.
“Whenever we onboard someone on the agency side, there’s a card game that I play with them,” he shares. “People tend just to hire and just kind of hear the tasks, you’re asking questions about us and how we tick.”
This focus on relationship-building is grounded in Maya Angelou’s wisdom: “People forget what you did. People will forget what you said, people will never forget how you made them feel.”
For Brinard, culture isn’t about perks or policies—it’s about genuine care for team members as individuals.
The AI integration
As technology evolves, so does Visionary Pro Digital’s approach to efficiency. AI has become integral to their operations, particularly in SEO and content optimization.
“ChatGPT is my best friend,” Brinard admits. “Once you know how to prompt engineer, you can honestly and truly get AI to go ahead and do that for you.”
But the agency’s approach to AI is strategic, not wholesale replacement. They’re using it to enhance their existing framework, not replace human creativity and strategic thinking.
The entrepreneurship reality check
Perhaps the most valuable insight Brinard shares is his unvarnished advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: “Don’t quit your day job.”
This might seem counterintuitive from someone who’s built a successful agency, but Brinard’s reasoning is sound:
“A lot of people look at their nine to five as the shackles, keeping them back from greatness. Sometimes the nine to five is the thing protecting you when you’re still immature because you don’t fully know what you’re stepping into.”
He distinguishes between solopreneurship and true entrepreneurship with brutal clarity: “You are really and truly an entrepreneur when you gotta make payroll, when you gotta manage people’s feelings and expectations that aren’t your clients.”
Key takeaways for growth-stage founders
- Recurring revenue comes from strategic value, not maintenance contracts
- Scaling prices is about client selection, not feature addition
- Delegation is the unlock to true business growth
- Culture building can’t be overlooked, even with remote teams
- Build your business while employed—the bills don’t care about your passion
Looking forward
Today, Brinard runs Visionary Pro Digital with enough operational freedom to pursue his passion project—building a movie theater and bowling alley that will serve his community. It’s a testament to what’s possible when you build systems and teams that can operate without you.
His journey from fired employee to successful agency owner to serial entrepreneur offers a roadmap for anyone looking to build a scalable business. The key? Focus on value, choose clients wisely, delegate strategically, and never forget that business is ultimately about people.
Ready to scale your agency with fractional talent? Listen to the full episode on Spotify | YouTube to learn how Brinard built an agency that runs without him.