Dec 02, 2021

Meet Nick Whiting

Web designer. Social media mentor. Fire fighter?

Yep, there’s a lot more to Contour Digital founder Nick Whiting than you first expect. While he’s branched out into many different areas and wears many different hats, he always strives to remain true to his roots.

Here’s a little bit of his story so far.

A strong sense of family and community

Although he calls Yass home now, Nick grew up in Tumut, NSW, and it will always hold a special place in his heart. If you look closely, you may even find a nod to Tumut on the Contour Digital website. Nick always loved the strong community spirit of Tumut and this sense of community has remained an anchor throughout Nick’s life and in his business.

As a child, Nick loved spending time outside and he shared his love of the outdoors with his grandfather Wally – affectionately known as Pa. He always admired his Pa’s tenacity, saying he was a fighter who was driven and dedicated. His Pa played a huge role in his life and shaped him to become the man he is today. Nick is fortunate to be surrounded by a strong and supportive family, including his Mum, stepdad Mat and partner Chloe, who have always pushed him to be persistent and reach his goals.

Discovering the digital world

Like most millennial kids, Nick grew up with an interest in computers and all things digital. He jokes that whenever anyone in his family got a new tech device, he was always the one they would come to for help with the set up.

While his interest in the digital world began as a hobby, Nick soon began studying IT and media at high school and realised its potential for a career. Then, a humble project in his Year 11 Business Studies class saw him create a business plan for a hypothetical company — Superb Website Solutions. Little did Nick know at the time that this would become the catalyst for the business he runs today.

But not before a slight detour…

Growing a business

After high school, Nick’s love of the outdoors and interest in landscaping saw him embark on a 3-year Horticulture apprenticeship. While he enjoyed studying this field, he didn’t want to give up on Superb Website Solutions and continued to build his business.

Nick starting working with his first client in 2014 (who he still counts as a valuable client today!) and gradually added more local businesses to his client roster. Just before finishing his Horticulture course, one of his biggest clients — an online building supply company — reached out to him for help with their logos and marketing. He ended up becoming a marketing manager for the company for 12 months, developing their brand and coordinating a diverse range of promotional campaigns, from TV to radio to print and beyond.

It was here that Nick discovered his true passion for the digital world and got inspired to go out on his own. However, he still sees a lot of value in his Horticulture background.

“I think having my experience and education in horticulture helps a lot with my clients because many of them are in the trade, construction or landscaping industries. I share their industry knowledge and can speak to them on their level.”

As Nick’s business grew, renamed as Superb Marketing, so too did his skillset and his offerings. The business that began with a focus on websites soon transformed into a full suite of marketing solutions, including logos, branding, digital marketing, Google Ads and more.

As a solo-business owner, Nick said it was a challenge trying to manage so many different services and he soon came to a breaking point.

“In business, you strive to be an expert in your field and at that stage, I was trying to be an expert in all those different fields. I came to the realisation that it just wasn’t working because I couldn’t be five different ‘experts’ in one business.

One of my biggest clients at the time had me working on a lot of Google marketing and social media work and it felt so far from what I wanted to be doing and what I was good at. So, I had the honest conversation with the client and he really respected that I knew my limits and knew where I wanted to go with my business.

This was my turning point. I realised I needed to get back to my roots and really refocus on websites — and that’s when Contour Digital was born.”

Finding the lesson in every challenge

“The biggest lesson I learnt in the early days of my business was to see each challenge or mistake along the way as a lesson. Whenever you’re faced with a hurdle, there’s always a way to overcome it or work around it, you just have to try find it.”

Another major lesson he learnt along the way was not to be a ‘Yes man’. Nick remembers saying yes to every client and every project in the beginning of his business, regardless of whether they were a good fit. But he soon discovered that the only way to grow was to say no and focus on his strengths.

Nick also believes that the best way to overcome challenges in business is to find a good mentor and look at what they’re doing to grow their business or move forward. Nick cites Kerwin Rae and Rami Ykmour as his two biggest business mentors who have inspired him throughout his career.

“Rami Ykmour always says ‘treat your business like your baby’. You have to look at your business in the same way you’d look at your child — you need to invest time and money into it to ensure it has a solid upbringing and empower it with the capacity to grow. And you need to be dedicated to it for the long term. Dedication is key — it’s going to get tough but you need to stay dedicated to get the job done.”

Creating a connection

While Nick loves helping businesses build a strong online presence, it’s the relationships he builds with his clients that matter most.

“I love working with the range of clients I work with and they become very much like family in a way. When I speak with them, we don’t just talk about business, we chat about their life, their family, what they did on the weekend … It’s those connections and relationships that really drive me … That’s why I love what I do, it never feels like work.”

Giving back to his community

Nick sees himself as being extremely community-minded and is always looking for ways to give back. Outside of his business, Nick also serves a Permanent Firefighter at NSW Fire and Rescue.

“I was really inspired by the way NSW Fire and Rescue engage with the local community so I joined the team in 2016. I’ve learnt so much in my job as a firefighter that I can apply within my own business such as leadership and training skills.

What I love about this job is being able to work with the community and help others. You often see people on their worst days and to be able to be there for them and support them is really inspiring and rewarding.”

In 2012 Nick received the Australia Day Young Citizen Award in Yass Valley for his work within the community.

What’s next for Nick and Contour Digital?

Over the next year, Nick is set to focus on reconnecting with his audience through Contour Digital and deliver more value through video content.

And in the long term?

“One of my big goals for the future is eventually build a team that can bring together a range of talents and expertise to drive bigger and better results for my clients … as the business grows, I’ll be able to reach out and help more people which is what it’s all about.”

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