Virginia

Wander Worthy

Location: Smithfield, Virginia
Website: https://wanderworthy.co/
Over 5 million pageviews in 2024

Wander Worthy founder Alexandrea Sumuel Groves launched her blog in 2021 to help business travelers explore beyond their airport hotels. At first it was a hobby–Alex was working full-time at a law firm–but when the pandemic led her to cut back on work and ramp up her blog posts, Wander Worthy took flight. “My background is in marketing and IT,” she says. “I knew I wanted to travel more, and I had more time on my hands. How could I use my skills to help me see the world?” Alex monetized her blog with Google-supported ad revenue, hoping to earn enough to cover her website expenses. “I wanted to use the skills I already had to generate passive income,” Alex recalls. “When those first few pennies came in I thought, ‘This could actually go somewhere!’” In just a few months, Alex had built a loyal following and was earning enough to fund her travels.

Now, Alex is a nationally syndicated travel journalist who collaborates with hospitality industry partners and other travel bloggers. She uses Google products to help run the business: “From booking travel and content planning to analyzing and execution, no other platforms offer such powerful, user-friendly tools all in one place,” she says. Alex checks Google Analytics for insights on audience interaction with her website; she’s learned, for example, that articles about island getaways and tips for budget traveling are popular. Google Search Console helps her plan her search engine optimization and keyword ad strategy while keeping tabs on the website’s performance. “And all my writing starts and lives on Google Docs,” says Alex, who also uses Gemini for proofreading, analyzing data, and hashtag ideas. Travelers love her content: In 2024, her publishing platforms had 1.9 million visitors and over 5 million pageviews (up 30 and 89 percent respectively from 2023). “I love inspiring people to get out and see the world,” Alex says.

Hill Top Contractors

Location: Roanoke, Virginia
Website: https://www.hilltopcontractors.org/
23% of revenue from leads generated through Google Ads

“The storage tank pros you can trust”–that’s the slogan of Hill Top Contractors, specializing in storage tank removal, installation, and environmental remediation. It was founded in 2007 by John Stump and his brother Matthew, who saw firsthand how complicated tank removal could be when their parents had to replace the underground tanks at their general store. Virginia’s dedicated Petroleum Storage Tank Fund covered the remediation costs, and now Hill Top helps customers apply for those same funds as they work to keep their businesses and land clean and safe. “I look at us as micro water protectors. Nobody wants to go fishing in a stream with petroleum in it or drink it from their wells,” John says. “We wanted to look out for our people. Roanoke has a lot of natural beauty that everyone has a deep love and respect for, and we're helping protect it.”

Hill Top’s Google Business Profile shares pictures of what they do. “It shows folks that we’re in the community, and we can help with exactly the problem they have,” John says, which is one reason revenue is up 53 percent in two years. On the backend, they use Search Generative Experience, an AI experiment in Google Search, to gather critical info. “We constantly use Google to help us learn about maintenance and repairs to our equipment, and to assist us with reviewing rules and regulations–which are almost impossible to stay current on in our line of work. The information we get via Google is invaluable,” John explains. Google Workspace tools like Docs, Sheets, and Drive make the necessary documentation for each project available from the office to the job site, and Google Analytics shows John historical web traffic reports so he can plan budgets and hiring. “Analytics gives us the confidence to continue investing in and growing our business intelligently,” he says. “It’s our privilege to help folks fix their problems.”

Red Rooster Coffee

Location: Floyd, Virginia
Website: https://redroostercoffee.com/
48 employees

Nothing says “home” like a great cup of coffee. For Haden Polseno-Hensley and his wife, Rose McCutchan, founding Red Rooster Coffee was their way to share a taste of their hometown of Floyd, Virginia with the world. “We love this town, and we want to do our part to ensure it remains vital,” Haden says. So in 2010 they took the leap, bought a commercial coffee roaster, and Red Rooster was born. The business quickly grew into a national success story, featured in industry magazines and news outlets for their outstanding beans and brew. Google Ads helps them compete against their larger competitors by putting the Red Rooster brand in front of the most shoppers possible, with the strongest return on their investment. Today, more than a decade later, 37 percent of their sales come from their website, and they trust Google tools to help them keep growing their business.

Haden and the Red Rooster team use Google Workspace tools like Sheets to manage their retail inventory, shipments from growers, and wholesale orders all in one place. “We’ve been able to take Google Sheets and create our own database and in-house enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution,” says Haden, saving Red Rooster tens of thousands of dollars a year in licensing fees. They use their Google Business Profile to share their hours, directions, and photos of their storefront so visitors to Floyd can easily find them and make Red Rooster a part of their visit. And the customer reviews give Haden and his team instant feedback that they use to improve their service and customer experience. As Haden, Rose, and the team look to the future, they plan to expand into more catering and commercial opportunities throughout the mid-Atlantic. “We want everyone to feel welcomed by our coffee, welcomed by our store, and welcome in Floyd,” Haden says.

RichWine

Location: Richmond, Virginia
Website: https://www.richwinerva.com/
73+ Five-star reviews on their Google Business Profile

Childhood friends Kristen Gardner Beal and Lance Lemon grew up near Richmond, attending the University of Virginia together. They reconnected in New York City, where Lance was an actor, bartender, and wine store manager and Kristen worked in global investment banking. They found they shared a love of wine, and in 2019, the friends became business partners as they returned home to open a boutique wine shop in Richmond. They were scoping out retail space in March 2020, when overnight, their plans changed. “The pandemic hit, but we still wanted to get wine to people within our region,” Kristen says. “So we built a website within a week and started an online wine delivery business.” RichWine was born–specializing in natural, organic, low-intervention wines from Virginia and around the world. Google tools helped them spread the word.

Their Google Business Profile displays curbside pickup and delivery options, photos, reviews, and links back to their website–where customers can order from a curated selection of wines. “Google reviews have been a catalyst for our business,” Lance says, noting the 73 five-star customer reviews touting their products and services. “For us to be five-starred out is a blessing.” Their Google Business Profile also displays the Black-owned and women-owned badges. “People want to know where they can put their dollars back into certain communities,” Kristen notes. With business pouring in, RichWine moved into a larger space at food and beverage incubator Hatch Kitchen RVA in August 2020. Google Workspace tools help them manage productivity, while Google Analytics helps them understand their customers and plan for expansion. They now ship to all of Virginia and Washington, D.C. and are reviving plans for a brick-and-mortar store. “We’re promoting more of our offerings on our Business Profile,” Kristen says, “and that’s going to help us go a long way.”

Board & Brush Creative Studio - Fairfax

Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Website: https://boardandbrush.com/fairfax/
20 employees

When Raquel Gladieux retired from the Navy after 25 years, she was ready to slow down. But a trip to a Board & Brush Creative Studio in Ohio changed her mind. “I loved it. It combined fun, creativity, and a sense of accomplishment,” says Raquel about the DIY wood sign workshops that bring people together in a relaxed social setting. She and her husband Andy bought three Board & Brush franchises over the next two years in their home state of Virginia, with a flagship store in Fairfax. Raquel started using Google products immediately, launching Google Ads campaigns to reach people looking for creative things to do. Their Business Profile on Google has been especially useful. “It’s the most important tool we have,” she says. “From directions to photos that bring us to life, it’s how people find us.” Revenue grew 15 percent annually with about 50 percent coming through Google.

When COVID-19 hit, “Everything came to a screeching halt,” says Raquel. She immediately called upon her Navy-honed resiliency skills. “In the military, you never let fear drive decisions,” she says. She sold two franchises and focused on her Fairfax store. The first thing she did was check her Business Profile on Google. “ Because people weren't getting out and doing things, how do we make adjustments to stay relevant?” asked Raquel. She played with Google Ads keywords, measuring the impact with Google Analytics. “People were hungry for things to do,” she says. Raquel’s team began building custom woodworking projects and DIY kits. Raquel also developed the idea of hosting virtual woodworking classes, promoting them through Google Ads. “We’ve done these for international corporations, Girl Scouts, and schools,” she says. “It’s great fun.” Today, their Business Profile on Google and Google Ads are more invaluable than ever. "To be successful in today's environment, I think it's important to make the investment."

Orion Home Improvements

Location: Lorton, Virginia
Website: www.orionhomeimprovements.com
12 employees

When Jeremiah Davies left the Marine Corps in 2004, his career path wasn’t exactly clear. After bouncing around commission sales jobs in the Washington, D.C. area, Jeremiah found a job with a roofing company in Virginia. “Once I put on the tool belt and went out there, I found I was a natural in the home improvement industry,” he said. Jeremiah really enjoyed his work, but then the subprime mortgage crisis hit in 2007. It was a scary time, and he did not like the uncertainty that came with working for someone else. Jeremiah was inspired to take control of his career and established his own company: Orion Home Improvements. “I wanted security, but I also wanted to create jobs and opportunities,” said Jeremiah.

In addition to traditional and direct mail marketing, Jeremiah knew that getting online was an important part of reaching potential customers. Soon, Jeremiah and his team began using Google tools, including Google Ads, Google Analytics, and G Suite. “One of the things that I learned very early on is that you have to test and measure in advertising,” said Jeremiah. “By using Google Analytics along with Google Ads, we were able to see what was working and really beef up our organic search results.” In 2018, Orion Home Improvements spent 30% of its marketing budget on Google Ads and saw a 400% return on investment. “When you’re looking at good, accurate data, you’re able to make well-informed decisions on how you’re going to spend your advertising budget,” said Jeremiah.

With Orion Home Improvements, Jeremiah now has the security he was looking for back during the recession. But even more importantly, he’s able to provide it for others: Orion Home Improvements employs 12 people and gives back to the community by donating new roofs to families in need and by supporting local police organizations, among other efforts. Having recently achieved his initial business goal of operating a $3 million company. Jeremiah hopes to hit $8 million within the next five years. Jeremiah attributes his success to his partnership with Google and his stringent “test and learn” mentality. “There is absolutely no way that we would be able to generate $1.5 to $2 million worth of revenue from repeat referral clients if they hadn’t first found us on the Google platforms,” he said. Speaking about what the future holds for Orion Home Improvements, Jeremiah explained, “Google helps us set the bar high on the business end, and I try to do the same on the culture/reputation side. I want to be the kind of place people love to work at, competitors wished they worked at, and people love to do business with.”

Honest Soul Yoga

Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Website: www.honestsoulyoga.com
30 employees

Suzie Mills bravely served her country in the U.S. Air Force for eight years. While deployed to Afghanistan, she decided she wanted to offer veterans and civilians alike a more holistic way to keep their bodies and spirits in healthy shape. Back home in Northern Virginia, she founded Honest Soul Yoga in 2013 to give yoga newcomers a judgement-free place to explore the practice. “Our focus is on welcoming people. We want to create a community, especially for military families,” Suzie says. With this special mission in mind, she has grown Honest Soul Yoga into one of the most popular yoga studios in the area.

Honest Soul Yoga relies on the web to get the word out to local would-be yogis. “I know from personal experience that yoga can be intimidating,” Suzie says, “so I try to have a strong online presence that shows people exactly what they can expect from us.” That means keeping the studio’s Google My Business listing up-to-date with the latest business hours, photos, Q&As, and customer reviews. “For us, it comes down to being searchable, sharing reviews that reflect who we really are, and providing clear directions to our location—those are what bring people through the front door,” she explains. To compete with larger studios, Honest Soul Yoga turns to Google Analytics to better understand their customers and fine-tune their marketing. “It allows us to curate the Honest Soul experience for them. They know we’re the right fit before they ever step into the studio.” Internally, they use G Suite tools, such as Gmail, Docs, and Drive, to collaborate from anywhere and stay on top of business.

Today, nothing is too great a stretch for Honest Soul Yoga. Seventy percent of customers continue to find them online, and their entire marketing budget is now committed to digital. They have tripled the size of their studio to 3,600 square feet and expanded to include a 500-square-foot retail space. They employ 30 people, over half of whom are veterans and military spouses, and plan to open a second studio in 2018. For Suzie, however, the real victory is being able to create a strong community for the veterans and their families who comprise over half of her clients. “We’ve been offering yoga twice a week at Fort Belvoir for military families for two years,” she says. “We’re proud to give back to the military community in any way.”

Two Marines Moving

Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Website: www.twomarinesmoving.com
120 employees

Nick Baucom served his country honorably for six years as a U.S. Marine. When he came home, he wanted a way to keep his fellow veterans gainfully employed and away from the challenges of adjusting to civilian life. He founded Two Marines Moving in 2008 to give Virginia businesses and residents a moving option they could trust, one that reflected the reputation and integrity of the Marines. “The moving industry is known for some unscrupulous actors, but you can always trust a Marine,” Nick says. From just one man with a rental truck, Two Marines Moving now employs over a hundred veterans from the Marine Corps, Army, Navy, and Air Force.

At the peak of their growth, Two Marines Moving was regarded by national publications as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, doubling their revenue every year for three years. “When people think about a ‘fastest-growing company,’ they usually don’t envision a traditional business like ours. But we were consistently growing at 100 percent year-over-year,” says Nick. “Google was an integral part of that growth.” Nick started using AdWords, Google's advertising program, only a couple weeks after launching his business. “It’s where the reach is. It’s where the customers are,” he explains. With a 200 percent return on investment, AdWords continues to drive business for the company. It also helps them target and recruit veterans, which is one of their primary objectives. “What separates us is who we hire. Our company is 97 percent veterans, and we want to continue offering them opportunities,” Nick says. Google Analytics equips them with the insights to intelligently manage their marketing budget, 80 percent of which is digital. And G Suite tools Gmail, Docs, and Drive provide the team with “a super efficient way to collaborate and get things done.”

Today, Two Marines Moving provides quality, trustworthy moving services to customers up and down the East Coast. They’ve opened a second location in Miami and are continuing to grow at an annual rate of 50 percent. Inspired by this growth, Nick aims to further expand his operations and create job opportunities for 500 veterans in the next five years. “Veterans will always have a home here. We will always find work for them to do at Two Marines Moving,” he vows.

ThinkFun

Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Website: www.thinkfun.com
35 employees

Bill Ritchie and his wife, Andrea Barthello, founded ThinkFun in 1985 to translate the ideas of mathematicians, engineers, and inventors into enjoyable games for kids around the world. Bill’s inspiration was his own childhood. “From the time I was a little kid, the whole idea of recreational mathematics and playing with logic games and toys was something I thought everybody did,” Bill says. Today, ThinkFun produces challenging games, toys, puzzles, and brain teasers. “We do less online gaming than physical, in-your-hands games for deeper experiences through play.”

After a quarter century in business, scrambling for market share with the toy giants, ThinkFun saw the incredible digital possibilities of “reaching niche audiences, telling a deeper story, and having people communicate with each other about this cool company,” Bill says. “We realized that we needed to make some fundamental changes in the way we created our products and went to market,” says Mike Ritchie, Director of Marketing. ThinkFun launched a completely new website in 2015 and waded deeply into digital marketing and social media. They turned to AdWords, Google's advertising program, to help them target those niche markets. Bill describes their experience with AdWords as “gasoline on the fire,” and it is now integral to their marketing strategy. Google Analytics gives them insights into what visitors to their website find most relevant, allowing them to make data-driven decisions about what is resonating with customers.

ThinkFun has garnered hundreds of awards and accolades for their games and puzzles, including Code Master, Rush Hour, and Gravity Maze. The Internet and Google tools have given them the opportunity to create their own strong brand online, so they are no longer solely dependent on just selling to big retailers. In fact, they now have passionate fans among parents and children in over 50 countries. Bill expects exciting times ahead. “There's still a lot of value placed on physical games for kids. But we need to make sure that we're adapting to the digital side, so we can be wherever we need to be going forward,” he says. “Google will help us to realize that future.”