History

Smith Growth Partners began as a management consulting firm. In 1998, John Starling and Rob Macdonald formed Macdonald-Starling, Strategic Planning and Development, LLC, to bring top-shelf consulting to middle-market and emerging companies that had been overlooked during the tech boom of the late ’90s.

The firm advised clients, wrote brand bibles, strategic plans and marketing action plans for companies in the mid-Atlantic region, and began working in partnership with Web and print design companies, public relations firms and search engine optimizers to execute those plans. Almost immediately, it became evident that something was missing: the content—the right words to describe the value propositions of companies struggling to differentiate themselves.

In the early days of business connectivity, niche creative and marketing technology providers such as rich e-mail companies, Web application developers and search engine optimization firms were popping up like wildflowers, and clients were retaining their services, bypassing their ad agencies in favor of direct billing relationships with the real subject-matter experts. But good writing was hard to find. No one stepped up to help companies articulate for their audiences the answers to key questions: who are you, what do you do and for whom, what’s the benefit to them, why are you different from your competition, and, most importantly, what does the prospective client have to do next in order to move through your sales cycle? In 2001, Macdonald-Starling rolled out Smith Content to meet these needs, and marketing history was made.

For the first time, companies could have a B2B relationship with an organization of business-focused professional writers and brand message consultants, rather than having to staff up, manage a revolving door of freelance writing talent, or deal with the high fees of an ad agency.

In 2007 the company reclaimed its roots in growth strategy and was renamed "Smith Growth Partners".   The name change reflects what it is that Smith has always offered its clients:  the highest probability of growth and a partnership with a level of commitment unlike any other.

We have worked with hundreds of companies across the nation and around the world. We are powering the growth of several companies right now—yours could be next. Learn how to engage us.