Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake St. Peter.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I gave up trying to be a handsome billionaire ages ago. Instead, I’ve spent the last 20-plus years building, breaking, and reinventing the web—long before “SEO” was a career path and search engines had names like Lycos, Excite, and Ask Jeeves.
I got my start at GoTickets.com in the early 2000s, back when the internet wasn’t just uncharted—it was a blank map. My job was to get people to events online, which meant figuring out search rankings from scratch. There wasn’t a handbook — it was all trial, error, and persistence.
In 2003, I co-founded Coalmarch Productions. We grew to 15 employees, crossed a million dollars in revenue, and in 2009 the Triangle Business Journal named me a Mover & Shaker and recognized Coalmarch as one of its Top Internet Marketing & Design Firms. Not long after, I found myself on a panel with Microsoft at the Internet Summit in Raleigh. Not bad for a guy who never set out to be a “marketing guru.”
By 2011, craving a fresh start, I transitioned out of Coalmarch and launched Dirigo Creative. “Dirigo” means “I Lead”—a nod to my family’s Maine roots and a promise to help others move forward, not just keep up. Today, I work with small and mid-sized businesses to cut through digital noise, focus on what matters, and get results—not just reports that look good on paper.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My career path has been anything but a straight line.
In 2012, I tried to expand Dirigo Creative into Florida. The timing was off, partnerships fell apart, and I learned quickly that early wins don’t guarantee smooth sailing. But that was nothing compared to what came next: years of back pain so severe it sidelined me from my own business. There were days when getting dressed felt like a bigger accomplishment than signing a new client.
That period forced me to hit pause. I had to slow down, rethink everything, and rebuild—not just my company, but myself. In 2024, a spinal procedure changed my life. I went from barely functioning to feeling like I had a second shot. I’ll always credit Dr. Li at Cypress Spinal in Cary for giving me back more than mobility; he gave me back my focus and energy.
Those years rewired how I see success. They made me sharper, more grateful, and more grounded as a leader in my field. I’ve been through my own battles, and it makes me better at guiding clients through theirs.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Dirigo Creative?
Dirigo Creative is what happens when someone who’s been working in SEO since the dial-up era gets tired of watching it get overcomplicated. I built an agency focused on clarity and impact: strategies that work, websites that don’t frustrate users, branding that resonates, and campaigns that bring real customers—not just impressions or vanity metrics.
After two decades of watching buzzwords come and go, I know what actually works. I can cut through the noise and focus on strategy—and that’s the edge I give my clients.
I’m direct with clients because I’d rather tell them the truth than sugarcoat it. Most of the sites I review—probably eight or nine out of ten—are built poorly or optimized in ways that don’t actually help the business. My job is to clear that up, fix what’s broken, and make sure the strategy actually works so they can get back to doing what they’re best at.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
In 2011, I came very close to leaving SEO behind for reality TV. I appeared on a show called Centerfold in Florida, working as the lead assistant photographer for a group of competing photographers. The show had already been approved for a second season in Asia, and for a moment, I thought I’d be swapping analytics dashboards for confessional interviews. Then the whole thing collapsed before season one even aired.
So instead of Instagram sponsorships and questionable fame, I came back to North Carolina and doubled down on building something real. Honestly, I’m glad it worked out this way. Reality TV burns bright and fades fast; building strategies that actually help businesses grow has staying power. That experience reminded me where I’m most valuable—helping small and mid-sized businesses get the kind of SEO strategy corporations rely on, without all the waste and hype.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dirigocreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirigocreative
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dirigocreative
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dirigo-creative/
- Twitter: https://x.com/dirigocreative
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/dirigocreative
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dirigo-creative-raleigh
