Today we’d like to introduce you to BJ Bowen.
Hi BJ , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I fell in love with code early. Around age 12, I was glued to a Timex Sinclair 1000 that connected to my TV. I spent nights learning code, breaking things on purpose, and reverse-engineering errors. The first off-book thing I built was a crude two-car racing game that in no way resembled actual racing, but the cognitive hit of turning abstract logic into motion on a screen was enormous. It taught me that if I could think precisely, I could make it happen on screen.
In art school at East Carolina University I bought my first real computer at 22 and started freelancing as a graphic designer almost immediately. For decades, I cycled through feast and famine where I would take jobs, save money and then freelance until I’d run out of money again. Then rinse and repeat. Then, in 2005, I switched from graphic design to web design and development — back to my roots in coding — and I literally couldn’t make myself stop working.
It wasn’t until around 2018, when I had finally was able to stay with it long enough to build a client base that felt like a true foundation. That was the moment I realized I didn’t just have a series of projects. I had a real company. I started taking it much more seriously. And when I treated the business side of freelancing with the same focus as the work itself, that’s when things really started to scale in a meaningful way.
Today I am an SEO expert, designer, and (light) developer. I own Visibull Local SEO in Durham, NC, where my work lives at the intersection of systems thinking, technology, and clear communication.
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?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I didn’t grow up with any kind of roadmap or guidance for building a business, so I learned everything the slow way — guessing, undercharging, saying yes to the wrong projects, and gradually piecing together how this could work.
On top of that, the feast-and-famine cycle of freelancing was brutal. I would make progress, then hit one bad stretch and watch a single famine cycle wipe out the business I’d been trying to build.
The third big hurdle was spending more than a decade with severe psoriatic arthritis (thankfully it’s been in remission for 7 years now!). For a long time, a traditional job with fixed hours just wasn’t realistic, which meant I had to find a way to make self-employment work because I genuinely didn’t have another option.
Oddly enough, because I had no other options, that bout with ill health is responsible for my success today.
We’ve been impressed with Visibull Local SEO, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I run Visibull Local SEO, a small online marketing company based in Durham, NC. I help businesses show up, get found, and turn that visibility into real leads and sales. Most of my work lives at the intersection of SEO and web design/development: building websites, managing Google Business Profiles, improving search visibility, and making sure it all ties back to measurable outcomes like phone calls, quote requests, sales, and booked work.
My primary focus is on companies that make or move things in the real world: manufacturing, heavy B2B equipment sales and service, and construction. I love working with people who build, fabricate, repair, and keep things running. I also partner with smaller service businesses in other industries, including law firms, travel and tourism, medical, and other local professionals. The common thread is that they’re very good at what they do and don’t have time (or interest) in wrestling with websites, SEO, and analytics.
What sets Visibull apart is the mix of deep technical work and very personal, one-on-one support. I stay close to the data—rankings, traffic, and conversions but I translate it into plain language and clear next steps.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that my clients see me as a trusted partner they can hand projects off to and know someone is paying attention, asking hard questions, and advocating for their business online.
For VoyageRaleigh readers, the main thing I’d want you to know is this: if your business depends on being found online but you don’t have the time or desire to live in that world, that’s where my team and I come in. We handle the technical side so you can stay focused on running the business.
How do you think about luck?
I think of luck as the mix of cards you’re dealt and the random cards that show up later. Some of what I’ve lived through wouldn’t look like “good luck” from the outside, but those trials absolutely shaped my success. I was forced to get scrappy, to problem-solve, and to keep going when a more comfortable person might have tapped out.
On the brighter side, I’ve had good luck too. I happened to fall in love with technology at a time when the internet was becoming impossible for businesses to ignore. When I was Graphic Design Manager at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in 2005, my boss created a new job and gave me the opportunity to become the Online Marketing Manager right as demand for that skill set was growing. That was a pivotal opportunity that changed my life.
I’ve crossed paths with kind, patient clients who were willing to bet on me long before my business looked polished.
So I’d say luck has played a role, but not in a “lottery ticket” way. Luck may have put doors in front of me, but it was me who turned the knob. The rest has been showing up, doing the work, learning, and trying to build something that’s worthy of the chances I’ve been given.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://visibull.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visibull.seo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/visibulllocalseo
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/visibull-local-seo/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Visibull-Local-SEO
